Monday's Musings

"The recent tracks of the fox or otter, in the yard, remind us that each hour of the night is crowded with events, and the primeval nature is still working and making tracks in the snow. Opening the gate, we tread briskly along the lone country road, crunching the dry and crisped snow under our feet, ..."
from
A Winter Walk
by Henry David Thoreau

Snow shmo (please let it snow)

Hello, I am including all of Jack's email about December's walks. I will include weekly updates as usual. I am almost (8,000 words to go, I can hear the cheering at the finish line) done with my NaNoWriMo novel. Don't expect to read it soon, but it has been a fun, learning experience. Lots of fun stuff included here.
talk with you soon,
Cecile

Winter Walks from Jack

Winter is a challenging time. If in doubt about any activity please call me (Jack) at 231 4065


UPDATES ON PREVIOUS INFORMATION

Winter Aerobic Challenge
The November Activity Log should be turned in by Tuesday 1 December so I can submit the
necessary report. When you turn in the November Activity Log I will give you the December 2009
Activity Log.
Or
I can mail it to you. Please e-mail me your postal address. I will have the December Activity Logs
available at every walk from tomorrow's walk - Friday 27 November - until the Friday 6 December walk
Please don't wait until the last minute!

SNOW SHOE
Of course we need snow to get started but everything seems to be
falling into place. We cannot include dates in our December Walk The Walk Schedule for the Snowshoe events because we don't know when it will snow.
BUT
If you have gotten this e-mail you are on our list to get immediate
informational updates as it become available.

OUR FIRST EVENT WILL BE HELD AT FT TUTHILL AT NOON ON EITHER A
SATURDAY OR SUNDAY(Exact date undetermined)
We will start from the Square Ramada across from the Coconino County Parks and Recreation Building at Ft Tuthill. It's located next to the Coconino County
Fair Grounds.

If you are a beginner that's OK.
If you are an advanced Snow Shoee that's OK too.
We will have routes for both ability levels.
We will not have any snow shoes available to be used unless otherwise noted.
You will be responsible for renting or bringing your own snow shoes.
Complete rental information will be available next week via e-mail

THE FOLLOWING IS THE REMAINDER OF OUR NOVEMBER SCHEDULE

SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER
Walk The Walk
Buffalo Park/McMillan Mesa
Start Location: Parking Lot at Buffalo Park
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles of walking using the FUTS on both sides
of Cedar/Forest using the Bike/Ped bridge

WALK THE WALK SCHEDULE
DECEMBER 2009

TUESDAY 1 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood

THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER
Meeting: Friends of the Rio de Flag
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM
Brian Bates will make a presentation about the Check Dam Project

FRIDAY 4 DECEMBER - Please note the new start location change
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Aquaplex on 4th Street
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking. We walk outside if we can but if the weather is bad we
can move onto the Aquaplex Walking/Running Track.
But
That will cost $4.00 per person. That fee is a daily one and allows access to the complete Aquaplex
Sauna/swimming pool etc
15 times around the track = 1 mile

SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER
Pull a Weed Project at Picture Canyon
Start Location: Park along Flagstaff El Paso Road between the Wildcat Waste Water Treatment Plant and the El Paso Gas Company.
Time: 9:00 AM
Wear heavy clothes. Bring a pair of good gloves.
We'll work until Noon on getting some of the weeds removed.
Shovels will help as will snips. We'll provide the trash bags

SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk
Location of the Restoration of Turkey Habitat
Start Location: Mormon Ranger Station on Lake Mary Road across from John Wesley Powell
Time: 3:00 PM
There was a story about this restoration and we will explore the site proposed for this valuable work
About 3 total miles of walking

TUESDAY 8 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhoods

FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Aquaplex on 4th Street
Time: 9:00 AM
We'll walk 3 miles outside if possible but move inside if the weather is bad.
That will cost us!
$4.00 for the day. The indoor track is 15 times around to equal a mile

SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk
Start Location: Mormon Ranger Station on Lake Mary Road
Across from John Wesley Powell
Time: 3:00 PM
About 4 total miles on a section of the Loop Trail near Skunk Canyon

SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk
Luminaria Night/Evening Walk
Start Location: Marshall School on Bonito near Thorpe Park
Time: 6:00 PM 6:00 PM
This annual neighborhood event is a walk along a luminary route
to see the lights of the season. About 3 total miles

TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood

TUESDAY 15 DECEMBER
Trails Meeting
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:30 PM
Topic: TO BE ANNOUNCED

WEDNESDAY 15 DECEMBER
Trails Meeting
Location; Adult Center
Time: 6:30 PM
Topic: The subject will be announced also

THE ABOVE TWO MEETINGS ARE SEPARATE AND ON DIFFERENT EVENINGS

FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Aquaplex on 4th Street
Time: 9:00 AM
We'll walk about 3 total miles outside but if the weather is bad we can move
inside the Aquaplex. That will cost $4.00 but as a daily pass it will allow use of the Aquaplex
exercise facilities including the sauna and swimming pool

SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk
The Other Side of Picture Canyon
Start Location: At the end of Rain Valley Road which is about 1/2 mile further past Flagstaff El Paso Road off Route 66.
Time: 3:00 PM
We'll walk about 3 total miles using the Arizona Trail/Flagstaff Loop Trail to explore the other side of
Picture Canyon

SUNDAY 20 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk
The Lou Bader Sculpture Walk
Start Location: West side of City Hall
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles of walking to see the work of Lou Bader


TUESDAY 22 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood

FRIDAY 25 DECEMBER - Christmas Day
Walk The Walk
A Closer Look at a Possible FUTS Purchase
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 3:00 PM
Need some fresh air? This 3 total miles of walking will lead us to a possible purchase to
inhance the FUTS. Expect one really good hill.

SATURDAY 26 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk
Juniper Point
Start Location: FUTS Parking Lot at the corner of Lone Tree Road and John Wesley Powell
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles of walking to take a look at an obscure FUTS connection into the National Forest
near this yet to be started development

SUNDAY 27 DECEMBER
Walk The Walk
The Presido
Start Location: Parking Lot of the Arizona Daily Sun
Corner of West Route 66 and Thompson
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles of walking to see what's happening with this
started by not completed development.

TUESDAY 29 DECEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood

I hope to see you all soon.
Jack Welch
714 0504
or email Jack at ADILLLO the at symbol aol (dot) com (I don't want him swamped with junk mail)

WE NEVER EXPECT ANYONE TO DRIVE THROUGH A SNOW STORM TO
PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF OUR WALKS. PLEASE USE GOOD JUDGEMENT!

YOU HAVE PROBABLY NOTICED ALL OF OUR SNOW SHOE ACTIVITIES WILL
HAPPEN AT NOON ON WEEKEND DAYS (A Possible Night Walk Will be the exception)

WE ALSO HAVE WALK THE WALKS SCHEDULED ON THE WEEKENDS. THEY WILL START
AT 3:00 PM

WHEN WE DO A SNOW SHOE ACTIVITY IT USUALLY MEANS CONDITIONS ARE NOT GOOD
FOR A WALK. WE'LL KEEP YOU ADVISED.

Happy Thanksgiving

"Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."
W. J. Cameron


"Got no check books, got no banks. Still I'd like to express my thanks -- I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night."
Irving Berlin

Giving Thanks

This week's challenge is in keeping with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Just remember to be thankful for something everyday.
We are possibly going to have the driest year, here in Flagstaff, Arizona. since they started keeping records, that's 110 years. So, for starters, I am so thankful for any drop of water. (the photo is from a few years ago, we have not had much snow yet this year)

Walking into Thanksgiving

Walk Into Winter, Walk the Walk, Ride a Bus/Do a Hike
from Jack Welch

FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot
Time: 9:00 AM
We rather walk outside but if the weather is bad we can walk inside the mall

SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER
Ride a Bus/Do A Hike
Start Location: Downtown Bus Terminal on Phoenix (near Biff's)
Time: 3:00 PM
We'll catch a Mountain Line Bus and ride out to Coconino Community College
and walk back to the transfer station using the FUTS along Lone Tree Road, South San Francisco (on campus and then through the SouthSide). A little over 3 total miles.
Don't forget to bring a $1.00 for the bus

SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER
Walk The Walk
Forces of Nature Trail
Start Location: At the rear of the Trinity Church on 4th Street (3600)
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles of walking use the ESA on the Forces of Nature Route that reach where
the famous 1977 Flagstaff Fire at Mt Elden was located.

TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking. Fast and Slow Pace

THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER - Thanksgiving
Walk The Walk
Enterprise Loop
Start Location: Downtown Visitor Center
Time: 3:00
Overstuffed? Tired of watching TV. Get some exercise on this
3 1/2 mile loop on the Route 66 paved FUTS and Butler ave

FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot/Flagstaff Mall
Time: 9:00 AM
We'll walk outside if the weather is good and inside if it's bad
About 3 total miles

Excuses, excuses

Ha!
Lately, I have been chock full of excuses as to why I shouldn’t walk. The main two excuses I have resorted to have been:

1.It’s too cold. Make your best whiney voice and say, “but it’s only 20 degrees outside, it’s too cold.” Now much more cheerfully say, “I will stay in and have an extra cup of hot tea.” The “hot tea” has been winning.
2.I need to get to work on … Pick your own very important project. For me it’s been this NaNoWriMo book. By the way, I am doing okay, a little behind, but I will catch up and I am having fun. But back to the excuse. What really happens is that I waste a lot, I mean a lot, of time on the computer before I ever start writing. That’s another issue I need to work on but that it keeps me from walking… for shame.

Anyway back to the “ha!” that I started with. I found a website that deals with each and every one of my excuses. The “excuse busters” might not all help my particular situation but that someone thought of writing about them provides a little motivational boost.
No more excuses.

Monday's Musings

Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.” ~Steven Wright

Lessons Learned: Just a 100 yards more

This week's challenge is to push yourself just a little bit further, just a little bit. Okay, so you are exhausted, you are sick of it, you don't think you can go any further (let alone make it back up the hill) but maybe, just maybe your big reward is just past the next corner. Do you really want to quit now if you find out later that if you kept it up just a wee bit longer you would have met your goal? Reached your destiny? Seen the crystal clear water gushing out of the natural spring? Harumph!

Do I sound a bit pushy? Miffed? Let me explain. Yesterday we took advantage of the day off to go for a hike to a place I had heard of tons of times, Fossil Creek. I had heard of various trails too. It didn't sound like too big of a mystery to get there. Hike down, hike back out.
We printed a forest service info page that listed the mileage as 3.1 miles to the creek. Long drive. We get there. The wooden sign reads "Fossil Springs, 4 miles." Hmmm, my mind goes, the springs must be further than the creek.
We start the hike down: easy, steep and rocky, easy, sloped, steep and rocky, easy, steep and rocky, is how I remember the trail. It went on and on but was a very pleasant hike. Our goal was to get back to the car in time to get back on the roads before it got dark. I was concerned because I figured it would take me awhile to get back up. Eventually we make it down the trail. And I was tired, make that exhausted. We get to the dry creek bed and park it. I sit on a natural rock ledge and pull out the lunches.
We talked about where the springs might be and I think that they must be about a mile downstream. I am not sure I can make it and back up the trail in time to meet our goal. We eat our lunch, relax, enjoy the scenery and head back up the trail.
On the way up we are passed by some backpackers coming out from the creek area. "Was there water?" I asked. "Oh yeah!" the first hiker replied. "When you got to the creek how far downstream were the springs?" I asked the second hiker. "Oh about 200 yards," he replied. And then continued after thinking a bit, "No, they really weren't more than 100 yards past the point you reached the creek." He went on about how he checked his GPS location and all. Meanwhile, I was whimpering inside. We were more than half of the way out and past the steepest, toughest part. No way we were going back today. Grrrr.
I am done kicking myself. The lesson has been learned. And now I get to look forward to another hike, in a few months.
I have heard you can drive there, however.

Walk 'n Talk

Walk the Walk, Walk into Winter
from Jack Welch

FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max/Flagstaff Mall
Time: 9:00 AM
We'll walk outside if the weather is good and inside the Mall if the weather is bad.

SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER
Walk The Walk
Kachina Wetlands
Start Location: Raymond County Park - Off I-17 at the Mountainaire/Kachina Exit
the park is just around the corner (right and another right) on the
frontage road
We'll convoy over to the Wetlands (about 1 miles from Raymond County Park)
Time: 3:00 PM
Here a Duck, There a Duck, Everywhere you look you'll see a Duck -
which is why we are doing this walk. Some great views of the Peaks also plus
we'll show you where the Highland Trail from Ft Tuthill connects into the wetlands.
About 3 total miles of walking.

SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER
Walk the Walk
Plaza Vieja Neighborhood
Start Location: City Hall Parking Lot
West side of building across from the Library
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles of walking in this old town neighborhood. We'll see where the
proposed FUTS tunnel under the railroad tracks will be located and see the new
pocket park in this community.

TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER
Walk into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM

TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER
Meeting About the Outdoors
Presentation will be made by a remarkable guest speaker.
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:30 PM

WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER
Another meeting about the Outdoors
Presentation will also be made by a different guest speaker
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:30 PM

THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER
Regional Plan public meeting about the City's Open Space
Location: Aquaplex (4th Street)
Time: 4PM until 7PM
If you are interested in the city's open space and what will become of it
please attend this meeting.

FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot at the Flagstaff Mall
Time: 9:00 AM
We'll walk (about 3 total miles) outside if its nice or inside the mall if its not so nice.

Making your mark

I have been a little preoccupied with this NaNoWriMo challenge- it has kind of tired me out. I have been making a lot of mud pies, and they are not pretty nor do they look much like mud pies, but it's fun.
It's dry here in Flagstaff. We have gone past the "oh, wow, what terrific weather" to "when the heck is it going to snow?" stage. We need it desperately.
I took my usual walk yesterday and noticed tracks in the loose soil. The tracks were very clear. You might not be able to tell but in one photo I could see the creases from the foot pad of the animal. I believe the clawed animals were skunks and they followed the trail for at least half a mile before they veered off towards a house. Hmmm.
This is a collection of tracks: bike, foot, skunk, dog.


This is the skunk (?) track where you can see the crease in the paw.

All together now, for comparison. I am not good at reading tracks so I have no idea if there were two or more of these critters. Looked like more than one tho.

Deer crossing.

Musings

"Writing is like walking in a deserted street. Out of the dust in the street you make a mud pie." - John le Carre

Thursday's Challenge

I am trying something new this month. Something out of my comfort box and yet sounds fun to me... I have joined the National Novel Writing Month challenge. That means for the next 25 remaining days of November I will attempt to finish a novel. Rules include: the novel needs to be at least 50,000 words long (that works out to 1,667 words per day for November), you can't edit your writing in November- December is for editing, you can't repeat one word 50,000 times. I am a freelance non-fiction writer so why I am doing this? It's a challenge. It might help me break my fear of large word counts. It might nourish my creativity. And it sounds fun. I always use to say, "I would love to write a mystery novel, but I don't have any ideas." NaNoWriMo gives me the safety net to let my imagination soar (no inner critics allowed- that's the beauty of not allowing editing). Five days ago, I didn't have any ideas and yet today I have written close to 6,000 words.
So, today's challenge is to try something new, something fun, something positive, something you have wanted to do but didn't quite want to start. Maybe paint a picture, meditate for an hour, read Anna Karenina, anything.
What the heck does this have to do with walking? Not necessarily anything. But, I don't think I would have had the interest in doing this extra thing, this writing event that takes up my extra half hours here and there, if I hadn't been walking or being as physically active as I could be. So I am going to enjoy my writer's marathon. I hope you find something you enjoy as well.

Wednesday's Walks (on Thursday)

Meetings, Walk Into Winter, Walk the Walk

from Jack Welch

THURSDAY 5 NOVEMBER
Friends of the Rio Meeting
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM
Presentation by Kimberly Sharp and discussions about the future
of the Rio de Flag. Is it a sewer as some like to describe it or
is it a viable and very valuable greenway through Flagstaff that
needs our attention. Attend the meeting for more details.
I know I'll be there!

FRIDAY 6 NOVEMBER - Please note the start location!
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max Parking Lot/Flagstaff Mall
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking. We'll be outside if the weather is good and inside theMall
if the weather is bad.

SATURDAY 7 NOVEMBER
Walk The Walk
Picture Canyon
Start Location: El Paso Road (Off Old East Route 66 1/4 mile past the new Home Depo Store
Park on the right (east) side of the paved road between the Wildcat Waste Water Treatment Plant and the
El Paso Gas Company
Time: 3:00 PM
About 4 total miles of walking into this interesting and historical site. Expect to see some ducks as well as Flagstaff's only water fall, glyphs, ruin...............

SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER
Walk The Walk
Airport FUTS - East/West
Start Location: Airport Parking Lot furthest from the Terminal
Time: 3:00 PM
About 3 total miles of walking on a new section of the FUTS

TUESDAY 10 NOVEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhoods

FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER
Walk Into Winter
Start Location: Office Max/Flagstaff Mall
Time: 9:00 AM
We'll walk outside if the weather is good and inside the Mall if the weather is bad.

Turtles on a Walk

I was all about to write about something else and then I saw this video from Science Friday. The video is about the difficulty these turtles were having in getting over the railroad tracks to get from one habitat to another. The turtle researcher, in the video, comes up with a simple plan. I thought this story was terrific. First of all it shows how a simple human development, railroad tracks, can have unintended and unpredicted devastating effects on wildlife. And then it shows how simple it can be for one person, ONE person, to make a huge difference.
Thanks to this man, these turtles can continue their walks.

Monday's Musings

"A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air."
- Eric Sloane