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The first time I saw Bell Rock of Sedona, AZ, I wanted to stand on its summit.

Image lifted from moonjazz’s photostream.

In December of 2009, many years later, the chance to summit happened. I pieced together the route beta and looked for partners. Brian and Blair were willing as long as we first warmed up with a bike ride.

Perfect. Single-track warm-up and a chance to scout the climb. It was overcast and a little cold, as winter’s first storm approached, but the riding was great. Sedona single-track is a classic destination, and watching Brian shred on his old school bike is always a hoot.

He was feeling the love and attempted many moves that Blair and I would not. Eventually the trail put some moves on him.

After a couple hours of bike riding, we went back to the trail head and traded bikes for foil hats and packs full of climbing gear.

Towards the end of our ride, Blair had reminded us that Bell Rock is a vortex and foil hats just might protect us from any unsolicited metaphysical energy. So Blair ran into a store and stuffed a roll of Aluminum foil into his jersey pocket. We wore our foil hats while hiking the main Bell Rock path. There we encountered numerous hikers and to these folks Brian would bow his foil caped head while saying “peace be with you”. Only Brian could at once be so sincere and so funny. Eventually we left the Bell Rock Path and headed up the West facing gully of Bell Rock.

This is the standard way up the Original Bob Kamps Route - our objective. After 30 minutes of scrambling and wondering, we found the start of the technical summit route. We split the route into two pitches.

While I fussed with the ropes, Blair and Brian played games like “how many climbers does it take to slip on a banana”.

The climbing was a little loose and chunky but there were a few classic and fun moves to make.

Blair about to summit, confident that his hat will provide protection from any harmful crystal energy.

Summit shot.

Thanks for a great day guys.

Last month James and I hiked 14+ miles down the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon.

There we found summer color.

Sazi found fishing.

They say that this is the most beautiful place in Arizona.

I understand why they might say that.
Most (if not all) the guidebooks tell that to hike the West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon you need a second vehicle at the end to shuttle back to the start… but the other option is quite simply to just walk back. That is what we did. We walked back to our vehicle via climbing the 33 switchbacks of the AB young trail.
Great views above the AB young trail.

Blue lupine flowers on the final dirt road walk back to the car.

West Fork was on my todo list for 6+ years. Thank you James, for helping me tick that one off the list.

McKenna is enjoying the colorful summer too.

She is the smallest and cutest teacher I’ve ever had…

And she loves the trail.

Last Saturday and Sunday I got out for nice little 80 mile overnight trip on my bicycle.

About the time this photo was taken on Sunday, the officials say that someone was abandoning a campfire within a few hundred meters of this location. Much of the area I rode Sunday morning is now chared or still ablaze.

The fire has topped 10,000 acres and now threatens the Inner Basin…

Wonderful biking and skiing areas are forever gone… Coworkers and friends have been evacuated from their homes…

Might as well go play and hope it’s another blessing in disguse…

I love mountain bike approaches. Pedaling uphill with ski gear is tough and usually not any faster than hiking - it really is all about the mountainbike downhill at the end of the day.

Steep spring skiing has been good.

Jump turns on soft corn snow are fun.

by Maad

by Maad

If Sazi wanted to do jump turns he would have no problem!

by Maad
When on steep exposed slopes, I am often envious of Sazi’s backcountry prowess and his toenail-crampons built into his 4-paw drive.

The snow further down the slopes has become choppy and sun-cupped.

It must be the end of spring.

Bicycle.

Skis that convert into a snowboard, and ski crampons.

Snowboard that converts into skis.

Note: when the above picture was taken, Sazi dog was barking in his usual manner which seems to suggest that I ditch all my gear, take off my clothes, and run with the wind.