Well, went on my three day Aravaipa trip this past weekend. The pack fit very well, I took Liz's advice and kept the hip belt tight. All weight was sitting right over my hips as it should be. I'm very sore, this is my first ever overnighter. This pack fit very well, soreness is where I expected it t...

Welcome home!!

I saw a glow worm in my yard a couple of weeks ago...see them quite frequently in the summer monsoon season. I live at about 2200', desert terrain but along the San Pedro. My back yard has grass, and it stays watered.

LOL!! How funny, my husband and I were just having a conversation about fire flies a couple of days ago. Yes, they do exist in southern AZ in several places. Especially when it's wet. We used to live along highway 77 just south of Winkelman - elevation around 2100'. We had fire flies there one summe...

Hey gang, thank you all so very much for your input.

@rcorfman Hey, thanks for the info. I already know I will be hooked, this is something I have always wanted to do. I love Aravaipa, I day hiked it a few years back. Always meant to go back, but you know how something that's right in your front yard will "always be there tomorrow." Dumb to...

OK gang, before today I'd never heard of Deuter, had no idea what "60 + 10" meant, and had never even properly put on a pack before. I've used a backpack before, the kind you open, shove all your stuff in, shoulder it up and go. Needless to say, packing tires me out. So today I went to Sum...

big_load wrote:I hope it doesn't involve mining.

Sorry to say my friend, it probably will. I know of an expansion project that is proposed for the Ray mine, that will affect the AZ Trail from Ripsey Wash to the Kelvin trailhead.

Latest update says this job will start on July 17 now...


http://www.kvoa.com/story/35858883/work ... in-july-17

US 60 chip sealing project at Salt River Canyon Here's another project that will affect anyone going to the White Mountains via Globe, through Salt River Canyon. This project is supposed to start July 12 and run thru the fall. https://azdot.gov/projects/northeast-district-projects/chip-seal-project...

CannondaleKid wrote: it's good to have you back!

What he said!! Welcome back Joe!

I went on a camping trip several years back, in the area of Antelope Peak. Took my dog with me. In just a matter of hours, she was covered with ticks. This was a January trip, and we discovered the ground where we camped was literally CRAWLING with them. And as a kid, I also ranched with the locals ...

I think that's why the bear sighting was so powerful for me; that it wasn't in a zoo or some other controlled environment I love being able to see an animal in the wild that doesn't know I'm there. It's soooo cool to watch them go about their day to day routine without a reaction to me being there....

Very well written. Reading it made me reflect, quite a bit. There was really never one single moment for me. I feel very fortunate to NOT have grown up in the suburbs. I grew up in rural AZ, living on property where we grew our own vegetables and always had livestock. I grew up riding horses. I reme...

Wishing you a continued speedy recovery Joe!!

Experienced hikers, hiking together as a fathers day outing. Apparently heat realated...RIP friends...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/father ... li=BBnbfcL

I'm doin' a rain dance....

"TORTILLA FLAT, AZ - Fire crews are battling a new wildfire east of Tortilla Flat.
The Tortilla Fire is currently 52 acres and is not threatening any structures at this time.

http://www.abc15.com/news/region-centra ... r-50-acres

Animals repeatedly pay the ultimate price for human misunderstanding and human ignorance.

Good grief. Now, Kellner and Icehouse canyons under precautionary pre-evacuation notices. Six shooter is the next canyon over from Ice House, and I have family in that canyon. Talked to them they are not worried. Insurance will take care of it, they say. They will take their personal papers and belo...