Walking nature trails is my FAVORITE exercise!

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Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    That cave pic is AWESOME!
  • spartan_d
    spartan_d Posts: 727 Member
    I like running through the trails. Got together with some friends last night and ran through trails with our headlamps on.

    Sometimes we also carry heavy stuff through the trails for a more vigorous workout.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited October 2019
    jim_pipkin wrote: »
    jim_pipkin wrote: »
    Sycamore Point, outside Williams AZ

    k8shkcbzkl6e.jpg

    What a deep, wide canyon! People don't understand that the Grand Canyon is awesome and all, but there are so many other fantastic ones too.

    There's a whole Spanish town lost in Sycamore Canyon somewhere, no joke! Spanish Crown settlers lived there in the mid-1700s, now nobody can find it...

    You're making me want to get out of heaven's waiting line (North Tucson) and do some three day trips to Northern AZ with your pics. I hope to have a lot more around Tucson this Fall and Winter. Sabino and Madeira Canyon are on the list soon. I'm trying to talk the wife into Bear Wallow up near Mt Lemmon this weekend to see the Fall foliage.
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    This seems like a safe place to put these pix. This sweet little owl lost its way and was found on the sidewalk. Game and fish were called but it did fly up into a tree when they tried to help it. The magpies were bullying it and pecking at it on the sidewalk. As it was shielded and protected until the G & F arrived it looks like it literally smiled at the favor. Sometimes, nature will find you right where you're at. Critters make everything better.

    What a special moment!
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    This seems like a safe place to put these pix. This sweet little owl lost its way and was found on the sidewalk. Game and fish were called but it did fly up into a tree when they tried to help it. The magpies were bullying it and pecking at it on the sidewalk. As it was shielded and protected until the G & F arrived it looks like it literally smiled at the favor. Sometimes, nature will find you right where you're at. Critters make everything better.

    vwmqmj4wt1ov.jpg..mpj0wy6mx959.jpg.

    Awww! <3
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
    We did a cross country trip for the first time this summer (sadly my husband had to work so it was myself and the kiddos with my dad) - it was so exciting to see them exploring so many new things, and seeing areas of the country that they had only read about in books (we essentially followed the Lewis and Clark Trail through most of it). I grew up traveling all over the US, so I took it for granted... born in AZ, family coast to coast, north to south, moved to VA, then NC, now WV). I LOVE seeing all the different pics! Not sure if the OP intended for his thread to go that direction, but it is beautiful!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i love the trails too. and my dogs. definitely my happy place.
    easy path
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  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    shunggie wrote: »
    miaf4rhzcrir.jpeg


    aaah he is so cute <3
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
    @NorthCascades - how stunning and beautiful! I seriously think my heart rate rose just looking at the gorgeous scenery! Oh, to experience it all!
  • jim_pipkin
    jim_pipkin Posts: 82 Member
    @NorthCascades hope you heal well and fast - I hate injuries, had a few over the years, and they all seemed to take FOREVER to heal!
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    I found out the owl is a Northern Saw-whet. Sadly, they have many predators.

    https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl/overview

    A tiny owl with a catlike face, oversized head, and bright yellow eyes, the Northern Saw-whet Owl is practically bursting with attitude. Where mice and other small mammals are concerned this fierce, silent owl is anything but cute. One of the most common owls in forests across northern North America (and across the U.S. in winter), saw-whets are highly nocturnal and seldom seen. Their high-pitched too-too-too call is a common evening sound in evergreen mountain forests from January through May.

    They're so darned cute, too cute for words.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    That's moody and dramatic! 👍
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    Love it! Doesn’t even feel like work.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    La Luz Trail in Albuquerque is one of my favorite local hikes.

    part-of-the-rock-slide.jpg

    It's about 7.5 miles up with 3200 ft of elevation gain and then another 7.5 miles down though many, including myself often opt to take the Tram down from the crest.

    Unfortunately, as one of the most popular trails in the area, it is often frequented by tourists who are not accustomed to the elevation as you start at a little over 7,000 feet and end at the crest at over 10,000 feet. Rescues are pretty regular occurrences. A lot of times people aren't dressed or prepared with proper clothing...it can be quite warm and comfortable in the foothills with lots of sunshine in the high desert portion, but it gets colder and more shaded by forest as you climb. It can easily be 60*F at the bottom and below freezing on the crest with ripping winds.

    It's actually a great hike to do in mid summer if you start early when it's still cool out...you can stay comfortable most of the day. We've done it in May and had to turn around with the last 3 miles or so in front of us because it was getting too snow packed and icy to continue safely. Turns out there were three rescues that day due to people trying to get through the snow.

    Being very new to SW hiking, it's quite remarkable, to me, how hard it can be walking on totally rocky trails. Looking at that picture, it shows how rocky the trails can be. It's just a totally different type of trail. I can't imagine doing 15 miles on that stuff.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,746 Member
    edited October 2019

    You're making me want to get out of heaven's waiting line (North Tucson) and do some three day trips to Northern AZ with your pics. I hope to have a lot more around Tucson this Fall and Winter. Sabino and Madeira Canyon are on the list soon. I'm trying to talk the wife into Bear Wallow up near Mt Lemmon this weekend to see the Fall foliage.

    I grew up in Tucson and did my first hiking and backpacking there. I used to do a really nice loop hike up Sabino and down through Bear Canyon. If you hike the Telephone Trail you avoid the shuttle and all the people. Saguaro NP has some very nice hikes as well.