 |
| Our goal, the Eldon Mt Lookout |
The tale of the tape for climbing Mt. Eldon: 5.8 miles round trip; 2,400 ft. elevation gain/loss; 4 hours duration. Frankly, it was a big bite for us to chew, but my septuagenarian Hiker Babe made it under her own power. And it speaks volumes about our zeal. While on the trail, I kept thinking how much the ascent was like a couple of hikes I took at Philmont Boy Scout Ranch, which is located in Cimmaron, NM. When my son, Steve, then known as Steve the Beav, or Beaver Butt, was in Boy Scouts, we made two trips to Philmont. Those trips remain among my favorite experiences with my son. Today, I was remembering the steep elevation gain, the rugged footing, and the stark beauty of the high desert forest. My musings help keep my mind off the arduous nature of the hike. After the hike, we recovered for a little while, showered, and took off for lunch at the India Palace lunch buffet. We've discovered over the years that Indian food is the same at lunch as it is at dinner, except for the cost. Lunch costs half. Lunch was excellent. After lunch, I dropped Judy off at Flagstaff's version of a new kind of mall. The shops included REI, Whole Foods, Eddie Bauer, and a whole host of similar businesses. What's new is that these stores are surrounded by condos, single family dwellings, all designed, it appears, to provide residents with everything they need within walking distance. It's also located very close to NAU, the local university. I left Judy to wander as happily as a squirrel searching for nuts. Meanwhile, I found a masseuse, who found every sore spot on my body. After our respective wanderings, we walked in the historic downtown area of Flagstaff. It's going through a revival, has more than a touch of Western panache, and was quite welcoming. We stopped at one of the several brew pubs for a quick cold one before heading back to the trailer, and now we're snuggled comfortably into Frac for the night. Tomorrow, we head for Page, AZ to take a tour through Antelope Canyon. By the weekend we hope to be further North into the state of Utah. But not to rush our experience. We're happy to live in the moment, and more than happy to express gratitude about our life, which is good, especially today.
Fresh Selfie.
A couple of snow fields to traverse.
A closer view of the lookout. We actually stopped just short because the snow was quite deep and slushy near the top.
Rare sighting of a "Hiker Babe".
The footing on most of the trail was this kind of jagged edge.
This view of the San Francisco's made it all worth it.
India Palace puts out a nice buffet.
Old downtown Flagstaff is littered with nice murals. This is one.
Live rail runs right down Route 66.
It's nice to see a vibrant town center, especially since it's making such an effort to retain its history.
I saw this cartoon in the Flagstaff Live, the local newsprint rag highlighting events in the community (I love the Trump).
No comments:
Post a Comment