Doyle

[Jim]

Doyle it is, it looks like the listed day is it, unless a large crowd demands otherwise, and I feel strongly about the IB approach. Strongly in favor. Weatherford approach is overrated, I say. Cut up slope south of Sugar loaf, skip the road, and gain max elevation.

[jkinnear]

I'd be able to join if the date ends up being either May 21st or 22nd on that weekend

[azbackpackr]

Maybe. Might have the weekend free.

[cindyl]

I'm super interested in doing Kendrick and Bill Williams - they've both got fire lookout towers I haven't been to. Unfortunately, this weekend won't work for me.

[Jim]

I can put up another day and stick it to a vote. How is interest in camping up there? I created a poll for people who may be interested in this.

[cindyl]

@Jim_H actually, it looks like either weekend will work for me.

[Jim]

The day tripper on the 22nd could hike with the over-nighters, right? Opposed?

[jkinnear]

@Jim_H That vote for the day trip on the 22nd was me. Would be glad to meet the overnighters in the morning for the trip up Kendrick

[Tough_Boots]

I'm planning to do a backpack one of those weekends elsewhere so I'll stay out of voting and see what happens. Hopefully all will work out!

[Jim]

Well, voting hasn't been huge, but it looks like the 22nd is the preferred day at this point. Only thing, if we're to overnight, it's best to start afternoon, not in the AM. The entire Kendrick hike itself can be done in less than 4 hours. Since you do have to carry all of your water, and I recommend around 1 to 1.5 gallons, going after lunch makes the hike a little less water demanding.

[cindyl]

@Jim_H excellent. where are you thinking of camping? near kendrick?

[Jim]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I was thinking of the overnight as a backpacking event, with camping had on the top near the cabin area. Good stars, not too windy there, and great views of the light pool of Flagstaff. You do need to carry all food and water. Some could stay in the cabin if they wanted, but I wont. I'll either tent it or sleep under the stars, cattleman style.

[jkinnear]

This sounds good, I'll join for the hike in the PM and then head back down once at the top

[cindyl]

ok - i wasn't looking on the calendar when i saw this. i thought it was an overnighter over a saturday night, not a sunday. i can't do a sunday-monday. so i might do the day-hike, but a late start would put me back in tucson too late for work the next morning. i'll have to think about this.

[Jim]

I just sort of pushed the overnight into Monday since the original day was Sunday. I guess a Sat-Sun hike is better for people, though I am concerned about crowds up there. It can be changed, unless folks oppose that.

[jkinnear]

Sat-Sun instead sounds great to me

[Jim]

It's Sat-Sun and backpacking. I hope we're going pre-crowds and pre-season for Kendrick. I did this back in April of 2007. It was a warm and really nice outing and I had the place to myself. Maybe it will be similar. Last June, during the Schultz, I must have seen a dozen to a dozen and a half people going up to overnight on Kendrick. It was a Friday, it was hot in the Valley, and there was the Schultz Fire, so who knows? Kendrick is only a 4 to 5 hours round trip hike if you go slow, really slow, so we can bail if it looks like there will be too many Kendrick overnight enthusiasts (from other parties).

[cindyl]

OK - i'm back in.

[Jim]

It may be late, but for overnight folks is 1330 a decent start time?

[Tough_Boots]

I'm gonna have to bail on this one. I'm backpacking the following weekend and need to kick it up a notch the two weekends beforehand to feel ready. Have fun, though!