rim country adventures

RIM COUNTRY

Fall/Winter 2011

GUIDE TO RIM COUNTRY RECREATION

ADVENTURES

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RIM COUNTRY ADVENTURES � PAGE 5

� RIM COUNTRY ADVENTURES

Hidden treasure: P-8

Heart of Arizona: P-14

Hunting challenge: P-20

Mountain biking: P-22

Quilters rock: P-24

Fall color blowout: P-26

A golfer’s delight: P-32

Pine history tour: P-34

Natural wonder: P-36

Zane Grey Museum: P-40

Calendar of Events: P-44

Rim Countrydilemma:What to do?

T he river burbles. The leavestremble. The light slants. Theelk laments.

Oh, my, another Rim Countrydilemma: What to do, what to do? That’sthe worst thing about living in Rim Coun-try — the unrelenting choices.

Should I grab my fly rod and go afterthe holdover brown trout lurking inHaigler Creek — or maybe the stocked rain-bows in Payson’s Green Valley Lake?

Should I hop on my mountain bikeand huff and puff down Cracker Jack MineRoad? Should I limber up my camera andcapture the lurid rush of fall in thebranches of the cottonwoods along the EastVerde River?

Should I antique shop in downtownPine, stock up on award-winning goatcheese from the Fossil Creek Creamery orrattle on down to Fossil Creek for my lastswimming hole experience before wintercloses in?

Should I nip up to Woods CanyonLake in hopes the resident bald eagles stilllinger, hike the trail along Tonto Creek,grab lunch at the cozily historic lodge atKohl’s Ranch or collect a dozen 200-mileviews from atop the Rim along Forest Road300 before the first snowfall shuts it down?

Then again, maybe I should just sithere in the bend of the river and let the dayunfold, while fall still quivers in the breeze.Such pressure, deciding what to do with agolden day.

So I guess I’ll sit here a while longerand listen to the sea serpent call of bull elk,defending their harem’s from all takers.Poor bulls in the rut get so addled andpressed by horny young males that they’llscarcely eat for the six weeks of the rut anddrop 40 percent of their body weight.

So I guess I ain’t got it so bad, trying todecide on my day.

But you go ahead and check out ourfall visitors guide, with all sorts of sugges-tions for disposing of your day. Then checkback with me.

I have a feeling I’ll still be here.

Table of contents


708 N. Beeline Highway • PO Box 2520 • Payson, AZ 85547 • (928) 474-5251 • www.payson.com

No portion of the Rim Country Adventures recreation guide may be used in any manner without the expressed written consent of the publisher.The Rim Country Adventures recreation guide is published by Roundup Publishing, a division of WorldWest Limited Liability Company. © 2011

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RIM COUNTRY

ADVENTURES

East Verde Riveroffers refuge forwildlife, hikers


Pay a visit to a Rim Country

secretStory by Pete Aleshire

Photographs by Tom Brossart

The East Verde River remains one ofRim Country’s most satisfying and intimatesecrets.

Lined with cottonwoods and sycamoresthat blaze yellow and gold in the fall, the riveroffers hiking trails, swimming holes, stream-side camping spots — and one of the most di-verse and productive wildlife habitats inNorth America.

Biologists have concluded that such cot-tonwood-willow habitats produce the greatestbiomass and the greatest diversity of speciesof any system in North America, but dams,diversions and dropping water tables have de-stroyed or degraded 90 percent of the stream-side cottonwood-willow galleries in Arizona.

The East Verde starts with springs gush-ing from the base of the Mogollon Rim,water that fell thousands of years ago andseeped through the 1,000-feet of limestoneuntil it escaped again into the sunlight.

The river gathers up more recent rains asit tumbles through Rim Country, clear in thewinter then silt-brown in the summer as itpasses through berms and slides.

Human beings have sought its solace forat least 10,000 years, from the spear-wieldingmammoth hunters who left their Clovisstone spearheads to the Mogollon peoplewho farmed stream terraces and left a scatter-ing of stone ruins before vanishing in the1400s. Then came the Apache with a rich,deep-rooted and resourceful culture and fi-nally the ranchers and the loggers and the re-tirees and refugees from the hurtle of modernlife.

The East Verde flows along HoustonMesa Road, crosses over into East Verde Es-tates, drops down past Doll Baby Ranch to-ward its distant junction with the VerdeRiver.

The Verde system drains nearly 7,000square miles and harbors an astonishing di-versity of wildlife. One survey found the high-

The East Verde River flows along Houston Mesa Road, crosses over into East Verde Estates and drops down past Doll Baby Ranch toward its junction with the Verde River.


est density of nesting birds ever recorded inNorth America along a cottonwood-gracedstretch of the Verde River. The Verde oncesupported 16 different species of native fish,although only 10 remain. It also harborsmany species of introduced fish and morethan 200 different species of birds.

Some 90 percent of the critters in Ari-zona depend on such riparian areas forsome crucial stage of their lives. The riverhas provided a place for several dwindlingspecies to make their last stand, like theblack hawks that pluck crayfish from thewater and leave piles of cracked claws, Mexi-can garter snakes that undulate through thewater chasing frogs and Verde trout thathunt insect nymphs that could each star intheir own monster movie if they weren’t sosmall.

The giant deep-barked cottonwoodsdominate the stretches of river closest to

The well-stocked East Verde River is a popular place for adults and children to fish through early fall.

Payson, along with the sensuously white-boled sycamore.They create a whole world in layers for squirrels, possums,raccoons and birds by the thousands.

But more different trees crowd the river’s banks than al-most any other stream in the West, as it drops through onelife zone after another. This includes Arizona walnuts andArizona ashes, towering ponderosas and squat pinons, Ari-zona cypress, alders and elders. Here white, Emory, Gambeland Palmer oaks divide up each niche according to elevation,not to mention the one-seed, Utah and alligator junipers andboth the desert and Goodding willows. If that’s not enough,you can also find soapberry, mulberry, hackberry andchokecherry.

The river reflects the seasons — the angular austerity ofwinter, the green haze of the first leaves, the riotous green ofAugust, the brilliance of fall, the ritual mourning of the fallenleaves, the exhilarating rush of summer floods, the cold,sullen fury of winter storms, the smell of damp earth andnew grass and decaying leaves and approaching storms.

The Apache believed that such places would not onlyfeed them, but sustain their spirits — and teach them how tolive a full and balanced life. They said that “wisdom sits inplaces.” They said that every man must work all his life tohave a “smooth mind.” They said that natural places couldenlarge your soul and make you steady, wise, kind and strong.

But you have to open yourself to that place by sitting and lis-tening.

A good Buddhist will tell you the same thing — and sowill the Book of Psalms, which reads: “He maketh me to liedown in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still wa-ters.”

PAGE 12 � RIM COUNTRY ADVENTURES


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Story by Pete AleshireRoundup staff

Y ou never can predict by what path people will find heaven. Just askanyone who lives in Rim Country how they ended up here — andyou’ll likely get a fascinating story.

In my case, I had to get fired from a big job in a big city, go into a totalpanic and grasp at a job at the Roundup like it was the last piece life-ring on anempty sea. Turns out, I’d been looking for Payson all my life and ended upwith a little house overlooking the East Verde River in a town where everyoneacts like a neighbor.

So now I always ask how people got here.One friend just happened to be driving through Payson on a vacation and

recognized it immediately as the place he wanted to retire. So he spent the next10 years building his retirement dream house, then settling in for the duration.

One friend couldn’t stand one more year fuming while traveling to andfrom work in a 90-minute commute — so he threw a dart at a map on the wall,cashed out and moved to Payson — virtually sight unseen.

Another friend was born here, couldn’t wait to shake the small-town bluesafter high school, but came back for good seven years later when she realizedher heart was buried on the banks of the East Verde.

Funny how life works out — so like a river — all pools, riffles, flood debris,stubborn roots, floods, droughts and blind corners.

I think about that, sitting here alongside the East Verde River, right wherea little tributary creek cascades into the larger flow — tinted turquoise-bluewith travertine, dissolved limestone laid down on some long-vanished sea bot-tom.

Overhead, a storm is gathering — working itself up to something spectacu-lar. The stripped electrons have not quite built up sufficiently in the roilingclouds to begin the lightning display. In the pool in front of me, trout havebegun to rise — testing the floating flies and the darting larva of one of theSouthwest’s best little streams — spring-fed and undammed.

The moment is perfect. Suddenly, a big elk emerges from the thick screen of trees upstream. He

pauses, sniffs the air and then turns his ponderous antlered head toward me,regarding me with wary disdain.

Many pathslead to the

Rim CountryAuthor shares his journey to East Verde home


Tom Brossart photo

I just shake my head. There goes God: Overdoing again.The place has soothed and saved me — in moments just

like this with the sound of water all around as I receive theblessing of the elk. Just for emphasis, a big old rainbow clearsthe water in front of me, falling back to the stream with a gladsplash.

So, I thought I would share this blessing a little. I offer itnot only because the Rim Country is an unexpectedly won-derful place — but because my list of favorites also proves thatthings work out, if you can just stop thrashing, turn on yourback and let the current take you.

East Verde RiverAn all-but-unknown treasure, save to the locals who live

along its banks. The river gushes from a spring up aboveWashington Park, runs for 15 miles along Houston MesaRoad, crosses the highway at Flowing Springs Road, flowspast East Verde Estates and on down through miles of wilder-ness canyon far from the road.

You can fish and hike, splash about at several sites alongHouston Mesa and Flowing Springs Roads, just outside of

Payson. The Salt River Project is now releasing 40 cubic feetper second into the stream at Washington Park, which hasdramatically increased its flows and left the water clear andclean and cold.

The stretch of river that runs through Whispering Pinesalong Forest Road 269 is particularly nice and well stockedwith trout in the summer. It’s a treasure: please protect it.

Tonto CreekFrom Payson, head east up Highway 260 through Star

Valley toward the Mogollon Rim. In about 18 miles, you’llcome to Tonto Creek. If you turn north off the highway,you’ll follow a dirt road up and along the trout-stocked creek.Eventually, you’ll hit the Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery, whichproduces the fish that stock all of the Rim Country streams.You can take a tour of the hatchery. You can find places topark all along that road leading up to the hatchery and headdown to the creek.

The creek gets heavy use during summer weekends, buteven then, you can hike up and down the creek and find yourown little swimming hole. Alternatively, you can turn off

Tom Brossart photo

Writer Pete Aleshire tries his hand at fly-fishing in Tonto Creek.



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Highway 260 before you get to the hatchery road and makeyour way down the narrow dirt road to Bear Flat, where youcan evade some of the crowds on prime weekends. By the way— Tonto Creek also boasts one of the best places to stay inRim Country, the marvelous and historic Kohl’s Ranch,which rents cabins and horses right on the banks of TontoCreek.

Fossil CreekFall’s the perfect time to visit Fossil Creek, since you’re

spared the crowds but get to savor a riot of fall color — usuallystarting in late October and early November. Drive to Pineon Highway 87 and take the Fossil Creek Road turnoff at theStrawberry Lodge.

Be sure to make a stop at the Fossil Creek Creamerywhere you can pet the goats and llamas and stock up on theiraward-winning goat milk fudge. Then return to the road andhairpin down into the canyon, although you may have tosqueeze to the side and wait to let other traffic pass. Duringthe summer, the Forest Service now limits access by car on

the weekends, but in the fall and winter you can still be spon-taneous.

About five years ago, Arizona Public Service shut down ahydroelectric plant that had diverted the spring-fed waters ofthe creek from its bed for a century and returned the river toits bed, creating one of the most remarkable places in Ari-zona. The gushing spring is laden with travertine, dissolvedlimestone that forms dams and drip castles — and tints thelong succession of crystal-clear, turquoise-blue pools.

The stream had become one of the best refuges in theworld for native fish like Verde trout, headwater chub andSonoran suckers. The Forest Service has banned campingand fires near the creek to protect it from heavy use. Makesure you never leave without hauling out a bag full of litterleft by the idiots.

Forest Road 300Check weather conditions, since the Forest Service will

close the road with the first snowfall. About 30 miles north-east of Payson, Highway 260 tops out on the Mogollon Rim

Tom Brossart photo

With travertine formations on its banks and clear aquamarine water running through it,Fossil Creek attracts visitors from around Arizona.


Tom Brossart photo

Fall is a perfect time to fish one of the Rim lakes. The crowds are gone and there are stillsome whoppers left for the hooking.

— a 200-mile long chain of 1,000-foot-high limestone cliffsthat defines the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. Onthe way up to the Rim on Highway 260, you’ll pass theChristopher Creek Loop turnoff, a worthy detour if you wantto have lunch at the rustic, homey Creekside Steak House.You can also rent creekside cabins here.

Right after you top out on the Rim, you cross ForestRoad 300. This historic wagon trail hugs the edge of the Rimin both directions. Go right, and you skirt the White Moun-tain Apache Reservation and end up in Show Low. Go leftand you pass a couple of beautiful lakes well stocked withtrout and often attended by bald eagles.

Bear Canyon Lake is one of the most popular fishingspots in the whole state. The road winds for miles along theedge of forever before rejoining the pavement just above Pine.Spectacular views either way — and a lot of vivid history.

Cracker Jack Mine RoadCheck the weather before venturing onto this great, back-

country road, since rainfall turns the clay-laced soil intogumbo. Pick up this long, sometimes rough dirt road just out-side of Payson as you head toward Pine.

It’s the only dirt road turnoff from the highway dignifiedby a stop sign. The road leads through the woods down to theEast Verde River, crosses the river, then continues along thehigh plateau as it winds down toward another crossing of theVerde River at Doll Baby Ranch.

The road demands a high clearance vehicle — preferablywith four-wheel drive.

It’s treacherously muddy in the spring or after a big rain— don’t go near it when it’s wet. But otherwise, it provides ascenic, relatively unvisited backroad adventure, with access towater at several points.


Story by Michele Nelson

Roundup staff reporter

The dawn seeps over the horizon, tanning the sky orangeand pink. The crisp, fall air smells fresh, with the sharpness ofpine. Suddenly, the high-pitched bugle of a bull elk pierces thesilence.

It’s that time of year again, when a hunter’s pulse quickens— hunting season.

From Labor Day until the spring, each week will rotatethrough different hunting methods: bow, muzzle loading andrifle. Hunters may gather mule deer, white tail, elk, turkey,bighorn sheep, and javelina — if the Arizona Game and Fish De-partment grants them a tag through its lottery process.

With an average of 135,000 people spending an estimated

$127 million in retail sales, hunting has a sizable economic im-pact on the state of Arizona.

Bow hunting, the ancient art of using human muscle, vi-sion, wood, sinew, and arrows to hunt game, has a rhythm all itsown. Used for thousands of years by humans, bow hunting hasmany followers in Payson.

Last year, Chasin a Dream opened on South Beeline High-way to accommodate this niche of hunters.

The business focuses on bow hunting. Everything a bowhunter needs from bows, arrows, sights, quivers, arrow rests,

camouflage, boots, calls, scenting and de-scenting sprays, blinds,and even guide services can be found at the shop.

“You guys are a great shop. I’m from Mesa and you guysbeat any shop here in the Valley in customer service by far. Ispent 20 minutes with the owner last year in the range and mygroups have gotten so much better due to his advice. Now I beatall my friends when we go out and shoot archery,” wrote MattKennedy on Chasin a Dream’s Facebook page.

Others stop by to tell stories. One hunter who visited theshop told of an elk hunt:

He was hunting on the Rim and shot a bull elk around thearea of the lungs. He returned to camp to resume the chase inthe morning. Getting up early, he and his friends found theblood trail and followed it to a steep canyon where all trace of theelk disappeared. After searching for three days, they finally gave

up. He returned home empty handed from thathunt.

A week later, out on a different hunt, he saw thebull elk he had shot herding his cows around. Curi-ous how his shot didn’t mortally wound the animal,he consulted an expert who told him it is possible toshoot an elk in an area below the back and up fromthe shoulder that completely misses any vital organs.The elk can actually pull the arrow out, rip off hairfrom its chest and plug the hole to stop the bleeding.

The hunter decided to leave that elk alone tocomplete its mating season.

For anyone new to bow hunting, hiring a guidecan make the experience much more worthwhile.

In bow hunting, intimately understanding thehabits and environment of the animal they wish tohunt, gives hunters a chance to bag a worthy trophy.

Many local guides spend months in the bushidentifying an animal, maybe a buck whitetail or mule deer,maybe a bull elk, then tracking it to learn exactly where the an-imal likes to eat and drink, sleep and wander.

The bow hunt engages all the senses, cunning and aware-ness of the hunter. They have to use the weather and powers ofobservation, be aware of the time of day, know the terrain, usethe direction of the wind and study what the animal is doing —whether it’s bedding down, eating, or drinking water — to havea successful hunt. For many, bow hunting satisfies their needfor a challenge.

Andy Towle photo

A local archer takes aim at a Round Valley area shooting range.

Bow hunting aPayson pastime


Story by Michele NelsonRoundup staff


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by Alexis BechmanRoundup Staff

My feet are squarely stuck to the pedals, pushing throughthe gears like a train steaming over the tracks of a narrow for-est trail. Weaving past pines, pebbles and pine cones, mywheels never veer off course, squarely migrating the single-track.

Breath in check, bike on course, my mind settles into agroove — letting the groove of the course carry me for hours.

When done right, mountain biking is a deeply settlingexperience. The bend and dips have a way of straighteningthe mind out while leaving the legs feeling like wet noodles.But not only experts can get this high.

Whether you are a beginner or expert mountain biker,

there are trails in Rim Country that fit every skill level andtime frame.

Two of the best rides for beginners and intermediates sitjust off the Mogollon Rim on Forest Road 300. The CarrLake Trail System and Meadow Trail to Woods Canyon Lakeoffer half-day adventures that boost any confidence level.

For those afraid of wiping out, you won’t find manyother bikers in the area as it is still widely unknown to themasses of pedalers.

Carr Lake Trail SystemStumbling on the Carr Lake Trail System over Labor Day

weekend was serendipitous for my family. Camping just a fewhundred feet from the trailhead, we stumbled on the trail sys-

Mounta

Story by Alexis BechmanRoundup staff

BikinPar


tem while walking the dog at dusk. Unable to venture far due to the setting sun, we anx-

iously waited until morning to saddle up our bikes. The trails did not disappoint. From the trailhead, which sits at the beginning of Forest

Road 9350 (a great road to camp off, with several campsitessitting on the edge of the Mogollon Rim with never-endingpanoramic views), there is a restroom and horse corral.

Signs mark the Aspen Trail, which heads northwestthrough a series of connecting loops, including the Aspen,Boulder Hop and General Crook.

The loops can be ridden in either direction, although it

can be easy to feel disoriented on which trail to follow. Luck-ily, all of the trails interconnect. The longest route runs aboutnine miles, but it is easy to cut that in half by taking theAspen, which cuts through the middle of the larger loop andis roughly 5.5 miles long.

Elevation gain is minimal, so there is not any need forfrequent dismounting to get over creeks and up steep slopes.With smooth singletrack through meadows most of the way,it is easy to gain speed and travel a good distance in a fewhours.

With a maze of other trails in the area, including the Mil-itary Sinkhole and Drew Trail, riders looking for more diffi-culty can easily tack additional paths onto their ride.

In 2009, a local bike shop sponsored a junior race on theCarr Lake Trail System, bringing some attention to the area.Still, there aren’t many riders on the trail.

In the fall, there isn’t a better place to see the leaveschange from a bike than through this trail system. If you go:

From Payson, head east on Highway 260 to Forest Road300, which is just past mile marker 281. Forest Road 300heads west, away from the Mogollon Rim visitor center. FR300 is initially paved, but after several miles, it turns into adirt road. Continue several more miles down 300 to ForestRoad 9350. The trailhead is just down 9350 on the right.

General Crook and Meadow Trail to Woods Canyon Lake

After a long ride through the forest, a lake with a nearbysnack shack, is a welcome site. Riders looking for a destina-tion ride will enjoy the Meadow Trail to Woods Canyon Lake.

Similar in difficulty to the Carr Lake Trail System, thesingletrack of the General Crook Trail dips and squigglesthrough open forest and meadows. There are some rocky sec-tions, but most of the trail is packed dirt. Minimal in eleva-tion change, but who says you need to beat your lungs to havea good ride.

After pedaling several miles under the cool umbrella ofponderosa pines, the General Crook Trail hooks up with theMeadow Trail at Forest Road 105. The trail lies just a few feetfrom the road in most places and takes hikers and bikers on apaved path to the lake. Being paved and with several camp-grounds nearby, there is usually a good number of walkers onthe two-mile path.

After crossing a small bridge over a marsh, the trail windsback into a forest area, where there is the good possibility ofspotting elk. The trail then takes a steep descent into thelake’s parking lot, a good place to test a bike’s braking system.

Heading back the same route, the whole trip takes aboutfour miles.

We started the trip from the Carr Lake Trailhead, just offForest Road 9350. From the trailhead, head east across 9350to the General Crook Trail, a small sign marks the way. Gen-eral Crook hugs the road for a few feet, then crosses over For-est Road 300 and winds back into the woods. Head east,following the chevrons and cairn stone markers.

Tom Brossart photo

The even terrain found on several Mogollon Rim trails makes ita great place to enjoy mountain biking.

tainingaradise

By Teresa McQuerreyRoundup staff

This area is called home by some of the na-tion’s best quilters and those quilters, aswell as gifted hobbyists and novices, willhave their work displayed at the SeventhAnnual Rim Country Quilt Roundup.

There will also be quilts coming to the show from out of thearea.

The annual event isFriday, Nov. 11 throughSunday, Nov. 13 in theExhibition Hall at theMazatzal Hotel &Casino, off Hwy. 87 atmilepost 251 on thesoutheast side of Payson.

The quilt show willbe open from 10 a.m. to7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov.11; 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.,Saturday, Nov. 12; andfrom 10 a.m. to 5:30p.m., Sunday, Nov. 13.Admission is $3 per per-son or $2 with the dona-tion of a can or packageof nonperishable food forlocal food banks. Chil-dren 12 and under willbe admitted at no charge.

The annual QuiltRoundup always features a wide selection of classes and thisyear is no different. Classes start the day before the exhibit,Thursday, Nov. 10 and continue through Monday, Nov. 14.

Teaching this year will be Karla Alexander, Julie Hocker,Gina Perkes, Sharon Schamber and Helen Young Frost.

The classes, except Schamber’s, will be presented at theGood Samaritan Majestic Rim Senior Apartments, 310 E.Tyler Parkway, on the northeast side of Payson. Schamber willhave her classes at her home studio. The classes range in costfrom $55 to $65.

Lectures and demonstrations will be at the FiresideRoom of the casino, two of the lectures are $10 each, the bal-ance are free.

Young will present a lecture from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.,Thursday, Nov. 10 on tricks for better quilts; this is one of the$10 lectures.

Thursday classes are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Schamber will

present Raw Edge Appliqué; Perkes’ topic is Appliqué Ampli-fied; Alexander’s class is Gentle Curved Piecing; Frost willteach Perfect Patchwork Twilight; and Hocker will have a classon Texture Scapes Embellishments.

Lectures Friday, Nov. 11 will be presented by Quilting Sis-ters from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wilma Hitterman willdemonstrate a treadle machine, both of these are free. An-other lecture, Kick Start Your Creativity, will be presentedfrom 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. by Hocker and costs $10 per person.

Friday classes arefrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.and include Schamber’sFeathers Corners Border& Blocks: DomesticQuilting; Alexander’sStraight Line Piecing;Frost’s Beautiful BindingAgain; and Hocker’s Tex-ture Scapes.

The Quilting Sistersand Hitterman will againbe presenting lecturesand demonstrations from10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Satur-day, Nov. 12.

Saturday classes willbe from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.and include Schamber’sPiec-Lique Fire Flower;Perkes’ Appliqué by Bob-bin; Alexander’s CreativeGrid Ruler Design;Frost’s Lone Star

Sparkler; and Hocker’s 3-D Thread Drawing.Perkes will present a trunk show at 11 a.m., Sunday, Nov.

13 and lectures by Quilting Sisters and treadle machinedemonstrations by Hitterman will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,Sunday.

Schamber is presenting a class on Dancing Feathers: Do-mestic and Longarm Quilting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday;and a class on Stipple Basic: Domestic and Longarm Quiltingfrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, Nov. 14.

All of the classes have limited space, so early registrationis urged.

Earlier this year, the Rim Country Quilt Roundup washonored by the Arizona Quilters Hall of Fame as Organiza-tional Friend of the Year for 2011 for its financial support ofthe Hall of Fame and the advancement of its mission.

Check www.quiltroundup.com for more information,class and quilt entry forms, or call (928) 472-4410.

Dennis Fendler photo

Wilma Hitterman will give treadle sewing machine demonstrations throughout the annual Quilt Roundup.

Arizona’s finest showcased atQuilt Roundup


Story by Teresa McQuerreyRoundup staff

C.C. CRAGINPIPELINE PROJECT

PAYSON’S FUTUREWATER SOURCE

A water supply partnership between theTown of Payson and the Salt River Project

Story and photos by Tom Brossart

Ichase the brilliance of fall foliage colors the same wayI search the mountain meadows and desert for wild-flowers.

There is just something about the colors nature producesthroughout the year that stir and excite photographers to apoint of obsession at times.

I (along with my wife) have spent more than a fair share ofour fall time chasing down rumors and reported sightings in a

search for the best fall colors.Alleged sightings are the worst, it usually goes something

like “Hey, I spotted some great aspen (or maples, pick your tree)out on Forest Road XYZ last weekend” and that is all it reallytakes to send some photographers (me) out, first attempting tofind the correct Forest Service road — which is usually thewrong road — and second, to find where in the world on thatwinding road are trees showing off their best color. Sometimesyou find the right trees in the right settings with the right light,other times you are one windstorm too late, but when you dohit the colors at the right time, it is a beautiful sight to behold.

A colorful carpet of fall leaves fill the forest floor in the Dane Ridge area on the Mogollon Rim .

There’s plenty of colorin the Rim Country


Story and Photos by Tom BrossartRoundup staff


So if you are up to trying to view thefall colors, the first chore is location, loca-tion, location. And patience, plenty of pa-tience.

Do as much research as possible to de-termine where you can find the best fallcolors. The same place that was so speciallast year may not be the same spot thisyear. Also remember what you see todaycan be gone tomorrow with one goodwind.

So once you find the fall colors, howare you going to make some great photos?

First there is always time of day issues.Early or late is the best, but I have alsomade some nice backlit photos mid-morn-ing and mid-afternoon.

The best light is usually early, at sun-rise and for several hours right after, alongwith sunset and the time just before andafter. Don’t give up when the sun goesdown, with the right conditions you canmake some nice images.

A bright, sunny day is great for somephotos, but don’t ignore a slightly overcastday, which I call cloudy-bright day, and cer-tainly take advantage of any storm or fluffyclouds; these conditions can enhance yourphotos. Right after a rain, the colors willbe extra nice.

I suggest that you always use a polariz-ing filter when creating images outside.Fall foliage photos will be enhanced with apolarizing filter, as will almost any imagemade outdoors during the rest of the year,too.

My college and workshop students al-ways ask, “How do I know when I have setthe polarizer correctly?” Good question.Look through the lens turning the polar-izing filter slowly until you see the colorsintensify, then stop, don’t over-polarize, asthe sky will turn a deep blue-black. Youwant a nice blue to contrast with the colorsof the trees. Remember that, in general,the lower the ISO, the better the color andthe sharper the photo. With some newerdigital cameras you can use higher ISO rat-ings, but I still feel the lower the better.

There are other photographers wholove to use enhancing filters, such as awarming filter or ND filters. I don’t. I justnever saw the need. I like to photographwhat I see, with all the shadows along withthe brights. But that’s me, so don’t beafraid to try something, remember it isyour vision, not mine that you are using to

create images.About any lens will work, just remember that wide-angle,

normal, telephoto and macro-lens will treat the scene different.Use the lens that will enhance your vision, if you are unsure, trya different lens to determine what you like or don’t like. Anduse a tripod. Images will always be sharper if you use a tripod.

Develop your eye, your vision — there is much more to mak-ing a good or a great photo than just pointing a camera at ascene and hoping it turns out.

You need to remember the rules of composition. Use therule of thirds to your advantage, which means don’t place themost important part of your image directly in the center.

To capture many scenic or landscape images you need alarge depth of field, which means the image looks sharp fromnear the camera to far away. For that effect you need to shootat a slow shutter speed, say 1/30 of a second or slower — it alldepends on the light. I make many photos in the 1/10 of a sec-ond range and slower to increase the lens aperture or F-stopinto the F8, 11-32 range. If you have a point-and-shoot camera,look for a landscaping setting on your camera and use that. Set-

ting it straight on auto will not produce the best results.

Photo tips

Catch the “magic” light in the morning and evening. Di-rect sunlight in the middle of the day gives overly harsh, highcontrast images. Use a polarizer, but be careful if you’re usinga wide-angle lens and the sky is blue. With extremely widelenses, you may see differing amounts of saturation in the skyacross the frame, which can look too dark.

The air is clearest in the morning and after rain, so don’tput the camera away just because you have clouds or rain.

Look for color contrasts, such as bright red maple orgolden aspen trees against an evergreen background.

A telephoto lens can help pick out detail in the landscapeas well as wide angle lenses when there is a lot of color

Where to find fall foliage

Trees start turning into their fall dress as early as mid-Sep-tember in the higher elevations and you can find good color in


The See Canyon Trail, which lies east of Payson off Highway 260, has leaves of every color in the fall.

November in the lower elevations of Arizona.One of the most striking geologic features in Arizona is the

Mogollon Rim and there is plenty of fall color to be find. Thissteep escarpment, measured in thousands of feet and hundredsof miles, begins just across the border in New Mexico and

stretches diagonally two-thirds of the way acrossArizona. As such, it forms the southern edge ofthe Colorado Plateau and stands as one of themost impressive overlooks in the Grand CanyonState.

Forest Service Web sites say best bets fordrives include the Rim Road/General CrookTrail and some of the smaller Forest Serviceroads, which branch off FR 300. On the Mogol-lon Rim take FR 95 from the Blue Ridge Officeto the Rim.

Another good place to search for fall coloris in the Dane Ridge area, Forest Road 321 and321C. Travel on Highway 87 east to Forest Road95, turn right. Follow FR 95 south to the bot-tom of East Clear Creek Canyon. Veer left ontoFR 96 and continue out of the canyon. Turnright at the Y onto FR 321. Not recommendedfor passenger vehicles. Another way is to takeHighway 260 to Forest Road 300 then east toFR 321.

Another possible fall color site is CabinLoop Trail.

The Cabin Loop Trail is the link between the earliest fireguard cabin network in this area of the Mogollon Rim and hasits roots in the beginning of the Forest Service era here. Thetrail was developed between the General Springs Cabin, Pin-chot Cabin and Buck Springs Fire Guard Station. Administra-


tively, the cabins were part of theBly Ranger District, now theBlue Ridge Office of the Mogol-lon Rim Ranger District.

The trail passes throughsome of the most spectacularcountry in Arizona and you willencounter a variety of landforms,vegetative communities, and anumber of springs and perennialwater sources.

Other locations are SeeCanyon, Horton Creek Trail,and along Tonto Creek and theEast Verde River.

Attractions: golden aspens,amber oaks and scarlet maples,cool temperatures, bugling elk(on the San Francisco Peaks),and great photos.

Aspens are usually the firstto turn, followed by crimsonsumacs and maples and it usuallycomes to an end around the sec-ond week of October, but lowerelevations will still have colorinto November.

Other places:

Tonto Natural Bridge StatePark — North of Payson on High-way 87 features the largest natu-ral travertine bridge in the world.Visitors here will enjoy the shorthike down to the bottom of thewaterfalls that gently cascadeover the bridge and surroundingrocks. All that water has createdan ideal environment for the bril-liant aspen, cottonwood andelder trees that surround thepark.

Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery— Located off of Highway 260 atabout 6,500 feet elevation in theTonto National Forest, this agreat place to escape searingdesert summer heat, or to frolicin winter snow. The hatchery and surrounding wetland areaprovide outstanding opportunities for learning adventures andfamily outings such as picnics, hiking, and observing wildlife.The wet conditions provide a great place for trees to grow, andthe color is great in this area.

Rim Road along the Mogollon Rim (FS roads 300, 321,95) — This scenic roadway is one of the most pristine areas youwill find in Arizona. Make sure you bring your camera and

spend some time enjoying the cool breezes and majestic scenery.Rim Road traverses a 51-mile segment of the Mogollon Rimfrom Highway 87 to Highway 260. Although it’s mostly dirtand has a few rough spots, it’s passable by carefully driven pas-senger cars.

Best time for fall color is mid September to early Novem-ber. For weekly reports, call the Forest Service Fall Color Hot-line, 800-354-4595, or visit fs.fed.us/r3/recreation/fall-colors/fall.shtml.



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by Max FosterRoundup staff

If year-round golf is your game of choice, the RimCountry is the place to be.

That’s because there is a trio of local golf courses —Chaparral Pines, The Rim Club and Payson GolfCourse — that offer challenging holes, manicured fair-ways and wonderful views amidst the natural beauty ofthe Tonto National Forest. Also, due to Payson’s mildclimate, the courses are available for play most of theyear.

There are also two local clubs, the Payson Men’s

Golf Association and the Payson Women’s Golf Associa-tion that host weekly tournaments from March to No-vember, as well as play in interclub tournaments aroundthe state. New members are always welcome and fees arevery reasonable, especially when compared to the morepricey Valley-area courses.

Payson Golf Course, which was built in 1959 and islocated in the west part of town near Green Valley Park,is a public, 18-hole, par-71, regulation-length golf coursethat rewards good shots and provides a fun outing foreveryone. Some consider it an ideal course for bothleisure and competitive golfers.

In the summer, Payson Golf Course hosts a myriad

Mild climate means year-round golf


Andy Towle photo

The greens at Chaparral Pines Country Club are challenging, but the panoramic views are a joy for golfers.

Story by Max FosterRoundup staff

of benefit golf tournaments open to the public almostevery weekend.

Among the most popular is the Jack Morris Memo-rial played early each summer to earn money for thePayson High School football team and to fund two col-lege scholarships.

The local Elks club also hosts a very popular benefittournament that raises money to purchase school clothesfor needy children.

Local law enforcement officers, Habitat for Human-ity, Arizona Public Service, a local food bank and severalother organizations host benefit tournaments open toall.

While playing PGC, it’s not unusual to see an abun-dance of wildlife including herds of elk and migratinggeese.

PGC has a driving range, pro shop, snack bar and ismanaged by Harry Parsons. Green fees are about $50.Parsons can be reached at (928) 474-2273.

Chaparral Pines is a private championship golfcourse designed by former U.S. Open and PGA cham-pion Dave Graham and architect Gary Panks. It wasnamed one of Golf Digest’s “Top 10 New Private GolfCourses in the U.S.” when it opened in 1997.

Playing The Rim Club’s par-71, champi-onship course is a dream for amateur and progolfers alike. Golfweek magazine rated it the bestcourse in Arizona, and the No. 17 course in theUnited States three years in a row.

Chaparral Pines is a par-72 course withbreathtaking views of the majestic Rim Countrylandscape. It also has an assortment of man-made lakes, streams and washes that render it agolfer’s dream course.

In addition to the course, there is a swim-ming pool, tennis courts, state-of-the-art fitnesscenter and clubhouse that has been the site formany fun social gatherings and family barbecues.

To reach Chaparral Pines, call (928) 472-1430.

The Rim Club, once the exclusive hideawayof the well heeled, opened its doors last spring tothe public.

David Bosley, The Rim Club’s general man-ager, calls the shift in philosophy, “a new busi-ness model” where the club, “is now reaching outto the local community in two ways — jobs andgolf opportunities.”

The new model has most of the club’s facili-ties — including a fitness center, clubhouse, golfcourse, restaurant and bar — open and operatingunder a new budget and membership plan. Theplan allows the public to play on a golf coursepreviously off limits to everyone but homeownersin the exclusive enclave.

Non-members can set up a tee time by calling, (928)472-1470.

In addition to opening the course, club membershipis also available.

“Membership is now open to local, Arizona andother non-property owners,” he said.

In doing away with the property ownership criteria,the club also reduced fees. Memberships that once soldfor $150,000 under Crescent are now available on a lim-ited basis for $10,000.

Those who visit the 29,000-square-foot clubhousefor the first time will find a magnificent building that isreminiscent of a 1800s baron’s mansion.

Most first-timers can’t help but stare in awe at theclub. It features a dining room, pro shop, lounges, lockerrooms and extraordinary views of the Mogollon Rimand rural Granite Dells.

“The Rim Club is in a world of its own and still justan hour away from the Valley,” Bosley said.

For more information or to participate in one of the2011 membership and privilege plans, call The RimClub at (928) 472-1470.

The Rim Club’s director of golf, can be reached at(928) 472-1483.


Pioneer homes standing alongside the highway, now transformed into museums,restaurants and even a honey stand

By Max FosterRoundup staff

The best-kept secret in the high country might be Pine’shistoric pioneer homes that line both sides of Beeline Highwayor even the town museum tucked away in the old schoolhouse.

Most who travel through the small mountain hamlet nevertake notice of either, instead focusing on getting to their des-tinations as quickly as possible.

But thanks to the efforts of some Pine pioneers who havegotten the word out about the significance of the homes andthe role the museum plays in preserving the area’s history, new-comers and visitors are finally taking notice.

The museum has its roots in a small room inside the Is-

abelle Hunt Memorial Public Library. About two decades ago, it was moved into the old Pine

School, which also once served as “the LDS chapel.” The newfacility is much larger, allowing for more room to display arti-facts and documents — some of which Mormon settlers broughtto the area in the 1800s.

The artifacts that stir the curiosity of visitors include WorldWar II uniforms, a barber chair used in the 1920s, farming im-plements from the 1800s, cupboards, tableware and sewing ma-chines more than 100 years old and period clothing.

Also drawing attention is the pressed tin ceiling in themain room, which remains today exactly as it was in pioneerdays.

As intriguing as the museum is, a thorough understandingof the history of the tiny mountain hamlet requires a strollalong Beeline to marvel at the pioneer homes, some built justafter Pine was settled in 1879.

Members of the Pine-Strawberry Archaeological and His-torical Society call the stroll a “Walking History Trail” and

Tom Brossart photos

To understand the tiny mountain hamlet called Pine, visitors must stroll along the Beeline Highway, which is lined with pioneer homes, some built as early as 1879.

Visit to Pine is a stroll through history


Story by Max FosterRoundup staff


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markers have been erected in front of each home to explain thesignificance of the homes.

The buildings include small log cabins that gained addedrooms over the decades as well as more elaborate structures thathave hardly changed.

Among those that remain open to visitors is a home adja-cent to the Pine post office on the east side of Beeline.

Bert D. Randall, the first white male born in Pine, origi-nally built it in 1905 after marrying Lucy Pearl.

Randall reportedly hired a craftsman who spent a yearhand carving banisters, casings and molding in the home.

Current Pine residents remember the Bondurant familyliving in the home for decades.

On the history trail at the north end of town stands a build-ing that originally served as the Ford Car Agency and garage.

In 1928 on the south end of town and the east side of Bee-line, Frank Fuller built Pine’s first post office. Later owners con-verted it into a service station, but its latest incarnation hastransformed it into a honey stand, made from nectar harvestedfrom bees using every imaginable tree.

A must-see on the trail is the Lazear home in the middle oftown. It began as a log structure, which remains the heart ofthe house.

Lazear, his wife Margaret and their three children lived inthe home until the 1930s.

Another stop on the trail features the original MulberryInn — the area’s first motel-type accommodations.

Near the Inn is a ditch that once served as an irrigation

canal for the entire town running parallel to Beeline. For more information about the Walking History Trail,

visit: http://www.pinestrawhs.org/tour.html.

Story by Alexis Bechman

Photographs by Tom Brossart

While Utah has sandstone bridges ga-lore, the Rim Country holds one ofNorth America’s largest and mostunique travertine bridges. Tonto Natu-ral Bridge sits just a dozen miles north

of Payson, tucked several hundred feet below the MogollonRim in Pine Canyon, surrounded by precipitous cliffs andtowering pines.

The Geological Society of America once noted that it is“one of the most beautiful bridges in the United States.”

With a height of nearly 200 feet, yellowish-brown coloredwalls dotted with pocket caves and icicle-like stalactites hang-ing from its roof, its unusual beauty has captured imagina-tions for 500 years.

Today, the water from a nearby spring that helped createthe bridge is still hard at work; with the sound of drippingwater nowhere more prominent than from the belly of thebridge, where hikers still make their way to sit and rest.

Water gently crashes over the towering lip of the bridge

and onto a brilliant green moss-covered boulder below. Themist from the fall coats smaller rocks, making them like melt-ing ice cubes. Adventurous trekkers make their way acrossthese rocks like ice skaters on new skates. One false step, how-ever, could mean a dip in one of five pools that lie beneaththe bridge.

The reward from the center of the bridge is a cool breezeand light mist that flows through the tunnel.

Small birds float in and around the south entrance, dip-ping and diving around the waterfall.

The origin of the waterfall is an upper spring that has dis-charged for hundreds of thousands of years, experts estimate.In that time, travertine deposits 150 feet thick formed.

Surrounding the bridge is a unique vegetation of cactiand pine trees growing side by side and several species ofbirds and mammals living side by side.

For many years, however, life surrounding the bridge wasnot so peaceful.

The Apache Indians lived in the area for many years,planting crops above the bridge in fertile fields and huntinggame. The first white men discovered the bridge in the 1870s,but made no claim to the area.

Adventurous hikers follow Pine Creek, which flows under Tonto Natural Bridge, one of North America’s largest and most unique travertine bridges.

‘Most beautiful bridge’


Cool escape to natural wonder is just minutes from Payson

Water from atop theTonto Natural Bridgefalls nearly 200 feetbefore landing onmoss-covered rocks.Its unusual beauty hascaptured imaginationsfor 500 years.


Then, in thespring of 1877,prospector DavidGowan stumbledupon the bridge whileprospecting for gold.

“He descendedfrom the mountainsto the east to thebeautiful little valleybelow that had a clearspring, in order toquench his thirst,” ac-cording to a StateParks report. “After re-freshing himself, hestarted exploring theadjacent area andmade his discovery.After a few more tripsto this “garden spot,”with its uniquebeauty, Gowan de-cided this was theplace for him to live.”

When the Indi-ans returned, Gowanfled and hid amongthe bridge’s caves, hispresence not a wel-come sight.

Then in 1882,Gowan filed a claimfor 160 acres and builta cabin. He plantedwalnut, apricot,peach, apple, cherryand pear trees andcontinued to minearound the MogollonRim.

On one trip totown for provisions,Gowan spoke of thewonder of the bridge.Later, an English jour-nalist would hear

Water dropping from the top of the bridge is highlighted by the sun as it bounces off the rocksnear the lower viewing platform.


Gowan’s tale and from Phoenix, dispatched a story across thepond. In Scotland, David Goodfellow read the story in a localpaper and wondered if Gowan was his long-lost uncle.

Goodfellow sent a letter to Gowan inquiring about hisheritage and when it was confirmed that Goodfellow was in-deed his nephew, Gowan offered him the land.

Goodfellow sold his tailoring business, uprooted his wifeand three kids and traveled to Flagstaff.

Six days later, they arrived by wagon. The Goodfellows reportedly used ropes to lower their be-

longings down the 500-foot precipice into Pine Canyon.Over time, the Goodfellows built a home, a road leading

into the canyon and eventually, the 10-room lodge that stillstands today.

The State Parks Board is in the process of hiring a con-tractor to reopen the lodge. Ideas include opening a bed andbreakfast, restaurant and possibly building new guest cabins.

Today, driving into the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park,

the landscape gives little hint of the breathtaking bridge orsteep canyon that waits below. A smooth, open road flankedby juniper quickly dips into a canyon.

Visitors often misjudge the steepness of the road andoften forget to slow down when they hit the upper curve, forc-ing them to brake fervently.

The Goodfellows must have felt the same trepidationwhen they realized they would have to lower their possessionsinto the canyon using only ropes.

At the bottom of the steep drive, awaits a beautiful valleytucked in among the hills. From the top above Pine Creek,pause to listen to the faint sound of water. It drips off hang-ing blackberries in a small cove off Waterfall Trail and flingsoff moss hanging above the bridge, pattering into shallowpools below.

Getting thereThis park is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday


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through Monday. From Payson, headnorth on Highway 87 for 11 miles to theturnoff for the park on the left (west)side of the highway. Head southwestdown Forest Road 583 to an entrancegate. The entrance fee for adults (ages 14-plus) is $5. For children (7-13) it is $2.For more information, contact the parkat (928) 476-4202.

Hiking trails

Pine Creek: Starts north of thebridge in an upper parking lot and wan-ders through Pine Creek. Arrowspainted on rocks lead the way throughthe boulder-filled creek bottom. Afterabout half a mile, the trail reaches the“backside” of the bridge. Surroundingsteep walls featuring small caves and sta-lactites.

Waterfall: Starts just south of thePine Creek Trailhead. In roughly 300feet, the trail winds down a series ofsteep steps, dead-ending at a cave with awaterfall that flows over the entrance. Atcertain times of the year, a large bushnearby bursts with blackberries.

Gowan: The main route taken tothe bridge. Roughly 2,200 feet long andsteep.

The trail bottoms out at Pine Creekand an observation deck. Visitors cancontinue through the bridge by carefullymigrating over slick rocks. The routeconnects with the Pine Creek Trail.

Overlooks: The bridge can also beviewed from four overlooks that requireno hiking. Two of the viewpoints are onthe north side of the bridge and theother two on the south.

Pets are not allowed on any of thetrails.

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Come in and see this gift of nature from our own backyard.

Story by Teresa McQuerreyPhotographs by Tom Brossart

E ven though my family has lived in Payson sinceDecember 1970, I only visited the original ZaneGrey Cabin twice before it was lost to the devasta-

tion of the Dude Fire in 1990.

The road off Highway 260 wasn’t in the best of shape inthose days, so it was a bumpy ride. But going slow, trying totake in the beauty of the area, the washboard surface wasn’t areal problem.

To be honest, I don’t recall my first visit up there, but mysecond — back in the 1980s — is still vivid. Not for the trip,but for the cabin curator who welcomed me — Margaret Sell,

Zane Grey memoriesabound in cabin replica


Old hats hang on thewall of the Zane Grey

cabin replica at GreenValley Park in Payson. The

Dude Fire destroyed theoriginal cabin in 1990.

Grey’s cabin was firstbuilt in 1920 and re-

stored by William H. “Bill”Goettl in the early 1960s.When the original cabinopened to the public, itwas a magnet for ZaneGrey fans from around

the world, who still flockto the replica today.

who brought the author to life for me. Much of what follows is from that interview, which I did

for the Visitors Guide to the Mogollon Rim Country, pub-lished by the Mogollon Advisor, then owned by Dave and Deb-bie Rawsthorne.

The original cabin was built in 1920 and restored byWilliam H. “Bill” Goettl in the early 1960s. When it openedto the public, it was a magnet to the multitude of Zane Greyfans from around the world.

Grey is credited with having elevated the Western fromdime novels to an acknowledged literary form by both histori-ans and experts on literature.

He is also said to have created the mythical cowboy —silent, strong, hardworking, honest and mysterious — the cow-boy that populates today’s Westerns in both print and onscreen.

Zane Grey did not write his first Western until after visit-ing Arizona in 1906 or 1907. His first successful novel (thefirst to be accepted for publication), “Heritage of the Desert,”

was published in 1910. His most successful novel, “Riders ofthe Purple Sage,” was written in 1912. Both of these bookswere, reportedly, based on the people he met and places hesaw while on that first visit to the Grand Canyon State, beforeit became a state (and before coming to the Rim Country).

In 1913, Zane Grey returned to Arizona and exploredRainbow Bridge Canyon. His novels, “Rainbow Trail” and“Tales of Lonely Trails,” are said to be based on that visit toArizona.

It was not until 1918 that Grey ventured to the RimCountry. He was brought down from Flagstaff by guide AlDoyle and upon arriving in the area, met up with AndersonLee “Babe” Haught, another guide whom the author con-tracted with for hunting.

Haught introduced Grey to Mogollon country and thenthe author shared the area’s magnificence with the worldthrough his novels “Under the Tonto Rim” and “To the LastMan.”

Haught sold Grey the land where the original cabin was


Like the heroes of Grey’snovels, a group of local

Western aficionadosbanded together to help

their community. Theyformed the nonprofit

Zane Grey Cabin Founda-tion to build a historic

replica of the cabin.


built. The materials werebrought to the site bymules.

Zane Grey was thehighest paid, most suc-cessful writer of his timeand Sell said he devel-oped about a dozen booksduring his stays at theoriginal cabin.

Sell and the originalcabin are gone now. Thecabin was destroyed bythe Dude Fire in 1990.

But a little of Sell’s spirit whispers from the author’s arti-facts decorating the carefully constructed reproduction of theZane Grey Cabin in Green Valley Park.

Every summer since the Dude Fire, visitors to the RimCountry have noticed the void left by the destruction of theZane Grey Cabin.

It was a cherished landmark near Kohl’s Ranch; the fa-mous Western writer used the cabin as a hunting lodge andretreat. When the original property was sold as a private sub-division after the fire, many wondered if a replicated cabinwould return to the Rim Country.

Like the heroes of Grey’s novels, a group of local Westernaficionados banded together to benefit their community.

They formed the nonprofit Zane Grey Cabin Foundation tobuild a historic replica of the cabin in Payson. If there are anydoubts about the determination of these folks, take a look atwhat has materialized in Green Valley Park.

It took a lot of determination too — the Zane Grey Cabinwas completed in 2006.

No doubt, Zane Grey (1872-1939) would be proud of thislocation because the environment played a prominent role in

his novels. Against the backdrop of the Western landscape,his valiant cowboys, honorable ranchers, chaste women,noble horses and unscrupulous outlaws caught the imagina-tions of his readers.

This “Father of the Western novel” penned 57 Westerns,more than 200 short stories, 10 nonfiction Westerns and nu-merous hunting and fishing articles and books. His booksspawned more than 130 movies and, at one time, only theBible and McGuffey’s Reader could outsell Zane Grey. Hisbooks have been published in more than 20 languages andhave sold tens of millions of copies. His “The Riders of thePurple Sage” is considered the quintessential Western classic.

As a mountain town with a rich Western heritage, Paysonbrags about its affiliation with this American icon. Exhibits inthe cabin focus on life in the 1920s, when Grey was at homein his cabin.

Combining a tour of the Rim Country Museum with theZane Grey Cabin, visitors will discover the adventures of thepioneers, which inspired Grey to write “Under the TontoRim,” “To the Last Man” and “Code of the West.”

The cabin each year draws groups from historical andWestern societies, schools and colleges, Elderhostels and tourexcursions. With this endeavor, Payson has eagerly retrievedthe Zane Grey Country mantle.

Both the Zane Grey Cabin and the Rim Country Mu-seum are open six days a week. Visit between 10 a.m. and 4p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, as well as Monday orSunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The facilities are closed Tues-day.

In the main building of the museum there is a nice giftshop featuring numerous books and collectibles about theRim Country. For more information, call (928) 474-3483.

Visit Zane Grey Cabin site

The Northern Gila County Historical Society is holdinga special event at the site of the original Zane Grey Cabin inthe fall. Please call the Rim Country Museum for more de-tails, (928) 474-3483.

Combining a tour of the Rim Country Museum with the ZaneGrey Cabin, visitors discover the adventures of the pioneers,

which inspired Grey to write “Under the Tonto Rim,”“To the Last Man” and “Code of the West.”


Every monthFirst Friday on Historic Main Street, Payson, 5 p.m. to 8

p.m., shops and galleries remain open after hours with specialattractions.

Through December 10Second Saturday Shop Hop in Pine, shops and galleries

offer special attractions.

November 2011Pine-Strawberry Arts & Crafts Guild annual Christmas

Boutique features handmade Christmas ornaments, gifts andholiday decor all created by local artists and crafters in the Pine-Strawberry Arts & Crafts Guild. The annual Christmas Bou-tique is in the Craft Room at the Pine Community Centerevery weekend in November, starting at 10 a.m. The dates areNov. 5-6; Nov. 12-13; Nov. 19-20; and Nov. 26-27. The PineCommunity Center is located at 3886 N. Highway 87 in Pine.

Tonto Community Concert Association presents Take MeHome – John Denver Tribute, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9,Payson High School Auditorium.

Veterans Day program, 11 a.m., Friday, Nov. 11 at thePayson High School Auditorium.

Turkey Trot 5K Saturday,Nov. 19 at Green Valley Park.

14th Annual Gem & MineralShow, presented by the PaysonRimstones Rock Club, Saturday,Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20 atthe event center of the MazatzalHotel & Casino.

Annual Pine Merchants Holi-day Open House, 10 a.m. to 6p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19.

Community Thanksgiving Dinner presented by the PaysonElks Lodge, 1206 N. Beeline Hwy., seating at 11 a.m., noon and1 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 24, call (928) 474-2572 for details.

Pine Festival of Lights, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Friday, Nov. 25 and noon to 8 p.m., Satur-day, Nov. 26 with the Jingle Bell Parade, com-munity tree lighting, a visit from Santa andmore.

Swiss Village Christmas Lighting, 6 p.m.to 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 25 at Swiss Villagewith photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus,prizes, free food and entertainment.

Mazatzal Arts & Crafts Fair Saturday,Nov. 26 at the bingo room of the MazatzalHotel & Casino.


13 Miles North of Payson at 3270 N. HWY 87 in Pine928-476-3349 ~ www.rimsidegrill.com

Open Wednesdaythru Sunday

BreakfastLunch

& DinnerGREAT BREAKFAST & LUNCH SPECIALS EVERY DAY!

CHEF INSPIRED DINNER SPECIALS EVERY NIGHT!

FULL BAR • WINES AND CRAFT BEERS • RELAXING LOUNGE

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T-Shirts • Athletics • Sport Shirts • Caps • FleeceAprons • Totes & Bags • Towels • And More

Bring in artwork or let us help design your concept.Home Of “Payson’s Souvenir Shop”

928-474-4207605 W. Main St. • www.tontosilkscreen.com

What’s Happening

14th Annual Gem & Mineral Show, presented by the PaysonRimstones Rock Club, Saturday, Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20 at

the event center of the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino.

Electric Light Parade, 6 p.m., Saturday,Dec. 4 on historic Main Street, Payson.

Call 474-5251, ext. 108,to subscribe to thePayson Roundup.

HUNGRYFOR LOCALNEWS?


Tonto Community Concert Association presents Chaplin– A Life in Concert, a multi-media production, 7 p.m., Tuesday,Nov. 29, Payson High School Auditorium.

December 2011Electric Light Parade, 6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4 on historic

Main Street, Payson.

Payson Choral Society annual Holiday Concert, 1 p.m. and7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17, Payson High School Auditorium

January 2012Tonto Community Concert Association presents Billy

Dean, with the music of Nashville, 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 12,Payson High School Auditorium.

8th Annual Black and White Ball to benefit the MogollonHealth Alliance; Sonoran Swing to perform, Saturday, Jan. 21at the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino event center.

February 2012Hashknife Pony Express ride of the Navajo County Sher-

iff’s Posse, visits Wednesday, Feb. 8, arrival atthe Payson post office at 4:45 p.m. and de-parture at 10 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 9.

Tonto Community Concert Associationpresents American Spirit, the songs of theU.S., 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28, Payson HighSchool Auditorium.

March 2012Taste of Rim Country, enjoy samples of

food prepared by area chefs, accompanied bywine and a silent auction, Payson Public Li-brary, 5 p.m., Saturday, March 3.

Tonto Community Concert Associationpresents The Water Coolers, a cast of five NewYork City comics and singers celebrate the in-sanity of everyday life, 7 p.m., Friday, March16, Payson High School Auditorium.

April 2012Tonto Community Concert Association presents The

American Tenors with a variety of songs, 7 p.m., Thursday,April 19, Payson High School Auditorium.

Rim Country Classic Auto Club’s Beeline Cruise-In CarShow, Friday, April 27 check-in and town cruise; Saturday, April28, car show at Green Valley Park.

May 2012Wildlife Fair, presented by the Payson, Parks, Recreation

and Tourism Department and Arizona Game & Fish Depart-ment, May 5, Green Valley Park (date is tentative).

Gary Hardt Memorial Spring Rodeo, Payson Event Center,evening performances Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19,with a Women’s Rodeo the evening of Thursday, May 17.

June 2012Mountain High Games, presented by the Payson, Parks,

Recreation and Tourism Department, includes annual SawdustFestival, ATV and mountain bike races and more, June 1, 2and 3.

Multi Dealer Emporium

3716 Prince/Hardscrabble Rd.928-476-4618

OPEN

Mon-Sat 10-5/ Sun 11-4

Turn off 87 at Hardscrabble and browse over

3,300 sq. ft. of treasures from all eras.

Our prices are worth the drive.

TymelessAntiques & Treasures

For reservations call 928-970-9511Pine Creek Cabins

and Gazebo Weddings3901 N. Hwy 87 • Pine, Arizona 85544

www.pinecreekcabinsaz.com

Payson Golf CoursePayson Golf CourseEnjoy golf in

Arizona’s CoolRim Country

1504 WestCountry Club DrivePayson, AZ 85541

928-474-2273928-474-2273

Photos by Andy TowleThe Rim Country Classic Auto Club’s Beeline Cruise-In Car Show, Friday, April 27,

check-in and town cruise; Saturday, April 28, car show at Green Valley Park.

Find out what’s happeningin Payson during your visit.

payson.comPayson Roundup Newspaper Online

rim country adventures

Documents

rim countrydilemma

rim country adventurespay

rim countryat

rim countryfallwinter

inhaigler creek

tonto creek

fossil creek creamery

ourfall visitors guide