All of Jacob Emerick's posts, page 3 of 57.

Middleware and API Gateways

After spending quite a few years working with services, and, more recently, API gateways, I've become intimately familiar with the desire to add layers and layers of middleware. When a service is initially designed it focuses only on pure functionality - each endpoint offering a unique business…

  • Category Web Development
  • Posted October 28, 2020
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Horton-Derrick Loop

Big trees near the start of Horton Creek Trail

Early on a weekday morning the kids and I pulled into the Derrick Trailhead near Christopher Creek, one of only three vehicles parked in the normally busy lot. Our first destination, Horton Creek Trail, is a popular hiking trail, and I hoped that the combination of an early start and weekday timing…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted August 23, 2020
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Isabella-Groom Loop

Early morning light on Isabella Trail

In my search to explore new areas in Arizona for kid-friendly hikes, especially to escape the summer heat of the Phoenix area, Prescott eventually bubbled up as a possibility. I've driven past these lands a few times and never given it serious consideration, more interested in the destinations…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted August 2, 2020
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Summiting Mount Lemmon

Cool mural at the trailhead

Faint morning light outlined the bulk of Mount Lemmon ahead, a majestic scene as I eased into Catalina State Park. I paid the fee and parked at Romero Canyon Trailhead on the east end. There were a dozen vehicles scattered around the lot, a surprising amount so early in the morning, and I wondered…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted July 14, 2020
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Asbestos Point and Mine

Kids checking out the old truck near Pocket Creek

As I've began to venture into the Sierra Ancha Wilderness, I can't help but wonder if it'd be a suitable destination for my kids. Compared to the Superstition and Mazatzal Wilderness it is rather small (a mere 20,000 acres), which is reflected by the shorter trails and easier access, yet it is much…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted July 4, 2020
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A Few Years of Working Out

Working out has, over the last few years, become an integral part of my day. Long ago I assumed that running occasionally and eating semi-healthy was enough, and then my thirties hit, and I realized that I needed something more. Katie prompted me to try a cardio program with a little bit of weights…

  • Category Personal
  • Posted June 26, 2020
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Moody-Coon Loop: Coon Creek

An easy start on Coon Creek Trail

Waking up in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness, sleeping under a twisted oak with only a down quilt between me and the elements, was a pleasant and leisurely affair. I ignored the predawn rush and continued reading my book from last night, eagerly devouring the last dozen chapters before emerging onto a…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted May 12, 2020
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Moody-Coon Loop: Moody and Below the Rim

Fantastic section of trail on Moody Point

Descending down Moody Point Trail was an exercise in variety. The route quickly entered a devastated burn section, cutting wide switchbacks through a dead, gray landscape, exposed to the sun, and obvious mud damage to the tread. The trail maintenance was fantastic - thorny stuff cut back and helpful…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted May 8, 2020
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Moody-Coon Loop: Climbing up Parker to Aztec Peak

A cold, dark morning on Parker Creek Trail

Musk of skunk hung heavy over Parker Creek Trailhead. As I laced my boots and checked my pack I wondered idly if my Jeep had been sprayed on the drive up, or if I had just missed an encounter a few minutes ago. Either way it reeked. I double-checked my pack, making sure that my key was safely tucked…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted May 3, 2020
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Indian Spring of the Eagletails

Courthouse Rock at the Trailhead

Driving west of Phoenix can be a dreadfully boring endeavor. The desert is flat and hot, the highways are straight for miles, and there are few smatterings of interesting rocky formations in the distant haze. I've driven this way a few times on the way to Quartzite, where my grandparents live and…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted April 23, 2020
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