Northern Arizona trip: June 8-10

[timaus13]

Really enjoyed the trip report almost felt like I was there with you eating Bacon and eggs.
Great photo,s and good to hear you made it out ok.

CHeers Mate

[Rocket-scientist]

Really enjoyed the trip report almost felt like I was there with you eating Bacon and eggs.
Great photo,s and good to hear you made it out ok.

CHeers Mate

Thanks for the positive feedback! Now to start planning the next trip...

[FireGuy]

Great trip report! I graduated from Embry-Riddle in Prescott in 03. I was just there and was shocked by the growth!

[Rocket-scientist]

Great trip report! I graduated from Embry-Riddle in Prescott in 03. I was just there and was shocked by the growth!

Yeah, it's crazy how much it has changed. Luckily they've kept the school small and still focus on education.

[Rocket-scientist]

It's hard to believe this thread hit 1000 views. I'm amazed that that many people were interested in my little trip and hope some are inspired to just do it.

I never did a wrap up / lessons learned so here it is.

1: Check the weather, fire conditions, road closures no more than 24 hours before you leave. Next time I'm going to build a folder on my laptop with links to all of the above for any areas I'm going through so I can "open all" and check everything quickly.

2: Keep gear ready to go. I have all my gear split in between 2 plastic bins and my day pack. All told, it only took me an hour to load the truck. Most of that was for loading food.

3: Take your dog. If you don't have one, adopt. He will take you new places, meet new people, and slow you down to smell the roses.

4: Listen to local AM and NPR stations. You may find out new stuff in the area to do (like the mile high brew fest)

5: If youre a HAM don't forget to bring a repeater list, preferably shown on a map or GPS waypoint file. Ask park, Forrest service, and emergency personnel in the area what freqs they monitor.

6: Bring a small notebook in your pocket so you can write down ideas for a list like this instead of trying to do it from scratch.

7: Ensure your fridge (if you have one) is giving a proper temperature (mine wasn't) and install a locking powerlet instead of using a regular cigarette outlet (just ordered one).

8: Unless space is a real concern do not pre-prep meals. I had planned on doing a lot of BBQ grilling but this wasn't possible (see #1) so I had to change my chow plans. Luckily I had not placed BBQ sauce on the chicken or chopped up and seasoned potatoes for grill packs so I could stay flexible. Also, keep spices in you kitchen kit so you can shift on the fly (I made curry with the chicken).

9: Keep up on vehicle maintenance! I didn't worry about mechanical issues and could focus on the trip.

10: Just go! I wasted 36 hours trying to get my maps that I never got anyway. I could have enjoyed 2 more nights out in the back country.

I'm sure there is more, but stop reading and try #10!

[MicroOverland]

Thanks for the write up! I know how much work it is (i havn't taken the time to write any of my trips up). Last summer we spent a long weekend at Point Sublime on the north rim. What an amazing place! No crowds, no rangers, no guard rails.... like you just discovered the canyon for the first time. There is a real magic up there.