"Walking around Flagstaff" written by Joe on estrip.org

10/09/16 09:33 - ID#60681

Walking around Flagstaff

After the mountain we rested a bit and went to a ramen restaurant called Sosoba. At 5pm the food is half priced for an hour. I got a vegan tofu ramen and (e:paul) got a spam and pork one (blech) for half off, so dinner was about $12 before tip. That's Fast and Tasty level prices.

After dinner we were critically full. We walked it off around the NAU campus which just like Case has gone crazy building chain restaurants and huge metal buildings. I guess tuition is now for who can build the biggest mall.

I saw (e:paul)'s first dorm there, along with the Language building where he and (e:terry) met.

This is McDonald Hall, where (e:paul) roomed with a parole officer and rancher.

Downtown Flagstaff is packed at night. There's so many students everywhere it looks more intense than Chippewa at some corners.

It seemed like every other storefront is some sort of bar or brewery. I didn't really feel like the bars too much, but (e:paul) and I went and visited a fancy wine bar and the Flagstaff brewery.

The rest of the night we walked around until we came across this dance event at a western bar called the Gopher. The music was some sort of drum and bass and really good. It was fun and a little sad to watch straight girls try and dance with all the gay boys there. We found a few friends to hang out with and smoke.

Drunk driving dog in the alley

Permalink: Walking_around_Flagstaff.html
Words: 263
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/13/16 11:51

Category: hiking

10/09/16 09:30 - ID#60680

Red Mountain

To be written about

Permalink: Red_Mountain.html
Words: 12
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/14/16 01:38

10/09/16 09:28 - ID#60679

On to Flagstaff

After the mesa we headed up to Flagstaff. It wasn't far at all, maybe a half hour by car. It sounds long but it was nothing on this trip.

We didn't have a place to stay when we got to Flagstaff of course. So (e:paul) and I went to Dara Thai, across the street from the Downtowner where he lived before. The food was about $8-9 a dish and made us too full. I had a fried tofu southwest spice dish.

We ended up staying on the same block where (e:paul) and (e:terry) lived, in the Motel Du Beau. It was the first motel in Flagstaff, which is now a motel/hostel. It was way cheaper than a hotel and had laundry, breakfast, a common area, fridge and everything. I liked it a lot. The hotel was also right across the rail tracks from downtown. The trains passed by the town almost every hour in the night but I could sleep through them. The weirdest part was that the shower could take up to 10 minutes to heat up because it was so far from the water heater. Luckily I can take cold showers while it gets warm for Paul.

(e:paul) says it was pretty much the same layout as his old apartment, just no kitchen.

This cafe across the street had a wall of dead dogs. It was depressing and cute at the same time.

Permalink: On_to_Flagstaff.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/14/16 12:54

Category: hiking

10/09/16 09:22 - ID#60678

Vortices, Brins Mesa and Devils Bridge

The second day in Sedona, (e:paul) and I went to see the famous Sedona vortex. Somehow Sedona is famous with the new agey crystal people for being a spot with many mystical vortexes. Our motel clerk even gave us a map and told us where they'll all be.

It seems like rich Californians definitely outweigh crystal hippies now (or maybe the hippies just have money now). But (e:paul) and I went to a famous vortex site by the airport. It really seemed like an easy hike to me but maybe I'm secretly allergic to vortices

After that we went up a road right in the town to a place called Jordan Pass. It takes you to a trailhead for Brin's Mesa.

The trail starts off in the desert and takes you about 500 feet to a grassy mesa. All along the way (e:paul) and I ate prickly pears. You probably shouldn't since it robs the desert life of nutrients but it they were way sweeter and juicier than anything Basra ate. I hope he gets fresh ones, wherever he is (e:joe,60672)

The mesa descended into a pine forest with a dry creek/wash. You go all the way out to an ATV road, ~3 miles away.

At the ATV road we went a mile south and ended up at Devil's Bridge. The hike is steep but easy up to this stone bridge, jutting out over a valley. It looks way scarier than you'd thing. (e:paul) freaked out a little but it was always at least 5 ft wide always.

We didn't have very much water for an 11 mile hike but we did have coconut water and a few Modellos. So those tided us on the walk back. I don't think we saw anyone else on either direction of the Brin's mesa trail, outside of the first half milk.

Permalink: Vortices_Brins_Mesa_and_Devils_Bridge.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/14/16 01:06

Category: hiking

10/08/16 10:23 - ID#60677

Oak Canyon

The same day we hiked the west fork of Oak Canyon. After the desert heat I thought I'd want to swim but it was a cool forest with a freezing creek. I loved it.

I can't believe how big some of the smashed rocks are at the bottom. The rock slides here have to be like meteors hitting the earth.

(e:paul) and I thought the sheer cliffs on the side looked like a desktop background while the sun went down.

Permalink: Oak_Canyon.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY
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Category: hiking

10/08/16 09:17 - ID#60676

Bell Rock in Sedona

Was the first hike (e:paul) and I did in Sedona. It was the first real rock climbing I've done besides something like little rock city.

The sun was super intense on the way up. The rock is rough sandstone so shoes stick to the side and you can walk right up to the rocks that jut out in the middle.

Once we got up there I slipped a little and my stomach dropped. I freaked out, (e:paul) had to coax me to keep going around the rock. I really thought I was going to fall off and die.

Eventually we made it all the way to the highway side of the rock, and tried to climb to the top via a canyon. We kept getting stoned by ledges that were way taller than us.

Luckily this native Sedona guy, his GF and sister came walking by and offered to show us the way up.

It was a lot easier, besides the cactus I got stuck in my hand. We made it all the way to the top, where (e:paul) and (e:terry) had made it last time (e:paul,45458). There's a book you can sign, and we took pictures while the couple did weird yoga moves standing on each other. They almost fell off once, no fucking way would I descend if that actually happened.

The view was incomprehensible. We were so high up, it's hard to believe we actually climbed up all that sandstone.

After being the at the top coming down was nothing. Even when the climber had us hugging the wall on a 4 inch ledge. If the sister could do it while talking on the phone, we could do it with both hands.

After we got down (e:paul) and I went out to lunch at a cheap tamale place called

Sedona Tamaliza. I never had a tamale before but it was basically Mexican spiced polenta in a corn husk. For only $5 you got a super spicy vegan spinach and mushroom tamale. (e:terry) would have loved them.

Permalink: Bell_Rock_in_Sedona.html
Words: 356
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/14/16 01:34

Category: hiking

10/08/16 09:00 - ID#60674

drive to sedona

To be written about

Permalink: drive_to_sedona.html
Words: 13
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/14/16 01:38

Category: hiking

10/08/16 08:59 - ID#60673

Papago Park

Before we dropped (e:terry) off to go home, we went for one real hike up Papago Park, in the middle of Scottsdale near the airport. It juts up in the middle of the flat sprawl, with a zoo and golf course nearby.

It's pretty easy to get up and has a 360 view of endless Phoenix.

Afterwards we ate Filiberto's and dropped (e:terry) off for his flight home. I really missed him, and wished he could have come along ;(

Permalink: Papago_Park.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY
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Category: pets

10/08/16 08:57 - ID#60672

Where is Basra?

So last year we sent Basra the tortoise to Phoenix because he was getting too big to keep inside (e:joe,60300).

Since we were around, we went out to see him at the Phoenix Herpetological Society in Scottsdale. It was out by some ranches, in the way north of Scottsdale.

Well anyway, I think we saw him. We sponsored him so they knew what pen he was in but that's all.

Have you ever seen so many tortoises? As soon as they see someone at the fence, they stamped and swarm towards you.

Feedin' time! These tortoises don't give a shit, they crawl over each other sideways like food driven robots. No pathfinding, just a beeline to the nearest green scrap. It makes me think they'd attack you if you went in the pen with colorful clothes on.

Which one is Basra? I don't know. We tried matching from pictures I took. Shell sloped down on the sides, slight pyramiding, curved backside. There were so many that mostly fit the size and shape but who knows how big he is now?

We got a show out of it, too.

I felt bad keeping him trapped inside in Buffalo, but was nervous to send him somewhere random.

It didn't sound good as the other places (e:paul)'s tortoises have gone, but all the tortoises at the refuge seemed healthy and lively. Plus he's outside for the whole year instead of 5 months.

I think he's better off Phoenix. (If he is here?!)

Permalink: Where_is_Basra_.html
Words: 257
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/14/16 12:37

Category: hiking

10/08/16 08:53 - ID#60671

Short hikes

A few hikes and walks from Phoenix.

Saturday (e:terry) and I went on a walk for Mexican Señor Taco. (e:paul) and others were eating a fancy meat dinner. It was about an hour walk each way from where the party was, and it was the first commercial building. Mindblowing how long it takes. You could see the lights from Phoenix going on forever from the top of fountain hills. It was a good temperature.

The next day we went up on another hill nearby in Fountain Hills. (e:lilho) was not having it.

It was a short hike through some cacti and crusty old bushes. At the top you could see all the mountains around. To make it a little gayer for us, a rainbow appeared over in a freak rainstorm.