Wanted: Poster Boy for SoCal Brewery

In between high altitude hikes, Josh took in the Flagstaff high life: Sampling the local brews, discovering the simplistic beauty of the Pay ‘n Take, and swinging elbows with the local ladies. By the time he got back to Phoenix, he was in perfect shape … for a beer dinner.

Stone Brewery is one of Josh’s favorite and when he heard Roy’s had a five course meal and the Stone brewmaster in town, he and his climbing buddies joined in for eats and drinks. Like the King’s Table regrets the fat man at its buffet, Roy’s probably doubted the wisdom of its all-you-can-drink offer to Josh. He quickly took them to heart, requesting his favorite Stone IPA as an apertif, as a secondary to each course, and a chaser in between.

By dessert, Roy’s was out of IPA. But the manager was able to leave Josh with a parting gift. Should he read too much into his giant bottle of Arrogant Bastard?

Bear With Me

It took Josh less than a day to establish his routine of afternoon hiking. With the later starts, he would miss the foot traffic of day-tripper and had more chances of seeing wildlife as it came out at dusk. Plus he could sleep in. He was on vacation after all.

His first hike was to the Inner Basin – a high-country meadow surrounded by the San Francisco Peaks. The peaks themselves are remnants of a volcano that exploded hundreds of thousands of years ago, and the basin was sure to give Josh a sense of the terrain.

The 4+ mile hike starts at Lockett Meadow (8,600 feet) and gains 2,250 feet in elevation as it intersects with the Weatherford Trail. Along the way, there are forests of aspen trees, golden meadows and spectacular views of the peaks.

Josh was on the look out for wildlife beyond bambi-esque encounters with squirrels and rabbits. As he looped back to the trailhead, and dusk came, he startled a deer coming out to feed. But this sighting was quickly trumped. Another turn in the trail and Josh was staring at a black bear.

The black bear is the only bear species still living in Arizona, and there are only about 2,500 in the state. While the wooded areas of Northern Arizona are their preferred habitat, encountering one is still unusual. Josh was pretty psyched about the face-to-face meeting and the bear itself was unfazed – wandering back into the woods.

Getting back into town, Josh’s only regret was that he didn’t have a camera. He bought a Nikon Coolpix the next weekend.

Tales from the Pickell Tree

Josh Pickell is a P.E. teacher in Laveen, Arizona. True to his profession, Josh doesn’t sit around much. Since moving to Arizona two years ago, he’s explored most of the state - from the bars to the backcountry. His Jeep takes him anywhere the roads leave off and this summer he put his adventure skills to the test.

Josh rented an apartment in Flagstaff and spent his days hiking, camping, rock climbing, chasing bears, being chased by birds, and finding the perfect spot to hang his hammock.

This blog picks up where Josh’s camera leaves off. Sure a picture can be worth 1,000 words. Sometimes. If you know Josh, you know there are at least 10 other things going on just outside the frame. So find a comfortable place to sit, keep your 30 pack of Coors Light close at hand, and enjoy these offerings from the pickelltree.