FRIENDS OF THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS
SPRING 2023 NEWSLETTER
Message From the President
It’s SPRING and that means we are days away from opening the Carr House for the 2023 season. The three water crossing sites on Carr Canyon Road have water going across them and up until a few days ago Carr Falls was running.
Your Board has had an active winter with various activities. Two additional names have been added to the Donor Board: Johanna Donat for her generous work and plant donations around the Carr House garden and Apache Signs of Sierra Vista for their generous support of signage. There will soon be a new sign for the Carr House as you come up Carr Canyon Road, just before you get to the picnic area. Board Member Dwight Hoxie has worked with Apache Signs for the design and installation of this sign. On the maintenance front we have installed three drainage extensions to get water away from the Carr House foundation in front. The Forest Service has also added additional gravel to the upper end of the parking lot. We also now have an SOP for Carr House operations that will standardize activities. This is in addition to the daily grind of paying bills, keeping membership updated, maintenance activities, and general coordination that I am so thankful the Board Members keep me straight on.
We are glad to announce Mike Foster and John Broz have agreed to sign on as Carr House Hosts for another season. Their expertise and knowledge of the area is a great addition to the program. Jane is in the final stages of formalizing another Sunday afternoon program series. The first program on May 7 will be Steve Merkley’s Cochise College students reporting on their field trip to Kino Bay this past March.
As a bittersweet announcement, this is the last year John and Karen Poole will be the USFS site hosts at Carr Canyon. Over the last 13 years they have provided a steady influence over the operations and maintenance of the Forest Service recreation facilities in the area. Their support has been instrumental in having a Carr House facility that we can be proud of. Congratulations John and Karen and safe travels back to Oregon.
Working with Zac Ribbing we are in the final stages of a Participating Agreement for Interpretive Services between the FOHM and US Forest Service which is good for five more years. During discussions Zac mentioned the possibility of improving the interpretive capability of the approximately 1.25 miles of trail between the Carr House and the Perimeter Trail parking lot. We look to the membership for potential ideas on how this could be accomplished.
We are back in business April 1 at 9:00 a.m. with Carr House reopening. I hope to see you there for another exciting season. Thank you for all you do to continue our mission of providing educational opportunities and enhanced awareness of the natural and cultural history of the Huachuca Mountains.
Respectfully
Eric N. Andersen
Summer Sunday Program Series Begins May 7!
Board Member Jane Chambers has been hard at work planning programs for this season. First up will be our Cochise College FOHM scholarship recipients, Tobin Vangorder, Aliya Leon, and Liam Holton, sharing their experiences and research on the native plants, water birds, and marine mammals of Bahía de Kino and the Gulf of California in March, 2023. Other programs will include information on mountain lions in the Huachucas, sandhill cranes, hummingbirds of Arizona, Camp Naco, archaeology of the Huachucas, and of course Tom Miscione’s ever-popular snakes and lizards program on Father’s Day. Jane’s working on other programs as well, so be on the lookout for more information once she has the full schedule completed.
Farewell, Farewell, Parting is such Sweet Sorrow
John and Karen Poole, who have been the Forest Service Site Hosts at Carr House for the past 11 winters, have made the decision to retire to their home in Oregon permanently. They have been fixtures at Carr House for so long that the place won’t seem the same without them. John has plugged the last mouse hole in the house, he hopes (32 of them!). Both Karen and John have made their last rounds of cleaning up dispersed camp sites, cleaning restrooms at Reef and Ramsey Vista campgrounds and Brown Canyon Ranch, and making sure the grounds around Carr House are neat and tidy.
Our Friends group honored John and Karen with a luncheon at Pizzeria Mimosa on March 23. They were both a little surprised to see that so many of their closest friends and coworkers came out for the occasion. Coronado National Forest District Ranger, Daisy Kinsey, said a few words thanking the Pooles not only for their hard work over the years, but also for becoming part of the family of those who care for our national lands. Zac Ribbing, District Recreation Staff Officer, echoed Daisy’s thanks and words of appreciation. FOHM Board President, Eric Andersen, also said a few words and presented the Pooles with a lovely artwork by local artist Carolyn Yeutter depicting Carr House in all its glory.
One missing member of the family was Woody, the Carr House feline site host. He was unable to attend due to a prior engagement with naptime. Karen, speaking on Woody’s behalf, thanked everyone for all the love he received from visitors over the years. Woody will very much miss Carr House, as it’s his favorite place in the world. He does enjoy spending time at the Pooles’ home in Oregon, except for all the snow.
John and Karen, you will be missed on so many levels, not only as excellent stewards of Carr House, but as personal friends. There will probably be a few tears shed as we watch you leave for Oregon in a few days. God speed and thank you.
Friends of the Huachuca Mountains Board of Directors:
Eric Andersen, President
Dwight Hoxie, Vice President
Linda Stitt, Secretary
Pat Dillingham, Treasurer
Jane Chambers, Director
Steve Merkley, Director
Carolyn Santucci, Director
To contact the Friends of the Huachuca Mountains or the Board, email info@huachucamountains.org.
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