Framing Getting Close To Done

Lots going on the past couple weeks.  The columns were put up and the roof extended out.  The plumbers and electricians are still hard at work.  The low voltage guy also started the networking.

Yavapai County Fair 2024

I never cared for the county fair in San Diego.  It was too crowded and expensive and was more like Disneyland than a fair.  But the Yavapai County fair is more like a traditional fair.  We went to see the animals.  Unfortunately, a big storm rolled in and we weren't able to see the rodeo.

Sleepy pig

Flagstaff Day Trip

For Labor Day, we headed up to Flagstaff for a planned overnight jeep camping trip.

• First stop was the visitor center at the train station.  We picked up a list of local hikes.
• We tried hiking Buffalo Park but there was an event going on and we couldn't get close enough to park.  We then tried getting lunch but downtown was very crowded so headed out.
• Hiked Fatman's Loop which is a very nice loop.
• Checked out Cinder Hills OHV.  It was very crowded and the road was super bumpy so we turned back.
• Drove the scenic loop through Sunset Crater NM - it was raining on and off but we did the short walk at Lava Flow.
• Took the loop to Wapatki NM.  We made a couple of stops along the road but the rain and wind kept us moving along.
• Head down 89 to Whitehorse Rd (FS 418).  The plan was to look for a campsite but it was too rainy so we made the drive through.  It was very scenic and we saw lots of hunters driving around.
• We took Hart Praire Rd (FS 151) and then headed home.

Sunset Crater

Getting caught in the rain

Flagstaff Visitor Center

Jeep Tire Upgrade

In preparation for my recent Sedona trip, I upgrade the tires on the Jeep.  To get some additiona clearance, I went with 35" AO2's on the stock rims.  There is some question on wether you can fit 35's on the rims but it has worked well so far.

To support the larger tires, I also had to get a new spare tire mount.  I went witht the Rugged Ridge Spartacus mount.  This gives the tire more room and also strengthens the tailgate so I can safely mount gas cans on the tire.

Summit 4x4 did great work on the installation.  They even made a custom mount for the stupid pedestrian warning speaker.

Newly installed tire mount

Sedona Vacation

My brother and his wife were in town before their big move and we headed up to Sedona for a few days.  We headed out through Jerome and had a great lunch and coffee.

Once in Sedona, we did a quick hike at Moon Ranch along Oak Creek.  I took a quick swim in the creek right before it dumped rain on us.  After cleaning up, we had a great dinner at Hudson.

We started the next day with coffee at Viewpoint Coffee then hit Soldier's Pass.  This is a cool short trail with plenty of obstacles.  We made stops at Seven Sacred Pools, the sinkhole and the end of the trail.  Lunch was at the airport which is very nice.  Afternoon we headed up Dry Creek Road and made stops at Devil's Bridge and Van Deren cabin.  On the way back, we gave a ride to some folks that were having a hard time hiking back in the heat.  A wonderful dinner was had at Mariposa.

The next morning, we met up at FreeForm coffee and parted ways.  Jyoti and I did Broken Arrow with stops at Submarine Rock and Chicken Point.  One final stop at the closed ranger station and a nice short drive back home.

Chicken Point - Broken Arrow Trail

Broken Arrow Trail

Clouds along the trail

Devil's Bridge

Seven Sacred Pools - Soldiers Pass Trail

Hiking to Buddha Beach

Downtown Jerome

Animals!

We caught some wildlife on our property.

Doe and fawn

Rabbit

Skunk

Turkeys

Bird in Flight

Framing and HVAC

The framing is getting close to finishing.  I think they are waiting for the last of the columns to be delivered.  Hopefully this week.

In the meantime, the HVAC folks installed the duct work and cassettes.  They will finish up when most of the interior is done. 

Granite Basin Hike

On the way back from the house, I stopped by Granite Basin to get in a 4 mile hike by combining Balancing Rock Trail #349 and Surprise Spring Trail #350.  It was very nice forest walk.

Lynx Lake Hike

The hike around Lynx Lake is 2.6 miles with some gentle up and downs.  It closely follows the banks of the lake and is a great way to enjoy it.  We went on a busy weekend and many people were swimming and boating.  It reminded me of Moonlight Beach a bit.

View of Lynx Lake

Sign at the south parking lot