Arizona Snowbowl

 

Yesterday we drove about 15 miles north of Flagstaff to the Arizona Snowbowl. No, there isn’t snow at this time of year, but you can ride a chairlift to the top, play disc golf, and mountain bike or hike one of the many nearby trails.

It’s been a while since we’ve done a “real” hike, so we opted for the Kachina Trail. It’s over 5 miles long, but we hiked about 2.5 miles and turned back. There are some ups and downs and rocky areas to climb over, and we could tell by our heavy breathing we were at 9,500’, but it is a lovely trail. Being a Saturday morning, we had to share it with quite a few other people, though.

There were wild flowers, aspen groves, boulders, and occasional views through the trees. A cool, pleasant place to spend a couple hours.

We started the morning with a herd of pronghorn in our backyard. Many of them were lying in the grass and we didn’t even notice them until we looked with binoculars.

And ended the evening with a herd of elk joining the pronghorn.

Have I mentioned how much we like it here?

A Different Perspective

 

On Monday Flagstaff broke a record for rainfall, receiving .96 inches during an afternoon thunderstorm.

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Having lived in Pensacola, FL for years, it seems funny that such a small amount of rain would break records. I remember one April we received 12 inches in 24 hours, and this was not even during a tropical storm. This particular rainfall sticks in our memories because it began while we were waiting to board a flight to Erie, PA to visit my family. The rain was coming down sideways in buckets, very visible through the huge glass panes in the airport. We knew that flight was never going to happen. Not wanting to call anyone to come get us in the horrendous weather, we took a cab home through the flooded streets and managed to get another flight out the next morning.

Jim made the trip to the Mayo Clinic by himself this morning and he called a little while ago to tell me he was on his way home, trying to outrun a haboob, the unusual phenomenon of a wall of dust that is not uncommon in the Phoenix area during the monsoon season. 100+ temperatures and walls of blowing dirt. Doesn’t sound like a fun place to live during the summer.

The ultrasound Jim had done confirmed he has a blood clot from his thigh to the calf, and he got a referral to a vascular surgeon for next Tuesday. Another trip to the Mayo, but his office is in the hospital at the very northern part of Scottsdale, so it will cut off about a half hour from the drive time.

Last night we had happy hour at the Lumberyard in downtown Flagstaff with Eric and Maureen (Two Scamps). We met last July in Ouray, where we did some hiking with them, Box Canyon Mark and Bobbie, and Boonie. It was nice to see them again, and next week we may move on down to the Marshall Lake area south of town where they are boondocked. We tried to get them to join us here but they stayed in this area last summer and almost didn’t get out due to mud. I think the road has been improved since then, and as long as we only get a shower every couple days it doesn’t seem like it will be a problem. Oh, and they bought an older Lazy Daze since we saw them, which they are living in.

I wasn’t sure I would remember them when we walked into the bar. These are the only pictures I took when we hiked with them. They are in the foreground. Not a very good photographer!

As I sit here typing this, a rescue helicopter keeps hovering over the meadow across the road. It looks like they may just be practicing, but it caused a herd of pronghorn to run away quickly.

We’ve had a new visitor to the feeders, a rufous hummingbird. Haven’t seen one since last summer in Colorado. It was hard to get a good shot through the tinted glass, but I will keep trying.

Lazy, Hazy Crazy Days of Summer

 

It seems like we are always doing something, but I just can’t get motivated to write about it. So here is a quick recap of our past week.

We went to downtown Flagstaff for the First Friday Art Walk. Lots of interesting looking people, live music (we enjoyed the blues band), and a bad circus. Also went to the farmers market Sunday morning. Nice looking organic produce but very expensive. I did buy some excellent whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread.

On Monday we took another trip to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. 150 miles, mostly interstate, so it wasn’t too bad. I had ordered some new hiking boots from Cabela’s and they were too big, so we made a detour to the store in Glendale, on the other side of Phoenix, to exchange them. Lo and behold, I failed to check the box, and was given the original, too big, pair back. Cabela’s overnighted the correct shoes, though, and we picked them up in Flagstaff yesterday.

The ophthalmologist said Jim’s eye infection has resolved, so he doesn’t have to go back, but he has since developed another superficial blood clot in his leg. Now he has to have an ultrasound tomorrow, see the hematologist again, and possibly get referred to a vein specialist to have something done. If it wasn’t so hot in the Phoenix area at this time of year we would rent a spot in an RV park for a month and get all this taken care of, but that just isn’t appealing, so it looks like we will hang around Flagstaff for a while. We do like it here so that isn’t such a bad thing.

We have yet to run out of new forest roads to hike on. One day we attempted to climb nearby A-1 Mountain, but the trail, actually a closed jeep road, was really steep and rocky. We decided not to risk a fall or twisted ankle so we didn’t quite get to the top. Jim still wants to try the Humphrey’s Peak trail, but we haven’t made it there yet.

We had a rather scary experience yesterday when we hiked along an unmarked road/trail about 2 miles from our site. Debbie was with us and had the dogs off leash. We spotted a tent , so she tried to get Rupert and Elliot to come so she could put them on their leashes to keep them from running into the campsite. Rupert ran ahead, and 2 good sized dogs came running at him. They were barking and growling, so Jim picked up a big stick in case he had to intervene.

It seemed like a couple minutes went by, and finally a guy got out of his car and started yelling at Jim that he would hit him if he hit his dogs. He threatened to call the police, said he was an educator with three masters degrees, and that the EPA would be all over Jim if he hit the dogs. Okay, so we were dealing with a crazy person. I told Jim to just turn around, but the guy still hadn’t restrained his dogs. He kept saying his dogs wouldn’t bite, but they were just a few feet from Jim, with their hackles up, and after his experience with getting bit in Ouray last summer, he was not going to turn his back on them. When Jim told him to go ahead to call the police, he finally held the dogs and told us to go by. Debbie and I and the dogs had already decided we were NOT walking past his campsite, so Jim came back and we returned the way we came.

We debated on calling the sheriff or ranger ourselves, since he was not camped in a designated dispersed area, but we decided against it. We will just stay away from there, and it’s doubtful anyone else will come upon him as he is in a very remote location. Those are the kinds of people we worry about but fortunately we don’t happen upon them very often. Last September near Pagosa Springs, CO, we had a tent camper join us near our boondocking site who turned out also to have some apparent mental problems. He was very friendly, though, but was hard to get away from,  just wanting to engage us in conversation. He told me he and everyone in is family had PHD’s in one thing or another. Who knows if any of it was true.

The mule deer and the pronghorn antelope are still playing around our site.

And the hummingbirds and others keep the cats entertained.

I have been trying to get a good shot of a Steller’s jay, but they don’t sit still for long.

That’s about all the excitement around here. Time to see what’s happening in the news.

A Quiet Holiday

 

Just the way we like it. Debbie is our closest and only neighbor. Just a few cars and mountain bikers drove down our road yesterday. We talked to a sheriff’s officer a couple days ago and he asked us if we had seen an old truck with wood in the back. They got word that there was going to be  a big party in the woods somewhere near here. We saw or heard nothing.

It could be that the rain kept them away. Monsoon season is in full swing here in Flagstaff. We’ve had afternoon or evening thunderstorms for the past 4 or 5 days. In fact the lightning show we watched over the San Francisco Peaks last night was better than any fireworks.

We’ve seen quite a few deer and pronghorn in the meadows around our site.

And lots of Abert’s squirrels, that only live in Ponderosa pine forests. You gotta love those ears.

Our cats aren’t the only ones who like to eat grasshoppers. I watched this bird catch and eat one.

I don’t think I mentioned that Jim probably broke his little toe a few weeks ago trying not to trip over Sophie. He’s had a hard time walking because he can’t stand to wear shoes, so he’s been wearing an old, worn out pair of Birkenstock sandals. Unfortunately last week he bumped it again, which caused even more pain and swelling. So the other evening he bought a pair of Chaco’s sandals at one of the many outdoor shops in Flagstaff. He walked about 4 miles in them yesterday with no toe pain, so maybe it will finally begin to heal. And Elvis really likes the box, even though he doesn’t quite fit.

Since we were in town we wanted to eat at Fat Olive’s, a gourmet pizza place. When we got there it was a 45 minute wait for a table, so we called a couple other places we’d heard about, and they had long waits, too. We really like Flagstaff but it is a popular place. Finally found Picazzo’s Organic Italian Kitchen on our way home, which wasn’t very crowded, and the pizza was excellent although a bit pricey. You can even substitute vegan cheese for the mozzarella.

The one downside of being camped in the forest is the dirt roads get quite muddy when it rains. We got caught in a thunderstorm on our walk a couple days ago, and must have had 3 inches of sticky mud caked to our shoes.

But the benefits outweigh the negatives.

It Was Our Lucky Day

 

We arrived at Flag Tool and Engine Repair just before 8 this morning, and it took about 10 seconds for the mechanic to diagnose the generator problem. The adjustment nut from the choke was missing. It most likely fell off along the couple miles of washboard road we drove on to get to our last campsite.

It’s the nut in the upper right that was gone. With the nut missing, the metal plate under it could move and cause the choke to function improperly.

Because a common cause of generator malfunction in certain years of Lazy Daze is a cracked fuel line from the generator to the gas tank, we were afraid that was the problem. The repair involves dropping the gas tank and is not an inexpensive job. Jim asked the mechanic to test the fuel pump flow and pressure, which all checked out fine.

We were happy to get out of there with a bill of $119, which included a new air filter and spark plug to have on hand, since they aren’t always easy to find. By 9:15 we were back on the road, stopped at Wal Mart for a few things, then on to the Giant station to dump our tanks and fill the fresh water.

Our 14 day stay limit (within a 30 day period) would have been up on Thursday, the 4th of July. We really liked our site, but didn’t want to have to look for a new one on the holiday. The Coconino National Forest is very strict about enforcing the 14 day camping limit, and unlike some national forests the policy is you must leave the forest for 16 days before you are allowed to return. The Kaibab National Forest is not too far west of here, but that would have put us farther from Scottsdale for Jim’s ophthalmologist appointment next Monday. We discovered that there are pockets of Arizona Trust Land within the Coconino, one small area being just about a mile and a half from our other campsite. And there are some beautiful places to boondock, so that’s where we are now.

You have to get a permit from the state, so we mailed in the necessary form with a check ($15/person or $20/family) last week and picked it up at the post office on Saturday. We’ve been told it’s rare that anyone will come along and check, but it’s a small price to pay for this beautiful spot. And the stay limit is only 14 days per year. We’re hoping to see as much wildlife here as we did at the other site.

It was not a fun day for the cats, since they hate loud noises and moving, but Sophie somehow managed to relax after we got settled in. We hope to stay put for a couple weeks.

It’s A Dry Heat

 

Flagstaff and much of the west have been experiencing record heat for the past several days. In fact, it was 96 degrees here on Friday, just one degree below the highest temperature ever recorded. But it is true what they say about dry heat. It may be hot, but it’s nothing like the sauna feeling we used to get in Florida, and in the shade with a breeze it’s actually comfortable. And monsoon season has begun. We had a few drops of rain and thunder the past couple days, but this morning it rained enough to wash off some of the dirt and cool things down.

On Thursday after our morning walk with the Rubber Tramp group, Debbie and I went to town to do laundry while Jim stayed home to install the new 12 volt outlet he bought last week.

Gathering together for one of the morning walks.

Some days there were more dogs than people. And they all got along.

It took Jim most of the day to install the outlet, and when he finally got it hooked up and tried plugging something in, he blew a couple fuses. He’ll probably remember to test the polarity the next time! To make matters worse, it was really hot that day, so he decided to turn on the generator so he could run the AC. The generator started and ran, but when the compressor kicked on it shut the generator down. He was not a very happy camper when I got home. But at least the new outlet is now working fine.

He tried starting the generator again but this time nothing.  We checked the Onan manual, did some research online, and he called our more mechanically inclined Lazy Daze friend John. We were not aware there is a circuit breaker on the generator, since it’s hidden, but Jim got his hand in there and sure enough the circuit had tripped. This time the generator started, we ran the microwave first, then the hair dryer, then the air conditioner. It ran fine for about 15 minutes and didn’t cut off.

In the meantime Jim called an Onan authorized repair shop in Flagstaff and made an appointment to bring the Lazy Daze in on Monday morning. He figured if it continued to work  okay we would call and cancel in the morning, but we just tried running it again and when the air cut on the generator cut off. So we’ll just take it in tomorrow and see what they say. It could be a generator problem or something wrong with the AC. Either way, I’m sure it won’t be a cheap repair. We would have needed to go dump and get water in a day or two anyway, so we can do all that after the repair shop while we’re in town.

Bob and quite a few of the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous people left today, as their 14 day stay limit was up. I must say we were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed this group, since we weren’t sure what to expect. As it turned out, we met some of the nicest people whom we hope to see again somewhere down the road. It was a relaxed atmosphere where you could join in if you wanted, but there was no pressure. We walked almost every morning and evening with the group, which was a great way to get to talk with different people and watch the dogs frolic.

Information exchange was also a big reason many people came. Some of the guys helped others work on their RVs or vans, installing brakes, solar systems, and troubleshooting problems. Several mornings Bob, Laurie, or Randy led talks on different subjects, such as fear, alternative cooking methods, and even a show and tell where everyone brought their favorite gadgets. There was a little of everything, from MiFi and GPS devices to fast drying underwear. Randy even showed us his tongue cleaner!

Bob treated us all to Little Ceasars Pizza one night, courtesy of his mom, and there were two other group dinners. Last night after the soup dinner we were chatting with Jason, a very personable 38 year old from Austin who is on an eight week leave of absence from his job as an arborist. He has a nice van and wants to quit work and travel but is trying to figure out a way to make it happen while doing some kind of work on the road. He asked us if he could do a recorded interview with us to show his girlfriend back home, and promised it wouldn’t show up on YouTube! He asked  questions about how we came to the decision to become full time RVers and general questions about the things and places we liked best and what advice we would give others thinking about an alternative lifestyle. He was lots of fun to talk to. We wish him luck and hope he can figure out a way to live his dream.

I’ve been remiss about posting cat pictures but I haven’t taken any good shots of them recently. These cats just love being in the forest where it’s quiet and they are getting really good about walking with their harness and leash. The bad thing is they are covered in dirt when they come back in. They spend most of their time outdoors chasing grasshoppers.

Elvis.

Sister Sophie. At eight months old our babies are all grown up!

Rubber Tramp Rendezvous

 

Definition from the Urban Dictionary.

1. Rubber Tramp

A person who travels and lives out of their vehicle (normally an RV, van, bus, etc.). They stop and stay wherever they choose for however long they want, but eventually, so as long as there’s a way to put gas in their tank, move on.

2. Rubber tramp

A person that lives in, and creeps around in a vehicle that looks like it's barely held together with rubber bands, chewing gum, and chicken wire. They're often seen parked in the back of supermarket parking lots, or hanging around public parks, alleys, shelters, welfare offices or liquor stores.

Definition number one certainly fits us, as it does for everyone we’ve met here at the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous. Maybe in another ten years or so we’ll fit the second definition, but I hope not!

This is not your typical RV gathering with happy hours and pot lucks, although everyone is invited to join the morning and evening 2-3 mile walks, which we have several times. They did have a chili dinner Saturday, but since it had meat in it we didn’t attend. Turned out there is one other vegetarian, so we will join in the soup dinner next week.

Bob, the organizer, giving Homer some much needed belly rubs before our morning hike.

There is quite a variety of living arrangements.

Randy (Mobile Kodgers) and Laurie, whom we met in Silver City, NM last year, are also here.  Nice to see some familiar faces.

Our first four days here we just hung around camp, hiked on the forest service roads, and relaxed. We did take a drive to Camping World, just a few miles west. Jim bought a 12 volt outlet, which he intends to install one of these days. There is a retired electrician here just in case he needs help. We also explored some jeep roads in the Subaru looking for other possible campsites.

Some sights from our hikes. We’ve seen lots of wildlife, elk, deer and pronghorn, but they were moving too fast to photograph.

Art in the forest?

On Sunday morning I awoke to see what appeared to be fog, not normal in this dry climate.

By the time Jim got up it was obvious there was a forest fire. He called the number to report a fire, and was told it had started the night before in Shultz Pass and they were working on it. Guess it was fairly small, as by that evening the smoke was gone. We were happy since we didn’t want to leave this lovely spot.

Yesterday we finally took a drive to Flagstaff to get some info at the Visitor Center, pick up some groceries, and check out the dump situation. There is a very nice Giant station 8 miles from here with a free dump and water. We won’t need it for another week or so, but wanted to be sure we could get the Lazy Daze in. Shouldn’t be a problem.

Last evening we went back to town for dinner with Debbie and Todd, recently retired and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. He has a travel trailer, but took off from Yuma for 4 months in a small truck camper to see if he could live a more minimalist lifestyle. He did want to look at our Lazy Daze, though, since he is also considering a smaller class C.

Flagstaff has several microbreweries, and last night we sampled the Flagstaff Brewing Co. located on historic Route 66, where the food and beer were both good. The downtown area looks interesting so one of these days we’ll have to take a walk around. We like what we’ve seen of Flagstaff so far. Quite different from Prescott, where there is a large population of retirees. Being a college town and surrounded by National Forest with it’s variety of outdoor activities and tourist attractions, there are a lot more younger people here, which makes people watching much more entertaining.

Since my thoughts are all over the place today, I will add one more link to Bob’s most recent blog post, Choose Life-Reject Fear.  Great food for thought!