Moving to Casa Grande / Phoenix / Kayenta / Anywhere

[PaleoRob]

Well, I guess I'll have to change my screen name soon. My wife and I are going to be moving to Casa Grande before the end of the year. Listing the house for sale up in Page. No job yet, kinda scary, but my wife needs to go back to school full time. Even commuting to and from UofA, with the house prices in CG we'll save money over moving to El Pueblo. Big change - this will be my first time living off The Plateau since '99. Eeek!

[hippiepunkpirate]

Have any Flagstaff-Sedona-Grand Canyon area hikes you plan to hike once more before leaving? What about finally going higher than 12,633'?

I would like to take some sort of trip before I move (North Rim, Colorado, ect), somewhere that's a bit shorter of a drive from Flag, but I'm super busy and rather broke so I'm not sure if the stars will align for that. For that same reason, I'm not anticipating doing anything else major that is close by. Of course, there are lots of things I would like to do in the area before the end of next month, but I'm only moving two hours south, and my parents will still be in Flag so I'm sure I'll be back up this way plenty. But yes, getting higher than 12,633' is high on my list....maybe I can swing a Colorado trip come October just in time for some fall colors!

[PaleoRob]

If you ever want to feel good about where you live (wherever that may be), just drive through Arizona City south of C.G. Depressed/depressing...

Done that already. I'm going back to Page for a wedding on the 5th, so I've made arrangements to do some hiking with a buddy while I'm back up there. After that, I'm down here for a long spell. I think I might check out CG Mountain some morning while it is cool...

[Jim]

Have any Flagstaff-Sedona-Grand Canyon area hikes you plan to hike once more before leaving? What about finally going higher than 12,633'?

I would like to take some sort of trip before I move (North Rim, Colorado, ect), somewhere that's a bit shorter of a drive from Flag, but I'm super busy and rather broke so I'm not sure if the stars will align for that. For that same reason, I'm not anticipating doing anything else major that is close by. Of course, there are lots of things I would like to do in the area before the end of next month, but I'm only moving two hours south, and my parents will still be in Flag so I'm sure I'll be back up this way plenty. But yes, getting higher than 12,633' is high on my list....maybe I can swing a Colorado trip come October just in time for some fall colors!

If you can't do it, you can't do it. Still, if you can, I recommend getting out and up to higher than Humphrey, even if it's just a Hesperus or some walk-up 13er. That way you'll know how moving to low elevation affected you if you get up a similar or higher peak at a later time.

[Jim]

Seems we have a small tradition of moving and announcing it in this thread. It appears I'll be moving to Kayenta on the Rez. No date yet, but probably in September. I'll still be in Arizona, but I'll have to briefly deal with Day Light Savings Time for the first time in what will be just over 5 years.

[PaleoRob]

If you liked Flag, you will love Kayenta!

Lots of good canyon hiking nearby though, I am slightly envious.

[Jim]

I think it depends on why I don't like Flag. Kayenta is warmer most of the year. Drier, too. No Peaks or Palms, or 75 degree January days, or 105 degree days spent poolside, but it has perks, like dark skies, access to Utah and CO places on the weekend, ability to have a garden and actually get to grow things, wide open spaces with views, and virtually no commute.

[PaleoRob]

Sand sand sand wind sand sand sand sand. It is also very cold in the winter. No commute, unless you want to buy something.

[Jim]

Yeah, that is true. Spring there is probably worse than Flag, but I'm hoping Black Mesa provides a little break from the wind. I don't mind the cold so much in winter as I do from April to early June, when it seems Flagstaff just won't warm up. In most years at least. I hate long drives to work. When I lived in Florida I had to commute about 25 miles over 30 minutes. Not something I liked doing, even if it was through open rural country and I could go fast. True, the Bashas is the only store, but I never really buy much besides groceries now. It seems to not really matter if I go to Flag, Farmington, or Cortez to buy things, as Kayenta is roughly the same distance between all 3.

[hippiepunkpirate]

Good to hear you finally got something lined up Jim! Enjoy the closer proximity to the San Juans and to the Utah canyonlands!

[Sun_Ray]

When I think about my visits to the Rez on my few overnights in the area………… no legal alcohol comes to mind. ;)

[Jim]

Good to hear you finally got something lined up Jim! Enjoy the closer proximity to the San Juans and to the Utah canyonlands!

Ironic, that I'll be moving closer to Colorado and the San Jauns, as the San Juans are my least favorite, or most unliked range in Colorado, and in general I lost interest in CO after I "discovered" California in late summer of 2008, and to a lesser extent, the Tetons last summer. I even liked the look of Idaho mountains over Colorado mountains, a lot, but wasn't able to do anything due to time constrains last year. The San Juans are pretty loose and rotted and the mountains are snowy and wet from late fall, through winter, and well into June, and July in a really snowy year. Then the monsoon is usually very active from July to early September. The monsoon is what really turned me off to Colorado. Regardless of starting time for a hike or scramble, I didn't and don't like the wet conditions that come in the afternoon, and nothing kills a backpacking trip like rain. Fall can be nice, so maybe I'll have to go in September. Maybe I'll start to like soggy conditions? Probably not. Plus, I really don't care for the 14ers thing and Colorado people seem to be obsessed with a few dozen peaks that reach some magic English measurement, but that is a separate topic.

Utah, though, that looks promising. I watched 127 hours last night. A little dull, and after having read the Newsweek article years ago, nothing I didn't already know, but it made Canyonlands look pretty cool. Plus, wouldn't be too far from other places in Utah.

[azbackpackr]

Colorado people seem to be obsessed with a few dozen peaks that reach some magic English measurement

[hippiepunkpirate]

Utah, though, that looks promising.

There are tons and tons of cool places in Utah. Canyonlands NP has a lot of backcountry to explore, but there are also tons of BLM lands that are empty and relatively pristine (except for a uranium mine here and there).

[PaleoRob]

If I could move back to Price with my old job with the FS, I would in the blink of an eye. Love that area of Utah that is east of the Wasatch and south of the Uintahs.

[Jim]

Interestingly, despite being in Arizona, Kayenta and the Navajo Reservation lack most of the characteristic plants and terrain that I think of when I think of Arizona. Not just the obvious like Saguaro or exotic palms (which I like), but the various mid elevation plants you get from 3,000 to 6,500' or so and at the edge of the CO plateau and southward, and the basin and range mountains. It's basically more like Utah and the central CO plateau than anything else. Just a thought.

We only have 1 triplog and there aren't any photos, but I'd like to see what is on Black Mesa.

[PaleoRob]

A big mine. Tough unless you know someone up there to get up and hike around legally.

[Jim]

The Peabody coal mine? Thats well west of the hike and trail description. Maybe 10 miles.

[hippiepunkpirate]

Update on my moving status: all settled in north Glendale. I live around 75th ave and the 101 now.

[johnlp]

It's a dry heat

[Alston_Neal]

Update on my moving status: all settled in north Glendale. I live around 75th ave and the 101 now.

I hope you can handle the altitude change.
Welcome to the Valley of the Sun.