Hart Prairie Work Weekend August 7-9,'09

Again, this is "leadership lite" so heads up, read the following. Ask if you have any uncertainties.

Thanks

How to get there: If you are coming from Phoenix, be aware that it will take you at least 3 hours (3.5 from Tempe) so arriving Friday is best. If you arrive after dark, look for the porchlight to your left as you come in, you'll be seeing a rail fence in your headlights. We'll keep someone around to direct you to your cabin as long as possible. If you know you'll be really late, please let Shawn know and we'll figure something out.

* From the south, take I-17 to Flagstaff, I-17 becomes Milton Road after you enter Flagstaff.
* Continue north, pass under a railroad bridge and turn left onto Humphreys
* Turn left at Columbus (at traffic light) onto Hwy 180
* Follow 180 out of town approximately 10 miles and past the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort
* Just past mile post 225, turn right onto Forest Road 151 (there is a bright yellow daytime headlight use sign at this turn);
* Drive 4.5 miles and look for The Nature Conservancy sign on the right.
* Leave the gate the way you find it. Please drive slowly into the Preserve (15 mph);
* From the gate to cabins is about a mile
* Drive to your assigned cabin or ask whereabouts upon your arrival, unload, and please park your vehicle in the corral parking area north of the lodge, please back into your spot

Information Sheet

Wildfire fuels reduction, wild plant seed collection, and other duties as assigned.

Please read this thoroughly and contact Shawn R if you have questions.

Key Information
• Cabins are rustic but comfortable, beds are fine, bring your own linens or sleeping bags.
• The sewer system works but how or why is largely a mystery; use the composting toilet if at all possible
• Shower house is a wonderful luxury after a good day of grubby work. Bring your own towel and toiletries.
• Water is trucked in, use it sparingly, please don’t waste it. If you see a plumbing leak let the Preserve folks know immediately.
• Any food left out unprotected-indoors or out-will likely be confiscated by small furry critters of the night.
• We will be TNC volunteers this weekend, please sign the waiver forms.
• **No pets are allowed on the preserve.** (Sorry 'bout that.)
• There are no commercial facilities at the preserve, i.e., no store, no ice, no sodas, etc. Bring what you need with you.
• We are responsible for cleaning up the cabins before we leave.

What to wear and bring
• Sturdy shoes, work gloves, water container to take to the work sites (additional water available)
• Snacks if you need any to help you make it to lunch time
• Sun protection (wide brim hat, loose clothing that covers limbs, sunscreen); the air is clear and the elevation is 8,400 ft, sun burn happens quickly.
• Long-sleeve shirt and pants (recommended)
• Rain gear and warmer clothing (Check the forecast – It is generally 15 degrees cooler!!! than Flagstaff.) [http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=FGZ&llon=-112.433747&rlon=-111.171247&tlat=35.829584&blat=34.567084&smap=1&mp=0&map.x=137&map.y=98]
• Personal first aid kit
• Towels and toiletries
• Sleeping bag or linens – extra blankets available in the cabins
• Small cooler for your snacks/drinks and food for any meals not arranged by the group (Refrigerator in lodge kitchen will be used by our chefs.)
• Flashlight or head lamp is a must (not fun getting lost at night traversing between buildings)
• Cabins and bathrooms have lights but the Preserve's electricity is home made--solar and a generator-- so please use appliances sparingly (if not needed immediately-shut it off).
• Binoculars, Camera
• The Preserve provides eating utensils and dishes.

Cabin dwellers: Cabins have small heaters that work quite well
Bring sleeping bag and pillow or your own bedding (see cabin assignments for bed size). Keep all personal food items in a cooler or plastic bin to protect from small critter invasion. Keep doors closed.

Physical requirements to participate:
Moderate to hard work, lighter options likely availalble. Work elevation is just over 8,400 feet—a big change from the valley. Work at your own pace, think safety!
Meals
• Meals are a group effort. Dish washing duties are shared; please step up for a meal’s worth.
• BYOB
• Bring your own food for snacks during work and any additional meals you will need if you choose to arrive or leave outside the provided meal service period. (See arrival and departure options below.)
• There is a reasonably well equipped kitchen, and a gas grill out back.

Agenda
Friday - You may arrive any time after 1:00.
The kitchen will be open to you to make your dinner. You will be responsible for cleaning up after yourself. There may be room to store your food in the kitchen however, the group meal provisions have first dibbs on the limited refridgerator space. (See what to wear and bring above.)

FULL as of July 1, so sorry.

Contact me for a wait list position of you like.

This event was "iffy" pending TNC's funding situation, but it's a "GO."
Arrive sometime Friday PM, work all day Saturday (or till it rains) and Sunday AM, have the run of the place till Sunday evening.

The Northern AZ Cardiac Surgeon's Group bailed out on menu planning, so we'll try to be a little more heart healthy this year. It's probably more efficient for one or a small group to do the shopping and hauling for food but we'll rotate KP duty. Volunteers?

Beautiful here this weekend, warm, sunny, bright blue sky, green aspen coming out, grass and ground cover coming in strong.

Tiny view of Hart Prairie from top of Fern Mtn.

oliverr99 · Joined: 04 Jul 2006 Posts: 632 Location: Glendale

I am so looking forward to get out of the heat!!!!
_________________
Anne
"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" -- Dr. Seuss

Shawn · Posted: 8/7/2009, 9:56 am Post subject:

I'm about outta here, drive safely!
_________________
The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see.

Hnak · Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 1766 Location: Prescott, AZ

See y'all tonight! (I'm headed up after work too...)
_________________
The world is older and bigger than we are. This is a hard truth for some folks to swallow. —EDWARD ABBEY

jdahling · Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 233 Location: East Valley

YAHOOOOOOOO! I'm so excited about this weekend. I'll be heading up after work - so won't get in until 9:00ish.... but will see you then.
_________________
Cheers,
Jeannine Cool

"Life is an adventure ... Made for an adventurer ..."

Hnak · Joined: 06 Jan 2003 Posts: 1766 Location: Prescott, AZ

Have a safe drive... I'm outta here!
_________________
The world is older and bigger than we are. This is a hard truth for some folks to swallow. —EDWARD ABBEY

oliverr99 · Joined: 04 Jul 2006 Posts: 632 Location: Glendale

What a wonderful weekend! It was great seeing everyone again. Thanks Shawn and Angela, and everyone else, for wonderful meals. I can't wait until next year to do this again!
_________________
Anne
"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" -- Dr. Seuss

tibber · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 247 Location: Phoenix

Two things:

Cow tipping or cow pushing is the purported activity of sneaking up on a sleeping, upright cow and pushing it over for fun. In reality, though, cows do not sleep standing up. Doh!

Therefore cow tipping is a myth.

"I got a rash!" Embarassed

_________________
Angela from N Phoenix

Hikngrl · Posted: 8/9/2009, 7:49 pm Post subject:

Oh my goodness! What a wonderfull time! As uasual every one worked hard and laughed hard and ate a lot. I am so glad we are able to do this! We will start working on next year as soon as we can to get things set up. Neal may not be able to pin point a weekend for us right away but as soon as he can we will grab one!
I have volunteered to let Shawn off the hook for the head chef duties so he can just go and enjoy the work he enjoys so much.

By the way Angela, I don't know how cows sleep but I can promise you cow tipping is NOT a myth! As silly as it sounds people do it! Usually drunk people as I mentioned before! By the way, I have some ointment you can use! Laughing

_________________
~~~Diane~~~

I want to shine!

Randal Schulhauser · Posted: 8/9/2009, 10:40 pm Post subject:

Good to see everyone again. Don't have time to upload photos tonight, but here's an early preview...

http://hikearizona.com/photoset.php?ID=8619

oliverr99 · Joined: 04 Jul 2006 Posts: 632 Location: Glendale

Randal, those were beautiful pics. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to see more.
_________________
Anne
"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" -- Dr. Seuss

Shawn · Posted: 8/10/2009, 8:36 pm Post subject:

Thank you everyone for making this weekend so much fun. Especially to all the "foodies" who brought food and helped so diligently in the kitchen. Thanks Tom and Todd for the excellent grill work, and Angela for the orange saladsand veggies; and Linda for coffee detail and all the other help, and Jeannine for putting the Ceasar salad together. And to everyone else for doing dishes, cleaning up, etc, and all the other stuff I missed.

Lessons learned
I will forget something, don't stress
Buy the steaks at Costco
The grill has to be turned up to almost max for pancakes
It only takes 2 loaves of bread for the garlic toast
14-15 is a manageable number
Had too much cheese this year
One batch of ice cream is only barely enough
Don't forget the caramel peach sauce
Cries for "healthier" food are false, they want the calories!
????

Thanks again!
_________________
The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see.

chihiggs · Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 565 Location: Gilbert, AZ

Just wanted to Thank everyone for making Daren, "Ken" to some, feel welcome. Had a great time up there! Gotta love those 40 degree nights in August!
_________________
All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them...Walt Disney

Hikngrl · Posted: 8/11/2009, 6:42 am Post subject:

Oh Higgs! Feel free to bring Ken out to play any time! He was fun and he knows how to work! He has a good sence of humor and can take what is dished out!

Poor Angela, I know Linda tried to warn her but I am sure she wasn't ready for what she faced and she handled it all so well!

Thank you guys for being such good sports and giving it right back! I hope you had fun and will be back!
_________________
~~~Diane~~~

I want to shine!

tibber · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 247 Location: Phoenix

Seriously, what a great event. You all worked so hard. You helped each other and tried to watch out after one another. It is an honor to be part of this fine group. Beer

Shawn, thanks for being our fearless leader and master chef. I think you're right about the healthy food though Smile

.

It truly was great to meet all of you and share such an incredible experience of giving back to nature. Woo Hoo!

I did post some pictures and will add a few more natureal photos later.

PS I presume you all now feel like I do about mullein hunter

_________________
Angela from N Phoenix

wanderingsoul · Joined: 19 Jul 2004 Posts: 2285 Location: Gilbert AZ

Sounds like you all had a real nice time and enjoyed. Good weather, hard work to get the heart pumping and some warm fuzzies, tasty food and enjoyable company. And sounds like no injuries Very Happy

All in All Good weekend
_________________
Wanderingsoul (Michelle)

Positive Thinking Is the Spark that Makes Dreams Happen~~~Unknown