March Is Almost Over!

Made it just in time for a "monthly post" to work! The Wendys have been coming in like clockwork - Due largely to some of the FANTASTIC weather we've been having out here! It seemed that spring was already in the air, and people were sprouting up everywhere!

Exploring southeastern Utah, the land of slick rock canyons, red bluffs and remnants of ancient civilization. Grand Gulch, Valley of the Gods, Monument Valley...it's ALL good!

Flat Stanley gets into the Wendy action at Grand Gulch. Go Stanley!

Anne, Randy, Rob, Bill, Alex and me saying "we love slickrock canyons!"

Tim was the first to attempt a "Triple Flying Wendy". Maybe more practice session with the students in Thailand...Maybe a Wendy tutor is needed...hmmmm

I think Tim's enjoying life as an English teacher in Thailand...either that or those young students are giving him a stick up!

Te-Wa the traveling wonder squirrel (Mike) on his whirlwind tour of the Tonto Plateau at the Grand Canyon. Snow on the rim and a squirrel with a backpack. Will wonders never cease?

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Ajo, Arizona. John was the first to make the summit of Mt. Ajo. Luckily, he used this clever maneuver to save us a spot up there!

Wayne, Angela, John and I on Mt. Ajo - and I think the camera was a little frightened of the exposure!

Hitting the Arizona trail in the Mazatzal Mountains north of Phoenix. Yup. I'm nuts.

Mike (Te Wa again) in the San Juan Mountains - like ages ago. I just dug this up for the heck of it - I think because I was longing to see something green!

A group of daredevil hikers from hikearizona.com on their trip up Flatiron in the Superstition Mountains. I hear there was a wild cry of " BlaWEraaNsgbE"...which I guess means Wendy in mountain speak...

Same hike - Joe, Jake (hpp), John and Bob posing for Tortoise Hiker's documentation of the trip. Too bad Joe's the only one who's really having a good time

Fan hiking the Agua Fria River. Or, from what I'm told, scrambling up a hill to get away from the Agua Fria River...

coanbru says "My that Wendy is a tall drink of water" ...yeah, the sun makes stretching nice...

Spur Cross Loop.

Multnomah Falls, OR seems to bring the Wendy out in everyone - here Cindy gets into the act!

Brian throws a Wendy and Kelli captures it on film. What's truly amazing is that the waterfall is Massacre Falls in the Superstition Mountains! Go Spring!

Angela has perfected the art of not only the desert Wendy, but the Wendy collage! She's been all over the place this month - covering the Superstitions canyon by canyon!

The Arizona Backpacking Club in Turkey Creek near Aravaipa, Arizona. And it only took 8

tries to get it right!

Get out there! Do the Wendy! Live it!

A Wet Winter full of Wendys...

So the predicted "El Nino" finally showed up, and we've been getting lots of rain here in the Old Pueblo. In the high country, though, that means SNOW, and lots of it!!! What a time to be outside!

Someone got a little cold at Hart Prairie, perhaps there's a Mr. Redfield under there somewhere, and a little chicken soup will bring him out???

Tiffani and Mike tried to climb Mt. Elden the first day after the epic snow storms came through Flagstaff. Note I said "tried". Nothing like 5' of fresh powder to slow you up a bit!

For me, it was off to Madera Canyon and Mt. Wrightson with a crazy bunch of show shoeing maniacs. I'm getting to love the white stuff more and more, as my desert brain begins to cast off the notion that frozen water is just plain unnatural!

(Carla, Steve, Sara, Sue, Liz and me!)

My fellow hanging-hiker Fan, enjoying the Superstitions mountains instead of the deep snow in the Rincons at the end of January. Hooray for sunshine!

Angela, Kat, Ambika, Bruce and John did a great hike on the Rough Eye Javelina Loop in early February - a the best way to escape the cold snow! They were throwin' Wendy's everywhere!

Yup, it was quite the Wendy-on-a-Rock festival!

Nice triptych - good composition. I give it an A for form!

Brilliant saturation! Angela captures yet another joyous desert moment with Linda, Robert and Jim on the victory point of "Little Four Peaks". The big daddy may be in the background, but it doesn't sour the moment!

More shots of the January Quartz Peak hike Angela, Ambika, Linda and John recorded in last month's blog entry... The Wendy-on-a-rock, brought to new heights!

Somewhere in here, I got a new hiking/traveling partner. Lil' Bit is a perfect helper for getting the Wendy out into the wilds!

The Grand Canyon is just as spectacular and exciting in January, with a robe of snow all over the upper cliffs! Mike, Tiffani, Sarae and Heidi even stopped to celebrate crossing the mighty Colorado on the elegant Silver Bridge.

On the same trip, Steve and some others headed up to Ribbon Falls, which was flowing strong with all the recent precipitation. Peace out, Steve.

And Heidi - bless that fearless woman! Her first Grand Canyon backpack trip, and no amount of cold or discomfort could wipe the smile off her face!

Just to catch up with some out of date stuff that I've missed, I made a HUGE mistake by not including my dear Hippiepunkpirate (HPP)'s Wendy from October in Sedona. His personalization is priceless!

Where will YOU take the Wendy???

After an extended hiatus...

We all know the holidays are CRAZY, and that I tend to go a little nuts (along with the rest of my extended family). But, we're over that wall now and coasting back through a new year. Huzzah! So, what are your resolutions for 2010? Lose weight? Get in shape? Balance your checkbook? Take those vitamin supplements your doctor recommended? I've got a better one:

LIVE IT!!!!

These folks know how: (And be warned, there's a touch of backlog and catching up in this one!)

One of my personal heros - Sirena. This photo was taken when she "crossed the finish line" on her hike of the 800 mile Arizona trail to raise awareness about Fibromyalgia. You've got to check out her blog!

Hank on Byous Butte in the Tonto National Forest. Has he found the Lost Duchman Mine?

Or was he being held up by bandits?

Up on Wasson Peak, Ray got a whole new group doin' it!

Anne on the Bell Trail in warmer days...

Tiffani got Sponge Bob intot he act when she visited Vegas! He's stealing my moves!


Tiffani again - this time out in the wilds at Miner's Needle in the Superstition Mountains. Yup, this girl gets around!

Joe Bartels on one of the Four Peaks of the Mazatzals. I think he's got a cabin or hot tub or something (stash of illicit substances?) up there...

Ambika and Angela took turns celebraing the light at the end of the tunnel in their hike on the Goldfield Ovens Loop!

Go Angela!!!

John and Linda on the Quartz Peak Trail. Starting to see a specialty category of "Wendy on a Rock"...

Bob with more "Wendy on a Rock" - at Black Cross Butte Nothing short of awesome!

Angela achieved a personal goal with John and Randy in tow - she dragged them up Flatiron in the Superstitions! Go girls - um, I mean girls and boys!

...I told you there was some catching up to do here!!!

Lucky, Bonnie, Te Wa and Robert in White Canyon with an Arizona Backpacking Club Trip.

That's a throwdown!

Okay, so I'm embarassed to admit, I don't know anything about this photo other than that it's someone named Tyler and he's on a Sunrise Hike. Anyone know where I've lost my brain today?


Tim! My man in Asia! Another world first - Throwing a Wendy in Thailand!

Trust me, he's learning to smile there!

My main Wendy Throwing Maniac, Angela with her photog buddy Ambika on the trail to Basset Peak in the height of the foliage frenzy. Feeling a little left out, but loving the pictures they come home with!

Here's my own fall foliage trek into the Chiricahuas in Southeastern AZ. I didn't want to block the scenery this time!