In response to joe bartels' reply: That's a sagacious statement only if you believe that two (or more) people will always agree as to what is an opinion and what is a fact. That is a tenuous presumption, because as I mentioned before, one person's "fact" is often anothers opinion and vice versa. Ge...

recent quote from another topic Sorry if I pushed anyone's buttons. Now directly telling somebody their opinion is wrong is a whole nutha thing! With all due respect, why? Sometimes someone's opinion *is* wrong. If I contend the sun rises at 10am MST here in Arizona, that is a wrong opinion and I h...

I did a two nighter (some trail, mostly off-trail) in Sycamore Canyon near Sedona last weekend and it was not too cold at all. Caveat of the day: It was not warm by Phoenix (or Superstitions) standards. I did not see anyone the entire three days, so you'll probably have it to yourself. Just make sur...

In response to Abe's reply:

Abe-- no need to be scared of me; I am a jolly green (politically anyway) giant.

Kings Peak, Utah state highpoint, 30 miles, one day. That's my choice for the toughest day hike I've ever done. 2nd choice: the last day of a 10 day backpacking trip from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite Valley (206 miles). Walked from southern Matterhorn Canyon in Yosemite to Yosemite Valley--27 miles, give ...

Check out the hike "Hell's Hole" in the Salome Wilderness. I did that hike in September and thought it was pretty scenic. It is about 10 miles R/T to Hell's Hole, a particularly nice section of Workman Creek. You can hike along the creek once in Hell's Hole to a nice waterfall as well.

Mwell, It is really unfair to the people who participate in this forum to criticize their "urban" opinions without elucidating your own "rural" vision. Hiding behind a "you'll never get it because you live outside of rural Arizona" facade can and should be interpreted as an indication that you do no...

I would have a hard time getting into the twenty highest peak challenge knowing that there are summits off-limits to hikers on reservation lands that would be among the top twenty in Arizona, but are not on the list due to access issues. The canyons part of it is much cooler; for peak list climbing,...

In response to sidhayes' reply:

How do I find this road? Also, any experience with the other peaks in the area? Seems like there could be some interesting experiences in the McDowells if the access weren't such an issue.

I went to the Dixie Mine trailhead off Golden Eagle Blvd today and found a large fence with information regarding a new subdivision just beyond. There were large "No Trespassing" signs everywhere. I just saw a post on Thompson Peak here a few days ago, so I was surprised at the blocked access. Does ...

In response to montezumawell's reply:

Hendrix is mind-bending alright, but alas, my passion is for the Grateful Dead.

I thought I would post some of the sunset highlights from my travels throughout the Southwest this year. Seeing as my digital camera suffered a fatal blow during a recent rock climbing trip, the sunset photo collection will end early this year. :( Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed experiencin...