big man tips

FLAGSTAFF'S FAY CANYON Fay Canyon Not to be confused with the Fay Canyon Trail in Sedona, Flagstaff�s version is a totally different experience. The meandering trail that follows the course of a gully that feeds into majestic Walnut Canyon southeast of town is a mellow, woodsy walk.   Located just east of the heavily-traveled Sandy�s Canyon trail off Lake Mary Road, the Fay Canyon route is a quieter trek with similar qualities.   Creeping Barberry The unsigned route is a little tricky to follow. Hike up Forest Road 9477B to the 0.3-mile point, veer left at a gate and pick up a single track heading north.   For reference, there�s a sign warning of heavy horse traffic a few yards down the trail.   A ravine bisects Fay Canyon Within a short distance, the trail makes a sharp turn to the right and begins a downhill plunge on long switchbacks.   This piney segment decends on an easy grade to emerge in at the head of the canyon.   Over the next two miles, the gorg...

R.I.P. Kinder Crossing Kinder Crossing Tinder Fire near Kinder Crossing Horse Crossing on East Clear Creek All I can say is NOOOOOOOOOOOO! The human-caused Tinder Fire reported on April 27th continues to grow and is under investigation.  The wildfire is burning roughly  9 miles northeast of Clints Well on the Mogollon Rim near Kinder Crossing and Horse Crossing trails. These two lush trails that lead to East Clear Creek are (sorry, were) favorite summer hiking destinations. I am beyond sick to know that a careless person has put this rare riparian corridor at risk. Kinder Crossing Let's hope the firefighters working the blaze stay safe and that damage to these classic trails can be minimized. UPDATES: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5763/ MAP: http://nifc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View /index.html?appid=750acd60cd9e466fadbc501df5b4bf1d Horse Crossing

VAN DEREN CABIN Van Deren cabin  �A woman�s bullet kills as quick as a man�s!� These menacing words from a lobby card for the 1948 film, Blood on the Moon , spoils one of the movie�s several twisted story arcs. Western serial movies don�t get any more typical than this one. Van Deren homestead Starring Robert Mitchum and Barbara Bel Geddes (in her glamourous pre-Miss Ellie of Dallas phase) the film�s luscious cinematography features several Sedona locations.   Despite the film�s period-accurate stilted dialogue, unfortunate stereotypes and marginal production qualities, it�s a captivating tale of a sinister businessman versus a good cowboy (and his �spitfire blonde� love interest---the one with the bullets) who foils an evil plot. Sure, there are plenty of horses, cattle and smoking-gun action scenes that play out in the pristine Sedona countryside that dominated the area before Sedona became Sedona.   The road to the cabin crosses Dry Creek But two things make this cellu...

CRYSTAL POINT TRAIL First glimpses of Sedona on the way up to Crystal Point Cut into a gentle ridgeline where the red rock marvels of Sedona melt into Flagstaff�s tall pines and mountainous terrain, Crystal Point Trail provides a taste of both worlds. Franciscan Bells decorate the trail The trail has been adopted by the Munds Park Trail Stewards (MUTS), an organization that maintains recreational routes around the community.   Thanks to volunteer workers who perform regular maintenance, the trail is neatly brushed, signed and switchback-mitigated.   The non-motorized path makes an easy climb through pine-oak woodlands, meadows and edges bolstered by lichen-encrusted boulders.   Even in dry years, high-country wildflowers like brilliant blue Franciscan Bells add pops of color in sunny spots along the way. The trail�s appeal is rooted in its birds-eye glimpses of Sedona that begin to appear through the trees about a half-mile into the hike.   Summit ammo boxes hold tra...

[Episode 119] Today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is an interview with Stacey Freedenthal, Ph.D., LCSW about her book,  Helping the Suicidal Person: Tips and Techniques for Professionals .  I was excited to talk with Dr. Freedenthal because she's come up with 89 tips and techniques that you can start using right away with suicidal clients. In today�s episode, we talk about five of them: Tip #10 � Embrace a Narrative Approach: �Suicidal Storytelling� Tip #35 � Know When and Why to (and not to) Pursue Hospitalization Tip #36 � Know Why not to Pursue Hospitalization Tip #64 � Incorporate a Hope Kit Tip #88 � Propose a Letter to the Suicidal Self Dr. Freedenthal has been a faculty member at the University of Denver School of Social Work since 2005 and maintains a private practice. She�s the creator of the massively popular blog, SpeakingOfSuicide.com , and her writings have appeared in academic journals and media outlets like the New York Times . You can find her on Twitt...

RESTORATION OF MARICOPA TRAIL SEGMENT 20 COMPLETE Tree burned in the 2005 Cave Creek Complex Fire Wildfires can be as confusing and they are devastating.   Sometimes they roar through a forest in take-no-hostages fury while in other situations, they hopscotch over the land creating a random patchwork of destruction and untouched swaths.   Strawberry Hedgehog cacti bloom March-April The 2005 Cave Creek Complex Fire that swept through Tonto National Forest north of the Valley resulted in a combination of heartbreaking ruin and pockets of unscathed life.   One fluke is the survival of a stand of junipers along Cottonwood Creek, an intermittent stream below Quien Sabe Peak. A point of pride of the restoration efforts of the nearly 14 miles of fire damaged trails that connect the Bronco Trailhead at Seven Springs Road with Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area is the mending of the route that passes by the  mile-long juniper haven that escaped the blaze. Corrals at the Bronc...