High Chaparral

Gratuitous cat photo (Max).

We left the Flagstaff area for a while to try our luck at the Grand Canyon.  So far, so good!

On the side of a motel on Route 66, Flagstaff. I don't know the artist.

We spent fifteen days at a site further back in the woods: here. If you like knowing the coordinates, they are 35.070419,-111.662449. This was a good site, despite the freak paintballing incident. Very light ATV activity, and what there is seems to come from the nearby community of Mountainaire. Good hiking, good walking, good sitting. We saw one NFS truck. A guy jumped out, pulled up a numbered sign (officially decommissioning a road, I think), and drove off.

When we land in an area I like, I start fantasizing about a Tiny House on a Huge Piece of Land. But, I also want to keep boondocking full-time. I want it all.

Maybe down this road.

We're staying at Three Pines. I named it that.

These three in particular.

It's a flower, I guess.

Not a flower.

Maybe a flower?

You can call me Flower if you want to.

Along 64, from Williams to Tusayan, is a lot of empty land. To the east, someone has put up a sign that's just barely legible from the highway; it says "FREE TO BE ME by Vonshtain." It's a book, and I'm intrigued by why the sign would be there. A fan lives there? Vonshtain lives there? Any ideas?

It's your lucky day!

A cat twofer.

This is Lily. Her entire life, when she sees a camera she develops a palsy. I have 679 pictures of Lily, none in focus. Annie fooled her by using her phone. Lily was expecting a call, not a portrait.

I have a question for bloggers: how do you feel about a popular website whose main content is your blog, and who sells advertising based on your writing? In exchange for them "hosting" your articles, you provide advertising for them on your blog.

So I'm clearer, you are providing their content (for free). They feed your entire post to their site, and you pay them by putting their badge on your blog.

Your articles get much wider coverage than they might otherwise. However, none of the traffic moves to your blog, because the entire content is over there and there is no need for readers to click. You don't know how many people have read it there. I don't mean that the content is stolen, by any means. You have signed up for this arrangement.

I don't think I mean this nastily. *checks snarkometer* It's just a question that's been lingering around my lobes, and if I don't ask you, who am I gonna ask? Perspective check, please.

We've been told to STOP IT in classier joints than this.

"The Peaks." Also called the San Francisco Mountains, because they're not in California.

We got all rambunctious and went to Flagstaff this week. We like to stop at New Frontiers sometimes and share a plate of avocado roll. We would have liked to do that yesterday, but there was none made, so we went in search of something else suitable.

Photo blurred to protect the innocent ingredients.

Annie said This burrito gives vegan food a bad name. You know this is what people imagine when they think of it.

Burrito, you're the reason more people aren't vegan.

I've had tasty rice and beans. I know it can be done. It's one of my favorite foods. Someone worked very hard, or not at all, to make this outblanding dish. I guess it was nourishing...? Please don't nourish me again.

NOT BLAND:





 

This cutiepie is a Sportsmobile, a rugged 4X4 motorhome with a pop-top roof for penthouse sleeping, and standing up to put your pants on. Look at the clearance! We pulled up and ogled obviously. Heeeyy pretty baby, come to Mama! *kissykissy noises* Looooking goood! If I said you had a beautiful body would you show us your rustproofing? Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? *lewd remarks and gestures* and then the owner got out and asked us to quit.

We hiked for a couple of hours this afternoon and now my left earlobe doesn't hurt.

Heeeyy pretty baby, come to Mama! *kissykissy noises* Looooking goood!

Did it hurt when you fell from the truck?

  

Can you see it?

 

  
Quality programming all day long.

An accidental theme

Flagstaff occupies the largest contiguous Ponderosa pine [butterscotch tree] forest in the world.


I tell you that to assuage your growing suspicion that life is passing you by while you read this blog. Occasionally, I will include redeeming bits of information to assuage you harder.

We follow an RVing page on Facebook who just revealed the two of them used 60 gallons (2-30 gallon totes) of laundry on a ten-day camping trip. Look, I'm no one to judge. Still, you can tell I'm judging a tiny bit, can't you? I'm a flawed individual, and these are clean, clean people. Maybe they are teenagers; that's the detail that would pull it all together.

[On the off chance you clean, clean people read this blog: just kidding! You guys were the nattiest campers in the park! You know I'm just jealous.]

Annie was explaining to the cousins that we don't heat up much water. Stove-top for washing dishes, and if the weather is hot enough we don't bother heating water for our showers, which we take using a lawn sprayer.  Lori didn't look even slightly shocked or horrified, but graciously offered us hot showers on the spot. I guess it's good that I didn't mention we were no-poo. That could have made inroads in her equanimity. I've got to admit, all that hot water was pretty great. Thanks!

Annie just read to me that it takes 37 gallons of water to make a roll of toilet paper. Can this be true?? You could shower for eighteen minutes with that much water, although that wouldn't be an effective substitute for an entire roll. I'll have to think more about this.

What happens when I think too long about toilet paper.

It wears itself out before nightfall, and then we're left in the dark.

 

Trucks have been porting these potties into the forest for days. What you may not see here is that they have all the doors pointed IN, so that they are INaccessible. Today, they began hauling them back out again, unused (as far as I could tell). 

These trees could be sold to make toilet paper.

My hooves do not fall through! Annie convinced me to try, and that's one more thing crossed off my Blech-it list.

This ends badly for someone. Enough said.

That's us! I obscured the license plates for safety.

That concludes today's post, which took one pint of water and a Coor's Light to produce.

Ithaca? or Flagstaff? Here's a clue.

Hint: look at the sky.

This sign seems vaguely suggestive, but I'm not sure why. "Stop in for our signature $5 Downtowner!"

 

I have been told that this hotel is haunted, specifically the bathroom I used.  There were no unexpected encounters.

I don't have a story.

Historic Flagstaff has free parking for cars. We were incredulous, and so put eight quarters into a paperbox.

Obligatory Route 66 picture. No, I mean Route 66 will take YOUR picture.

This young man is on the cusp of wishful thinking.

The Ithaca Commons used to attract the goth kids. These are definitely cheerleader girls.

I'm crazy for bead shops, and I wasn't disappointed by Animas Beads. 

We agree that Flagstaff feels very comfortable. It's like we could slip right into the groove here, if we had a groove. But, OH! their winters.

Here's a rundown of Ithaca: Rundown of Ithaca

You can run down Flagstaff, too.

Most amusing statistic: 

     Ithaca's annual "chance of sunshine" is 49%. This seems high. Flagstaff's is 78%. This seems low.

Far from the madding crowd.

Little Maddox had his first birthday party last night. I know, right? He didn't like cake, but he did like the talking card his Gigi got him.

A baby and a birthday party, and you thought there'd be no picture? You're getting off easy.

But, enough about the adorable baby. Lori surprised Annie and me with a vegan "cheese"cake for our birthdays. You know how you might try a vegan dessert and think "well, if I were vegan I could eat this and survive"? No. You would BEG to be vegan for this cake. You would go home and pour your dairy milk into the streets for this cake. You would picket Elmer's glue for this cake.

Lori asked when she bought it (New Frontiers) if it was really vegan. They checked with the pastry chef who confirmed. We ate it and our taste buds ruled it "completely full of delicious animal products." Lori went back this morning to be SURE it was really vegan, and they gave her the ingredient list. SCORE!

We braced ourselves for the holiday weekend here in the piney woods, and it happened. Sites filled up with toy haulers. What? Everyone is considerate? The really big group right next to us is utterly silent at night, and even in the morning their generator is almost inaudible. They start riding mid-morning.

This is a good crop of riders, and people (including the small kind) seem to be staying on the road. It may be becoming obvious to everyone that the national forests could institute a charred-earth scenario if damage is not stopped and reversed.

The rarely-seen Piney Woods cactus 

Excellent boondocking location...nah, I shouldn't say.

On the other hand, I'm going to. This is the first place we've stayed our full 14 days and still weren't tired of the spot. Ajo doesn't count, because we didn't stay 14 days.

• Route 17 (Arizona) to exit 298. 
• Go east on Forest Road 618. [If you go west, it's Rte. 179 into Sedona.]
• 0.4 miles past the first cattle guard, you come to a four-way stop. Go left (north). This is Beaver Creek Road and Forest Road something something.
• 1.3 miles later, you're there.
• Coordinates roughly  34.697493,-111.723889

We covered this road in the Duck (38.5'), but never did it with the toad attached. That was just circumstance, though, and Annie says she'd do with the car and dolly.

You could spend two weeks in this area without ever needing to go to town for entertainment. Beer, yes. If you parked at the green arrow, you could hike down the left tine of that fork, turn left at the edge of a canyon, and follow a road right down around to the floor. There are said to be petroglyphs there, but I didn't find them. FREE

 









If you want something a little further off the trail, explore the right fork. The road is better, and we considered a few camping sites down there, too.

The Arizona Safari jeeps passed us every evening at 7PM. Feel smug knowing you're seeing the sights for free. [Arizona Safari: NOT FREE]

 Or, you could follow F.R. 618 down to the same draw (Red Tank), park at a turnout, and take a few steps to more petroglyphs. FREE

 Or, tour V-V Ranch and see a huge and well-preserved collection of glyphs. Bring your lunch and eat under a big tree along Wet Beaver Creek. FREE, needs Interagency Pass or Red Rock Country pass to park.

 Or, Visit Montezuma's Well. FREE

 Or, pad on down to the creek and cool off. Bring your lunch to the shady picnic tables and your garbage to the big garbage cans. FREE

Park at the trailhead off FR 618 and take any trail. There are two strenuous trails, and one moderate. I took the easy trail to the pit toilet. FREE

Best of all, this campsite is on a dead-end (sort of). A few hundred feet down the road is a gate that serves as a cattle guard. People have to stop to open and shut that gate, and first-timers often just turn around there. Feel smug knowing you've hiked on the other side of that gate. Smug: FREE

You may see cowboys. You will probably hear cows. I never, ever knew there were so many cow-sounds. If you think they only moo, you're living in a fool's paradise. Fool's paradise: FREE

Head toward Sedona on Rte. 179, and you'll come to the USFS Ranger station. This is a worthwhile stop, because here is where you can get a copy of the new Motor Vehicle Use Map for this area. A ranger will want to explain it to you if you tell her you're interested in dispersed camping; let her do it.  The map itself is a little less than self-explanatory, as well as being actual-size. Will the rig fit in this spot? Let's pull up onto the map and see. So, a little help is a good thing.



The map is also good because you will be AMAZED at all the dispersed camping there is available in the local forests. I hated to settle without seeing all of them. Pick an altitude, then pick a site.

We've taken on fluids and headed for higher altitude and lower temperatures. That's one thing that will chase you out of town, but the hardier souls are now enjoying the quiet of a not-very-touristy Sedona, and perfect nighttime temps. And remember, it's a dry heat.

I'll save you the trouble.

Wildflowers here are getting pretty obnoxious.

Raptors annoyingly pose with their prey.

 Snake Snack

I mock eagles. Behind their backs, far away.

And the scenery is getting on my nerves.

I'm telling you, the woman's a master of camouflage.  

So, what bugs you about the Sedona area? I'll go see it and be irritated on your behalf.