Any Meetings In Arizona?

[KTH_AZAV]

I will keep these locations in mind.  I was thinking of a short day trip from Casa Grand Ruins up through Apache Trail to Tonto National Monument and then to Rosevelt Dam and finish in Scottsdale somewhere.  Any thoughts.

Jerome would be a wild trip but until the weather clears up, the hair pin turns and go guard rails with snow freak me out a bit....  I do hear it is a neat place to visit.

[rlbarkle]

Hey! Sorry for being the late input, but if we get to vote mine's in for the Walmart on Warner. That's like a 5 mile drive for me. (Gilbert) Wherever, I'm in. Assuming no conflicts; dance (daughter), karate (son), chores (wife)...you know the drill...look forward to it!

[Crexis]

KTH_AZAV :  Thanks for the input on the customizing stuff!  I'll drop you a note with details about what I'm looking for.

Meeting:  My schedule is ridiculously busy, so you guys should place my input at the bottom of the list of importance, but here goes:  Since I'm driving up from Tucson, I could meet anywhere in the metro area, but I have good friends (with whom I'd probably have dinner after/before the meet) out in Gilbert, so somwhere southeast of Phx gets my vote.  As for dates, I could probably do almost any Sat or Sun with enough notice.  I do have work obligations on weekends through most of April though.

[sose]

I am down for whatever..  Although I live on the westside..  If we are just going to meet, it should be somewhere Central..  If we are going for a trip, it should be on the way..

I am down for some 4x4'n too..  I'll have a brushguard hopefully soon too!

[ducksface]

There's a nice alternate trip that can be taken easily. Through Florence, down the Kelvin road to the old Ghost town of Cochrane. Not a lot to see there, but it's on the Gila [lots of shade and water to play in] and just across the river [by foot more than likely] is a great old mine site that has those 5 big beehive ovens you see in pictures often. I've done the road in a passenger car before and while it all seems primitive, the county keeps the road in excellent repair. Nothing to do there but look around though. At Jerome you can get lunch etc. and hit Montezumas castle on the way back.... But it is a more southern trip for the Tucson bunch. Kinda half way.

[AV-GARGOIL]

If people would like to meet in a Central place, where can we meet?  In order to decided when to meet we need some ideas from everybody, then we cam put them all together.  Maybe a majority vote can be used to decided the location.  When we meet, we can all have some ideas where we can go and schedule an outing together, after that it should be easy from there on!

(sose, what brush guard are you getting? were you quoted a good price?)
I ask because tomorrow, 3/4, Im picking mine up. (a GM grille guard @ $461.55 otd)
                              Jason

[KTH_AZAV]

I'll work tonight to map some of these places out and find a central spot.  I like the idea of a meeting first and a small road trip.  I'll gather a couple of ideas and place them here over the next two days.... Stay tuned.

The South East corridor seems to get the most votes so I will plan for something like Casa Grand, Chandler area.

The dates will be tough, we all seem to take our jobs seriously, so playing hooky may be tough.  Wouldn't it be nice if we got paid to just tinker with our trucks?  What a life.  How does March 29th or 30th sound.  I know some have plan on Saturday so a Sunday afternoon may be best.

So, in recap... We should be paid to modify our trucks and show them off, we will meet on the east side of Phoenix, location TBD, and the date is looking like end of March.  Any takers....

[AV-GARGOIL]

Sunday the 30th works for me!  I live on the west side, but would be more than happy to meet on the east side.  Like I suggested earlier, the Wal-Mart on Warner and Alma School is ALWAYS open and plenty of room, with no interference.

[sose]

Sounds good.

[sose]

Also..  I see that many local chapters have web sites..  I have the resources to host one for free..  So if anyone would see this as a resource, I can look into it..

[sose]

http://www.azcentral.com/travel/arizona/drives/drive_apachetrail.html

[KTH_AZAV]

Sose: Great link Thanks

I'll take opinions on the meet and the trip, I tried to attach a big map but it was just too big.  Maybe a great place for the web site.

We start out at 9:00am meeting at the Wal Mart on Warner and Alma School

Leave at 10:00am to Goldfield Ghost Town and stay there for about an hour.
http://www.goldfieldghosttown.com/

Then take the Apache Trail to Tonto National Monument.  Poke around there for about two hours or so then move on.  This should take us until 12:00 or so, then we will need to start looking for lunch.
http://www.azcentral.com/travel/arizona/parks/nm_tonto.html

We can drive the rest of the trip on into Scottsdale and have an early dinner at Cafe Portebello, great place to eat.  This should complete around 5:00pm.

If this seems too long we can stop at Tonto National Monument and plan the next trip from there.  Just let me know.

I'll keep watching this post this week and set the plans on what you all think is best.

Kevin

[julie]

We are in La Paz County, west of Phoenix and south of Lake Havasu and we will be there if we have enough notice to schedule it.  Keep posting and we will keep figure our where and when and the times.  Hope to meet you all soon.  Pat and Julie

[the_ex-wifes_av]

Just talked this over with the wife and it looked good to us.

We are leaning more towards a Sunday outing, but if the majority ruled in facor of a Saturday event, it would not prevent us from attending.

Still look like March 29 or 39 are the perspective dates?

Keep up the great work.

[AV-GARGOIL]

Great planning!  It sounds wonderful.  Does the end of March give everyone enough time? Or would more people like more time to plan and wait until a week or two in April?
If we wait till April, I don't think we should wait much longer than mid to late April.  I know a lot of us are eager to get out there.  Please let us know, thanks!
        Jason

[Ghostwheel]

The 30th sounds great and that is a great ride too haven't done it with the AV yet. I'll be there with bells on.   Also as a idea for a future trip maybe in the summer when the snowbird population drops a get together and dinner at Pinnacle Peak old west town in tucson.

[ducksface]

I think this one is too far out of the way for me , but I have a map with gps waypoints, for a great dirtroad that goes from about 6 miles north of the dam, all the way to about 20 miles north of Scottsdale.   I took the road last year, and thoroughly mapped it. We took the Bravada and it never even considered kicking in to 4wd. The road can be taken by a stock height passenger car. Very scenic. It goes past a natural spring, way up high on a ridge, through a glacial rubble dump, through a volcanic eruption area, and then through a large group of sandstone boulders like in Oracle. About 30 miles total length. It ends at a hiway and a designated offroad site. Even if I don't go, I'll get the map and coords to you, and you can decide as a group if you want to incorporate the trip or use it at a later date. I'm usually good for an off road map almost anywhere in Az. Let me know it any of you have a specific area planned and I'll get a copy to you.

[ducksface]

I almost forgot, if you don't have a copy of Delorme street atlas for the computer, or the Delorme Gazateer and Atlas [the big map books you see at the grocery store etc for $17.95] get one. Any version of Delorme will do. the newer versions have newer neighborhoods in them but we're not interested in neighborhoods are we? If you have the maps then when I send coords you can punch them in [or turn to the designaited page] and see the whole trip. Older versions sell on ebay for two or three dollars. this way we can all exchange offroad trips. I have 100's documented, and can send them through this site if someone wants to go somewhere specific....

[Crexis]

The trip sounds good.  post a firm date with at least a few weeks notice, and we'll get together!

ducksface:  While I don't yet have a GPS unit yet to offer you any of my trips in trade, I'd love to get ideas from you for off-road trips anywhere in the southern part of the state that you may know of!

[julie]

We just need a date and we will be there.  Thanks for your hard work on this.

Pat and Julie

[sose]

End of march should work...  I was thinking of registering azavs.net for the local chapter..  We could post all of the details there, as well as the large map..

[AV-GARGOIL]

Sose, the website sounds like a wonderful idea.  If we use it as the phoenix chapter, are you going to put meet pics and other local av pics on it?

[sose]

sure..  i'll look into some kind of portal software..  one where users can upload their own pics..

[AV-GARGOIL]

Well, to try and help get the ball rolling, the date that seems to fit well to everyone thus far is Sunday March 30th 2003 at the front Parking lot in Chandler on Warner and Alma School at 9:00am.  I can suggest if people like that date you can invite or tag other Avalanches.  Im going to print a flyer up on my computer and place them on Avs I may see in parking lots or stores to see if we can get a larger group.  I look forward to seeing everyone there that can make it, for those that cannot, you will not be left out, we will get the next meet scheduled soon.  It will be important to get feedback from everyone on where to go and dates, so please get some more ideas!
If I can help in any way please just ask!

[KTH_AZAV]

We are set.  I will ask Chief if we need to post this information elsewhere but for now we are on for March 30th at 9:00.  See the previous post for the location to meet.  I will try and get a map posted with the directions for the drive.

AV-GARGOIL: Thanks for helping out.  This really helps keeping things moving.  Sorry I didn't catch the phone on Sunday.  I'll catch you this weekend.

We have the trip set for doing the Apache Trail.  The terrain is easy; however it is a dirt road so we will get a little dusty.  Lots to see and AV-GARGOIL will make sure there is plenty to do as well.  

SOSE:  If you get the web site going in the next week I will get you the map and you can post it.  Thanks a million for this.

For all that posted, thank you we will have a great time and start a great thing here in AZ.