Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 226 - 250 of 1214
"I was thirsty and you gave me drink" (Matthew 25:35). The Arizona Game & Fish Department, along with several wildlife organizations, has trucked and airlifted over 250,000 gallons of water to volunteer-built catchments throughout the state this year. And, because of the exceptionally long, hot summer of 2020, these life-sustaining efforts have continued past their usual August finish. Water, the essence of life, is just as vital for Arizona wildlife as it is for us, and creatures large and... Full story
Bass Pro Brett Hite has won over $1.6 million fishing tournaments. We got to go out with him on Bartlett a couple of years ago, and he gave us some great fall fishing tips. He's a cool guy. Keep It Basic Brett says keep it basic in the fall. He likes topwater, jigs, and drop shot rigs for the most part this time of year. He took us into the river at Bartlett and fished rocky banks that pretty much no one else fished, targeting banks on the deeper side of the river channel where it swings close... Full story
Flagstaff We went up to Flagstaff at the beginning of September, and even at that altitude, it was still warm. We even went way up the mountain to hike the Kachina Trail and it was still warm in the sun. But Kachina is a gorgeous trail and in October, it should be a glorious time to do that hike. The Kachina is very long and joins a lot of other nice long hikes on the mountain. It is an out-and-back trail, so we usually just hike until we decide we need to turn back. To get to the Kachina... Full story
Located off of Arizona Highway 95 at Castle Rock Road, and Colorado River Mile 220, Castle Rock Bay is a splendidly scenic and secluded ten-acre section of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. This popular launch area for non-motorized boats is also a peaceful setting for hiking, fishing and relaxing on the beach. The Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of 37,515 acres along the lower Colorado River in both Arizona and California. It protects 30 river miles, 300 miles of shoreline from...
The warm blanket of water was ripped off the surface by an unprecedented cold blast from the north. At press time, daily air temperature has been in the 100s, with low air temperature in the 80s. The water temperature has been holding in the 80s but is now 76 and may be lower tomorrow. How will fish respond to the quick cold front? Stripers In the past week, stripers have been feeding on the surface at dawn and dusk. They were not dependable each day but when it was about time to give up, they... Full story
Peoria, AZ (October 9, 2020) – The Annual Haunted Harbor Trunk-N-Treat at Lake Pleasant will occur on Saturday, October 24 from 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The event includes a safe and fun environment to trick or treat, Halloween costume contest, a live Rockabilly band and food trucks. Although there is a $7.00 entry gate fee per carload, this charge is waived if children are dressed in Halloween costumes. All attendees must wear a mask and follow posted social distancing guidelines. Pleasant Har... Full story
This photo from the National Park Service inspired the cover of this issue. As we remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001, she symbolizes to me the importance of remembering our history -- both the glory and the darkness. She watched as the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center burned and cried with us at the loss of life and the terrifying events of that infamous day. Patriot Day, established soon after, is a national day of mourning and reminds us how quickly and easily we can lose... Full story
At Press Time, This Is The State Lands Information One spark is all it takes! • On Friday, Aug. 14, Stage I fire restrictions were re-implemented to state lands within Coconino County - SOUTH of the Grand Canyon and in Yavapai County. • Stage II fire restrictions remain in place in Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave and Yuma Counties and Coconino - NORTH of the Grand Canyon. • Target shooting and fireworks are never allowed at any time of the year. • For more information, please call our state f... Full story
Ed Hale is the proud owner of Hales Marine Services and Transports. Ed began his journey in boating while serving in The United States Coast Guard for 10 years. After his service to our country was completed, he landed in Lake Havasu and knew that Arizona was the place he was meant to be. (It didn't hurt that MTV was filming Spring Break that week.)... Website
We began the weekly fish-sampling trip with a quick run to Warm Creek before the sun cleared the horizon. Last week we found quick boils and caught stripers on surface lures and spoons. This week was a bust with no fish on top and no fish showing up on the graph. That was what I expected so we headed uplake. We scanned the surface as we ran directly into the rising sun. Leaping stripers are often backlit while heading east in early morning light, making them easier to see. Still no fish showed... Full story
EVENING UPDATE: Sears Fire - Oct. 1 PHOENIX, Oct. 1, 2020 -Firefighters continue to patrol, monitor and mop up hotspots along the perimeter of the Sears Fire. The fire remains at 14,476 acres and is now 48 percent contained. Higher temperatures today caused an increase in fire activity which resulted in an unburned pocket of vegetation to ignite within the fire's interior, however there was no threat of it spotting over containment lines. Fire crews continue to monitor and protect critical... Full story
In the words of Margie and John Anderson who provided the motivating cover phone, "If you’re looking to get out of the heat and see some gorgeous country where it’s cool and green, I’ve got the perfect road trip for you. If you’ve ever been to Alpine or Springerville, you already know how pretty the Apache-Sitgreaves Forest is, and I’ve got a couple of back-road drives for you that don’t require 4WD. In fact, we saw a lot of RVs on the second part of our road trip." The rest of their story... Full story
There Are Beautiful Drives Near Alpine And Springerville If you're looking to get out of the heat and see some gorgeous country where it's cool and green, I've got the perfect road trip for you. If you've ever been to Alpine or Springerville, you already know how pretty the Apache-Sitgreaves Forest is, and I've got a couple of back-road drives for you that don't require 4WD. In fact, we saw a lot of RV's on the second part of our road trip. The First Leg The first leg of our trip starts just... Full story
Jimmy Buffett might have been the son of a son of a sailor, but I grew up as the son of a sailor with one less degree of separation. My youth was spent traveling all over the western U.S. to Hobie Cat regattas. Our weekends and summers were filled with my younger brother, and I was packing up our sleeping bags and Star Wars figures into the family adventure wagon for a weekend near a lake or ocean for sailboat racing, campfires, and smores. Our first family adventure wagon was a 1973 converted D... Full story
The latest in off-road vehicles, boats, RVs, travel trailers set to bring down the curtain on 2020. To say that 2020 has been an unusual year is a gross understatement. Between fighting a stubborn pandemic and a volatile presidential election cycle, people have been forced to become more inventive in ways to pursue safe and fun recreational outlets. Just In Time For Fall, Winter Adventures For the past nine years, outdoor motorsports enthusiasts have relied on the Sand-Water-RV Expo, presented... Full story
Although the letter from London was often on our minds, Jim and I were able to enjoy our flight to Scotland, the wedding of his sister Lynn, and the delightful family of her new husband Frank. It had been a memorable time in Glasgow, but now that the celebrations were over, we were ready to begin our three-part travels of Scotland, the Irelands, and Wales. (We called this journey our "trilogy.") We telephoned London just before we left Glasgow. As there was not an answer at Crampton's, we... Full story
During this frustrating (to say the least!) time of virus-terror and frightening unrest in our country, this issue is trying to stay optimistic, while urging you to get outdoors and enjoy venues that are open. The cover photo from Wayne Gustaveson pictures one of the most-welcoming activities at this time: fishing! Two writers, Margie Anderson and Jim Allen, present refreshing destinations that can take your mind off the worries that are pressing on all of us. Closer to home, Tempe Town Lake is... Full story
Maps Are Guides To So Many Cool Spots In Arizona Somebody asked me recently how John and I find so many cool places around Arizona. The answer is maps. I have a lot of maps. When we were planning our recent trip to Williams, I spread several maps out on the kitchen table: a DeLorme Atlas and Gazettee; a Forest Service Map of Kaibab National Forest Williams, Chalendar and Tusayan Ranger Districts; a National Geographic Trails Illustrated Topographic map of Sycamore Canyon and Verde Valley... Full story
With cooler Arizona temperatures on the way in a few months, recreation enthusiasts begin the seasonal transitionfrom summer to fall and winter outdoor activities like camping, fishing, boating, RVing, travel and off-roading. This means Southwest residents and vacationing visitors alike anxiously await the opportunity to enjoy everything that local deserts, mountains, rivers and lakes have to offer. Bigger, Better As it has for the past eight years, the official kick-off of approaching fall and... Full story
Lake Powell water temperature in the morning remains at 72F. It will get warmer but now the wind is still mixing the warm surface layers with cool deep layers of water. The lake remains very busy with lots of boats over the length of the lake. Get to the launch ramp early to head out for a morning fishing trip. Run Uplake I followed that advice recently and headed out to Warm Creek to test fishing success. We trolled for stripers but did not catch any. Then we switched to bass lures. We caught... Full story
10-Miles Across The Desert And Up Crown King adventure is waiting for you, Crown King, the top of the mountain, adventure, adventure, adventure.... Carol and I just returned from a few days in Crown King, Ariz. This was not our first trip but as always it was an adventure. And, not only an adventure because of the 28-miles of rough and winding road. Part of the adventure for us was in going just a few miles north west of the valley with its' several million people and finding this very small... Full story
We went to Roosevelt one night with Clifford Pirch, and I was a bit surprised when he started throwing a spinnerbait. He explained that with a spinnerbait, you can cover quite a bit of water fairly quickly, looking for active fish, and even in the dark, a single large Colorado blade thumping along really gets attention. Spinnerbaits are also resistant to snagging on rocks and submerged trees. When you're fishing one at night, a dark color is best so it silhouettes against the sky. Hop It Up And... Website
Willow Springs Lake isn't the only lake on the Rim with bass, but it's one of the largest, and certainly one of the most popular. A lifelong resident of Pinetop, Ariz., TV host Johnny Johnson has spent countless days on Willow Springs fishing for bass. His television show, Fishing With Johnny Johnson, often features the lake as well. "My biggest bass from this lake was almost nine pounds," he says. A lot of anglers are surprised that such big largemouth are found in a lake in the high country,... Website
BoatUS demystifies the coverage you need and explains which policy covers what damage. Most insurance is straightforward, until it’s not. When you have an accident or property damage, you file an insurance claim. But filing an insurance claim on a boat trailer isn’t so straightforward. That’s because it depends on how and what type of damage occurred that will determine which insurance coverage – auto, homeowners, or your boat insurance policy’s trailer coverage – that will pay the claim. By l... Full story
Lake Powell is now back to normal and open for fishing, recreating and camping 24 hours per day. Smallmouth Bass fishing has been incredible with a consistent catch of 40 fish or better each day. Most anglers are pounding the shoreline from 5-30 feet deep with plastic baits including Ned rigs, plastic grubs, Maniac Cutter bugs, and various crankbaits. Many have enjoyed topwater fishing in the early morning and evening in coves and the backs of canyons. Lake Powell bass seem happy to have anglers... Full story