Outdoors Archive:
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
After backpacking the White Sands, it was off to the Carlsbad, New Mexico Caverns. The two and half hour drive was well worth what I managed to see inside these caves.
Arriving At The Caverns
When I arrived at the Carlsbad Caverns, I started to wonder where they actually were. We were driving through mountains and eventually ended up on top of one of them where the visitor center is located. Believe it or not, they are located directly underneath the parking lot.
Once I entered the visitor center, I was immediately bombarded with different ticket and tour options. Some cost more than others and take you to different parts of the caverns. The guided tours that take you down into the less popular caves and make you crawl sounded like the best ones but unfortunately they were closed.
White Sands Backpacking
This weekend, I took a road trip out to New Mexico and Texas. Both were states that I had never been to before. Along the way, I stopped at the White Sands National Monument to do some backpacking.
If you’re unfamiliar with backpacking, it basically means you hike away from your car carrying everything you will need for the night. No coolers or cases of beer on this hike. So let’s get started…
First Impression
My first impression of the White Sand was “Wow!” I have never in my life seen something this cool (and weird) looking. It feels like you are either walking through a blizzard of snow or a gigantic bowl of sugar. Check out this picture to see what I am talking about:
White Sands, New Mexico
The Doe Mountain Trail
This past week I did another hike up in Sedona known as the Doe Mountain Trail (#60). It is right across the street from the Bear Mountain Trail which I previously did awhile back. As you can see from the picture above, it offers some awesome views of the red rocks around Sedona.
The Hike to the Top
The Doe Mountain Trail is only a 0.7 mile journey to the top of the mesa, but it is definitely worth doing. It gets a little steep near the top,…
The Hike to Browns Peak
This weekend I took another shot at climbing to the top of Brown’s Peak. It is the tallest of the Four Peaks with are located outside of Phoenix. It is also the highest point in Maricopa county with an elevation of 7,657 feet. If you don’t remember, I previously made an attempt at it and ended up taking the wrong trail. You can read my post about my first attempt here.
On this attempt, I made it within 100 feet of the peak but stopped because of the weather. So I am still satisfied with the outcome because I could have easily made the last 100 foot stretch on a clear day.
Anyways, Instead of opening with a explanation of the hike, I thought I would share this video I put together of the hike. I want to start doing more videos so here is the first attempt:
Humphreys Peak Hike
The Trail To the Top of Arizona
This weekend, my girlfriend and I managed to accomplish one of the hardest things we have ever done. We made the 9 mile round trip hike to the top of Humphreys Peak. Humphreys Peak has an elevation of 12,633 feet, which is the highest point in the state of Arizona. The peak is located near Flagstaff, in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness. So check out my journey
Hiking in Arizona: Four Peaks Wilderness
So the last few months, I have driven by Four Peaks a few times and have always wondered if hiking to the summit was possible. If you are unfamiliar with these mountains, they are located about 60 miles northeast of Phoenix. Browns Peak is the highest peak in Maricopa country with an elevation of 7,657 feet. For those familiar with Phoenix, that is roughly 400 feet shy of being three times the height of Camelback Mountain.
- Four Peaks Up Close
Time To Give It A Shot
Yesterday, I decided to finally give it a shot. I read up on what trails to take and how to get to the trailheads. From what I found, taking a dirt road over 12 miles was the only way to get to the starting trailhead known as Lone Pine Saddle.
Hiking In A Lightning Storm
Why It’s Probably Not A Good idea
This weekend was another adventure out in the wilderness. I did some hiking in Sedona, Arizona and almost got struck by a massive bolt of lightning. It was pretty intense, but luckily I got some pretty cool pictures of the whole thing.
I’d like to start this story from the end with this picture I snapped of a lightning bolt at the bottom of the hike:
That’s Not Good
I am no expert on weather, but I am smart enough to know that lightning and thunder at relatively the exact same time means get out of dodge.
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
I had the privilege of checking out the Tonto Natural Bridge, near Payson, Arizona this past weekend. It was a really cool experience and I would love to share it with everyone.
My Photographs
I took a lot of pictures, but narrowed them down to a few I would like to share. So check them out (click to enlarge):
Top of Tonto Natural Bridge
The Hiking Trails
There are three separate trails to hike, and they all lead to different places. Here is a little information I gathered from the trail guide they had at the park:
Top of South Mountain (w/ Photos)
I took my camera and tripod along because I am looking to get back in to photography. I have been slacking with it lately but hope to hop back into it. There are so many cools things to see around Arizona, I just need to get out and get some nice shots. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the top of South Mountain:
View of South Mountain and Phoenix
Dispersed Camping in Flagstaff
This past weekend, I decided to take a camping trip up North in Flagstaff.
The drive up to Flagstaff was rather interesting, considering the person I went with got a speeding ticket going 92 mph. Apparently anything over 85 in the state of Arizona is considered a criminal defense and results in a stay at the local jail.
Luckily…she didn’t get hauled away and the cop was nice enough to knock it down to a civil ticket which just resulted in a fine.
After that whole thing, the tricky part…
