Hike Profile: taliesin overlook

.....a pleasant stroll, or mountain bike, through beautiful desert terrain. This is an easy one, which makes it a good starter trail, or a good trail to take out-of-town guests to. The trailhead is at Lost Dog Wash, which can be reached by heading north on 124th street from Shea until it dead-ends at the trails. There are several trail options from here, but this hike follows the Lost Dog Trail to the Taliesin overlook. The trail is just under 4.5 miles roundtrip, and it gains between 200-300 feet. You'll find yourself strolling through the desert on the well-groomed trails of the McDowell Mountains. The trail gives you a VERY distant overlook of a Frank Lloyd Wright project below, but that isn't the highlight of the trail, so F.L.W. fans can be prepared to be disappointed. The hike is worth doing when you want to nice easy day.

Hike Profile: camelback mountain (cholla trail)

When I think of hiking in Phoenix, there is one mountain that comes to mind above all others: Camelback Mountain. It stand as the tallest mountain within the city limits of Phoenix. There are two main trails that lead to the summit, coming from opposite directions. The Cholla trail ascends from the east, following the spine of the "camel's back". The parking situation is a little odd, since there is no parking at the trailhead. You actually have to park along Invergordon, and then walk about 1/4 mile to the trailhead. From that point, you're looking at about a 3 mile roundtrip that gains over 1,200 feet of elevation. This is one of the first hikes that started my life obsession with hiking. The trail is great, the views are awesome, and your heart will be pumping the entire hike. The only downfalls, in my opinion, are the parking situation, and the massive crowds that flock to the mountain in the cooler months. If you can stand the summer heat, there's nothing like having that trail all to yourself, drenched in sweat, standing alone on the summit. Call me crazy, but in the summer that mountain belongs to me.....all the pansies can have it when the weather cools off.

Hike Profile: gateway loop

This is another hike on the wonderfully manicured trails of the McDowell Mountains, in Scottsdale, AZ. The hike begins at the newly opened Gateway Trailhead, off of Thompson Peak Parkway, just north of Bell road. The loop is very hiker friendly. It is well marked, the elevation gain is gradual, and there are no overly difficult sections of the hike. All told, the loop is a little over 4 miles long, with only a couple hundred feet of elevation gain. The McDowell's, despite the signage and well groomed trails, have a real sense of the wild Sonoran Desert. The environment is pristine, and there are miles and miles of options for all levels of hiking and biking. Get out there and hike those trails!

Endurathon: McKinley Update

I figured it might be nice to start posting some of the details of the Alaska trip. I am officially registered to climb Mt. McKinley (aka Denali), starting on June 8th of 2010. I will be climbing with a company called Rainier Mountaineering Inc. The cost of my climb is $5,700 dollars, of which I have paid the initial $1,500 deposit. The remaining balance is due in March of 2010, and it cannot be paid by credit card...hence the need for my part time work to get the cash to pay for this thing! The cost does not cover my airline ticket, the majority of my gear, some additional fees here and there, some further transportation considerations, and I need to provide all of my lunches and snacks (RMI provides dinner and breakfast for the trip).

The trip could last anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks, depending on details like weather, the strength of our group, luck, etc. Mt. McKinley is the highest point in Alaska, the highest point in the United States, and the highest point on the entire North American continent. The elevation is approximately 20,320 feet above sea level. I have no doubt that this will be one of the hardest, if not THE hardest, thing I've ever done. I am including a link to Rainier Mountaineering Inc. in case you want to read a little more about the company and what they do. There is much more to talk about, but this will at least begin to fill in the gaps. More soon.

Hike Profile: lookout mountain

Short. Steep. Easy to get to. Uncrowded (usually).....These are all good descriptions of the summit trail at Lookout Mountain, Phoenix, AZ. The trailhead is located on 16th street, south of Greenway, where 16th dead-ends into the mountain. The trail is only 1 mile roundtrip, and it gains a couple hundred feet of elevation. It's actually pretty steep, and rocky in places, but the short distance makes for a quick-heart pumping workout. I actually like to go and do it multiple times (2 or 3), so I am assured a good workout. You can see in every direction from the summit, so as usual, the views are nice. If you're short on time, but you want a quick workout, this trail is a great option.

Hike Profile: squaw peak summit trail

This trail is a Phoenix hiking icon. Located in downtown Phoenix, AZ, this is probably one of the busiest trails around. Despite the crowds, I love this hike. It's about 2.5 miles roundtrip, and it gains about 1100 feet of elevation. The summit is jagged and rocky, the climb is sustained, and the views are great. It's an awesome climb, and a great workout. Also, easily seen from several places around the valley, I think that Squaw Peak is one of the prettiest of the peaks in town. A few years ago it was renamed Piestewa Peak, but it will always be Squaw Peak to me. This one is definitely worth your time, but try to avoid the weekends during "the season", or you'll be waiting a long time to find a parking space.

Hike Profile: shaw butte

Shaw Butte is located in downtown Phoenix, AZ. The trailhead I use is located off of 7th street, south of Thunderbird. The mountain is part of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, and the trails are well traveled. The roundtrip distance of the route I use is about 4 miles, with an elevation gain of less than 1000 feet. The route uses several different trails, but they are all well marked, and the majority of the route follows a dirt service road to the summit. After a pretty flat 1/2 mile warm up, the next 1.5 miles are consistantly uphill, but nothing too rough. The views from the top are nice, and it gives you a great shot in every direction of the ever-growing valley below you. However, there are several un-sightly radio towers up there, so if you can ignore them, it's all good. This isn't my favorite hike in the valley, but it's convenient, and it's worth doing. Check it out.

The almighty dollar.....

I spend a lot of time thinking.....watching, analyzing, reflecting..... and in my short life of 28 years, I've noticed a few things. I have found that in a society that seems very concerned about what label we're wearing, or what type of car we're driving, or how big our houses are, I feel like an outside observer because I feel no connection with the need to have the biggest, best, and newest material possessions. Don't get me wrong, when it comes to being comfortable, or needing to purchase a new piece of backpacking/outdoor equipment, I will search out the best, but it's truly a matter of function-over-form to me. I know we all have different values in life, and what's important to some couldn't mean less to others. But to me, wealth is measured in the experiences we have and the obstacles we overcome; the events that we face in our life, and the stories we have to tell. I know to some, you may read this and think that you'd take a Mercedes Benz over a great adventure any day, but I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one.

Anyway, stepping off my soap-box now, because of this lack of desire for the material, and this great desire to really LIVE my life, I work a job that I love, that pays enough to get by, and allows me plenty of time and a wonderful schedule to pursue all the trips/events/adventures that I could possibly want. Unfortunately, that doesn't include enough money to climb mountains like Mt. McKinley in Alaska, which is the first event in my "Endurathon". So, after much regret, I have been forced to......... get a part time job.

Yes, I must sacrifice some free-time to earn the money to climb my mountain. So, from now until April, I will be soaking up all the catering events and part time hours I can get my hands on, so that when June rolls around, my trip will be paid off, and I can climb my mountain. I have officially begun working for Chef Kevin Binkley, the owner/chef of Binkley's Restaurant, and Cafe Bink. There are probably a lot of easier ways to earn extra money, but I figured if I'm gonna do this, I might as well challenge myself with work as well. He's a visionary chef, really pushing the boundaries of the culinary scene in Arizona. Check out this link: Binkley's. For now, my training is going to have to be balanced with a little extra work. It's a means to an end, and that end is Mt.-fuckin-McKinley, so it's worth it.

Hike Profile: sunrise peak

This hike is in the McDowell Mountains, near the Scottsdale/Fountain Hills border, AZ. I really must say that they have done a WONDERFUL job with the trail construction in the McDowell's. The trails are great, the signage is helpful, and there are a variety of loops to create by linking the trails.....my hat is off to you. Anyway, this particular hike is located where Via Linda dead-ends into a gated community. It's about 4 miles round trip, and gains right around 1000 feet. The views from the top, as usual, are great. You get a great vantage point of the Superstitions, and the Four Peaks area. It's definitely a trail worth checking out.

RNRAZ 2010

Every year in Arizona, during the month of January, The "Rock and Roll Arizona" marathon, and half-marathon, is held. It is a huge event, with thousands and thousands of people entering from around the country, and around the world. Since it began, I have entered 3 half-marathons, and 1 full marathon. In my opinion, it is a great event, and very well put-together.
This year I have entered for my 4th "half" (13.1 miles). My wife Lacie is also registered, as well as our friend Stacey Needham. Hopefully, a co-worker/training partner of mine, Mark Maccherola, will also be running with me. I'm also very happy to announce, that my life-long friend, SEAN ELLIS (see picture), and his wife Kim, have also registered, and will be coming to AZ all the way from the DC area!
The date for this year's event is January 17th, 2010. Anyone who is interested in running, I would highly recommend checking out the website: RNRAZ. It is perfect for the experienced runner, or for anyone looking for their first time. As the date draws closer, I'll keep you posted with the training routine and further details. This should be a great warm-up for the busy Endurathon year to follow.....

Hike Profile: 40th street to summit

This hike is located in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, in central Phoenix, AZ. The trailhead is located where 40th street dead-ends, a mile south of Shea Blvd. I have never been able to find any official statistics on this hike, but I believe it to be about 3 miles round trip, and the trail gains a little less than 1000 feet of elevation. The first 2/3 of the trail is relatively flat, and then it shoots up nice and steep for the last 1/3. The summit is the highest point on the ridge line, and it offers great views of Camelback and Squaw Peak, as well as the rest of downtown Phoenix. It's easy to get to, the scenery is great, and the end will surely get your heart going.

Hike Profile: black mountain

This hike takes you to the summit of Black Mountain, in the north valley, near the town of Cave Creek, AZ. It's a 2.5 mile round trip hike, that gains over 1000 feet of elevation. The first 1/4 mile, or so, follows a rough road, but after that you hit the trail and it's good, steep hiking all the way to the summit. From the top the views of Cave Creek and the surrounding area are fantastic. As far as hikes in the valley go, it's definitely worth a try.

Endurathon: the general concept

So, what is The Endurathon? There will be stories to go into more details soon, and there are many more details to work out, but for now, here's the plan..... At this point, I am planning to do 4 very major challenges over an 8 month period starting in 2010 and stretching into 2011. I have decided to name this quest The Endurathon.

As of now, the challenges include climbing Mt. McKinley in Alaska, entering a half ironman triathalon, doing a 4-day/50 mile backpack in a remote part of the Grand Canyon, and attempting to complete my 3rd full length marathon. I decided to start this blog as a place where my friends and family can follow along with me. I'm certainly not looking for a pat on the back, and there is no vanity behind this whatsoever. If anything, I want to share my passion, and this experience, with the world. If along the way I manage to inspire anyone else to join, or to undertake a challenge of their own, then that's just a wonderful bonus.

As more information unfolds, and more details work themselves out, I will post whenever possible. But even right now, I am always training, and always looking for like-minded individuals to train with me. Anyone feel like joining the fun?

The new face of ACI :o)

check it out: www.azculinary.com

Birthday shout-out

I just wanted to wish my brother a very happy birthday: 26 years old today. He is without a doubt, one of my very favorite people on this earth. Happy brithday bro.

What will define you?

What defines a person? How do you define a person? How would you define yourself? Are we defined by our jobs? Then I am but a lowly cook. Are we defined by our possessions; our house, our cars, the clothing we wear? That would be a shame, because I would only be a condo, or a Saturn, or workout clothes. Could it be the degree we have, or our level of education? A mere associate's degree for me. How about our religious affiliation, our political party, our age, our marital status, the pets we own? I would be an outcast, partyless, 28 year old, husband, with a few cats. Man, if this is how society defines a person, I feel as though I may be missing something..... I prefer to think that we are defined by our actions, the passion that burns inside of us to achieve something, the driving forces that make us different from each other, and the deeper meaning of what gets us out of bed in the morning. So often we look to celebrity, to TV, to movies to get our inspiration and find our role models. Is that really what we should be? Is that really what we want to be? I guess I'm lucky then, because I have found so many people in my everyday life that inspire me. How about a woman who stands up to her family and her religion to find true happiness and to marry the man she loves? How about a guy who still lives in his home town, has a wife, 2 baby girls, and is a self-made successful business owner who is passionate about the work he does every day? How about a girl, fresh out of college, that moves to New York City by herself, and is now working during the day to support her Improv life at night, and making it on her own? How about a guy that gives up his job, to move away so that his wife can get the job of her dreams, while he tries for months to find a new job of his own in an economy that isn't hiring? Maybe a guy that goes hiking in the Grand Canyon for the first time, and gets absolutely devestated by the terrain, and then two years later goes BACK to do a three day backpack, just to prove that he can do it. If that's not enough, how about a guy that tries for years to get hired by the fire department, applying year after year after year, until he finally makes it and realizes his dream? That's inspiring to me. These are people in my everyday life that do these amazing things. That is truly the definition of the human spirit to me. So, I find myself wondering: What can I do to inspire others? What are my actions going to say about me? When it's all over, how will I be defined as a person?

The beginning

All the pieces are still being put into place. As of right now, The Endurathon is just an idea, still in it's infancy. There is much work to be done, many details to be organized, and a lot of time to think about it all. For now, just sit back, get ready, and prepare to be a part of something extraordinary.