Flagstaff Fridays

Rio de Flag, March 2010, near library

More walks along the Rio de Flag- be sure to check them out if you can!

from Jack Welch

SATURDAY 19 MARCH
Rio de Flag Walk Series
Confluence of the Rio de Flag, Sinclair Wash and Bow and Arrow Wash
Start Location: Sam’s parking lot- south end
Time: 3:00 PM 3:00 PM
A walk near the wetland and the convergence of three water routes.

SUNDAY 20 MARCH
Rio de Flag Walk Series
Behind Little America
Start Location: Little America parking lot- east end near the gas station
Time: 3:00 PM 3:00 PM
The route of the Rio de Flag as it makes its way past the recent Hardy Fire location.

TUESDAY 22 MARCH
Walk into Spring
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood.

WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH
Table Tennis/Ping Pong Play
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:45 PM
We’ll have three tables in play

THURSDAY 24 MARCH
Table Tennis/Ping Pong Play
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:45 PM
We’ll have three tables in play

FRIDAY 25 MARCH
Walk into Spring
Start Location: Harkins Theater north parking lot
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood.
Expect a few hills.

SATURDAY 26 MARCH
Rio de Flag Walk Series
Fox Glenn Park
Start Location: Fox Glenn Parking Lot on Butler
Time: 3:00 PM 3:00 PM
A walk along the Rio on the FUTS near the recent restoration area.

SUNDAY 27 MARCH
Rio de Flag Walk Series
The Route of the Rio through the Continental Golf Course
Start Location: Park along the Old Walnut Canyon Road next to the two lakes
Time: 3:00 PM 3:00 PM
See where the Rio makes its turn out the Continental Neighborhood and on toward Picture Canyon.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Have a wonderful day o' green!
We just got back from a camping trip, in brown Arizona (near a lake, but still brown- how does that work? actually I know, it was all rock). So no green. These photos are from my sister, Denise, in green, green, green Oregon. Thank you, for the bit o' green. So lovely.

Flagstaff Fridays

Abert's Squirrel, looking for food

We are back. Jack has been having email issues so hasn't been able to email his list. He provides such a wonderful service to the community. If you want a complete copy of his walks you can get one at one of his starting locations- or check the Arizona Daily Sun. Thank you, Jack, for all of your work.

The Rio de Flag is one of Flagstaff's hidden jewels. I hope to learn more about this greenbelt.

from Jack Welch (any typos are mine, tho)
KICK OFF FOR THE RIO DE FLAG SERIES
17 Walks along the Rio de Flag Greenbelt 3 to 5 total miles
SATURDAY 12 MARCH 2011
SOUTH SIDE RIO
Start Location: Mountain Line Transfer Station on Phoenix across from Fratelli’s Pizza
Time: 3:00 PM 3:00 PM
A walk to show folks the route of the Rio de Flag through the Southside Community from Route 66 to Lone Tree Road

SUNDAY 13 MARCH
The Rio de Flag in Sinclair Wash
Start Location: Police Parking Lot at 911 Sawmill Road just east of Willow Bend
Time: 3:00 PM 3:00 PM
A walk along the Rio that runs next to the FUTS in one of the most beautiful sections of Flagstaff.

TUESDAY 15 MARCH
Walk into Spring
Start Location: Adult Center
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood.

WEDNESDAY 16 MARCH
Outdoor Presentation
Rock Art of the World
Presented by Evelyn Billow and Bob Mark
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM
The rock art around here is extremely interesting but this will be an opportunity to see some famous rock art in the rest of the world.

WEDNESDAY 16 MARCH
Table Tennis/Ping Pong Play
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:45 PM
We’ll have three tables in play

THURSDAY 17 MARCH
FLAGSTAFF AREA STREAM TEAM – F.A.S.T.
Location: Adult Center
Time: 6:00 PM
Plan of action for the coming year.

THURSDAY 17 MARCH  NO TABLE TENNIS THIS EVENING

FRIDAY 18 MARCH
Walk into Spring
Start Location: Harkins Theater north parking lot
Time: 9:00 AM
About 3 total miles of walking in and around the surrounding neighborhood.
Expect some hills.

SATURDAY 19 MARCH
Rio de Flag Walk Series
Confluence of the Rio de Flag, Sinclair Wash and Bow and Arrow Wash
Start Location: Sam’s parking lot- south end
Time: 3:00 PM 3:00 PM
A walk near the wetland and the convergence of three water routes.

SUNDAY 20 MARCH
Rio de Flag Walk Series
Behind Little America
Start Location: Little America parking lot- east end near the gas station
Time: 3:00 PM 3:00 PM
The route of the Rio de Flag as it makes its way past the recent Hardy Fire location.

Wednesday's Walker

Their trip to Bryce Canyon

This Wednesday Walker is my brother-in-law, married to my sister, Denise. He is a talented wood worker artist, carpenter and keeps very busy. He writes that he is a sedate retiree, but I can't picture that...

What do you do? Sedate retiree
What keeps you busy? Housework, my family
What is your passion? My family, the outdoors, motorcycle riding

I walk because …. It wakes me out of my customary stupor, it is the only exercise I can do anymore on an everyday basis.

What do you do when you walk? Daydreaming mostly

What do you like about walking? Being outdoors, being aware of my body, and the aforementioned daydreaming.

Describe a walk where you found something special or something that made you
happy or something surprising. This morning I stumbled across 3 power poles down because a 100' fir killed by ivy had come down, the other day it was a coyote.
My most favorite walks are when Denise can enjoy the outdoors, like we did in Zion, and Fort Bragg botanical gardens.

What is your favorite walk? The one I am on.

Any tips to get people walking? There are many benefits to walking besides exercise but for me you feel more alive and can still enjoy your surroundings if you can get your pulse rate going. I watch lots of folks who stroll past our house and wonder why they don't ratchet it up a bit and get more out of it.

Go Spring!

The air was crisp and cold this morning. Snow crystals brightened the road. I was on a walk with Pip, the dog, and just walking. I guess I was happy to be walking, but I think I was wishing it were warmer- as usual. And then I heard the robin. The clear, sweet American robin song.

Somehow that changed everything. I started to feel warmer somehow. It’s not that I haven’t seen robins recently, but their song just feels like warmth, like better days. I started to think of the sweetness of changing seasons. That’s one of the rewards of going through a tough winter, a tough time, a tough headache- you get to the end and … everything seems brighter or lighter.

I have been hearing lots of birds lately. We have been feeding the songbirds so they congregate in our pine tree and sound like the Grand Central Station of little birds. Buzzing, chirping, chips, titters, tweets: juncos, siskins, finches. I have also heard lots of drumming from flickers and woodpeckers, mainly on metal streetlights and wooden power poles, respectively (drumming: rapid hitting with beak, I read they do this to attract a mate).

Here in Flagstaff with spring comes the melting of the snow, thankfully we have had some (I can be thankful now), so for a time we will have some running water. And lots and lots of mud. But bring it on! Spring! Hurray!

Wednesday's Walker

My blurry photo on way to Park City to visit with Elise and the girls

I met my friend Elise fairly soon after we moved to Utah. She helped me find work in the field of wildlife biology. She is a very active person, biking and hiking, and has had a rough year with injuries. Her latest injury was the result of an interaction with an angry mama moose. Apparently, Elise was returning from a hike and heading down a fairly narrow canyon when she was confronted by the moose. Elise dove out of the way (sorry if I am getting this wrong), thankfully behind a a big tree, but in the process tore her ACL. She found out from another hiker that the moose cow had a calf in the area. And, yes, Elise is recuperating nicely.

What do you do? I’m a wildlife biologist but now I’m a manager more than anything.
What keeps you busy? Unfortunately work, but when not working I love to do just about anything outdoors and travel.

I walk because …. It makes me feel good and it gives me time to myself.

What do you do when you walk?  I have conversations in my head about issues of the day or plan out my future. Sometimes I listen to audiobooks.

What do you like about walking? I like it because it makes me feel good, it’s functional – transportation, and its relaxing.

Describe a walk where you found something special or something that made you happy or something surprising ? This one is stumping me. When I walk it always makes me happy when I see wildlife.

What is your favorite walk? I have too many to pick one! I have different “favorite” walks for different seasons and different locations- desert, mountains and cities.

Any tips to get people walking?  Just do it – I’ve never regretted a walk – ok, maybe the one where I got attacked by a moose, but that’s it…..

Slow Hiking Time

Not on Sycamore Rim, but similar landscape

I have been unable to walk much recently so have gotten out of shape. My thoughts have gone to walks o’ the past. One hike was to the Sycamore Rim Loop Trail which was about an 11 mile hike. I was probably the least experienced hiker of the bunch, but as our intrepid guide (IG) said, I had a “good hiking constitution.” I think that meant I could go for long distances without complaining. She figured we would start around 9 am and be done about noon or one.

She described the hike as easy, but long. We would be doing the hike reverse what other hikers typically do, to get the harder part out of the way.

Okay. Let me describe this hike. Take a flat sixty inch round table. Throw on a table cloth, roughly. Don’t make it smooth. So there are bumps here and there, right? But overall pretty flat. Pretend the trail goes around the edge of the table.

Now go get a mixing bowl that has steep sides and plunk it down in the middle of the trail. Oh, you might say, but the trail can go around the bowl. But it doesn’t. The bowl is called KA Hill and the trail goes up one side and down the other. Go ahead and come up with all sorts of meanings for the acronym KA- we did. The description says it’s a 500 foot elevation gain, seemed higher.

So we went up and down the unnecessary hill first instead of last, and I am thankful for that. Overall the hike was really amazing. It hits some highlights along the Sycamore Rim: Sycamore Falls (they were dry), wetlands, other viewpoints of the rim. This is a hike I would do again.

Towards the end of the hike we lost the trail. We were in good hands with our IG and others who had maps and compasses and we headed off through the woods. At one point our IG turned to check on me and I looked up and whump, fell flat on my face. I think my knee did hit a rock, but what I remember most is soft cushion of the thick bed pine needles. The fall was almost comfortable.

We met up with the trail without any further incidents. I think we made it back to the cars by about 4 pm. Our IG was definitely not on slow hiking time when she thought we would be done by noon.

I wish I had photos of this trip. This is a very pretty area (especially the vistas looking over the rim) and I hope to visit again soon- hiking. Some of the places are accessible via car.