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The
Sixth and Probably final Argus Peak Climb Poetry Contest and Desert Deer BBQ Ron 3ones & Norm Roan with Help from Friends 4/20 -2l/85 |
All's well that ends well-or has it ended? It has already been suggested that Norm and I schedule an ARGUS REVISITED outing. Depending upon demand and inclination it could come about.
The first activity in preparing for this event began during January 25-28 when Norm and I visited Christmas Spring, a 68 degree warm spring located at the mouth of Wilson Canyon near the eastern slopes of Argus Pk. We scouted and mapped the best access route, selected and visited our second day's objective and observed what the BLM and Park Service call a "direct reduction" on several members of the local long-eared equine population.
Later the call went out for recruits to help prepare the area for the festivities and three days before the happening Norm, Walt Whisman and I reported for duty in Trona to begin setting the scene physically and emotionally for this happening. We built road, surfaced sandy areas, pruned brush and flagged the route into Christmas Springs with red fluorescent markers. Lou Brecheen joined us the next day and we scouted and thoroughly marked the climbing route with ducks and plastic streamers, dug and lined the BBQ pit with stone, cleaned the spring, set up an electric light system with Walt's silent generator and soaked our BBQ meat in Norm's tasty marinade.
Friday afternoon the crowd began arriving. Nearly 70 signed in. Strange tales were told as we burned the campfire high, and long after midnight in order to build up a proper bed of coals for the next morning.
Saturday we rose early to a beautiful day, wrapped the desert deer in muslin and burlap, put it on a sheet of tin placed over the coals and buried it to cook under several feet of sand. Yellow 6th annual Argus commemorative memorial tee shirts with art work from Betty McCosker were distributed and we were ready to climb. 47 started from Christmas Spring at 3,000 ft and 44 made the summit at 6562' for lunch. We saw 4 burros enroute and there were many flowers with the vibrant deep-blue Indigo bushes most impressive. Everyone returned to camp early, at least an hour before sunsets a 7 mile round trip.
Serving tables were set up, Walt's electric lights were turned on, two gallons of delicious BBQ sauce-courtesy of Jim Roberts-was served, salads, vegetables and desserts made their appearance, the meat was exhumed amidst the glare of flash bulbs and the feast began. Modestly I state that most everyone declared the meat to be the best of the 6 that I have run. After dinner began the poetry and other entertainment. Many of the poetic prizes are found elsewhere in this issue. Betty McC called in a pack of wolves (on cassette) which surrounded our camp with their threatening crys. Later a band of howling indians dressed in both kachina and war costumes circled the campfire and kidnapped several befuddled celebrants. Stories were declaimed, jokes were told, Elden played his guitar and songs were sung. The party went on and on and on.
Sunday a number of climbers left the group to climb Maturango Pk from the east (successfully it Later turned out), others went for Pleasant Pk while the main party thoroughly policed the area, broke camp and drove up Homewood Canyon to the north. Here we hiked almost 3 miles over mining trail and burro track through interesting country to an old abandoned mining cabin Marlin Clark had told me about. A miner who was called "The Russian lived here working some small gold claims through the WW II.
After spending an hour or more at the cabin (where Norm and I saw wild horse back in January) we returned to our cars and concluded another glorious ARGUS weekend. - RON