The Gila is a nice area and a good place to find elk. It's also pretty rugged in many places down there.

We haven't got down to -18 yet this year but have had a few nights that dropped down below -10. Itdoes warm up some during the days. The last few afternoons got up to close to freezing but it gets windy in the afternoons too. When the sun is out and the wind is calm I don't even need a jacket, but if there are clouds and/or wind it gets down right cold.

Thegun club range I go to is located on the back side of a hill that I have to drive over. The problem is that the road going over the hill is on the north side of the hill and has trees lining both sides. It gets very little sun and takes forever to melt off. I've never seen them plow the road either so getting there can be tough. If we don't get any significant snow out of this next system I will try to get in there next week, I need to go check out my new GPH barrel before I go crazy.

Heading to North Alabama in the morning for 3 days of ML deer hunting. Taking along my 2 sons and one of my grandsons. It will be a nice weekend regardless of the deer hunting. We will get to socialize as a family eat our bellies full and the set around the fireplace. Cell phones won't work down there and you either walk or take your 4 wheeler down to the cabin. I built it that way and as long as I am alive it's gonna stay that way!

-18 c the last couple days in montreal. -32c with the windchill. T7ff & win 209 primers gave me no trouble in these temps. The patches are the problem. Use pure alcohol to swab or patch freezes to bore. On the other hand, you don;t have to worry about the barrel over heating! But things are warming up for the weekend. -2c average. P.S. Don't leave home without insulated coffee mug. Coffee's cold before you could put sugar in.

grapeshot - that is indeed getting cold. I believe -18ºC is about 0ºF so that is getting down there. Its been a long time since I did the conversions in my head, I could be wrong. When it gets cold, like you, I often use pure alcohol to swab the barrel. It works great actually. I only use the 70% isopropyl but it seems to work great.

oldwun - good luck hunting with your immediate family. I agree that just hanging with the family can be a worth while time, even if you do not happen to bag game. Sounds like a beautiful place to hang out too. Did Alabama get that ice storm stuff like some of the other southern states?

cayqad... no the ice storm didn't hit Alabama that i know of. Once we get there we don't really care how the weather is. W have plenty of heat, plenty of grub and one fine back deck looking out on a huge valley. Sunday we will put the feeders back out and fill them up and do some trimming up to get some trails rerouted. I have a rule up there that if u r a kid u can shoot whatever is leagal twice. All grown ups can shoot 1 doe in Oct, one doe in Nov and only bucks that have 4 on one side the rest of the time. So glad I bought this land in 1986. I paid #35,00 for 356 acres and in 1996 I bought another 120 acres hooked to it fo $25,000. Its all on the side of a mountain and lots of rocky area's but it's mine!!

It sounds like a beautiful place you have.. Good luck hunting and relaxing.