Into The Black | Slide Fire

Mondays in the summer are typically adventure days. We haven't had too many since the start of Fire Season, but this week we were able to pack up the truck and head south west of Flagstaff to the edge of the Mogollan Rim. We headed "into the black" and checked out a portion of the Slide Fire burn area. note: before embarking we obtained maps and respected road and forest area closures and you should do the same!

 We started up on the top of the rim, far off from the canyon and slowly worked our way in. As we moved further into the black, BK told me of their day to day ops in specific areas, showed me their daily briefing and spike camp areas, and we talked about the various fire effects. The amount of green in those areas was quite intriguing. It was great to see the new life, especially the ferns.

 As we got closer to the edge of the rim and towards the canyon where the fire had crested, the way things looked drastically changed. There was a lot less green and everything was black, brown, and/or ashy. On the outer edges, there still so many trees that were healthy and ground cover, and other plants so there was wildlife. Here, there was nothing. We just sat and the silence was overwhelming. There were no leaves for the wind to rustle or echo off of. There were not any animals skittering about to make various noises. There weren't any birds. Even walking in this area was quiet. In comparison to other areas, the ground here was more gray than black. Due to the rains we have had, all the charred ground and ash had been washed away. It was so eery.

 I was completely blown away by this whole experience. It was the first time I had been in the burn scar of such a large fire so soon after ignition and suppression. I would have never gone out there by myself and I wouldn't encourage doing such a thing if you aren't knowledgeable (in this case, BK was intimately familiar with this fire). While we made sure to stick to open and "stable" areas, there were still hidden dangers. One thing I never considered was the fact that root systems can burn underground. The photo above shows the remains of a stump and the empty ground where the roots were. Look at how thin the dirt layer is. You can easily step through and possibly get injured.

Also, the burned trees start to die, break, and fall. Sometimes trees crash against each other or are precariously leaned against other dying trees. Sometimes large broken limbs are teetering in the branches of other trees. It is definitely worth it to be cautious and sensitive to the potential dangers, as well as following road and area closures.

Reflecting back on this little adventure I am struck with awe. It was mind-blowing seeing how expansive 21,000 acres really is. It was amazing to see the destruction and desolation but also to see the rebirth and regrowth taking place so soon. This drive out to the forest also sparked a lot of contemplation and rumination on some situations we are dealing with. I found myself stuck on some scriptures  (Ecc 3, Isa 40:31, Psa 37 and Acts 2 if you are interested). While the individual verses themselves are not meaningful in this context, I did find myself at peace as we were driving out at the end of the day. Never have I been so rejuvenated from a trip off the beaten path especially such a physically draining one, but there was just something about the balance of death and rebirth.

Friday Five: Summer Essentials Adventure Edition

Friday Five: Summer Essentials Adventure Edition by ashleyamak featuring prAna

REI Flash Pack / Merrell Mix Master / prAna Monarch pants / Hawaiian Tropic After Sun / Snacks

Kruegers Do Disc Golf

One thing we do pretty often is walk Downtown Flagstaff after eating somewhere down there. It is nice just to take a stroll a few blocks extra on the way back to the car. In the middle of June, we stopped at one of the local outdoors store to peruse. Somehow, we happened to walk out with two multi-use discs and a map for one of Flagstaff disc golf courses. And thus this adventure began!

The first day we headed out to the Thorpe Park course and we decided it would just be fun to see what happens. We also packed a few beers to add to the casual atmosphere of "a fun day activity". It was a warm Sunday before the monsoons hit. There were lots of people out and about and lots of trash. We even saw some abandoned pants and a stash of toilet paper. Despite all the riff raff, we had a great relaxing afternoon tossing plastic frisbees at metal baskets and strolling through the woods.

We had so much fun that we both looked up other courses in our area. Next on our list of courses was the course at McPherson Park. I think this is our favorite course thus far! We went late in the afternoon on a Sunday. This course is smaller and more compact, and it was a beautiful walk in the woods. Not to mention the area was a lot cleaner. Personally, this one was my favorite. The holes were all different. Some were short with interesting terrain and lots of "hazards" and others were very long, like the hole shown above. 

I am looking forward to adding the NAU and Snowbowl courses to our lists soon as well! One thing we are really intent on is keeping this as just a hobby. It makes getting through courses a little slower and using more throws than the average player but that element of relaxed fun is just what we need this summer.

Keeping Busy

While our men are at the Wallow Fire in Arizona and New Mexico, Jayde and I have been trying to keep ourselves busy. We decided to hike the Elden Lookout Trail up Mt. Elden in the Northeast corner of Flagstaff.

I had every intention of finishing the 6 mile hike. I mean 6 miles is usually nothing for me. About 30 minutes into it, we had to turn around though. I have been issues with the dry environment and all week the mornings have been filled with bloody noses. That morning was bloody nose free so I thought it was gonna work out well.

First off, I wasn't expecting the trail to be so rough or climb as fast as it did. But I was keeping up. About 15 minutes in, one nostril started up. I hiked through it. Then it really started gushing and coming down my throat. YUCK. At about 30 minutes, the other nostril started going. Not good! So we turned around. By the time we were back at the car, I was beat. My legs were tense and throbbing and breathing sucked (which may have been from the blocked nostrils).

I have never been unable to finish a hike! Even when I was dying on the backpacking trip, I still made it out of the Fossil Springs area. So now I am on a path to build up some endurance and make it a point to try and hike this bad boy. It is 3 miles to the top and it climbs 2400 ft in those 3 miles. That averages out to a 800 ft increase in elevation every mile. I'll have my work cut out for me, but I am determined!

Cool Down in the Canyon

After a full weekend of errands and socializing, we decided to go to Sedona for a relaxing day. We chose to go to Red Rock Crossing. We parked at the trail head for Baldwin Trail and followed most of it as it ties in with the Templeton and Cathedral trails. After following Cathedral, which takes you to the top of Cathedral Rock, the trail meets up with the southern portion of Oak Creek.

After the mile long hike, we spent most of the day swimming and laying out in the sun. It was such a beautiful day! There was a gentle breeze and it wasn't too hot. We even ran into our other neighbor J-Man. He was trying to find a good place to fish. It is a small world when you leave town and run into your neighbors in the back country at a watering hole. Good thing we have awesome neighbors.

We hiked in a small picnic lunch. The lunch included leftover tomato salad, with extra balsamic, and the veggies and meat from our 4th of July Kabobs and some raw mushrooms. Oh and lest we not forget a crusty sourdough baguette! It was a great collection of snack 'ems to tide us over until dinner. Originally, we had planned on stopping by the DQ on the drive out of the canyon, but after swimming all day, we worked up an appetite.

For dinner we decided on Oak Creek Brewery and Grill on Hwy 179 at Tlaquepaque Village. First lets talk about the location. Oh man, this place is beautiful! In fact, this is where I would like to get married. Not saying that time is coming soon, but when the time comes, its gonna be there! It is beautiful. It has a rustic old Spanish or Mexican village feel to it. The colors match my ideal palette for my nuptials.

The Brewery is located upstairs and has a great view of the Red Rocks around Sedona. It is actually a microbrewery with 5-7 regularly brewed beers and a mixture of seasonals. I am not much of a beer drinker, so if you are looking for a beer review, not here. Sorry! However, We did eat! There is a weird misprint on the menu that led us to believe that there was a $3 charge to split a pizza but you get the choice of a side. I really wanted the french fries for some salt. There was talk of salad. We decided to order the French Fries as an appetizer. Turns out that there is no split charge for pizza.

The fries came with three dipping sauces. There was the traditional ketchup, a chipotle BBQ and a mustard aioli. The BBQ and the aioli were great. Both were so different that we couldn't even pick a favorite between the two. They were tangy and interesting. We ordered the Broken Arrow BBQ Chicken. The sauce was BBQ (yeah duh!) and had slices of roasted chicken, with caramelized onions, roasted garlic, smoked gouda and mozzarella topped with cilantro. The chicken was everything roasted chicken is supposed to be. The mixture of the gouda and mozzarella was great it was gooey and flavorful It wasn't that wet runny nose gooey. It was a delicious dry gooey. I can't really figure out how to describe it. The caramelized onions were the perfect mix of sweet to counter the smokey flavors of the chicken, garlic and cheeses. I was a little worried about the cilantro. To be frank, I can't stand it. But it was nice with this pizza. You could barely get the spice of it every few bites. The crust was thin and had a hint of garlic throughout.

I do have to say that the price point is kinda high, but it considering the location, it is average. Personally, I think the pizza was well worth its $18 price point. We even had half a pizza left over. If you are spending the day in Sedona and want a relaxing and delicious dinner and even a beer to finish the day, definitely stop at Oak Creek Brewery and Grill.