[Jim Lyding]

Some of you have have heard that I'm moving to the Bay Area next week for an unbelievable professional opportunity. I want to take this opportunity to thank those of you with whom I have had the sincere pleasure of enjoying the great outdoors in my home state of Arizona. I've enjoyed the company of 32 individual HikeArizona.com users, and I heartily thank all of you. I also want to thank those of you whom I've never had the opportunity to hike with, but have become people I care about thanks to the interactions we've enjoyed here.

I doubt that there are many of us who enjoy and utilize this site to further our own recreation, fulfillment, knowledge, and humility who would claim that it hasn't had a positive effect upon our lives. This site has certainly changed me from a casual hiker into someone who thinks about the endeavor each and every day. I am in no way able to fully express my gratitude for all that HikeArizona.com and its myriad users have given me.

I do want to expressly thank a few individuals for going above and beyond in terms of making me the hiking maniac that I am today.

I thank Chris, The Stillernator, for setting up so many Sunday hiking trips. I have met so many great people, and enjoyed so many adventures courtesy of his efforts. Chris comes up with cool hikes that attract eager hikers, and ALWAYS drives. I can't say the same for my efforts. I've hiked with him on the hikes he's set up including: Pine Canyon, Oak Springs-BC Rock Wall Canyon, Mazatzal Divide, Devil's Chasm, East Mountain in my favorite the Pinals, Mount Kimball, and South Fork - Gold Ridge in the Mazatzals.

I also want to thank Ron rdavisiii and Wally wallyfrack for getting me hooked on doing hikes set up via this site. I believe that Ron set up that hike to Humphrey's Peak that took place on the Fourth of July way back in 2007. I thought that I was going to die halfway up. It was a great time, and it was a pivotal moment that greatly helped propel me to the point where I am today. Those gentlemen showed me how cool it was to enjoy that type of meet-up hike, and I've never looked back.

However, the person I want to thank the most is Joe Bartels. I'm confident in writing that none of us would be here enjoying this site and our state's fine hiking opportunities as much as we do were it not for his efforts. I know that I'm not alone in thanking him for creating and fostering the community that is HikeArizona.com. As I'm moving to the Bay Area, I've been checking out hiking websites for that area. I keep thinking to myself, "this Cali site looks like it was created by a 6th-grader." Then I realize that it is not a reflection upon the Californian who put his/her time and effort into that site, but rather the exemplary job that Joe has done to create this site that we all enjoy and wrap our arms around. Folks, there ain't nothing better out there so enjoy the heck out of it. Please do whatever you can to make this site better so that the person who types into Google "Hike Arizona" will enjoy all that we enjoy courtesy of Joe B. Thank you from the bottom of my heart (and feet, and damn do they hurt after today's hike), Joe. I encourage all users to support this site however they can. Share your stories, GPS routes, knowledge, and whatever else one sees fit in order to further the cause that so many of us have bought into.

I'll still be on this site sharing my adventures in California so feel free to check them out. Anyone looking to hike in Northern California or seeking some advice can PM me, and I'll happily respond. I ain't going nowhere, folks, except to a new set of hiking adventures.
Again, Thank You Joe Bartels, and I hope none of you forget that!
-Jim Lyding

[SuperstitionGuy]

122 Photosets,182 Triplogs and 4,602 photo ratings to your credit Jim.
Thanks from all of us and best wishes to you!

[joe bartels]

Hopefully your new job is the seed to a whole new prosperous life, make it happen. Look forward to the N-Cali postings in HAZ style!

[Tortoise Hiker]

Hey Jim,
Good luck in Cali. The Apache Maid hike you did with us was one of my toughest. Look forward to your cali. hike posts!

[skatchkins]

Good luck man.
Hug some trees out there for us poor desert folks.

[hippiepunkpirate]

Glad I got the chance to meet you for the Flatiron hike, Jim. Good luck, up there!

[big_load]

Although it's not Arizona, the Bay Area is a great place to hang out. Good luck!

[Tough_Boots]

Good luck, buddy!

[fricknaley]

though i've never met you, jim, i feel like i've known you forever. i wish you the best

[Tough_Boots]

However, the person I want to thank the most is Joe Bartels.

I also second that! Whenever I research out of state hikes I end up amazed that there's nothing else out there like HAZ. It's truly the premier hiking site out there. Without it I would definitely be 30 pounds heavier and a less happy person! Bravo, Joe!

[Jim Lyding]

though i've never met you, jim, i feel like i've known you forever. i wish you the best

I'll be back in Tucson for 3-4 Arizona football games this year. I'll let you know. If you're into tailgating for the games that I'm not attending head to the huge tailgate with the large tent(s), monster grill, white trailer, and the 52" flatscreen. Tell 'em I sent you.

[dround]

However, the person I want to thank the most is Joe Bartels. I'm confident in writing that none of us would be here enjoying this site and our state's fine hiking opportunities as much as we do were it not for his efforts. I know that I'm not alone in thanking him for creating and fostering the community that is HikeArizona.com.

though i've never met you, jim, i feel like i've known you forever. i wish you the best

Good luck out in the bay area, you will probably be back in AZ some day, AZ seems to call some of us back more than once. Your message got to me, being a new member, always ignoring the donation box at the bottom of the screen has opened my eyes.
Joe the check is in the mail!

[Darth Stiller]

Even though I wasn't thanked the most (Joe is obviously most deserving of that honor), I do feel honored that I was mentioned first. Thanks, Jim. I've hiked with 40 HAZ members so far, and I can say definitely that your one-liners and overall laissez-faire attitude during hikes and the rides up and back have been very memorable for me. I hope you can find time to make it back for some more HAZ hikes as well as the UofA games. Everyone I've met on HAZ is very cool, but you and I seem to share the same sense of politics/philosophy, beer, and music, not to mention hiking. Good luck in your career, but don't give up on AZ permanently, we need to dilute the right wing nut voting pool.

BTW, if there is an NFL season in 2011, the Steelers are scheduled to play in SF. I might make the trip up and try to make you an honorary one-day Steeler fan. At least you can dig how we tailgate Steel City style.

[Al_HikesAZ]

Jim - best wishes. Where in the Bay Area? What's the opportunity? Keep posting hikes - especially of Russian River Wineries If you need tips on Wine Country, HAZmail me. Not all of my time at Stanford was spent studying. We'll come visit you and you can entertain us and take us hiking. Great biking around the Bay Area. Yosemite, Shasta and Tahoe are (sort of) in your back yard. I've got a Trails.com subscription and will HAZmail you some hike descriptions.

[kevinweitzel75]

Good luck to you, Jim. N. Cal. is down right beautiful! Would love to hike that part of Cali. Keep us posted on the hikes and pics.

[azbackpackr]

Good luck, Jim, don't forget about us!

[Sun Ray]

Jim, my wife and I lived in San Ramon, CA, in the east bay, for 18 years before moving here in 2004. You'll love it. Our favorite hike was the Loch Leven Trail off hwy 80 almost to Lake Tahoe. We'd stay at the Rainbow Lodge right as you exit 80.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/tahoe/documents ... venROG.pdf

[joe bartels]

Bruce was there last year
http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=2143

[AZLOT69]

Great, we could use another roving reporter up here !

[coanbru]

Jimmy,
Best of luck to you up in northern fur-shur-land.

I enjoyed all of our hikes and conversations. Your wit and gruffness will be missed.
Thanks for being the inspiration for the recently named Rock Wall Trail (formerly the "BC Rock Wall Trail") and teaching me a thing or two.
Your ability to name all the mountain ranges, peaks, trees, plants, and critters amazed me.
(Even if you were making it up).

I want to especially want to thank you being the lightning rod on the hike that almost killed me.
http://hikearizona.com/x.php?I=4&ZTN=505&UID=48890
But the fireworks were incredible.

I look forward to all the new No-Cal hike descriptions.
Give us a lookup when you make it back to the State for a hike.

BC