Flagstaff

After taking in all the warm weather of Tucson, we started our journey back north with a few weeks in Flagstaff. This was quite a shock to our system given the low elevation and 70-80 degree days of sunshine we had been experiencing in Tuscon. Flagstaff sits at roughly 7,000 ft and is home to the largest contiguous Ponderosa Pine forest in the world; scenery that is quite different than the rolling hills of cacti in Saguaro NP. Together, this ancient forest combined with some interesting people/adventures, the blooming foodie scene, and small town feel of Flagstaff made this one of our favorite destinations on this trip. 

Flagstaff is surrounded by piñon-juniper woodland to alpine tundra, but it is the Ponderosa pine forest in-between that dominates the area. This tree lives on average 400 years and smells oddly of vanilla (some say butterscotch), making the hikes thru this area something really special. Our campsite was located at the base of Mt. Elden and provided some excellent hiking mere feet from our home. Fatman’s Loop was perfect for the kids as it didn’t have many steep sections, and offered scenic overlooks of Flagstaff, the city’s eastern suburbs and the surrounding countryside. Fatman’s Loop connects to the Elden Lookout trail which is what we (adults) really enjoyed as we could walk to it from our campsite. The Elden Lookout trail leads you up a staircase of petrified lava to the mountain’s summit and offers awesome 360-degree views. To the west are Bill Williams and Sitgreaves mountains; the east offers views of the Hopi Buttes and the Painted Desert. To the north are the San Francisco Peaks, O’Leary Peak, and Sunset Crater; the south offers views of Mormon Mountain, and Munds and Wilson mountains near Sedona.  Finishing up the 360-degree view is Kendrick Mountain that peeks out from behind the western slope of the San Francisco Peaks. Not to mention the 2,400 ft elevation climb in just under three miles; it’s a great trail to get your heart pumping! 

Humphrey’s Peak was another adult solo hike we really enjoyed. With the summit of 12,633 ft, it reminded these Colorado natives of some of our favorite 14ers. We were lucky enough to tackle this 10-mile hike on a relatively clear day and were treated to not only one of the most scenic viewpoints in the San Francisco Peaks, but were lucky enough to even see the Grand Canyon from the summit. This is a hike to keep you on your toes – with 3,000 ft of elevation gain, hiking across active ski runs (watch out!), snow and mud covered trails, along with the lack of signage, this trail is for experienced hikers looking for adventure.  

View from the top of Humphrey’s Peak

On a more kid friendly note, the Arizona Trail (AZT) at Buffalo Park was an easy trail to take the kids on and offered fun opportunities to get in a bit more exercise with several exercise stations throughout the park.  The AZT is an 800-mile long trail that runs thru the state from the Mexican border all the way up to Utah and winds right through the heart of Flagstaff. Along the way it creates secret little paths to leave the urban environment and enter hideaways in the woods which help Flagstaff feel like a town submersed in the wilderness of the mountains.  

The lava flow caves are an area we had hoped to visit during our stay, but unfortunately most of the roads leading to the caves are closed for the winter.  I mistakenly thought my giant truck could handle any sort of “maintained” forest road and ignored the signs for closed/unpassable roads......BIG mistake. After several hours trying to dig my 1-ton truck off an ice shelf, I can confirm that the forest rangers do in fact know what they are talking about and close the roads for good reason! Yet again, I met some incredibly interesting folks, and am forever thankful for the man who 1) found me on the side of a remote mountain road; 2) dropped everything he was doing to drive back into the forest with me and assess the damage to the truck; and 3) spent the next 6 hours helping me free the truck from snow and ice.  Why would he do this? “Treat others how you want to be treated” is what he told me. No, he would not take any form of compensation; no, he would not let me buy him a meal; and no, he wouldn’t even let me mention his name and business in this blog! Over the hours of digging, we had several fascinating conversations, including some very respectful political conversations (YES, IT CAN BE DONE!).  We could not be further from each other on the political spectrum, and yet we mostly agreed on what our overall goals were; we just had different ideas on how to get there. I found this to be quite comforting as it feels the US as a nation is very divided and emotionally charged right now. It was reassuring to know that if you take the time to listen, you can find that mostly we all want the same things. Meeting people who are different than me, who think differently, who live differently, is a huge part of this trip for our family. I felt while the truck getting stuck was a long, dirty, and difficult job, I was rewarded with yet another example of encountering the wonderful human qualities we all possess. 

I would be remorse if I did not mention some of the particularly foodie places we experienced.  Located in the historic district, Tinderbox Kitchen serves up some American comfort food, reimagined. The service was top notch, and dishes like pork belly toast did not disappoint. Shift was another fabulous restaurant with a casual feel and seasonally driven small plates.  While they offer an interactive chef’s counter, we brought the kids and the staff (who were fabulous) put us in a cozy back corner where the kids had a little room to play. Given how upscale the food was, I was pleasantly surprised at how accommodating Shift was for kids. Every dish we had was out of this world, but I can tell you I am still dreaming about the smoked olives (so good I order a second plate to go!). The kids favorite place was Fat Olives (big surprise, they serve pizza), and I have to say this restaurant far exceeded my expectations. Yes, you can get a basic pepperoni pizza. But you can also get a pizza with shaved brussel sprouts, soppressata, honey and crushed pistachios (which happened to win 3rd place at the International Pizza Expo of 2014).  The wood fired dome oven was constructed in Itay and brought over brick by brick and is 1 of only 96 restaurants worldwide to be Vera Pizza Napoletana certified to bring you something truly authentic. In short, it’s some darn good pizza. 

This trip continues to be more rewarding that I could have imagined. From seeing incredible sites, to eating at some awesome restaurants, to the incredibly diverse people we are meeting, the amount my life has been enriched is truly priceless.