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K'sMoH: Ice Fishing LbNA #22899

Owner:Kristal & Ron
Plant date:Jun 8, 2006
Location:
City:Greer
County:Apache
State:Arizona
Boxes:2
Found by: the egg basket (2)
Last found:Jul 1, 2012
Status:FFFFFF
Last edited:Jun 8, 2006
Distance: about ½ mile each, RT
Difficulty: easy
Stamps: hand-carved

Another installment in the “Kristal’s Memories of Home” series… My father is happiest when he’s out being the family’s hunter/fisher/gatherer. When I was young, he would often take me ice fishing with him. This trip takes you to two of our favorite lakes in the White Mountains.

The turn-off to Sunrise Ski Area is near mile marker 377 of Hwy 260 (between Pinetop-Lakeside and Eager). You can almost always see big game as you head south on Rd 273 for almost 3 miles and then turn left on a dirt road and go up a small hill. When we planted this box, we saw two antelope with their brand new baby trying out his new legs! Take the right fork in the road and park near the lake. Climb up on top of the dam and walk across until you get to the flood warning building. From there, look toward 125* from north and spot the bushy, rounded top of a large Ponderosa Pine tree. The correct tree is appears closest to the lake. This tree is your goal – trails from the other side of the dam will take you right to it. It has an identifying mark – a square, cut deep through the bark, on its NE side. (My dad thinks it may have been an original GPS sign.) Standing on this tree’s south side, go 14 paces at 150* from north to a downed tree. On the back side of the downed tree is a large limb that's half embedded in the ground. The “K’sMoH: Ice Fishing #1, Sunrise” box is under the limb, covered with rocks.

My dad used to drill our ice fishing holes right down below, in the shelter of this bluff. When I got tired of fishing, I would go sledding down the steep part of this hill. When I got tired of climbing the hill, and had finished off my Thermos of hot chocolate, I would go around the corner to the lodge and wait until he was done. There was a big common area with a fireplace, hot-tub, and a television. Back in the mid-70s, you could almost always find “Clash of the Titans” on network TV on a weekend morning!

Now go back out to Hwy 260 and go west about 2 miles to A-1 Lake on your left. Walk around the lake to the right. This is the scene of one of my favorite fishing stories. My dad augered out my hole, baited my line, and before he could drill his own hole I was pulling a fish out. Being very young, and a girl, he had to take it off the hook. (Come to think of it, I’ve still never done that part!) He baited me up again, I dropped the line in and pulled out another one. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. I caught our limit and he never got a second hole drilled! As you cross the dam, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife – my mom spotted an elk in the valley below when we were here! At the east end of the dam, there’s a White Fir (looks like a perfect Christmas tree) growing between two large rocks. About 20 feet behind it, at 70* from north, is a split-trunk Aspen tree. From the Aspen, go 23 paces at 30* to a 3’ tall stump. The “K’sMoH: Ice Fishing #2, A-1” box is hidden in a crack at its base.

The acorn always reminds me of living "on the mountain". From the first day we moved there, whenever I played in the forest I imagined that the acorns were little girls in beanies. Like a Brownie (young Girl Scout), not like a Frenchie (didn't know about them back then).