Greetings, CA Stovies, and All, Our last CASG had to be planned at the last minute, and though we had a wonderful time with Mac and Mrs. Mac, nobody else was able to attend that event. So, our next Stove Gathering, which will be #8 since I began trying to set these events up, needs to be planned well in advance. For those that might like to attend, please let me know what months, and dates, might work for you. Our work schedule, as always, will have to come into play. But, we may be able to squeeze in a Gathering before year's end, or for sure early next year. The latest we could be able to plan something in 2014 would be around May, as our new jobs will begin kicking in in January. I'm thinking that our next CASG should be a Coleman Stoves and Lanterns, only event, with the addition of ONE "Wild Card Stove", of your choice!! What say you, Stovies??!! Anyone interested in what I've proposed? I figure it's about time that Coleman got it's proper due, and hey, we all have tons of Coleman goodies that we can bring and use, and probably some that need a bit of fettling, too. We have plenty of time, so let's begin planning CASG #8 now, and hopefully, we can make it happen at a time when our regular group of family members can attend, and some guests, as well. Talk to you soon, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Hi all: Coleman theme works for us. Any time except Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and of course mid April. Mike...
Greetings, All, OK, so far, SB and I are in, the Flivver Family is in, Big Jim Henderson is in, and Hikin Jim says he's in, too, probably depending on location and date. HikerDuane is interested, but we would have to hold the event up North, for him to be able to attend. Personally, unless everyone would be up for driving to Lake Tahoe, which SB and I would happily do, it appears that our locations are going to have to be focused on those from Montana de Oro, at which we've held two CASG events, and Joshua Tree National Park, where we've also held two CASG events. I also thought about considering Kennedy Meadows, North/West of Hwy 395, up in the Southern Sierra. That is about 160 miles North of us, and is not too far from most folks. SB and I used that as our jumping off place, when we did a 241 mile trip on the PCT/JMT, and it might be a good possible place to hold such an event. Might be a tad cold, depending on when we hold the event, but hey, we had rain, snow, sleet, high winds, and ice when we did our first Mid-Hills CASG event!! Remember!!?? 8) I hope to hear back from Mac and Ron soon, and will give them a call if I don't get an email response. I will see about some of the new guys in the So. Cal area, too, to find out if they are up for such an event. By the way, I sent a note to Drew and Steve, from MSR, too, and told them I would keep in touch with them as to when and where we hold another Stove Gathering event. Drew says they are interested, but it would all depend on work, of course. We offered to host them at our place, and to shuttle them back and forth to the airport, and the event, if they end up being able to attend. So, things are in the works, Folks, and looking good! I'll keep you all posted as more plans are made, and we can continue to discuss this here, and in email, until it's a done deal! Sweet Bride and I are very much looking forward to another CASG, and to sharing a camp with you all again!! And we'll have "Fun, Fun, Fun, 'Til Yer Daddy Took the T-Bird Away"!!!! (think: old Beach Boys tune!) 8) Take care, and God Bless! P.S. Big Jim can be a slacker on this event, as he ALWAYS setups up a proper Coleman camp, and he can show the rest of us how to do it!!! We have yet to decide on our "Wild Card Stove", but we're leaning towards an MSR!!
Hey, donv, That's great! You will be very glad you joined us, and I know the others in our Stove Bunch will be glad to meet you. We'll keep you posted. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Howdy, All, Flivver called, and he's definitely up for our next Gathering. He also tossed out another suggestion for where we could hold it. He suggested Hualapai Mountain Campground, right in the mountains above Kingman, AZ. I know that would be a little bit of a drive for some, but in truth, it's not too much further than Joshua Tree NP. He also likes the idea of Kennedy Meadows, and I'm looking into that, Baja can really only join us as a day visitor, and that's if we hold the Gathering at Montana de Oro Campground again. So, he suggested we not make our choice with the Baja Bums in mind, and rather what works best for the majority. SB and I would be up for just about anywhere, but going too far North would not work for most others, so as I've mentioned, we'll try to keep the Gathering no more than 300 miles, each way, from So. Cal. Please check out Kennedy Meadows, which is North of Inyokern, CA, and also Hualapai Mountain Campground, and let me know what you think. Lastly, Mike (Flivver) also likes the campground that's in our local mountains, the Blue Jay Campground. They have full toilets, and also showers, and lots of nice sites. However, unless we're very lucky, or plan very soon, we might not be able to get enough places there, due to it's popularity, and access to those from San Bernardino, which is down the mountain from us. Let's hear from you all, after you've had a chance to check out the suggestions, so far. Keep in mind that Kennedy Meadows does not have a campground, per se, but does have a full resort, full bar, and a nice little restaurant, should we wish to camp at a nearby USFS campground. No cell service up there, if memory serves, however. Talk to you soon, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc and Sweet Bride
Morning, Friends, Mac sent an email last night, and he's in! Closer would be better for him, as Mrs. Mac is still a working Gal, whilst Mac is now a Retired Country Gentleman!! 8) HJ said he would get back to me, but so far, I've not heard from him, and still nothing from Ron. I'll pop an email off to both of them, and see how things look. Talk later, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Set a date Doc, now that you got us all excited. Furry flivver is drooling in anticipation. Oh boy, oh boy,oh boy. Mike...
I may need to travel to CA soon. Health issues with a family member. Possibly make it, if the dates are right. Ken in NC
Hey, Ken, Do you have any idea when you might be out here? Is so, please let me know, and I will try to set something up for that time!!! SB and I look forward to meeting you in the flesh, my friend! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Mark
Ken, We'll offer prayers for a full recovery, whatever your illness or malady!! I hope that all turns out perfectly, and that we meet another time!! Take care, keep the faith, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Mark
UPDATE: Greetings, All, The latest news is that Terry Morton, from the UK, and his lovely wife, may be in CA during some time in May. Unfortunately, Sweet Bride and I have a ton of work during that month, so our time for a Gathering is somewhat limited. BUT, it looks like we "might" be able to shake free to do CASG #8 on either May 8-9-10-11, or May 15-16-17-18. The latter weekend may end up being the best for us, but I won't know for a few days. We're trying to reschedule a few things, which will allow us the time for having some fun at the Gathering!! So, how do those dates work for those of you would might be interested in attending another CASG? I was thinking that Joshua Tree N.P. would be a good place to hold it, as always, and unless someone else has a better idea, that is probably the way to go. However, as we've found during our previous Gatherings held there, getting enough camping spaces is not always easy! SO, if you want to make it, it's definitely best if you can get there early, rather than late, and thereby have a good space, and a place to park that's both safe and convenient. I'll be sending this out to the "usual suspects", our CASG Family, but any other interested Stovies are always welcome to attend this Gathering, if we can make it happen! Please let me know if the dates work for you all, and let's try to make a plan so that Terry and his wife can meet up with a bunch of US Stove Nutters, and we can share a fun camp together!!! It's also possible that one, or more, of our East Coast CCS Mates "might" be able to join us, too, which would be outstanding!! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Hi Doc: Timing is good for us but Joshua Tree might be a bit warm in mid May for those from afar. Mike...
Hey, Flivver, Terry, and All, Mike, that's great, and I should be able to let you know about scheduling fairly soon. Terry, I know you are having a few stumbles with equipment, but send me a regular email, and we can discuss what you might need. SB and I can most certainly provide it, and should be able to set it up so that you have what you need for your entire trip, and not just at a CASG. Talk to you soon, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Mark
Howdy, All, OK, it's looking more like the CASG #8 will have to be on May 8-9-10-11, and our job the next week does not want to reschedule. When I know for sure, I'll post that here, and we can go from there. Terry, would those days work for you guys? Let me know when you can. Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc
Hi Mark. Those dates look fine. Any dates are good with us! We are not on any fixed itinerary so can fit in with you guys. Best wishes, Terry
Hey, Terry, That's great! So far, the Flivver Family is in, as is the Mac family, us, and you guys. I have a feeling Big Jim will be able to attend, hopefully, and I've sent out quite a few emails and PT's for others that might want to join us. More info as it becomes available. SB and I are really looking forward to meeting you and your Bride, Terry! Let us know what we can do to help, equipment-wise, and we'll do our best! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Mark
