the Introduce Yourself thread

[steve_602]

Hi,
I looked and looked and haven't found a place where we can introduce ourselves

So here it is:

I'm Steve, live in N.E. Phoenix and have been in AZ since 1971 and have hiked sinceI was 15!
It's nice to be here and I LOVE this site and Forum!

[Matt787]

I'm Matt, an off-trail/ hike where there are no trails, AZ native. I'm in the Army now so hiking in AZ will be put off for another 3 years or so. At least for now I'm at Ft.Huachuca... beats the hell out of Ft. Jackson in South Carolina. I enjoy finding, researching and documenting AZ's oddities and lesser known history thus the sig. I just started the blog below but I hope to get some more of my research and get more people involved. If interested PM or email me (on the blog).

I also like music, and long hikes on the beach... ;)

[azbackpackr]

I sent you a PM on this site, with a couple of history tidbits and books.

The Huachucas have some great hiking, although they are also a corridor for illegal traffickers.

[Al_HikesAZ]

Welcome Matt - nice web site.
I like your desert survival test (cause I passed with flying colors ). I disagree with one of your answers - hypothermia is a concern in the desert but I wouldn't call it a MAJOR concern I'm just p*ssed cause I missed it ;) And yeah I knew that other one - conserve sweat not water. That's a Cody Lundin mantra.

You might like the following books
Roadside History of Arizona by Marshall Trimble
The Arizona Trivia Book by James E. Cook
Arizona Place Names by Will C. Barnes.

I'm stumpable but I can also be helpful.

What's your MOS that you are at Fort Hoochie Coochie? Signal? Intelligence? My Uncle taught at the Intel school there for years and taught at Fort Holabird (sp?) before that.

[kevinweitzel75]

@Matt787
First off, thank you for your service. :thanx:
And second, welcome to HAZ.

[Sredfield]

Check out "Portal to Paradise" for some close-to-the-ground SE AZ history.

[Jeffshadows]

I was stationed there, myself, not all that long ago. There are a couple trails on the west side of the base that you can get to but civilians no longer can, so definitely check those out...

[afernandez999]

I just registered on this site. I am having difficulty figuring out how to create a forum. HELP PLEASE!!

[BobP]

how to create a forum

Only Joe can create a forum....but if you mean a topic within a forum. Just click HAZ forum,then go to next level that is applicable,hiking event,etc..,then click new topic and put in your subject line and text.

[Kathleen Pearl]

Hello my name is Kathleen. I lead fit beginner to intermediate hikes at South Mountain and Usery Pass area's weeknights. I have a Meetup site (on my profile) and wanted to post some of my hikes here as well in case anyone from the Valley was interested in joining me in seeing some spectacular views of Phoenix atop Mormon Pass or Ridgeline trails.

[Al_HikesAZ]

I just registered on this site. I am having difficulty figuring out how to create a forum. HELP PLEASE!!

Welcome. The Forums are created by the Administrator - Joe. If you are trying to ask a question in the Forums, there are two possibilities.
1) Search the Forums. There is a strong possibility that someone has already asked the question. You will be a much more respected member if you have done your research.
2) If there are no questions similar to yours, then click on the HAZForum button in the upper right corner of the Homepage under your name. This brings up the HAZ Forum page. Select the appropriate forum and click on it. This takes you to that forum in the HAZ Forums. On the left side, just right of the left column and 1/3 to 1/2 way down you will see a button that says "New Topic". That will allow you to ask a question.

HikeArizona has a wealth of information and knowledge developed over 14 years. Navigating can be daunting for a newcomer. It has more levels than a video game. Many of us have "grown up" with HAZ and don't really realize how many different ways there are to get lost on HAZ. Wander around a little - not all who wander are lost.

[Al_HikesAZ]

Hello my name is Kathleen. I lead fit beginner to intermediate hikes at South Mountain and Usery Pass area's weeknights. I have a Meetup site (on my profile) and wanted to post some of my hikes here as well in case anyone from the Valley was interested in joining me in seeing some spectacular views of Phoenix atop Mormon Pass or Ridgeline trails.

Welcome Kathleen. Go to the HAZ Forums and find the Hiking Events Forum. Look at the recent advice to afernandez999 about creating a New Topic and list your event. Posting triplogs after the event will further introduce you to the folks here on HAZ. You can also use the Private notes on the triplogs to keep track of your observations that you don't want to make public. HAZ is driven by member participation. HAZ becomes stronger as we share our observations, knowledge and wisdom.

[FLaVrT]

Here we go, found the intros. I've been posting to online forums since the invention of electricity, but the topics are always in different places. In New England, we have no manners; introductions are a long lost art. It's a grunt for hello and walk away. Luckily I'm just old enough to have been put through etiquette school. So how do you do?

I'm Helly. FLaVrT means 'Florida and Vermont' with enough letters to make a gmail address I can remember. That's it—nothing clever or intriguing.

I'm retired after a number of careers. You do what you can to make a buck in Vermont. Formerly a chemist, corporate environmentalist, building scientist, and finally stock market dabbler. I used to write for magazines when I had something to say. Now I have far too much free time. Brought up on the farm, I've always been outdoorsy. Did a lot of mountaineering in school, and then nothing but work for decades.

Last fall I got the idea to buy a car and run around the Southwest through the winter. Dozens of day hikes all over AZ in January and February in NM. It was a little hard on the car (busted tire, body panel, windshield), but I had a great time and got my mountain legs back. And lungs. You can't imagine what it's like popping into Flagstaff after living my whole life within 200 feet of sea level. Guys with heart bypasses were passing me on the Peralta. Really.

That trip worked out so well, I started looking at gear for longer excursions. And then I discovered this is the centennial year of the Long Trail. This led me discover that everything I knew about backpacking was wrong. After months of reading, planning, shopping, sewing, and food caching; I put together a light backpacking kit. Twelve pound base load. It took me a month and 13 falls, but I completed the LT end-to-end in one piece. Several weeks of recuperation got me walking normally again, and now I'm feeling completely unstoppable. That's why I'm in your forum, checking out your trip reports. Much appreciated.

Other critically important things: I like to have a laugh, particularly when the joke's on me. I take lots of pictures, because nobody believes my adventure stories unless I can prove them. I like wild swims in our upland streams. It was a thrill to bathe in your hot springs—looking for more of that. I shoot and vote, so your 1st and 2nd Amendment rights are safe with me. Love everything aeronautical and astronomical: Honk if you've hiked the VLA. I hike with 2 poles. Is that too personal?

[imike]

Sounds like you could have a blast out here... hope you get the opportunity to share more of our great surroundings!

[azbackpackr]

Hi
Hey welcome to HAZ! Do you also have a name? ;)

The Peralta Trail is in Supes, by the way, near Phoenix, not in Flag.

I also dabble in magazine writing and I love backpacking, especially the Grand Canyon. In fact, I have a Boucher-Hermit loop permit for weekend after next. Ultralight is really the way to go, and you will find on this site a lot of discussions about the gear. Some people switch out very quickly, but most replace it a little at a time. I have had some of my gear for 35 years or more, but have slowly been replacing it, due to budget issues.

I doubt I will be able to retire at the usual age, so I am spending the government's money going to college instead.

We have the AZT here in AZ, like your Long Trail. Over 800 miles, if I am not mistaken, and at least 2 of our members on here have hiked the whole thing, and several are sectioning it.

There are so many great swimming holes in this state, many are kind of unknown, others are popular. There are a few hot springs hikes, too.

I'm the only HAZ member from Arizona's White Mtns. (aka the Redneck Alps) who posts regularly. We have members from all over the state, but most are in the Valley. A lot of us also belong to various hiking clubs. I belong to 4 of them, in fact, since where I live it is very hard to find backpacking companions.

Hope you enjoy visiting with us!
Elizabeth

[Grasshopper]

@FLaVrT
Helly- Also, welcome to HAZ! Much enjoyed reading your intro. Retired at 45 and "always been outdoorsy". Now a member of HAZ (and we do hope you will enjoy being an active, contributing member), believe me, you have now found a great way to further enjoy your retirement with an excellent way to spend your "far too much free time"..

[Quikster]

Bumping the intro thread

Born and raised in AZ. Father of three the youngest just started school last week (thank God). Have been a stay at home dad/part time worker when we needed the cash/and part time student. Hoping to start nursing school in fall of '12 at GCU.

Was raised in Phoenix as a city boy, but spent a lot of time redneckin in the outdoors. Looking to get back into it a bit now that I will have a little free time over the next year till I start NS.

Family moved to Tucson this summer, and we are still in a whirlwind at the moment.

Lots of great info here, and a wealth of experience as I'm sure you've heard more than once.

Been cruising around here for a few days. So thought I would say hey. Hey!

[azbackpackr]

Stick around! It's fun!

[outdoor_lover]

Alright guys, even though I've been on the site for a couple of months now and have posted quite a bit, I figured I would use this thread for some background so when I post or if you meet me on the trail in the future, you know a little bit about me and where I am coming from....

I currently live in South Scottsdale with my 81 year old parents. It's a nice mutual arrangement, but something that I hope is not permanent, although with the folks, it might be. I get to help my mom with my dad, who is kinda high maintenance with health issues, and I have become the Lifter, Handyman, Roof Climber, Grocery Bag Carrier, and Taxi Driver for the household. In exchange, they help me get back on my feet financially after a bad last few years of marriage and divorce.

I have worked outside for a career for the last 17 years. I was an Underground Utility Locator for 10 years, first with a BlueStake type contractor and then with a Survey/Engineering Firm. With the Survey firm, which was back here in AZ, I did alot of State Highway work and got to see alot of AZ and New Mexico, discovering a bunch of awesome places to see and explore. Saw a little bit of Northern Nevada, Southern Texas and Southern Cal as well. After I got married, I got sick of not being home, living out of hotels and restaurants and took a big paycut, but landing the job of my dreams. I have been an Animal Control Officer for the last 7 years and still love it....

I have worked and trained animals all of my life. I started by training the family dog in Grade School and entering her in little Summer Recreation Pet Shows, and actually won some ribbons, lol! I have had dogs all of my life with the exception of 4 years in MN when I was living in an apartment. Today, I work with dogs all day and then I play with them all night! A few years ago, I discovered Dog Agility and it became a passion. I trained, competed, and ran with 4 dogs for about 3 years and today, although I only have 2 dogs, they are somewhat retired due to $$$, but I still instruct a Foundation and Relationship class once a week. I plan on competing again someday, but right now I just work the Trials and Instruct. I got an opportunity to work the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina doing animal rescue. It was the most humbling, fulfilling, heartbreaking experience of my life and I would do it again in a hearbeat! If you look at my personal Photo Album on this site, there are pics of that trip.

I have loved the Outdoors all of my life. As a Teenager, I participated for a couple of years in the Federal YCC Program down in Fort Huachuca. We did outdoor projects in the Huachuca Range, while staying in the Barracks on the base. Quite a cool program for a teenager. My best memory was flying in a Helicopter to the top of a peak, getting dropped off and building a trail from the top to the bottom, in one day. I think it was Ramsey Canyon, but not sure, it could have been Sycamore Canyon, I just don't quite remember. I also took an Orienteering Class my senior year of High School, don't know how much of that I have still retained, but I'll find out soon enough...lol! I also Volunteered as an Assistant Animal Keeper at the Phoenix Zoo for about a year during that time, and would do it again anytime, that was incredible. I also volunteered for the DNR in Minnesota when I lived up there for 14 years, doing Osprey Watches, Whitetail Deer Watches and helping at the booth at the State Fair. (I used to bring the Black Bear, blueberries, he loved it when I worked, lol) I currently volunteer with the Phoenix Herpetological Society on occasion doing Reptile Rescue, and of course helping out with various Dog Rescue and Exotic Bird Rescue groups. I am not a tree hugger, I do not like PETA or HSUS, they are too politically based and take things a little too far for my liking. I do love Nature, I don't litter, and I believe in the Conservation movement, but I'm not a hard core "activist". I try to do my part and support the ideals that make sense and work!

I have hunted with a bow, rifle, shotgun and camera. These days, just the camera, the firearms are gone. I have fished extensively since I was 15, including competitively for several years. About the only fishing I haven't done is Deep Sea fishing and Fly Fishing. I still love to fish and will pack a rod and tackle on my hikes sometimes.

A sports enthusiast to the core and have played and competed for quite a few years. I come from a family rich in Baseball history, you'll have to ask me about that sometime....

I have worked in a Male Dominated Field most of my adult life, so it takes an awful lot to offend me. You can swear, spit, fart and joke with me over just about anything and I won't blink an eye and will probably laugh. I love to laugh. My humor is sarcastic at times, weird sometimes, over the top sometimes, but I have fun with it. I am very direct and will tell it like I see it and shove my foot in my mouth later, but oh well, such is life! I smoke, but would love to quit, have tried and failed many times. I am, however, conscientious of those around me when I light up.

I love to hike, but most of my hikes have been impromptu, spontaneous hikes while on vacation. I am now looking to change that and get into it as more of a sport and seeing places that few people ever get to see. Thus I am on this site, looking for new friends and enjoying the wealth of information that comes with an absolutely wonderful site such as this one. Thanks Joe! I have alot of pictures that I would love to share, but most of them are older and need to be digitized and on a CD before I can share them. Hiking and Kayaking the North Shore of Lake Superior is among those on the list. What gorgeous country that is and I have a lot of cool pics of it. Canada was awesome too.

So there I am, in 9 paragraphs, lol! Hope to meet a bunch of you, hopefully on a trail and not when I'm working, lol! I have some insight about dogs, hiking and leash laws that I will contribute soon, but just know that what I post here will be my personal opinion based on personal and professional experiences. I will never post here officially as I find that that would be inappropriate, but if you have any dog related questions or questions about the law, feel free to ask, I will always answer, either on the forum or PM. I look forward to many years of sharing hikes, pictures, stories and laughs with all of you.

Pam

[kevinweitzel75]

Officially, . Looking forward to future posts.

[azbackpackr]

Hey, stick around! Great bio! We (or at least, I) have been enjoying the "new blood" on the board! I do hope to hike with you sometime soon, hopefully this fall, but I definitely can't make the one this coming weekend.

Liz