big man tips

"A MISSION to GERRY�S GOINT":  Arizona Trail Passage 15 THE FRIENDLIEST TOWN ON THE ARIZONA TRAIL Ray Mine near Kearny seen from the Arizona Trail Uncle Scary hasn�t shaved since 1976. His white whiskers, gravelly voice and commanding presence scare the tar out of toddlers.   But everybody else in his adopted home town of Kearny loves the vociferous old-timer who is sort of a one-man chamber of commerce for the tiny Pinal County community (population 1,950).   �We are The Friendliest Town along the Arizona National Scenic Trail�, boasts Gerry Kaufhold whose trail name is Uncle Scary. �We want to be the next Moab, only smaller�, he adds.   Uncle Scary a.k.a Gerry Kaufhold Kearny is a proud Arizona Trail Gateway Community that provides respite for long-distance hikers in need of a hot shower, a cold drink and a good meal while taking a �zero day� (rest day without hiking) from the 800-mile trek.   Business owners and residents alike have also been known to assist ...

ARIZONA TRAIL: GILA RIVER CANYONS PASSAGE 16 Trellis bridge over the Gila River below the golden spike site. The �golden spike� moment for the Arizona Trail is marked only by a simple brass survey post set in a concrete base banked with native rocks.   Dedicated on December 16, 2011, the low-key monument that sits above the banks of the Gila River near the town of Kelvin denotes the completion of a decades-long effort to build a non-motorized recreation trail from Mexico to Utah.   The monument bears the initials of Dale Shewalter, the �Father of the Arizona National Scenic Trail.   Sadly, Shewalter did not live to see the completion of the trans-Arizona trail he worked for beginning in the mid-1980s.   "Golden spike." The understated tribute on a ridge overlooking a river and trellis bridge at the gateway to one of the trail�s most spectacular segments is an apt tribute to the tenacious teacher, activist and adventurer. ASARCO Ray Mine in distance It�s also the key...