We took a little time to head up to the mountains with the kids a few weeks back. We kept it simple: tent, hotdogs, s’mores, hikes, scavenger hunts, throwing rocks in the creek. I love seeing the joy the woods and the water bring to my kids. There are times while fishing and hunting as an adult that I can lose sight of all of the small beautiful things that are easy to miss. Little ones have a way of redirecting your attention and showing you a forgotten perspective. Life is good.

The post Family Time appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

My brothers flew out from Phili for a long weekend, and they asked me to plan a camping trip with a bit of Arizona hiking. After laying out a couple of different options, we settled on a particular canyon that I’ve been wanting to explore more thoroughly. I’d hiked into a lower section of it before, but had wanted to see the upper end of it.

Between the hiking and time spent around a crackling fire, the weekend was over before we knew it, and I was shuttling them back to airport. There is something special about the bond we have as brothers, and despite the time and distance apart, it always remains strong. We parted ways vowing to plan more trips like this one in the future.

The post Arizona Hiking: Boy’s Weekend appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

My family rolled into town for the week of Christmas and it’s been a fantastic time introducing them to the newest member of the family. Good times were had by all. I’ll let the pictures do the talking. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

The post Smithmas appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

As I had written before, my wife and I had hiked down the South Kaibab trail and stayed two nights at Bright Angel Campground. After a wonderful day fly fishing Bright Angel Creek, we woke early to prepare for our hike out of the Grand Canyon. After a hearty breakfast, we broke camp and started to ascend the Bright Angel Trail. Although the Bright Angel Trail is longer than the South Kaibab Trail, there is water at the Indian Garden Campground which is roughly the halfway mark. We started early and hiked most of the day in the shade of the surrounding canyon walls. We burned through the first 6 miles of the trail rather quickly, but the last three miles of Bright Angel Trail is mostly switchbacks. We were forced to slow and take our time, pausing often to rest and drink plenty of water. Below is a photo journey of the sites along the trail. Bright Angel Trail is very beautiful and I was happy that we were able to see both South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails on our trip.

As I did with the South Kaibab Trail, I took notes of our times and stops along the way (although the last three miles were filled with many stops.

• 7:20 – Left Bright Angel Campground
• 7:55 – River Rest House
• 8:20 – Short Break on creek (10 minute break)
• 9:05 – Top of the Devil’s Corkscrew (5 minute break)
• 9:40 – Tonto East Trail Junction
• 9:50 – Indian Garden (refilled water, ate, and rested 35 minute break)
• 10:55 – Break before 1st set of switchbacks
• 11:20 – 3 Mile House (15 minute break)
• 12:30 – 1.5 Mile House (many breaks from 3 Mile House to the top)
• 1:17 – 1st Arch (still 7/10ths of a mile to the top)
• 1:45 – 2nd Arch (2/10ths of a mile to the top)
• 1:50 – Trailhead

Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes

Break Time: over an 1 hour 30 minutes

Hiking time: Roughly 5 hours

Total distance is approximately 9.5 miles

The post The Grand Canyon: Hiking the Bright Angel Trail appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Since moving to Arizona. it has been my dream to hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I put in for a backcountry permit and somehow my request was “lost.” So this year on our spring break, my wife and I drove up to the Canyon to apply for the few last minute walk-in permits. We camped for two nights and were lucky enough to snag two nights at Bright Angel Campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Our plan was to hike down the South Kaibab Trail and two days later hike out on the Bright Angel Trail.

Below you will find a photo barage from the trail. I have also included my own trail notes on time and breaks for those that are looking  for a bit of info before they head down the trail.

Temps – When we broke camp in the morning on top of the South Rim it was 27º. The day was overcast, but by the time we made it to the bottom it was 76º

Pack Weight: My packweight was 43lbs and my wife was carrying around 32. We were staying for two nights in the bottom and so brought a tent, food, and water to make it down the trail

• 8:45 – Started our descent
• 9:10 – Ooh Aah Pt.
• 9:25 – Cedar Ridge (took 15 minute break)
• 10:10 – Rock Pile below Cedar Ridge  (10 minute break)
• 10:35 – Skeleton Pt
• 10:50 – 3.5 mile sign on steps   (10 minute break)
• 11:40 – Tipoff (20 minute break/lunch)
• 12:50 – Break within sight of bridge (10 minute break)
• 1:20 – Arrive in campsite

Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes

Break Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Hiking time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Total distance is approximately 6.5 miles

The post The Grand Canyon: Hiking the South Kaibab Trail appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Michelle and I live not far from the White Tank Mountains. As a matter of fact, you can see Barry Goldwater Peak, the highest point in the White Tank Mountains, from our back yard. Since moving to Arizona, I have said on more than one occasion, that I would like to hike to the top of those mountains. So, we did. The 13 mile round trip hike was a heck of a workout, but extremely rewarding. Here’s some images from our journey.

The post Arizona Hiking – Barry Goldwater Peak appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Rambling Review – Garmin Etrex H GPS Unit

Why:

In short, I don’t like getting lost.

When I moved to Arizona the new big country was very daunting and I always had a sick feeling in my stomach as I watched the truck get smaller and smaller the farther I walk away.  Specifically, quail hunting makes me nervous because as I wander around chasing birds, it is very easy to get disoriented. I have always found my way back, but before every hunt I mark the truck’s location, just in case. Since I car so much about my truck I get help from these motor trade insurance brokers. Having insurance is a big deal for me, especially when I go out to a new country that I am not familiar with, I have to be safe and be prepared for anything that may happen.

Note: I still always carry a compass so I can plot a course, just in case the GPS fails.

First impressions:

Solid Construction – When I held the Garmin Etrex GPS Unit is the store, I was struck by the solid block construction. I try not to make a habit of dropping electronics, but it has been known to happen. While tromping around the outdoors, a pack can be dropped or worse yet, the GPS unit itself could be banged around. The hard plastic coupled with durable rubber gives the Garmin GPS a very rugged feel.

Features – (Some key features that I thought were important)

–          Waterproof – Garmin claims that this device can take an “accidental dunk” in the creek. Not a terrible feature when it is lodged in my pack while I fish.

–          5.3 oz

–          17 hours of battery life

–          Able to log over 500 waypoints.

–          Not able to upload maps

Price – Tough to beat the price on this great GPS when others in the same market are hundreds of dollars more. Enough said.

Field Use:

I have been nothing but pleased with the performance of this GPS. One thing that I have noticed about this GPS is how easy it is to use. With only 5 buttons, this Garmin is very easy to navigate. Most of the use that this device sees is during hunting trips. Once I park the truck I turn the GPS on and mark a waypoint. Then I turn off the GPS to conserve battery life and put the unit in my pack. I have a fairly good sense of direction and can usually find my way back to the truck without a whole lot of difficulty, but there have been a few times where I need to take the GPS out and double check my bearings. This GPS is perfect when I am in a new area or even an old standby. I love having the extra insurance in my pack, knowing that it is there just in case.

I also like to mark locations of my hunting stands or quality bedding, feeding, “gamey”- looking spots. This makes wandering my way through the dark trying to locate a tree stand, much easier. Also, if I am feeling generous, I can give a buddy the exact coordinates and he can make his way to the stand on his own.

This particular GPS does not have an actual topographical map.  Instead, it offers a compass like view that points to whatever waypoint you have designated. This is perfect for my use, but I know some like the high-tech features that other more expensive GPS units have. I am a simple guy and like to keep my hunting simple. Becoming too reliant on technology is a recipe for disaster if that technology decides not to work once you are in the field.

Waypoints are generally logged as numbers but there is the opportunity to put specific labels on waypoints. This helps when I go back later and have things specifically labeled so I remember what waypoint is what. I have also used the sunset/sunrise features to figure out exactly what time I should be getting into my stand. I always make sure to carry an extra set of batteries just in case.

Pros:

Simple to use

Rugged Construction

Flawless performance for over multiple years

Waterproof

Large waypoint capacity

Cons:

Black/White/Gray Screen

Not able to upload maps

Prognosis: An extremely useful piece of equipment to have in the field if you are looking for a little extra insurance that you make it back to the truck. For more information about online insurance services, visit https://mexicaninsurance.com/automobile-insurance-for-mexico-mexican

* Disclaimer:

The reviews at Arizona Wanderings are my honest opinion. Arizona Wanderings is not sponsored by or associated with any of the stated companies and is accepting no compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this review.  My independent status may change in the future but, as of the date of publication, no relationship other than described above has been pursued or established.

The post Rambling Review – Garmin Etrex H GPS Unit appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.

Michelle and I spent a beautiful Arizona morning hiking Camelback Mountain located in center city Phoenix when we first started traveling after we sold our house. You can easily Sell Your House Fast In Phoenix. Neither of us had ever hiked the mountain and after a brief inspection of the internet for information we decided to enjoy the Phoenix weather before it will become unbearable. Sandwiches were prepared and water bottles filled in preparation for our epic journey to the top. We arrived at the base of the Camelback at around 10:30 and found a premiere parking spot right near the trailhead and applied some Car Polish at our car right there because we had time. To be truthful, I was extremely surprised that there was no designated area or established parking lot for the multitude of cars that were parked on the street. When you got bad credit on your auto loan right here, it is highly recommended you visit auto loans for bad credit kansas city mo to help you. My windshield got broken because a branch from a tree fell on my car, after the nice day I had to call auto glass repair spartanburg sc to help me out. By the way, if you know someone who’s planning to take a driving class, Miro Training is the best service to contact. For more details, just give them a call at 08 9459 5666. Since it was a Saturday during springtime in Arizona, we were not the only ones huffing and puffing our way along the rocky trail. We made good time to the top and were rewarded with a spectacular view of Phoenix and the surrounding metropolises. Michelle stated that from our vantage point one could really appreciate why Phoenix is known as the “Valley of the Sun.” The crystal clear air made visibility in every direction seemingly endless. The Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (FPSLFP) and the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan are two options that will allow some borrowers to be eligible for loan forgiveness after 10 years of qualifying employment and loan payments, go to loanforgiveness.org for more information.

At the top we spent some time appreciating the warm sun and cool breeze as we ate lunch. In the process we had to defend everything we owned from the random ground squirrels that must normally eat like kings by panhandling for scraps. After several pictures, we began our decent, which can be a little tougher on the knees than scrambling to the top. On the way back down we spotted several other critters that I hastily

identified when we returned home as chuckwallas. We arrived back at the truck with our legs pumping around 12:45. Overall our day on the mountain was extremely enjoyable and rewarding. Anyone who truly wishes to experience the beauty  and size of Phoenix should waste no time and scramble to the top of Camelback Mountain.

The post Camelback Mountain… appeared first on Arizona Wanderings.