_{THE COUSINS BACKPACK TRIP}

In the Winter of 1980, Bill wrote to his siblings and asked if they would like to come to New Mexico where Bill and Carolina would lead them on a backpacking trip into the Gila Wilderness. Bill’s siblings all said no but that some of the younger family might like to do it. Bill’s nephew, Chuck Scheper and his wife

Julie Geison said they would drive to New Mexico with their siblings Rosemary, Jane and Jim and their cousin John Van Gilse, another nephew of Bill’s. Bill and Caro’s children Lora and Paul would also be a part of the group. So the plan began:

the cousins Chuck, 28, Julie, 25, Rosemary, 22, Jane, 17, Jim, 17, John, 16, Lora, 16 and Paul, 14, Aunt Caro and Uncle Bill would embark from the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument into the Gila Wilderness for 5 days–a major undertaking! We had to plan and carry food for 180 meals in unknown territory, treat water from springs for Giardia, find trails, cross many rivers stay hardy and return to our cars without any help. In the VIDEOS there is a video of our adventure.