Zamikazi

I went to hike Humphrey’s Peak again. I failed by getting sick at about 12,000ft. How lame!

Here are some pictures.

There was some lovely clouds around us. Yes, it started out clear and all, but the mountain was engulfed by clouds.

That sign is such a breath of fresh air…it’s nice to know you are getting close to the saddle.

Check out the rest of my photoset.

Last weekend, Xtine and I went to the Mt. Baldy Wilderness. It’s amazing, beautiful and all. Only downside is that when we went, we got the blunt of a nice thunderstorm system going through the whole area. Last I checked, the forecast looked bleak and still said thunderstorms.

Here is my Mt. Baldy Wilderness photos on Flickr.

I just will point out my favorites.

Apparently, I really like to take pictures of birds. I don’t have an amazing camera to do so, but I do realize I try to take many pictures of birds.

I really loved when the trail opened up here. This is less than a mile outside of the trailhead and I was already in love with the trail.

The stream looked awesome, I wanted to drink straight out of it. Unfortunately, that is not recommended unless you enjoy stomach pain.

The forest was very lush, I would hate to wander around in it and end up lost. It seems way to dense for that silliness.

Xtine packed much better than I did, but I realized my mistake and will remedy that next trip.

Sunday, my girlfriend, her two sisters and I decided to head up to Flagstaff to visit the lava tube. It was amazing and a little scary (I will explain that later).

I won’t bore you with too many details, instead I will tell you that it’s worth the drive and is really easy to find.

From the Coconino National Forest website:

This mile-long lava tube cave was formed roughly 700,000 years ago by molten rock that erupted from a volcanic vent in nearby Hart Prairie. The top, sides and bottom of the flow cooled and solidified first, after which the insides of the lava river continued to flow emptying out the present cave.

Pretty sweet if you ask me! It’s also a nice hike, I believe 3/4 of a mile one way. So 1.5 roundtrip, but it surely doesn’t feel like it.

As you can see a flash and a flash light barely work. You just need a really bright flash for your pictures to come out.

Getting there

1. Take the I-17 to Flagstaff.
2. Drive through Flagstaff staying on what was the I-17 towards Highway 180.
3. Take Highway 180 for about 10 miles.
4. Turn left on Forest Road 245 which is next to milepost 230.
5. Follow FR245, you will then turn on FR171. There will also be a sign telling you to turn left.
6. Follow FR171 for a little and you will see another sign.
7. Park and walk

I hope those directions are helpful. You can also go to Coconino website.

What to Bring

• Sweater
• Headlamp (better than holding a flash light)
• Backup flashlights (you never know)
• Water
• Good shoes (wet and very rocky)

Try this

Try to be alone away from your group (I had everyone go ahead). I sat there alone watching their lights fade. It was so eerie. Then I did what must be done, I turned off all my flashlights.

It’s amazing experiencing pure darkness. You can’t see a thing. After a little, you may start to hallucinate and see colors. I began to see colors out of the corner of my eyes. Then also being in pure darkness is pretty scary. You never know what could be around you, especially if you have an active imagination.

It was actually pretty eerie being the last one in the group catching up. Especially if you had read the story Floyd’s Tomb. Woo Angelfire!

I did enjoy scaring myself, even though I know there were nothing but people in there. No cave monsters or bears.