Arizona posts, page 2 of 4.

Anchors Class

After a lengthy delay, I took a second climbing class from Arizona Mountaineering Club in April. Lengthy delay because I took the first class, 'basics', last fall and haven't climbed since, so it felt a little awkward coming back to the group for anchors. The knots and some of the techniques came…

  • Category Personal
  • Posted May 2, 2018
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Getting into CAMRA (Search and Rescue)

Being part of a search and rescue group is something that I've been thinking about over the last few years. There are a lot of reasons why it makes sense, why I think volunteering for a group would be a good fit, though I think it all comes down to how difficult I found Arizona hiking to be. Chris…

  • Category Personal
  • Posted November 8, 2017
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Basic Rock Climbing Class

Last month I took a two-week course on rock climbing, offered by the Arizona Mountaineering Club, which covered everything from basic knots to self-rescue techniques. It was an experience that, after some initially doubts, was something I ultimately enjoyed and would recommend. And yes, this was my…

  • Category Personal
  • Posted November 4, 2017
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Shaw Butte

Hot desert landscape in northern Phoenix

A few mountain hikes lay scattered in the northern reaches of Phoenix, including Piestewa (Squaw Peak) and Camelback, both of which I've hiked when I was first getting used to these desert lands. There are some less lofty ones too, such as North Mountain and Lookout. Calling these mountains are a…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted September 16, 2017
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Sycamore Rim Loop

Morning sun over Sycamore Falls trailhead

Arizona is a state of transition. The Colorado Plateau intrudes from the north, an enormous plain of pines and grasslands around 7000', and reaches almost down to Globe. Where this plain ends there is a mix of steep rims and canyons that eventually drop into the hot, southern deserts closer to…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted September 12, 2017
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Full-time Employment at Shutterstock

In early 2014 I started a new, shiny job working for a company based in New York. Shutterstock was my first fully remote position and my first time working for a 'big' technical company - that is, they had more than a hundred employees. Up until then I had worked for small, local shops in Wisconsin,…

  • Category Personal
  • Posted August 24, 2017
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Picacho Peak Loop

Start of the Calloway Trail

Picacho Peak is a sudden mound of rock located halfway between Phoenix and Tucson. It isn't that tall, topping off at 3,370', nor is it large, especially compared to the nearby Newman Peak. However, it does have a very distinct profile. The sharp spur soars above the desert and provided early…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted August 17, 2017
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Descent from Tortilla Peak

Last look back at the peak

Coming down the north side of Tortilla Peak was a hundred times easier than my climb up. A few simple hops over jagged rocks and then a long, clear chunk of bedrock sloped gently away. Man, this approach would have been a breeze. I looked back a few times at the peak, now bright under a rising…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted January 27, 2017
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What Kind of Hiker Am I?

Even after living in and exploring the wilderness of Arizona for two years I still consider myself a Michigan hiker. It's only fair, in some ways: my hunger for the outdoors started in the Upper Peninsula and I spent seven years up there hunting waterfalls and old growth and forgotten places. Two…

  • Category Personal
  • Posted October 24, 2016
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Club Cabin of the Mazatzals

Walkway under the Horseshoe Dam spillway

The Mazatzals. For the last year I've wanted to venture into this wilderness, to take a break from the Superstitions and try out some new (and potentially more temperate) hikes, and never got around to it. Now it was time. I had a challenging weekend planned out that would start at Horseshoe Dam and…

  • Category Hiking
  • Posted March 30, 2016
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