Payson Roundup

Hello again, fellow Creekers.

Well the big holidays are behind us now and we can all breathe a big sigh of relief — we made it! I don’t know about you, but with the snow still on the ground it still feels like the holiday season to me.

Christopher Creek Lodge is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Dating back to 1950, Christopher Creek Lodge is the first business in this area. For nearly six decades now the lodge has been providing folks from the Valley and all over the world a nice, affordable place to get away. There are guests that have been coming here for generations now. My favorite is when I hear stories about someone whose parents used to bring them here and now they’re bringing their kids or their grandkids here. I also enjoy hearing from people who used to live here a long time ago and stay at our place, while they go check out the home they used to live in and their old stomping grounds.

I am especially proud of all of the improvements we’ve made over the last couple of years. Remember the flood in July 2007? The creek water was so strong that it cut off some of the lodge’s property and some of the Landmark’s just like a knife going through butter. We used this as an opportunity to attractively reinforce the creek wall and also make things much safer, while being environmentally conscious. The creek is the reason people are up here, so we are committed to doing our part to protect, preserve, and help keep clean Christopher Creek.

Speaking of protection, have you ever wondered what the two “solar panel” looking devices are by the creek on each side of the road near Christopher Creek Lodge? Those are flood and weather monitoring systems managed by Gila County. I spoke with Dard of Gila County who is in charge of this division and he tells me that flood information gets relayed to Emergency Services and any weather information goes to the Weather Service. It’s nice to know that the county is looking out for us up here.

Texas Hold ’em poker tournaments start up again this Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Creekside Restaurant. Everyone is welcome to join in, even if you are a newbie to cards.

It is almost time for the biggest, shortest event in Christopher Creek. The Hashknife Pony Express riders will be riding through on Jan. 27. There will be a tailgate party in the parking lot of Creekside Restaurant, which will be a perfect place to watch the riders go by. Don’t forget to bring your camera.

As always, I do need your help with content and stories! For anyone wanting to submit information from the Christopher Creek area for inclusion in our weekly article, please e-mail me at: info@christophercreeklodge.com. The cutoff time for inclusion in Friday’s article is close of business on Monday.

Thanks again for reading the column.