Gila Wilderness: Ben Lilly, Indian graves, and mule problems on Sapillo Creek 

Thanks. I really like that area up around reserve but don’t get up there very often.

That’s great. Tell her congratulations. Best of luck on the next chapter.

Thanks. I haven’t spent much time in the Ozarks but it’s always intrigued me with the history there.

Loved it, but I'm 84 now and crippled. My fishing days are over, but I've got the memories! Some backpack into the wilderness, but Mr. Lee is doing it right, horses and a pack train!

I’m looking forward to listening to that. Thank you for posting all those recordings of Dale Lee. My granddads name was Dale Lee but not the same one. He floated between Reserve and Hillsboro during the time of the Lee brothers (doing ranch work) so there is a good chance we’re related somehow but it would be distant if at all.

Those are great memories to have. It’s hard to beat days like that.

The way the policy is written is interpreted differently between districts. I agree that everyone should play by the same rules but fire crews use chainsaws all the time in the Gila to fight fires and clear the trail for access to the fire. (I’ve even packed chainsaws for them) They aren’t allowed to use them if they aren’t going to a fire. This is the same policy they use to land helicopters in the wilderness. I remember a few years ago they were going to clear some log jams in the weminuche and San Juan’s but this wasn’t about fires and it got shut down.

@@Makingitwild I use 80v battery powered chain saws in the back country.

Thanks. It’s not worth it to keep a mule like that around.

It’s amazing how much country he covered at his age. He hunted all over.

Mule tamales is worth a try.

Thanks. It didn’t take long for me to find her a new home.

@@Makingitwild I bet she appreciates it too. Your getting her too hot and she lays down to cool off. You cant make a mule hurt itself, aint going to happen.

Thank you for your concern. There is a lot more to the story but I passed her off to the next person right after this trip.

The bear numbers are really high in the Gila. You will see some big ones occasionally but for the most part they aren’t as big as other places around the country. There is a healthy cat population but as you were saying not as many as you would think. Thanks for commenting.

There are always a lot of turkeys on the Sapillo. You’re right though you don’t need to go down that far.

It’s not very common for them to lay down that long unless something is really wrong with them. I got rid of her a couple days after this trip.

I enjoy his videos. We go to a lot of the same places but I’ve never ran into him in person.

I’ve always wondered if he smelled so bad for so long if he stopped smelling bad. I bet he smelled just like his dogs.

For trips like this one it’s no big deal to let them rest but most of the time I don’t have the time to deal with them. She was a good mule other than that but I found her a new home within a few days. They won’t be working her very hard.

Just stiff from laying down. Same as when you sleep on the ground and the next morning it takes some time to stretch and get moving.

I enjoy stories about Nat Straw. He liked to talk to people so there are a lot of stories from him floating around. There is a good book written about him that has a lot of interesting information about him. In a similar video to this one I talk about him. I don’t spend very much time talking about Nat in the video but if you’re into those kind of guys, check out the west fork video and you might find those stories interesting.

Nat straw apparently was one of the last to kill Jaguars in the Gila, one near Hoyt Creek and another up high near Snow Park

@@billhillify4924 I’ve heard that. I don’t think it was ever confirmed but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be true.

I guess not. It’s pretty funny

Thanks.

They are definitely watching

How Sweet It Is just imagine how sweet it was back in those days when you can travel the country with packs of dogs and mules and go anywhere you wanted can you imagine the natural beauty in the way things were it's hard to imagine but I can smell it right now the Juniper the sage and the Big Timber that used to be around the ancient stuff the Indian Indian camps excetera in the adversity of game you know what I'm trying to say! Just Close Your Eyes it was definitely a different world back before folks came in and changed everywhere

@@markeverson5849 it would be nice to go back. You can still go and roam free but we’ve created a world for ourselves where we are tied down with bills, taxes, and insurance so we can’t just wander for months at a time like they did back then.

@@Makingitwild not only that! there's a real chance of getting robbed blind nowadays while you're away . I used to leave my homesteads for 6 months or a year! at a time ! and everything was fine. a couple of times people walked away with stuff . and generally I assumed it was someone I knew. I built a homestead in Arkansas in the Ozarks up Brushy Creek and had it for 20 years on a half of 40 it was off grid and nobody messed with that! it's best to keep your little cabin or Homestead site off the road and behind trees or Hills where people cannot see it. they hardly even know you're there after 20 years! I also Homestead in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula Michigan wilderness .I lived all over out west did a lot of wandering in the bush. Thinking about just getting rid of most of what I have and going on the road with my old 97 Dodge Cummins with a camper and a trailer behind and waking up to a new place often in the National Forest. I'd rather die that way than being tied down here where I have no friends and have been abandoned by the wife for 14 years already:-) Jesus is coming

@@markeverson5849 getting robbed is definitely a problem these days. It’s a crazy world we live in.

The icon isn’t my brand. It’s just my initials but I check ever time brands expire to see if it’s renewed. There are a couple that are similar that are registered but someone else already has it.

@@Makingitwild That's because it's mine, in a different state though! 😄 Love the videos. Thanks.

@@chippyhacky it’s a good one.

New Mexico

the Gila ... the wilderness is colossal and the tom cats are ripped with steroids. 200 pounders all claws and teeth. Intimidating up close and personal. Take a hike thru that area ... those cats see you first. Good Luck on your Hike .. do'nt forget your girl friend.