Toughest Hike

[BoyNhisDog]

Hoolie, Sredfield and Sherileeaz, thanks for the kind words on the photo.

Sherileeaz I think you have a wonderful avatar. With the right light I can make anyone look good in the outdoors but I mostly do landscapes and macro work these days. We recently did a hike with Lizard, a great guy you all know so I'll put up some photos of that soon. I do have a great one somewhere of him at the top of Mt Wrightson as well. Need to get to work on that.

My problem is taking so much time doing photography outdoors or just plain going off on tangents. I loose track of time and the late light mesmerizes me so that I too often drag back in as the sun is going down.

On topic, has anyone done hikes or backpacking up in the Weminuche near Durango? We want to get up there sometime soon. The hikes start at 8000' and go way up. Don't know what the fires did to it last year but would like to explore some of that high country.
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Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
- Andre Gide

[evenstar]

[sherileeaz]

[Daryl]

Glen, Great photo!!! My wife just shelled out $$$$ and got that same camera about a month ago and the pictures she takes with it are beyond amazing. My SOny doesn't come close to it.

As for the argument.. (stay away a few days and you miss everything) I agree that Sid's times are hard to believe, but who cares??? Either Sid is an amazing athlete or a liar. Does it matter? It doesn't affect my life at all. As for safety, someone doing a hike should not base their research on one person's experience, especially someone who has posted amazing times on other hikes.
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[Jeff12633]

Hmmm...excuse me for saying so--as a newcomer here I'm still just an outsider needling my way in--but I'm seeing in this thread the same kind of flame baiting and defensiveness that I've watched ruin a half dozen other formerly great hiking sites!

It's a fascinating sociological study--the effects of anonymity (or in this case just being able to write whatever one wishes without looking into the eyes of those we address) on behavior. The impersonality of a discussion board invariably seems to lead to uncharacteristically harsh statements and at least the perception of personal attacks. Things are taken personally that are either not meant that way or else are intended to irritate others for purposes of amusement. Sort of the cyber version of road rage!

Unfortunately it also turns initially useful and friendly boards into an unwelcoming minefield, and it's not long before the effectiveness of the board is greatly diminished as a result. I certainly hope that never happens here! In a small group I think the problem can be greatly diminished simply by continuously striving to maintain personal familiarity among all the members. If everyone has met each other face to face, and continue to do so on a regular basis, the descent into on-line ad hominem arguments and personal attacks can more easily be avoided.

So in advance I'd like to say that I hope to meet everyone in this group sometime in the not-too-distant future, and in the meantime I hope no one will take anything I write on this board in a personal way, because it will never be meant that way!

Have a great weekend, and happy hiking!
Jeff

[Wiz]

WHAT??!! What do you mean by that?? @#$&^%#!! Grrr!

Jeff, your comments are insightful and right to the point - words to live by, as it were. I hope you stick around, I think you'll be a good influence! This particular thread is the first time I've seen this behaviour on this site, and I hope it's the last.
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"...A man who knew that he had to do what he knew he had to do, and knew it!"

[ck1]

After 7 pages and 95 replies, I’d have thought we’d have a bigger list of Major League Hikes than this…

Ridgeline - Superstitions
RTR GC
Florida canyon trailhead to summit of Mt. Wrightson and return
Finger Rock trail from the end of Alvernon in Tucson to Kimbal peak.
Grand Canyon triple
Pima Canyon to Mt Kimbal
Ash Creek Trail on the Pinaleno Mountains
Round the Mountain Trail in the Pinaleno Mountains
Tanque Verde Ridge to Mica Mountain
Humphreys Peak
West Fork at high water
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-Colin

"The Journey is the Destination"

[matt gilbert]

Tonto creek/canyon from hellsgate to gisela. Totals more than 20 miles. It would be very difficult if not impossible to do as a day hike though.

[Trishness]

[sherileeaz]

What type of camera?
I'm sorry I know you said it somewhere, but would you mind posting it here again.


Sheri

[BoyNhisDog]

Trishness and Sheri, this is my passion. This is what I go for. This is how I choose to spend my time on this planet and this is why I choose to spend it in Arizona. I was drug back and forth across this country when I was growing up, spending most of it on either Reservations or just somewhere in the back of nowhere. Often there were no other people for miles. My escape became the outdoors, over the hill and far away. I got my first SLR at 15 years old at the Base Exchange in Minot North Dakota. The rest is a lot of history.

This photo was taken somewhere south of Holbrook. I have a few shots of the volcanic area just prior to this one. It must be somewhere around the Petrified forest/Painted Desert area. I was just holding on as we few hard and low. Things were coming up real fast. Wish I could pin it down better for you.

The camera is a Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel and the lens is it's crown jewel, a Canon 17-40 f/4L. The "L" glass is Canon's finest. It is not only sharp but it makes good colors and contrast, popping out that 3 dimentional look.

Thanks for the kind words.
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Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
- Andre Gide

[sherileeaz]

Thanks for the wonderful pictures and explanation!
Sheri

[squawback]

Recently, I was turned on to this site by a fellow hiker as I was interested in finding out about new trails. Started reading the various topics, and was instantly lured to the "thoughest hikes" heading. Strange, I quickly noticed an onging deabte with a "sidhayes" about various trail times. I am an aquintance of sidhayes (not his real name) as he used to be a regular on the Camelback scene. Sorry to dissapoint all of you naysayers, however, I am here to confirm that the dude is all of that and a bag of chips. The word "machine" comes to mind because he is one bad hombe.

I was, what I guess would be termed a "speed hiker" as I was fairly consumed by breaking the 20 minute barrier. I was down to a fairly consistent 21 minutes , plus or minus a few seconds, at my peak. At that time there were, perhaps, twenty, or so, people capable of blowing out a "sub 20 minute" time on any give day. Sidhayes was one of them.

I've always heard that the unofficial record at Camelback is a staggering 15:40, held by a guy so prolific that he is simply called "Camelback Jack". However, there is a persistent rumor of a sub 15:00 time, and it would not suirprise me, in the least, to find that time was run by none other than your much maligned sidhayes.

As for your purile overtures, requesting that sid join in on all of the fun you having? Let's put it this way, would you really expect Michael Jordan to join in your pickup basketball game?

[evenstar]

Think, or at least hope, we've put the Sidhayes debate to bed; at least as far as Arizonahikers.com is concerned.
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John Richardson and Richie Rich, El Perro de Playero
http://members.tripod.com/~evenstar/index.html
http://www.arizonahikers.com
When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog anymore, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting."
--Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories, 1902

[sherileeaz]