The Arizona Hiker Girl

Why I Need To Write Down Taking My Dog For A Hike

2015-01-14T08:07:00.003-08:00

Do you find yourself too busy to take time out for your favorite friend? I do....so that's why I have to set goals to make sure I take care of her sanity as well as mine.

For years I have been doing a project that helps me to keep on track. It's called 101 Goals in 1001 Days and it is very easy to start and so gratifying to work with. Very simply you think of everything you would like to do that you haven't done or would like to do more of, habits that you would like to set and list them. It can be as simple as baking a rainbow cake to climbing Everest. The idea is to get it all in a place where you can organize and check off your achievements as you go. Then you have a little over two and a half years (technically 2.74) to get it all done.

Have I ever gotten the whole list done? Nope. What I have found is that as the 1001 days went by was that some goals were not possible at the time, or what was important to me changed. But you know what? Each time I have done it I have gotten much more done than ever, had more great experiences than ever, and focused on what was important to me, allowing more happiness than I ever dreamed. Below is my new 101 Goals In 1001 Days List. How many of them do you think I will actually do? How many would you like to do? Tell me some of the things you'd like to do and if you decide to join me in this project done world wide let me know so I can cheer you on. It's a fun thing to do and I guarantee your life will never be the same.

1. Two dog hikes a month for five months
2. One two hour by myself hike a month for 5 months
3. One bike ride a month for 5 months
4. Walk dog at least one mile once a week for 5 months.
5. Drop one pants size
6. Have a vegetarian dinner once a week for 3 months
7. Learn 3 new vegetarian recipes in 2015
8. Have 2 smoothies a week for 3 months
9. Go for a horseback ride at least 4 times in 2015
10. ~~Take an animal communication or reiki class~~
11. Teach one reiki class on my own
12. Learn one new energy modality
13. Have 2 beauty treatments per month in 2015
14. Write 3 new songs
15. Write 3 new poems
16. Make one piece of jewelry a month for 12 months
17. Hike 4 miles round trip Bright Angel trail Grand Canyon.
18. Go on one overnight backpack trip
19. Hike Havasupai
20. Photograph 10 high School Seniors
21. Photograph 5 actors/musicians
22. Go to the ocean
23. Go back to Mississippi
24. Go back to New Orleans
25. 10 new hypnotherapy clients
26. Get Prosperity for Musicians published on CD Baby
27. Produce 2nd program of Prosperity for Artist series
28. Write book on wedding planning
29. Write book on Outdoor Fun in Arizona
30. El Dorado Hot Springs
31. Strawberry Park Hot Springs
32. One drawing or painting a month for 12 months
33. Produce 3rd program of Prosperity for Artist series
34. One newsletter minimum per quarter in 2015
35. Sell 5 pieces of made by me jewelry
36. Sell 5 fine art photographs
37. Sell 5 drawings or paintings.
38. Golden Retriever puppy
39. Develop business plan for equine reiki clients
40. Sing at karaoke at least once a month for 6 months
41. Learn Water is Wide on my guitar
42. Learn Leaving On a Jet Plane on my guitar
43. Learn Walking After Midnight on my guitar
44. Learn Muskrat Love on my guitar
45. Go back to open mic at least once in next six months
50. Blog Az Hiker Girl once a month for 6 months
51. Blog photography once a month for 6 months
52. Blog Soul's Whisper once a month for 6 months
53. 10 new reiki clients
54. Sing with my fav singer at one of his restaurant gigs
55. Hike Boynton Canyon to the end and back.
56. Make fresh strawberry lemonade
57. Go to diamond point to dig for crystals
58. Learn and commit to memory all meanings and uses of Ametrine
59. Learn and commit to memory all meanings and uses of Amethyst
60. Learn and commit to memory all meanings and uses of Rose Quartz
61. Declutter 3 banker boxes of stuff
62. Design an equine art t shirt and sell
63. Read 4 books in 2015
64. Read 4 more books during course of goal
65. Drive Northern AZ portion of Great Western Trail
66. Drive to Crown King
67. Drive entire Great Western Trail
68. Organize and do a Girls weekend camp out
69. Create or adapt 5 new meals for camping.
70. Start charging for oracle card readings
71. ~~Set up email on phone~~
72. Have 2 of my portraits used for cd covers
73. Go to one networking group once a month for 6 months
74. Go to coffee chat at least once a month for 6 months
75. Go to at least one reiki share per quarter for 12 months
76. Initiate groundwork program with one horse at Tierra Madre
77. Contribute to one fundraiser at Tierra Madre in 2015
78. Book 5 Affinity weddings in 2015
79. Go kayaking 6 times in 2015
80. Get pfd for dog
81. Take dog kayaking at least once.
82. Go snowshoeing at least once
83. Do an overnight trip on horseback
84. Ride my bike 10 miles
85. Save 5% of each job in 2015.
86. Save $100 in coin
87. Go dog sledding
88. Camp and kayak canyon lake
89. Paddle second half of Blue Ridge Reservoir
90. Make a souffle
91. Record an EP to give to my friends
92. Go to Chimayo with Pat
93. Visit Atlanta
94. Create a book of my cowgirl poetry and photos
95. Overnight paddle trip down a river
96. Photograph Grand Canyon in snow
97. Jerome Ghost Tour
98. Eat 2 apples a week for 3 months
99. Go back to Darien
100. Order Tupelo Honey
101. Eat a roadside peach in Georgia

Interest Lost? Never, Ever.

2014-05-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

A friend asked me recently if I had lost interest in hiking, noting that on facebook I was so excited about my kayak and what I could do with it and the fact that I didn't talk much about long hikes anymore. My answer had more to do with pain, working around limitations and lifestyle than loss of interest.

One of my greatest loves are horses. In October 2012 I had an accident that changed me forever. I lost control of a young horse and ended up flat on my back in a high mountain meadow. While I am so lucky to be alive and not only able to ride again, but to have conquered my fear of being in the saddle, I was left with permanent nerve damage in my right hip. In the months and year since that free fall I have had few days without some level of pain. Walking on level ground is no problem, I could go for miles, but hiking varied terrain is another story. Two hours in the saddle leaves me in pain the next day....but paddling? There's joy there. Paddling is easy on my hips and the rotating motion eases the pain in my shoulder. It loosens up my back and like hiking, being on the water feeds my soul. It's a different exploration in the arms of Mother Nature and keeps me outdoors where I most like to be.

I still hike...I do more of the baby stuff now, the trails marked easy and am grateful to do so. Once in a while I tackle a more intermediate trail knowing that there is going to have to be a date with some pain medication and ice packs on the other side. Trekking poles are my best friend regardless of how gentle the terrain now. I love reading about new trails and noting which trails sound like they will be interesting at this current level...and I know one day soon I will be back to not worrying about how much it's going to hurt at the end of the trail.

So there you have it...I will always be the Arizona Hiker Girl, sharing tips and tricks, vids and trails, just wielding a paddle and reins along with my trekking poles.

Exploring one of the many islands at Lake Pleasant. Copyright Marcia Mauskopf 2014

Product Review ~ MSR Alpine Spatula

2014-05-13T18:58:00.001-07:00

Wanna see a grown woman cry? Watch her boil water half asleep for her morning coffee and lift the pot to find her MSR Alpine spatula melted to the side of it.

Yep! Someone washed dishes (not me) the night before and thought the grill of the cook stove a grand thing to double as a drying rack. Truthfully, only one edge was wasted, but it was a good excuse to replace it with a fresh one :)

I really like camping products that are lightweight and stowable, foldable, as in take the least room possible. At 21 grams this little tool is as strong as it is lightweight, has a strong joint as well as being just big enough to flip a midsize pancake or quesodilla. The serrated edge is a nice bonus and the handle is generous enough to keep your hand a bit away from the heat.

At $5.95 I can't say enough about this little tool...except that someday all my kitchen will be this ultralight and happy.

MSR Alpine Spatula copyright Marcia Mauskopf 2014

Late Night Surfing ~ Rahelio and Sedona

2014-05-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

Remember my friend Rahelio? I blogged about him a while back. His tours are way, way different than other tours like say....Pink Jeep. I love hiking with him, listening to him tell stories of ancient times, spirit and even UFO's. He has taught me more than you can know about nature, geology, serenity and peace and oh, yeah, did I mention UFO's?

We go out on my birthday every year. My favorite memory? A hike to a little hidden room along a stream bed. We squeezed between two boulders to the inside of an opened box. red rock floor and walls, ledges for seats and a small tree for shade, bright blue sky above and an orchestra of tiny birds for our music. On the way back to the trail head he bent over, picked up a small stone and with a flourish said happy birthday as he handed it to me. I opened my hand to find a small red heart. How in the world did he spot it in the midst of thousands of small stones we were walking along? All he would tell me is that he noticed it on the way up the trail and made a note of where it was to gift to me on the way back.

This is such a fun interview with him and has a beautiful, peaceful view of Cathedral Rock. If you are looking to expand your consciousness while exploring Sedona's vistas, He is number one in my book. you can book your hiking experience with him through Mystic Tours with Rahelio. Enjoy and Namaste.

Those campfire recipes ~ Easy Fruit Crisp

2014-04-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

What's for dessert? It doesn't matter if I'm at home or in camp I hear this phrase...sometimes it's someone else, sometimes its in my own head. Every one's ears perk up when they hear this one...apple crisp, anyone? You can make this with any kind of pie filling and adding dried fruit makes it even better.

This was made in a 10" dutch oven, but if someone out there has found a different way to make it, please let me know.

You'll need:
1 dutch oven liner
aluminum foil
1 can pie filling (I like apple and peach)
4 packets maple/brown sugar instant oatmeal
1 stick butter
non-stick spray
charcoal
dutch oven.

Light 20 coals. Lightly grease liner with non-stick spray then spread pie filling evenly. Top with instant oatmeal then dab butter over the topping (the more butter the better in my book).

Crumble 4 balls of aluminum foil and place on bottom of dutch oven. This will hold your liner above the surface of the dutch oven ensuring more even cooking. Put liner in oven and make sure lid is on tight. Place oven on 8 evenly spread coals and put another 12 coals on the lid. Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Easy Fruit Crisp.This one is Peach, I later made it better with the addition of dried blueberries. Copyright M. Mauskopf 2014

The Staples To My Camping Trips

2014-04-23T13:11:00.001-07:00

I am often asked what constitutes a staple for my camp kitchen or hiking pack. Truth be told, it changes as I change. Lately there have been a number of Mountain House freeze dried meals because they are remarkably good. My big rules are as simple as possible, as compact as possible, as little refrigeration as possible.

With that said, here is what I normally carry for a 3 day camping/day hiking trip. Depending on what I am doing I do add some fresh items, but I try to keep that to a minimum.

Maple Instant Oatmeal
Salt
Pepper
Cinnamon
Summer Sausage
Instant Coffee
Instant Drink Mixes
Tea Bags
Hot Chocolate
Tuna (in foil packets)
Chicken (in foil packets)
Top Ramen (chicken flavor)
Peanut Butter
Dried Chives
Butter
Cheddar Cheese
Tortillas
Mountain House Scrambled Eggs with Ham, Red and Green Peppers
Pie Filling
Shelf stable Milk in 8 oz. containers
dehydrated refried beans
dehydrated mixed vegetables
dehydrated blueberries
instant loaded mashed potatoes
Water
Apples
Dried Fruit such as apricots and prunes
Vaccuum packed ground beef
Taco or Tostada Shells
Au Gratin Potato mix
Jiffy Pop

Just a few of the items in my camp kitchen. ©Marcia Mauskopf 2014

What can I do with just these items in three days?

Breakfast
Oatmeal and scrambled eggs

Lunch
Poor Man's Pad Thai
Cheddar Cheese Quesadillas
Crackers and Cheese with Summer Sausage Apples and Dried Fruit

Dinner
Shepherd's Pie
Bean and ground beef tacos (fresh cabbage added)
Tuna Casserole

Desert
Fruit Crisp
Popcorn

What can you do with the items above? Let me know what you come up with, I'd love to share recipes with you.

Those Campfire Recipes ~ Tailgate Tacos

2014-04-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

I'm always checking out new to me items in the grocery store and trying to figure out how I can create meals in the campsite...my requirements? Little prep and bonus points for non-refrigeration. I found a couple of items recently that turned into Tailgate Tacos.

Albertson's has dehydrated refried beans in a seven oz. package. Add water and simmer for five, count'em, 5 minutes and you're set. I've seen bulk dehydrated beans at Winco also, but this is already measured, a big plus for me. Walmart stocks vacuum packed pre-cooked and seasoned ground beef. Six ounces of goodness just ready to heat up. These two items inspired me to an easy first night camp dinner.

Tailgate Tacos
makes 10 tacos

One 7 oz. package Mexicali Rose Instant Mexican Refried Beans
Two and one half cups water
One package Rosarita Spicy Seasoned Beef Crumbles
One package El Paso Stand and Stuff Taco Shells
One 8 oz. package Shredded Mexican Cheese
One 14 oz. Package Shredded Cabbage
Hot Sauce or Salsa

Mix water, beans and ground meat in skillet and simmer 5 minutes or until beans are fully re-hydrated. Layer taco shells with meat/bean mix, shredded cheese, cabbage and salsa. Eat :)

©Marcia Mauskopf 2014

Late Night Surfing ~ The Arizona Trail

2014-04-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

Can't sleep either? Here is the full length documentary The Walk Across America.

Rocking Ancient Art ~ V-Bar-V Heritage Site, Sedona AZ

2014-04-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

Southern Sinagua Rock Art in Sedona AZ @Marcia Mauskopf

My GF Pat Bullock Williams always has the best ideas :) Recently she wanted to go check out these petraglyphs just outside of Sedona...now, I had been out this way before, even on the road out to the site, but never quite made the last half mile to the parking lot.

V-Bar-V Heritage site is both an easy drive and easy hike that can be done by almost anyone. Note that you do need a Red Rock pass to park, but admission is free beyond that. Once parking your car, the petroglyphs are only about a half mile away on a wide trail that runs through shady forest. Start your visit by taking the main trail to the Visitor Center and make sure to bring water as there is none on the property. While the hike is short you will want to spend quite some time viewing the rock art.

So what will you see when you get to the site? Only the largest and most well preserved petroglyphs in the Verde Valley. Created by the Southern Sinaugua Tribe, the glyphs were drawn between A.D. 1150 and 1400. It's awe inspiring to know that they have survived so many centuries of wind and rain as well as the hand of man and I highly recommend visiting this site at least once, I know I'll be back very soon.

For more information go to Verde Valley Archeology Center.

Late Night Surfing ~ When You Just Can't Find Jiffy Pop

2014-03-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

A fast and dirty way to have popcorn by the campfire :)

Those Campfire Recipes ~ Pigs In A Blanket

2014-03-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

Want to surprise every one on your next trip outdoors? Serve up some Pigs In A Blanket paired with spicy brown mustard and you will be pronounced camp chef royalty. Easy to make with the help of your trusty dutch oven and oh.so.good.

You'll need:
1 dutch oven liner
aluminum foil
2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 package little smoky cheese and beef sausages
non-stick spray
charcoal
dutch oven.

Light 20 coals. Lightly grease liner with non-stick spray. Cut each crescent roll into 3 triangles and wrap a sausage in each one.* Spray liner and arrange on tray one deep. you will have to make this in at least 2 batches depending on your size dutch oven.

Crumble 4 balls of aluminum foil and place on bottom of dutch oven. This will hold your liner above the surface of the dutch oven ensuring more even cooking. Put liner in oven and make sure lid is on tight. Place oven on 7 evenly spread coals and put another 13 coals on the lid. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with mustard.

*Note: little smokies have about 40 pieces in the package and you actually have enough crescent rolls for 48 so cut 40 pieces of dough and reserve the rest to stuff with something else or just enjoy a crescent roll or two for yourself.

Pigs In A Blanket. Everyone was so surprised when these showed up at a camp potluck. Copyright Marcia Mauskopf 2014

Late Night Surfing~ The Dakota Fire Hole

2014-02-13T22:46:00.000-08:00

A Little bit different kind of "Cook Stove".

Late Night Surfing ~ Awesome Car Camping Idea

2014-01-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

How to extend the square footage of your living space in wooded areas. A rope, a tarp and tent gives you shelter for all your gear.

Sunday Surfing ~ DIY Freezer Bag Cozy

2013-08-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

A few times now we have looked at how to make your own freezer bag meals. The one thing missing with using plastic bags is insulation when making hot foods. Here is the solution, a DIY bag cozy.

If you get yours done before me, send me a note letting me know how it worked and if you modified yours to improve the one in the video.

Sunday Surfing ~ A trip to Canyon de Chelly

2013-07-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

I love this place...I love walking around the rim, hiking the trail to White House Ruins and Jeep touring the canyon bottom. On my bucket list? Exploring by horseback. This rugged canyon is the stuff Cowboy movies are made of and that is my cup of tea. This is a wonderful segment from the show The Mysteries of Monterey that features a Zuni-Navajo Indian Guide who tells stories of his people as he shows off this beautiful canyon. I won't be able to go back for a while so in the meantime you can be sure I will be watching this vid over and over again :)

Product Review ~ Long Handled Lexan Spoon.

2013-06-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Alright, I admit it, I am both a gadget hound and lazy. Anything that will get me out of cleaning will light up my heart, especially on the trail. I just don't want to be bothered by it if I can get out of it! I've really come to appreciate freeze dried meals for their lightness and simplicity...but until now I had to dirty a dish or two for each meal. This long handled spoon just changed my life.

Ok, I might have exaggerated a bit, but really, this simple addition turned out to be a cool thing. It's long enough to reach into the bottom of a freeze dried meal, eliminating the need for dishes. I so far haven't melted it or broken it so that makes me happy and even though you can't tell in the photo it's a pretty shade of blue. The bowl is just the size I prefer and even though the food is very hot, it doesn't seem to retain the heat so I have yet to burn my mouth on it's surface.

I like this and it is a cheap addition to my camp kitchen, only two bucks at REI. I never knew I needed it til I got it and now you'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands to get it from me.


My long handle spoon is just the right size to scrape the bottom of a freeze dried meal. Copyright Marcia Mauskopf 2013

Sunday Surfing ~ Hand Warmers And Their Many Uses

2013-01-13T14:59:00.000-08:00

I get styes...I get styes and I get them at the worst of times. Once I got an enormous one hiking in Sedona. What to do? What to do? I always carry hand warmers and a bandanna, so I wrapped a warmer in my bandanna and tied it around my head crossing my eye. It worked! It soothed my stye in 15 minute increments and by the end of the day it had gone down considerably. I bet you have a couple of unique uses for these little survival tools, here's a list of 10 more to make your life easier on the trail.

Sunday Surfing ~ Willow Lake Loop, Prescott AZ

2012-11-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

5.7 miles of white dot marked easy trails with panoramic views...if this sounds like your cup of tea, this trail is for you. Three quarters of a mile were all that stood between closing the loop around Willow Lake and with the addition of this new segment you can seasonally make it all the way around. This newest part of the trail, the East Bay trail segment does pass along shallow lake bed which sometimes fills up with water, making it in passable for part of the year.

I am really excited about this new addition and can't wait to hike it myself...hope to catch you on the trail, soon.

Challenging Life's Challenges

2012-10-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the shortest distance is the greatest challenge. Whether it is scaling a steep rock by fingers and toes or limping down a gentle slope with a grievous injury, circumstances often provide greater challenges than Mother Nature herself. And it's with overcoming these obstacles that we often find our greatest source of healing and release.

How many times have you looked at a challenge and taken it to find empowerment on the other side? Crossing the Grand Canyon, hiking alone into the desert for an over nighter, vision quest, or maybe just pushing a temporary condition past it's limit to prove to yourself that everything was going to be ok? We need our obstacles to have something to master, to prove to ourselves that yes.we.can.

Earlier this month on vacation I had a mis-hap that left me unable to even step up a curb without help. A scant week later I stared up the little mountain on Airport Mesa, wanting so much to feel the air on my face and gaze at the valley below. A gentle upward slope, trail cut with stair steps, only maybe 50 steps between the parking lot and where I wanted to be. 50 steps bigger than the curb of a week before. Walking stick in hand, leaning heavily, pain coating each movement, I slowly made my way to the top. And standing there, a desert breeze rustling my hair, I knew that somehow, eventually I would be ok.

Sunday Surfing ~ The Kitchen On Your Back, Aussie Style

2012-09-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

I ran across this vid and was enchanted by the girl in it...she is just plain "spunky"! While it doesn't look like the Aussies have an secrets over us, she does give a couple of ideas that I had forgotten about (like searching Asian Markets). Give a listen and see if you do everything she does, and if you try some of her recipes, well, don't forget to wash your "billie"...

Sunday Surfing ~ Freezer Bag Cooking

2012-07-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

Haven't tried this yet on hot foods, but I am intrigued by the possibilities :)

Where I've Been and Great Local Bulk Food Offerings

2012-06-18T10:15:00.001-07:00

So, although I didn't mean to, I've been strangely absent from blogging in general and this blog in particular. I looked so forward to January...after the Holiday rush and deliciously cool weather to explore the Arizona Trails. This January though, something special happened. It seems that this was the year that I was destined to learn some new skills. I received an opportunity to be part of a certification program for an industry I have always been interested in and I jumped at the chance to learn a little more. Long story short, the program was such a success for me that I opened up a second business and, well, that's where I've been. Now, even with running two businesses, there has been some downtime and while I would have loved to go hiking, new skill number 2 came into being, really learning to paddle. My husband and his buddies have been doing it for a few years and I would jump in and sit off shore a bit, but this year marks the time I decided to really be active with this. So, between these couple of new things, I haven't much made it anywhere except a few yards up Thunder Mountain Trail in Sedona (which I really need to tell you about sometime because it was a short but momentous hike).

With all that said, I did want to share a special find with you. Winco recently opened here in the Phoenix area and I was really impressed with their bulk food section. They boast over 600 items in their bulk department and there is so much for us Outsiders in terms of dehydrated foods. This is truly a "just add water and your imagination" situation. My current favorite find there is the # 2172 Soup mix, vegetable blend. So far I've used it to bulk up dried chicken soup, added it to tuna salad and tried it just on it's own. I've also gotten the dried refried beans, cheese sauce powder and based on how good these were, looking forward to making the dried grits. Along with having a huge selection of items great for the trail, many of them come with recipes, making it easy to understand the basics so you can advance to your own crazy concoctions. I highly recommend you check it out. Phoenix currently has two locations, both on West Bell Road. Hope to see you there!

Sunday Surfing ~ The Peavine Trail, Prescott, AZ

2012-05-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

Prescott has such a varied landscape, from acres of grazing land (where I saw my first herd of pronghorn antelope) to the monoliths of Granite Dells. This vid shows just a bit of the variation on a very easy hike with great views of Watson Lake. One of the few Rails to Trails projects, this six mile trail was actually cut by the Santa Fe Railway in 1893. Take a walk from your couch now and plan to visit it in person, soon.

When Good Things Go Bad...My Experience Yesterday At One Of My Favorite Outdoor Stores

2012-04-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

I want to preface this by warning that this is a rant...a long one. I'm frustrated and need to vent. If you choose to read from here, know that this is a blog post of textbook proportions...and a eulogy to what I considered one of the great events of my outdoor world.

********

REI, you had such a good thing going...why, oh why...

Sometimes an event lives great because it offers so much more than it intends. When it's a store putting it on for the sake of it's customers (and I'd like to think as a thank you for loyalty) it goes far beyond a vehicle for making a sale.

We have loved the Garage Sale that this location put on for so very long. We would get in line at 5am with the other die hards and laugh at the people waking up in their sleeping bags (while secretly wishing that we had the cojones to do the same since they were going to get the VERY best deals). A couple years running Krispy Kreme came across the street with boxes of donuts to cheer our early morning wait.

But it was the people that made it. We'd hang out in the early morning hours with other outdoor enthusiasts trading stories and secrets about local trails, lakes and camping sites.

...and then, with nervous excitement we'd charge into the parking lot like mad men, snatching up sleeping bags and hiking shoes for pennies on the dollar, thanking the REI gods that we, the chosen few, the members, would have such an opportunity to feed our equipment cravings at unheard of prices.

Flash forward to yesterday...I evidently missed the memo that the "new and improved" garage sale was happening in the store, up in the clinic room. Clutching my 20% off coupon we made our way through the crowded parking lot, J. with visions of using it for a new bike seat while I ready to fight him for a chance to restock my hiking sock drawer at 20% savings. We walked in to signs advertising the garage sale and a very long line of people waiting to go up stairs for their finds of the year. J. got in line and I went to hunt for new feet cushions. Several minutes later, he found me to let me know that he had to get out of line to get tickets for the sale, but was assured that it was a 30 minute wait and he was going to the bike department until our numbers were called.

I was dubious...the line looked like it was for an E-ticket ride at Disneyland and the people in it weren't looking any happier than if it was 98º with screaming kids at said park. Long story short...it was 2 full hours before we were called to that upstairs secret clubhouse. Once there, we were told we had a very generous 10 minutes to shop...we picked up a few things. set them down in frustration when neither of us could get to the clothes and walked out of the store empty handed.

REI management, this is an epic fail in my opinion. You turned a wonderful community event into a vehicle to hold your members hostage in hopes of their making full price purchases while waiting for a disappointing chance to make the killer buy that we dreamed yearly about...and worse yet, you didn't even make the sale that we intended...you didn't sell the $53 bike seat, you didn't sell the $17.95 socks but you did manage to piss off a couple of members who have been on your roster for 25 years.

Sometimes a sales event is more than the sum of the profits or in this case the decluttering of the returns bin. Sometimes it's a way to show your customers the loyalty they've shown you... we heard repeatedly that this was much easier on the employees and management than the old parking lot sale. This was much harder on us as consumers and so unsatisfying to wait two hours for a 10 minute opportunity. The parking lot sale was one day of chaos for the employees a couple times a year...is that too much to ask from a store that we've been loyal too for half our lives?

Pinnacle Peak, A Scottsdale Favorite

2012-03-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

I love this hike...can I just say that up front? Even though it is often heavily trafficked, I always feel like I have enough space to cruise along at my own pace, able to stop and enjoy the changing view. I'm intrigued by the pinnacle, walls of granite that seem to change shape to me as the light changes, I could watch them forever.

Smooth trails take you up about 1300 feet to beautiful views of Scottsdale and beyond. The Sierra Club has rated this a moderate hike but I do feel that the mountain itself has enough little nooks and crannies to stop and sit or lean against that it's doable for most people, taken slow enough. Whether meandering like I like to do or jogging to the summit the wide, groomed trail takes you through beautiful plants and vistas along it's 1.75 miles. It's a one way trail for hikers (meaning you double back) that summits at 2889' and there are multiple areas for experienced rock climbers, too. This is a very popular hike so be prepared for both hikers and joggers to share the trail with you. Also be aware that dogs and bikes are not allowed here.

Parking is ample and water, restrooms and shade are provided at the base. I love hanging out after I get done and just watching the birds and other small animals from the shade of the ramada. The hours change according to the season, but basically run sunrise to sunset. Detailed info can be found here.

Me and The Peak.