Arizona Meet & Greets

adding @matictundra, @Vizsla

Planned for a 1730 meet at 33.17863° N, 111.35152° W

but…

Keeping an eye on the weather…

 

Depending on how weather conditions change, we’ll make a go/no-go at 1500…

 

Wishing I could make it today. You guys be safe if you end up going.

 

weather certainly isn’t on our side. Looks like we’re gonna postpone this trip out. We’ll post another here in the near future.

-JS

 

Anything going on the first week in March? Getting some work done at SDHQ, might need some suggestions on places to check out.

 

We can definitely set something up. What are you looking to do? Hit up some trails or just hobnob? Lots of stuff to do here in March.

 

I’d like to check out some of the trails. Might spend some time at Coconino National Forest, on my way to SDHQ. Used to follow some ultra runners who trained in that area. I’ll get a better idea once I get off work and figure out the times. March 3 is the appointment so anything before or following day, should be available.

 

I’m not familiar with much up north, but maybe @helidave has some ideas? @AZBoatHauler also goes everywhere and flipped some ideas for T2S side quests in April and can maybe chime in here.

 

@BiggHertz and I are heading to Box Canyon (Florence) Saturday afternoon for a sunset/night run out there. Let me know if you’re interested and I can post more deets.

 

Man that sounds like fun, not sure I can make that

 

Pretty much everything in Coconino NF around flagstaff is closed, unfortunately. They lock all the gates after the first snow. The Cinder Hills area on the east side of flag is usually the only trail open in the winter. If you go further south towards sedona, prescott, and tonto national forest things start to open up.

 

Walnut Canyon is one of my favorite spots around Flag. All forest service roads but great views off the edge.

What do you have for skids / sliders? Schnebly Hill Rd coming down I-17 is a cool way to see Sedona but ideally you have some sort of armor as it can get washed out pretty bad. Broken Arrow is insanely beautiful and a short trail but you’ll want sliders or you’ll risk body damage.

Depending on how much dirt you want, you could take the 89 out of Sedona to Prescott and then take Senator Highway down towards Phoenix.

 

Full RCI skids, along with gas tank. No sliders yet, feel like I would just bang my shins on the step since I don’t really need the help in and out of the truck. This would probably be my first time really going off roading. Last trail I drove in Colorado was just a dirt road. I asked for an easy trail to get some practice on and barely needed 4wd.

 

I did Broken Arrow a few times pre-sliders, wasn't an issue. 3/1.5 lift with 295/70/18. When I had the crappy stock running boards, I did scrape them once, but that was it

 

So...my next trip to the "basin" will be the week after next. I know it's not really a meet and great, and it's a pretty short trip (I fly in 8:30pm on Monday and have to be back at the airport at 6:30pm on Wednesday), but figure I'd at least toss it out there.
I'll be staying in Chandler and the job site knocks off around 2:30/3pm. It's been a LONG time since I traveled down to the valley, but looks like it's an easy 1-1/2 hours down the highway. So if anyone wanted to forsake their Valentine (or bring her along) to have a beer or some food with the RainMan...I'll be open to it. Just no roofies - I'm a terrible lay and I have to be back on the job site at 7am.

Just let me know...otherwise I'll probably be hanging out in Chandler playing bingo or trivia at some sports bar with some of the project team.

 

Have you checked out Casual Pint yet? They’ve got a ton of beer on tap and a cooler full of cans and bottles. I’m not sure what the food selection is there nowadays but they at least had appetizers and stuff last time I was there.

Let me know where you end up with the team and I should be able to swing by!

 

Still working angles to make it to T2S. These little 48-hour trips down during the week make it really hard to get into trouble.

 

Dude… make it happen. It’ll be fun. Or a complete train wreck. But also fun.

 

Can you do extended stays or only what work requires of you

 

It's more about a healthy balance of home life. Normally I could tack on a day or so on either end (like come down on Saturday or Sunday morning) without any issues. Just this particular trip sits in the middle of a series other shit going on:
I have to visit the jobsite again before end of February
Wife is out of town this week until 11:30pm next Saturday night (2/11) and I need to take care of the homestead
I'm on the road to Montana on 2/17 in the afternoon
I'm home from Montana on 2/20 sometime late evening
I'm on a plane to Denver on 2/22 (work)
I'm home from Denver on 2/25
Daughter's birthday is 2/27

That leaves me a pretty small window to get to the site, and I don't want to pick my wife up at the airport on Saturday night near midnight and turn around and fly to AZ the next morning.

Subsequent trips I will have a bit more flexibility in my timing. That's actually how I'm shooting to be able to make it down to T2S...I just have to convince my better half that I should be trusted in Sedona camping with a bunch of people I only know from the internet (except Jake - I've actually met him ). I mean...I've already flown to Florida and stayed with the Mafia godfather himself, and two trips to Texas now to work on someones pickup truck and stay with a well known avian government spy. And I did let her book a trip to do a retreat in Costa Rica that she arrived at just this morning...

 

Trying to get everyone down here divorced?

 

LOL...
not at all.
Worst day in the world to be on the road when you're married.
I need to make fucking sure I have a good gift stashed before I leave.

Like I said - T2S is hopefully gonna be the "real" chance to meet this crew.

 

If you are passing by Cheyenne I’ll be around. Can hook you up with some Mary’s Mountain Cookies for the road.

 

I’m officially in the basin. Checked into hotel 20 minutes ago and trying to get a quick bite.
No plans tomorrow after leaving the job site…which is likely around 3pm.

 

Bunch of weirdos down there be careful @RainMan_PNW lol

 

No shit
I’m a little scared to go out with any of them on Valentine’s Day…
I don’t want to wake up with a foggy memory and a sore butt.

 

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do for that steak dinner.

 

Tube steak...

 

Circular sirloin