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Sunrise Ski Park - 6 members in 23 triplogs have rated this an average 3.7 ( 1 to 5 best )
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23 triplogs
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Mar 26 2023
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Mar 26 2023
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Drove up to the cabin for the weekend with Anna and Sue. Sue and I went to Sunrise on Sunday and skied from open until 2:30pm. Fluffy powder, fun runs...even a few black diamonds. Beautiful day.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Feb 04 2023
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Feb 04 2023
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
First ski outing of the season with Pat and Jeff. Mostly ran the groomers. There was an inch or two of fresh powder overnight which made the conditions a little bit better than planned.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Mar 06 2022
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Mar 06 2022
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard   5 Hrs      0.00 mph
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
First guest on the lift this morning. First two runs were amazing. Cut first tracks on 3-4 inches of fresh pow (Spruce Ridge, Jackson's Alley, and Maverick). Maverick was super fluffy and probably the best run of the day. Came back to this one for seconds and thirds. Spent most of the day on Sunrise Peak with my son. I'm normally an Apache guy, but better stuff on Sunrise. One exception was Lupe's Rainbow which was a thrill ride. Went non-stop until a little after 2pm and then called it a day.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Feb 20 2022
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Feb 20 2022
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard   5 Hrs      0.00 mph
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Arrived with Patrick early and got on the lifts right when they opened. Spent most of the day on Apache Peak. Ride up, ski down and hop right on the lift. Little to no lines. Sunrise Mountain was more busy. Even so, the mid day lines never seemed to get too bad. Usually just a 3-5 minute wait.

Snow was hard-packed and groomed. Maverick had the best powder. A little crunchy everywhere else. Overall, a fun day on the slopes.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Jan 15 2022
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Jan 15 2022
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard   5 Hrs   30 Mns   0.00 mph
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Great weather day on the slopes with my wife. Crowd was well dispersed. We spent most of our time on Apache Peak where the crowds were thin. Near the end of the day, I made my way back to Sunrise Peak where I skied a few routes by myself before catching up with Anna who had already wrapped it up for the day. This was my first ski day of the season. Snow was packed and groomed (not powdery, not icey) just somewhere in between. I kept it conservative running mostly blue trails. Now that I've got my ski legs, I will be looking for some fresh pow and start mixing it up with some more of the steep and bumpy runs.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Jan 30 2021
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Jan 30 2021
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard2 Days         
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Saturday was a good powder day (9" of overnight snow), but the park was crowded, more than I've ever seen. Routes like Rustler, Maverick and Crown Dancer were covered in chopped powder. By day two, the powder was mostly gone except on more lightly traveled runs on the far side of Apache Mountain. Sunday was much lighter on the crowd size. Groomed runs and still some choppy ungroomed runs. You could see the moguls a little clearer.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
  1 archive
Jan 23 2021
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Jan 23 2021
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Not a lot of snow yet. 20" base. Thin groomed powder and only 7 trails open. Good skills day. Worked a lot of green runs and a couple blues. Ski without poles, with poles, practice pole planting technique on turns, backward skiing.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
  1 archive
Dec 27 2019
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Dec 27 2019
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard   4 Hrs      0.00 mph
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Incredible powder day at Sunrise. Drove up for the day with Chris, knocked out 4 straight hours of skiing then drove home. Long day, but great conditions. Skiing on butter, cotton balls, whatever you call it. Snowed most of the day while we were there. Good time.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Mar 02 2019
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Mar 02 2019
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard2 Days         
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Drove up Friday and stayed at the cabin. Sunrise and Apache mountains both open. Saturday conditions were decent, but not prime. Snow packed, but not icy. A storm rolled in around 1pm, dropped some snow on us while we wrapped up our last few runs.

Sunday started out icy and slick. Within an hour, temps reached about 40, making the snow a little soft and slushy. No lines allowed for plenty of runs. Hit most of the blues, Jackson's Alley, Crown Dancer, Bootlegger, Spirit Trail, No Name, Nastar, Elkhorn, Young Girl.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Feb 09 2019
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Feb 09 2019
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard2 Days         
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Enjoyed two full days of skiing at Sunrise. Good packed powder and fun runs. I'm mostly a blue level skier, but tried my first black diamond run down the Lower Lupe section. Steep hills kind of similar to blue, but bumpier with all the moguls. I did alright. Ski's got a little twisted at one point, but I managed to somewhat stay on my feet, before continuing on. Made the rest of the run without any issues.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Mar 16 2018
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Mar 16 2018
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard   6 Hrs      0.00 mph
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
4 to 6 inches of new snow on Thursday led to another fun trip up to the White Mtns. My son and I enjoyed the fresh powder and no lift lines. We drove up Friday morning, hit the slopes for 6 hours, then drove home. Long day, but a good time with my boy.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Feb 24 2018
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Feb 24 2018
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard2 Days         
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Cancelled plans to go to Snowbowl after hearing about 28" snowfall at our preferred ski park, Sunrise. Drove up to the house in Nutrioso Friday night. Drove through light snow storm from Salt River Canyon all the way to Springerville. 6 more inches fell Friday night on the mountain. Saturday and Sunday were all sunshine, temps in the high 20's and little to no wind. Perfect! Great powder made for some fun runs and the crowds weren't too bad either. Saturday was the busiest, but crowds were light on Sunday.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Sep 23 2017
avatar

 Photos 137
 Triplogs 13

42 male
 Joined Feb 10 2016
 Tucson, az
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Mtn Biking avatar Sep 23 2017
HandsomeRob • Triplogs 13
Mtn Biking
Mtn Biking
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Always wanted to try this and it was so much fun!
Definitely doing it again next summer.
_____________________
 
Apr 05 2015
avatar

 Guides 71
 Routes 98
 Photos 9,967
 Triplogs 1,009

65 male
 Joined May 14 2003
 Ahwatukee, AZ
Pinetop AZ and Area - April 2015, AZ 
Pinetop AZ and Area - April 2015, AZ
 
Backpack avatar Apr 05 2015
Randal_Schulhauser • Triplogs 1,009
Backpack29.32 Miles 2,120 AEG
Backpack29.32 Miles4 Days         
2,120 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   14 linked trail guides
Kinishba Ruins
Fort Apache Historic Park
Pacheta Lake Campground
Pacheta Falls
Maverick Ghost Town
Railroad Grade Trail #601
Greens Peak Trail
Four Knolls
Candy Mtn Trail
Sunrise Ski Park
West Baldy Trail #94
Ice Cave Trail #608
Salt River Canyon - US60 Crossing
Upper Salt River
Partners none no partners
Pinetop AZ and Area - April 2015

197 miles, 3hrs 45min per Google Maps

Bob Mohle's country getaway cottage on the outskirts of Pinetop AZ was offered up as an excuse to burn off some forfeitable vacation time. With some backdrop interest in the local history surrounding lumbering/lumberingu railroads, we headed out to the White Mountains with seven basic clues;
Clue #1, Apache Railway :next: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/cdm/ref/ ... lhch/id/34
Clue #2, Apache Railway :next: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Railway
Clue #3, Apache Railway 2004
Clue #4, Southwest Lumbering Industries logging train, circa 1910 at Standard AZ in the White Mountains :next: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/cdm/sing ... /35/rec/14
Clue #5, White Mountain Scenic Railroad (7 page brochure) :next: https://archive.library.nau.edu/cdm/ref ... /id/101967
Clue #6, White Mountain Scenic Railroad locomotives :next: https://www.air-and-space.com/Locomotives.htm
Clue #7, Maverick AZ ghost town :next: https://boards.ancestry.com/localities. ... 38/mb.ashx
Day 1 - Sunday April 5th, 2015
FitBit totals = 7.64 miles, 770 AEG (77 floors)

On the road by 3pm after Easter brunch with the family. Arrived at Bob's Pinetop cottage about 7-ish and enjoyed some crisp country air with temperatures expected to drop into the hi 30's later that evening...

Day 2 - Monday April 6th, 2015
FitBit totals = 6.97 miles, 410 AEG (41 floors)

Up at dawn with a loose plan to visit Kinishba Ruins, Fort Apache Historic Park, Pacheta Lake, Pacheta Falls, and scout out remnants of the logging railway that ran between McNary and the ghost town of Maverick. Flat tire on our way out from Pacheta Falls to Maverick put an end to the exploration (made it back to Pinetop to see NCAA final game tipoff).
Apache Railway that ran from Holbrook to McNary to Maverick :next: https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/cdm/ref/ ... lhch/id/34 NOTE: ran as a tourist train during 1960's and 1970's until fire in 1980 (1976 in some references) at the McNary Lumber Mill combined with changes in tribal lumbering policy led to its closure. Ran under brand of White Mountain Scenic Railway.
Maverick ghost town :next: https://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/maverick.html
McNary lumber history :next: https://fhsarchives.wordpress.com/tag/s ... ber-mills/
Finish the day with some "Hollywood History" by watching Walter Hill's "GERONIMO - An American Legend" with Wes Studi, Jason Patric, Gene Hackman, Matt Damon, and Robert Duvall :next: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107004/.
Our visit to Fort Apache and seeing General Crook's cabin made me think that movie would be a great bookend to our day...
Later that night, I find the best historic reference for the Apache Railway, an article from the January 1963 Arizona Highways entitled "First Caboose to Maverick"
Day 3 - Tuesday April 7th, 2015
FitBit totals = 9.60 miles, 790 AEG (79 floors)

Up at dawn and after a hearty breakfast, headed over to Greens Peak - Four Knolls area to take in the stellar panoramic views (despite hurricane-like winds). Explored Sunrise Ski Resort area to see if tram to top of mountain was open (everything closed to public). Off to explore the headwaters of the Little Colorado and the Mount Baldy Loop. When we parked at the West Baldy Trail #95 TH, I heard a distinct hissing sound - Another flat tire!
Fortunately I was able to limp back to Pinetop where Rex @ Future Tire (https://www.futuretireaz.com ) took care of us. Today's flat was caused by a roofing nail and a simple plug-n-patch repair to the Goodyear Wrangler P275/65R18. Monday's flat was a rock puncture and not repairable. Disappointed with Ford's off-road package tires (these weren't my first off-road flat tires), I let Rex sell me a Cooper Tire Trailcutter AT2 that we mounted as my spare for now as I contemplate what to replace my other 4 tires with (anyone have experience with Cooper Tire Trailcutter AT2's???). A special "shoutout to Louis Weaver (Bob's handyman in Pinetop) who met us as we limped into town just in case we needed a ride
Lugs are 21mm, stock tire wrench lugs 7/8", yet have specialty 21mm wrench in truck
(Shouldn't the 7/8" lugs on truck all be 21mm to fit wrench?)
Back on the road after lunch at Red Devil Pizza :next: https://www.reddevilrestaurant.com (Randy and CJ took care of us during lunch) and headed over to Porter Mountain and
Ice Cave Trail #608 :next: [ Ice Cave Trail #608 ]
Day 4 - Wednesday April 8th, 2015
FitBit totals = 5.11 miles, 150 AEG (15 floors)

On the road home with a stop at the Salt River Canyon...
TOTALS
29.32 miles, 2120 AEG
193 TOTAL IMAGES
85 images on iPhone 5S
87 images on Canon 6D
9 images on Canon 7D
12 images on Canon Rebel XT

HAZ DESTINATIONS
1. Kinishba Ruins :next: [ Kinishba Ruins ]
2. Fort Apache Historic Park :next: [ Fort Apache Historic Park ]
3. Pacheta Lake :next: [ Pacheta Lake Campground ]
4. Pacheta Falls :next: [ Pacheta Falls ]
5. Maverick Ghost Town :next: [ Maverick Ghost Town ]
6. Railroad Grade Trail :next: [ Railroad Grade Trail #601 ]
7. Greens Peak :next: [ Greens Peak Trail ]
8. Four Knolls :next: [ Four Knolls ]
9. Candy Mountain Trail :next: [ Candy Mtn Trail ]
10. Sunrise Park :next: [ Sunrise Ski Park ]
11. West Baldy Trail #95 :next: [ West Baldy Trail #94 ]
12. Ice Cave Trail #608 :next: [ Ice Cave Trail #608 ]
13. Salt River Canyon - AZ60 Crossing :next: [ Salt River Canyon - US60 Crossing ]
14. Upper Salt River :next: [ Upper Salt River ]

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 Fauna
 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Elk
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  HAZ Food  Historical Marker  Historical Photograph
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Greens Peak  Greens Peak Fire Lookout  Pacheta Creek  Pacheta Lake  Pacheta Waterfalls  Porter Lake  Sunrise Peak Ski Area
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
_____________________
  1 archive
Feb 08 2015
avatar

 Guides 1
 Routes 1
 Photos 665
 Triplogs 55

31 male
 Joined Jun 19 2015
 San Tan Valley A
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Feb 08 2015
CoryTallman • Triplogs 55
Ski SnwBoard20.00 Miles
Ski SnwBoard20.00 Miles
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
_____________________
 
Jan 02 2014
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Jan 02 2014
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard2 Days         
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Started as a Ski Trip and turned into a Sik Trip. Four out of seven in our group ended up with a stomach bug. Everyone skied on day one. Only three skied on day two. I was one of the ones who missed day two.

At least I got in a full day on the slopes.
_____________________
This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Jan 19 2013
avatar

 Routes 37
 Photos 2,160
 Triplogs 627

43 female
 Joined Mar 01 2010
 Phoenix, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Jan 19 2013
juliachaos • Triplogs 627
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard2 Days         
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners partners
uphill_junkie
zerocle
Birthday weekend up at Sunrise, with our friends Liz, Adam, Amy, and Mark. It had been over 15 years since the last time I was on the slopes, so it was slow going on day 1. Day 2 was a bit better, but I dipped out early to join Amy with her spiked hot cocoa. I'm not really cut out for the cold weather, but it was great to get out of Phoenix and try something different.
_____________________
 
Jan 02 2013
avatar

 Guides 71
 Routes 98
 Photos 9,967
 Triplogs 1,009

65 male
 Joined May 14 2003
 Ahwatukee, AZ
White Mountains Winter 2013, AZ 
White Mountains Winter 2013, AZ
 
Backpack avatar Jan 02 2013
Randal_Schulhauser • Triplogs 1,009
Backpack12.00 Miles 500 AEG
Backpack12.00 Miles2 Days         
500 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   9 linked trail guides
Sunrise Ski Park
Railroad Grade Trail #601
West Fork Trail #94 - Greer
Butler Canyon Trail #98
White Mountain Grasslands Area
South Fork Trail #97
Pole Knoll Recreation Area
Horseshoe Cienega
Los Burros Trail #631
Partners none no partners
White Mountains Winter 2013
I needed to feel some snow beneath my feet - so having heard from my neighbors Terry and Giselle about their New Year's trek to Sunrise Ski Park (check out => [ Sunrise Ski Park ] ), I thought a couple of days in the White Mountains would be "just the ticket". I couldn't take advantage of my Marriott Rewards or Priority Club Rewards booking a hotel since none of their hotels in the vicinity of the White Mountains are "pet friendly". Luckily the Best Western in Eagar AZ will accept dogs in the room, so we had our base camp.

Wednesday 1/2 - Arrived in the White Mountains late morning via Hwy 260 with our first stop near Sunrise Ski Park and FR112 and the Railroad Grade Trail #601 (see => [ Railroad Grade Trail #601 ] ). Lots of snow fun on the slopes of the Railroad Grade. FR117 was unplowed so our afternoon plans to explore Green's Peak and the Four Knolls (see => [ Four Knolls ] ) were thwarted. Our back-up plan was to explore trails near the village of Greer. Mini-hikes on West Fork Trail #94 and Butler Canyon Trail #98 (see => [ West Fork Trail #94 - Greer ] and [ Butler Canyon Trail #98 ] ) and exploring some real estate poking around the village. You can see the scarred forest and how close it came to torching all of Greer from last summer's Wallow Fire (see => https://wildfiretoday.com/2011/06/09/wa ... r-arizona/ and [ Wallow Fire Map 2011-06-27 :: map ] ). We ended the day with a sunset hike of the G&F Grasslands (see => [ White Mountain Grasslands Area ] ). Grasslands lived up to the hype for surefire wildlife encounters as we met up with a herd of mule deer.

Thursday 1/3 - After a frigid night, arrived at the South Fork Trail #97 (see => [ South Fork Trail #97 ] ) trail head with my truck thermometer indicating 19degF (neglected to get photo evidence, but did capture the noon time temperature of 23degF). We hiked the 3 miles to the bridge with the dogs enjoying the snow. Once again scars from the Wallow Fire could be seen along the hiking route. Next up was Pole Knoll (see => [ Pole Knoll Recreation Area ] ). Hiking was challenging post-holing your route beside the set track for cross country skiing. I was very impressed with the skiing conditions at Pole Knoll - makes me want to break out my skis! We Wrapped up our White Mountain tour with some photo ops at Horseshoe Cienega (see => [ Horseshoe Cienega ] ) and Los Burros (see => [ Los Burros Trail #631 ] ). We had a late day dinner in Show Low and returned home via Hwy 60.
:)
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 Fauna [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Mule Deer
_____________________
 
Dec 28 2012
avatar

 Guides 4
 Routes 5
 Photos 3,377
 Triplogs 783

55 male
 Joined Aug 20 2009
 Mesa, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Dec 28 2012
RickVincent • Triplogs 783
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard   4 Hrs   30 Mns   0.00 mph
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
43 years of my life have passed without ever standing on a pair of snow skis. It finally happened. Anna's son Chris came to town from college and she wanted to take him snow skiing for his Christmas present. For the first time, I decided to give it a try.

I took the conservative approach for my first outing and stuck to the green routes not wanting to wrap myself around a Ponderosa, or even worse, take out another skier.

No lessons, just hit the first lift and then started the downhill. And downhill, I went.....FAST! The skiers movement, the shifting of weight from one ski to the other all felt natural. Maybe its my history with in-line speed skating or my 3 wheel trike scooter that mimics the same action as a skier. I don't know. But fast was all I knew. It felt somewhat, actually a lot, out of control, but I stayed on my feet run after run.

The only time I found myself laying in the snow was when Anna tried teaching me to slow it down and how to stop. If I had time to think about the moves, then it just screwed me up.

Ultimately though, my serpentine movement started to improve, I could feel the good edges cutting through the powder and I was learning how to "kind of" slow things down a bit...But really, I didn't want to slow down. The speed is a rush and I only wished their weren't so many other people on the slopes that might potentially become a problem...at least until I master a certain degree of control.

We skied all day, only breaking for a quick lunch. Mmmm, Indian Taco served on frybread.

I'm glad to be home. Skiing is a survival sport. Get yourself from the top of the mountain to the bottom without seriously injuring or killing yourself. If you make it, go up and do it again, and again, and again.
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This is my gym. I have to travel down a bumpy road to get there. There are no treadmillls, no machines, and no personal trainers. I walk..I run..I breathe the fresh air. I can go any time I want, as much as I want and there is no membership fee.
 
Dec 27 2012
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84 male
 Joined Jan 21 2004
 Chandler, AZ
Sunrise Ski ParkAlpine, AZ
Sunrise Ski Park
Alpine, AZ
Ski SnwBoard avatar Dec 27 2012
Harry • Triplogs 172
Ski SnwBoard
Ski SnwBoard3 Days         
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This is a trip and follow up report to an Oct 2012 trip to "earn" free annual ski passes for my grandchildren. We returned to Sunrise and skied 3 days between Christmas and New Years. The group was Son Max, his/our friend Coral, Daughter Brenda, Brenda's children who are 11, 9, 7 & 5, and me. Brenda's husband with a broken foot and wife Nancy stayed at the cabin. 1st time on skis for the 7 & 5 year-olds. Well - first day we skied with the 11 & 9 year olds, day 2 with 11, 9 & 7 year olds, and last day with all 4 of the youngsters. 1st day was snow and cold - no hypothermia - still a great day of skiing. The 7 year-old had a lesson and Brenda did a lot of teaching of her and the 5 year-old. Max and Coral skied with one or another of the older kids in the mornings and were on their own much of the afternoons. All of us were together for lunch each day. The 9 year old and I logged 16 runs on day 2! Skied with the 7 year old (a speed junky) most of day 3. She steadily improved and I couldn't keep up with her on last run (I am a cautious skier). Last run of day 3 was just me and the 5 year-old who is a natural parallel skier! These 3 days were the highlight of my 2012! Precious. We'll be back between soccer seasons before the snow melts. I started skiing when I was 40 or 41. Surprisingly this was the first time I skied 3 days in a row. I loved it!
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