Woah

Can not believe December has come and gone. I finished up finals nicely, we hung out with Tim and Elizabeth, Zach's parents came in from Illinois and then set up camp in Sedona. Angie and the kids spent a night at our house before we met the rest of the Stanford crew in Sedona for Christmas week in red rock country. The week did not go quite as I had hoped cause I caught the cold Zach had the week before. I just finally stopped blowing yellow snot. My parents came back about a week and a half ago and Zach went back to school on Monday!!

Here's a few photos of our trip.
Zach and his brothers and sisters (minus one bro)











The adult gang at PJs for the Bears game.











The tree swing.



























Preparing for the big football game.











Me and Aleigha.











Hiking around Bell.

Happy Thanksgiving.....And More pics

Compliments of mikelsall... He can take a good picture. Maybe there is something to be said for the stance. These are a few of my favorites.

On our way up Cathedral. Layla and I turned back at this point. She was getting nervous. We hiked down to the creek instead.








Dating bliss.








The Layla dog.










On Zach and Mike's ride. I think this is Submarine Rock.







And on to Prescott. This thing looked like it was giving us the finger.










Hiking up 392 around Thumb Butte.










Heading down 326.

The Ahoyts Invade Arizona

Wow, we had a great holiday weekend. Jam and Karen were out in Az so that Dr. Jam could attend a dentistry seminar in Scottsdale. After the seminar ended these peeps headed north to Prescott to visit us. Upon Justin and Karen's arrival to our house they were very amused at the severe rutted conditions of our road. Their rented fancy Toyota Avalon (low to ground) didn't handle the road too well. Friday night we hung out at the house and I made some chicken tortas and we consumed some liquid refreshments. I didn't tell Justin until the next day that I used mass quantities of butter in the beans. I knew he wouldn't eat them if he knew.

Saturday we headed to Lynx Lake for breakfast and then for a scenic drive. It was actually Justin that spotted the bobcat in our previous post. That was the first one we have seen since we have been here. Pretty cool! We then headed to Thumb Butte for a long hike. It was longer than expected cause Sara was pretending she knew where we were going.

Gathering around the stache on the Prescott hike











Sweaty Betty











After hike picnic














Then to Coyote Joes (TBone in the background with his head down)





















On Sunday we headed to Sedona for a hike on Cathedral











After our hike we did a little sight seeing and then headed back to the Quail for a relaxing afternoon and evening in the pool and hot tub (AND LOTS OF READING). Sunday morning the Ahoyts headed to Phoenix to catch their plane and Sara and I went for a ride on our normal loop.

It was a great weekend and visit. I would like to announce that Jam is moving his practice to Prescott, Az.

Sedona ride

Last Sunday Christina and I joined the Arizona Luna Chix on a ride that started at the Bike & Bean in Sedona. It was part of Alison Dunlap's clinic weekend.

It was a fun ride and the Bike & Bean hosted a BBQ after....Free food and free (good) beer. What more can you ask for. Met some cool women and we got a few good tips from Alison (cornering) and Joell (decending).

And yes, Christina and I were nerds and had Zach take a picture of us with Alison.

We get snow too!

The day after the Gardner Canyon race, Zach and I drove to Sedona to spend our spring break with my parents who are back out here for a short while. It was the strangest day. We took a short hike after breakfast on Big Park Loop and then decided we would call the remaining part of the day a rest day. Good thing because it ended up snowing pellets that day. We felt so cheated. Our first day back in Sedona and it snows. Check it out.

I mean, look! You can still see the snow on the ground the next morning!!

Luckily, the snow didn't harm the wildflowers that are starting to bloom. I've been trying to get some good shots, but I'm having a hard time focusing in on what I want with my point and shoot.


Good thing the rest of the week was sunny and 70s.

We had a great week of some new hikes and alot of our normal rides. We hiked around the base of Mescal Mtn and down in Carroll Canyon for the first time. We also checked out a spur off of Mystic.

Most of the week we just rode from where we stayed right over to Bell Rock and rode the trails from there. Llama, Templeton, HT, Mystic, Broken Arrow, Little Horse and back on the new trail.

We also rode up the ridge that overlooks cowpies. Very exposed and scary. I walked alot that day. We made it up to the saddle but we couldn't find the trail down the other side. So we rode back out to Schnebly and climbed up to the top.

There are some spectacular views from up there.


On Saturday Robert and Jack drove from Prescott to join us on a ride. It was a pretty fast day of riding.

This was taken on the top of Submarine.


Sunday morning we drove back to Prescott to meet Christina and her crew to ride up Copper Basin Road from Skull Valley. It hurt pretty bad, my legs were shot from the week of riding.

My parents met us back in Prescott to check out our new landscaping and to have one last dinner out before they head home.

Enero

Wow, where the heck did that first month go? I can not believe it's almost the middle of February.

We are loving it this week. It's rained or snowed a little bit here and there over the last few weeks, enough to make some of the trails too sloppy to ride. But today it got up to almost 60. Hopefully things will start drying off now.

But back to January. It was a big month for us. We said our goodbyes to Ken and Pat, twice. They ended up swinging by here after their cruise thru the Panama canal. Now, they are back in IL, loving all the rain and snow.

A few days after their departure, my 2 older sisters, their husbands, all of their kids, and a fun set of in-laws came out to relax for a week in Sedona with my parents. Lori hasn't been here in about 7 years, and this was Troy's first trip. It was essentially all of their kids first time out too. It's old hat for Jen and Dave.

What a week; it seems so long ago already. Breakfasts out, short hikes right out the back door from where we stay, and lots of pool and hot tub. Even with the drizzle we had the first 3 days, we were hiking during the short periods when the rain stopped and then into the pool we went. We built towers, made smores, cooked out, ate burritos, and drank a coupla beers. Put together a few puzzles and were forced to watch hours of Fox News Channel.

We had a really good time. Hopefully we'll all be able to do it again.

Hiking around the Bell.












Wine at the Brewery








Soldier's Pass








The towers at Cathedral

Panorama

Another picture from Sunday's ride. My first attempt at a panorama. Jeremy's link to the Napa Valley dude's website inspired me.


This is a view of Sedona taken during our second attempted ride up to Jerome.

Friday - Mike - day

Back over the Black Hills, we headed to meet Mike and his family. I completely miscalculated the amount of time it would take them to get to the Circle K on Bell Rock Blvd. It only took them 1 hour from the 101. I'll have to remember that. It's so unlike me to be late, so I'm sure Mike didn't mind.

Although we didn't spend much time with them, it was nice to meet his family.

We started the ride from our normal place. Our plan was to take Llama to HT to Templeton, but HT is closed b/c of the road work. So after Llama we just road back up Bell Rock Pathway and started Templeton from the beginning. Mike was riding fast. I was hanging on pretty good, but was especially pleased with how well I was riding the technical stuff. I made alot of things I've had to dismount in the past (Adam, the one on Llama I didn't even try when you were here). I am convinced my skills have improved b/c of riding Groom Creek. I can start on a dime when heading uphill now too.

It was a good hard ride....for me at least.

The craziest part of the whole day..... we rode back towards the trailhead after Templeton, but Zach and Mike added a Big Park Loop. I went back to the car to start changing and loading my bike up.

As Zach and Mike pull up, they have another rider with them. It's Christina Betz from Janesville!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What are the chances. She was stopped for a second on the trail, right when they were finishing up their loop. So they brought her back to the car to say hi.

Christina just moved to the Phoenix area and was hanging out with her parents for the holiday weekend. It was really great to see her again. Hopefully we'll hook up for a ride soon.

We said our goodbyes to Christina and then went to met Mike's parents uptown Sedona. It was a little after noon, so they were ready for lunch. Per my recommendation, they ate at the Hideaway. That's where we said our goodbyes to Mike; I hope they enjoyed their lunch.

Return

Back to Sedona on the 17th. Had to return the rented kid carrier. Jen and Dave inadvertently left Quail Ridge with one of their Red Rock passes, we returned that too. Good day of riding. We decided for a change and hit the west side of town. Parked off of Cultural Park and headed towards Cockscomb via the Girdner trail. We took a roundabout way but ended up riding near Doe Mt and Cockscomb, but wanted some steady pedaling. We dumped out onto Boyton Pass Rd and took Dry Creek Rd back to the car. Finished the day at Sally's BBQ. Another tasty new discovery.

Yikes

Think it's a tarantula??????





PS: I took 15 pictures of that guy.

Sisto

Jenny and Dave and company had an 11 o'clock arrival time. Their plane actually landed around 1pm....without their luggage. Zach and I were riding in Sedona, then getting checked in so things were in place were they got there. I ran to the outlet mall to find swimming attire for them for that first night. How awful would it be as a 3 year old to go on vacation,stay at a place with an outdoor heated pool and hot tub, and not be able to swim???? No suits to be found, so I found some cute board shorts for her, Dave got a new pair of swim trunks, and the little guy some swimmy diapers. Jen could borrow a suit of mine if she wanted to go in.

By the time I made it back from the mall and the grocery store, they were there, sipping beers, feeding their army. We had a great time. Did a couple of good hikes (Hamburger Hill, Red Rock Crossing, Cowpies), swam in the pool, carried out from some of our favorite restaurants, drank tasty beers, and enjoyed the most perfect weather. Had some yummy ice cream and found a new Sedona favorite: French baguette encased hot dog (think corn dog, minus the stick, plus high quality bread instead of corn bread). I had a hard time getting Zach to share. We spent some time and money at the Bike and Bean. Amanda had her first s'more by the fire at the Quail. Jen had a hard time convincing her she'd like it. Once she tried it Jen couldn't it get back.

Zach and I drove home Tuesday morning; he headed to work that day. I went home and took a nap (the little guy had a rough night, we were up from 2 to 3am!!) and went in to work that afternoon. Jen and Dave and kids took the scenic route through Cottonwood and Jerome and hung out at our house till we both got home that night. It's been a fun relaxing few days so far. The kids are on nap schedules so we never venture out too far.

Funny

The highs and the lows part 2

Sunday the 7th...we hit it early, drove by this obnoxious eye-sore of a house off 179. Interesting to see, and it turned out to be worth the extra few minutes...as we were driving about 1 mile an hour through the neighborhood, we had a tired and beat-down looking coyote stroll right behind our car. Of course none of us had our cameras ready. I've never seen one so close up.

From there we fueled up at the Airport. Sedona has an airport on top of Airport Mesa with a pretty tasty restaurant that has....what else, an awesome view! Ya gotta love a restaurant that leaves a carafe of coffee on the table. After a delicious breakfast and Aaron's successful fast one that he pulled on me, we drove back down the mesa and stopped at the Vortex on the way. Stacy got an update on the kids while enjoying the view and Amy just took it all in. Adam, Zach and Aaron walked up a little higher than the rest of us and did the things they do. After the Vortex we made a quick stop at the local grocer for some lip balm, everyone had been using the same tube up until that point.

Then we did a quick hike at Soldier Pass. Easier than Cathedral, but different, there's more pines and a some points of interest, Devil's Kitchen, 7 Sacred Pools, CastleRock, along the way. There is a great spot to bask in the sun. We sat for a few then headed back on the jeep road to the trailhead.

After giving Amy and Stacy detailed directions to Tlaquepaque and to a shop a little off the beaten path, Zach, Aaron, Adam and I geared up for a ride. We rode from Quail Ridge again, up Bell Rock Pathway and did a quick ride on Big Park Loop. We continued on up, past the start of Llama and on to Templeton. What a fun trail. Nice and rolling, a few good technical sections, a nice combination of dirt and slickrock. We rode to Cathedral and turned around.

The boys ran to the store to restock some essentials. Vacation needs to include some rest too, so we took another soak in the tub,



showered for dinner (yes, if you're wondering....only some of us cleaned up once again), and then watched a little TV. I think we caught some world news tonight or CNN. They had a special on Jenna Jameson. I took a few minutes to snap some photos in honor of mikelsall. Of course, they are not of the same quality, but it's the thought that counts, right?

Soon it was time for dinner. The last dinner together before the gang had to depart for Phoenix to catch their flight. We were planning on hitting Oak Creek Brewery, but then the front desk at the Quail said the food at the Cowboy Club is better. He said you can't beat the atmosphere and the beer at the brewery, but for a good steak check out the Cowboy Club. Amy drove this time, unfortunately for her. The Cowboy Club is uptown Sedona and there's alot of cars and tourists and people in the streets. Let's just say poor Amy had a few too many backseat drivers with her that night. She stayed cool though and pulled us in safe and sound into a prime parking space. Turns out we picked the perfect time to arrive. We put our name in and holed up in the front corner near the door. The view out the front door, over the cars and buildings was not too shabby.

Little did we know we picked the self-entertainment area to hang out while we waited maybe 30 or 40 minutes.


At first we just noticed the several different menus that they have to offer. But it didn't take long before Adam and Aaron discovered the western gitup they had neatly hanging for patrons to play with...I mean appreciate. They were the shoot em up brothers, part of the Tombstone gang, out to catch some dirty scoundrels....... At least in their heads they were. And it's questionable as to who exactly was dirty.

Zach missed most of the fun. He was preoccupied with a not so pleasant grandmother who tried lying to the hostess in order to get a table for her grandson's birthday. The hostess threw her out...we cheered quietly, at least most of us did, but then the granny came back and apologized. They ended up being seated right next to us on the front deck.

While we were ordering drinks, I snapped a quick shot for Tim. Dinner was good, steaks, bread, potatoes, pasta, beer, prickly pear margaritas, and a nice little chocolate treat, compliments of the chef. The Bears were playing Green Bay that night, so after dinner we walked down to this shopping area where they had TVs and benches strategically located near one another, no doubt for the patient husband waiting for his browsing wife (of course that's not always the situtation). So the boys watched the game while the girls checked out a few stores. After the win, it was time to hit the road, they had an early departure out of Oak Creek to make their flight in Phoenix.

I think they were gone by 4am. We said our goodbyes and Zach and I crawled back in to our full size pull out. It was Monday and he was on fall break all week, and I, of course, was still a lady of leisure.

Later that morning we got up and tried a new trail,
Munds Park...runs parallel with Schnebly Hill Road. It was tough. Either Zach and I were tired or we didn't feel like concentrating, or we are just plain ole cross country weenies, but we did not have so much fun on that trail. Lots of hike a bike, a broken chain...we felt like we were riding for 2 minutes and having to get off again. After about an hour we ditched the trail and took Schnebly Hill back down to the lot. We tried riding Huckaby for a little but we just weren't feeling it that day. We packed it up and headed to Sedona Memories for one of their legendary sandwiches.

Even though we were checked out, Robin at the Quail said we could come back and use the hot tub for one last soak before heading back to Prescott. I think we were home by about 5? And that's where the low part of the story comes in.

My parents had been here 2 weeks prior. After they left we were busy moving in. We had such a great time with Aaron and Amy and Adam and Stacy. It meant so much to have them visit us. We know it's not easy with the kids, nor was it a cheap trip. It helped us feel at home having them here and showing them around. Doing a little riding, a little shopping, a little hiking together. Drinking some beers, eating lots of chips and nuts. Stopping by the bike and bean. What we didn't expect was to feel so lonely once we got back home. We walked into the house and we both felt like it was about 10,000 miles from Plainfield. Grace wasn't there to greet us and Zach had the whole week to think about things. We were depressed and it was scary, having just closed a few weeks prior. Did we make a huge mistake????

We went and rented a bunch of movies that night to try and take our minds off things. Woke up the next morning, and we both must have made the decision during the night that we were not going to sulk and waste Zach's whole week off. And we did end up having a fun week, lots of riding, lots of movies, beautiful weather. But I think that whole episode really taught us a few things and made us appreciate a whole lot more, our friends and family back home. We really, really miss you guys.

A side note: The fast one's did not go unnoticed, and they will be reciprocated.