Photo: Arizona Office of Tourism

On a recent Diane Rehm Show broadcast on National Public Radio, guest host Susan Page spoke with historian, Douglas Brinkley, and Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, about President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for preserving America’s wilderness and the future of our national parks and monuments.

The national park system will celebrate its centennial in 2016 and national parks like the Grand Canyon continue to top the list of desired vacation destinations. When asked in a 2009 survey¹, over 66% of respondents expressed interest in vacationing to a National Park destination; the number one answer.

Table: Arizona Office of Tourism

How important are the national parks to the nation? According to Secretary Salazar,

[National Parks] play a very major role in terms of the economy and jobs for America. They also play a very major role in the health of our communities and, they are…what connects up the people of this country to our lands, our soils, our air, our wildlife. They’re very special places.

Special places, indeed. The National Park System received over 400 million visitors last year. That’s more visitors than people who attended Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA and NASCAR events combined².  But even so, that’s fewer visitors that in previous years.  So what has happened?  Again, Secretary Salazar:

I think the nation and the nation’s population is suffering from Nature Deficit Disorder. That is, that we have fewer and fewer people getting out into the outdoors… Today, on average, young people are spending 4 minutes a day in the outdoors, and, it is said, 6 hours a day in front of a television or a computer. So one of our challenges of these times is really to reverse that and to get young people – all people – out into the outdoors, as part of a healthy Americans agenda.

Writer Douglas Brinkley agreed.

Young people no longer know the difference between an oak or a maple. We’ve lost their sense of…the difference between birds. Or just getting that fresh air for your health and clearing your mind.

Source: Library of Congress

Here in Arizona, we’re lucky that the antidote to Nature Deficit Disorder is right in our very own backyard. Visit a national park. Check out a national monument, a state park, or a wildlife refuge. Make an annual trip to the Grand Canyon.  Why not hop in the car and take your family out for a day of kayaking on Watson Lake in Prescott? Or horseback riding in Mayer? Or whitewater rafting on the Upper Salt River? Teddy Roosevelt would certainly approve. Said Brinkley,

[Teddy Roosevelt]…loved the American West. And he liked…urban centers – where you’re within a day’s reach of…wilderness areas. Just a weekend in the woods or on a lake or canoeing or by a stream could replenish the spirit and get you back to your work grind… But to just tune out our natural surroundings, Roosevelt thought was not just a mistake, but…unpatriotic.

In preparation for the 2016 centennial of the national park system, make a resolution to make the outdoors a part of your life and your kids’ life every day. Turn off the TV, grab a camera, a magnifying glass for bug inspection and a field guide to local birds and wildlife and engage your family in curing their Nature Deficit Disorder.

¹Arizona Office of Tourism – Ypartnership/Yankelovich National Leisure Travel Monitor

²National Public Radio

This has been one of the best snow seasons for Arizona in many years. It would be a sin for me not to test out the fresh layers of powder snow blessing the sacred mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona. Sometimes living in Arizona, especially The Valley (Metro Phoenix), can feel a bit monotonous and even look monochromatic without the apparent changes of seasons. But really, Arizona’s best characteristic is its outdoor adventure potential.

A few weeks ago, I was posting the Flagstaff snow report on this blog and noticed that we were expecting another 4-7 inches of fresh snow. All right, for you Utah and Colorado ski elitists, that is nothing. But for us Zonie snowboarders, it means packing up the snowboard and heading up to the mountains immediately. I would have gone that night, except every place I called was completely booked already! When you only live less than a couple of hours away (again, the beauty of Arizona is being only a short road trip away from everything like beaches in Mexico, Las Vegas, one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World – Grand Canyon) everyone gets a move on real quick.

A couple of my roommates and I stayed in that Friday night and rested up for the early drive to Flagstaff Saturday morning. The drive was a sight to see; the rain had brought the desert to life with blooming cacti, wild flowers and grass lining the highway. It was strange to see so much color across the horizon leading into the now green hills of the desert. I do love the aromas that come with desert rain. If you are visiting Arizona and happen to be here when it’s raining, don’t curse because your golf game was ruined. Consider yourself lucky to be experiencing something uncommon for the area and enjoy the rare scent the desert exudes just after the rain stops. It truly is unlike any other.

After climbing into the hills on I-17, we reached the scenic stretch that descends into the Cottonwood area, only to find the whole town hidden by a low, ocean of clouds.

Snowboarding at Snowbowl

To be honest, I had a great time snowboarding at Snowbowl. This place gets a lot of mixed reviews, but here are a few things to keep in mind so you know what to expect.

1) Snowbowl is great for families.Big Bear borders will not find the same “hell yeah” music being blasted from the lodge, nor Red Bulls being passed out like nudie fliers in Vegas. There is a college-age population though, being that Northern Arizona University is right there. But for the most part, this place is good family fun.

2)Black slopes are more like blue slopes & blue slopes are short. There are a few really great runs. This is a very good place to take yourself to the next level if you are still learning to snowboard. If you are experienced, you will find yourself at the top portion of the mountain the whole day with not a ton of options. But as snowboarders, I bet you can find a way to entertain yourself.

3) Ski lifts could be better. The green ski lift is a 2-person ride, so the line is slower if you go on a busy weekend. If you can handle it, go to the blue ski lifts. Those are 3-person and they haul ass. If you are going to the black slopes, you have to get off the blue lift and catch a black lift, which means you have to wait in another line. There is no express lift to the top. My suggestion, bring a flask, turn up your i-pod and relax. The sooner you accept the lift issues, the better your experience will be.

4) Training Park is good for beginners. In other words, it’s a pretty sad set up for boarders who have the slightest idea of what they are doing. There are a couple of boxes, no rails if I remember correctly, and maybe a couple of other obstacles. My suggestion, bring a flask and turn up your i-pod.

5) Book your hotel and rent your snowboards right away if there is new snow. Great snowboarding seasons can be rare. So if you hear that there is going to be new snow in Flagstaff, the chances are that everyone else in Arizona has heard the same. Book your Flagstaff hotel right away.

Hiking & Lakes In The Prescott Area

Forest Trail #320

Follow directions for the Lynx Creek Ruin trail and park at the trail head. Walk back across the road to the entrance of trail #320. This is a very easy trail and goes through a beautiful section of the Prescott National Forest. At one point the trails enters a lovely open area which is the future site of a Nature Center. If you continue on a trail up the hill you will reach the Lynx Lake Road at the north end of the lake where you will find a picnic area, boat rentals, and a store. If you take the side trail back at the future Nature Center, you will follow a small wash to Lynx Creek. At this point, the area has large boulders and a small flume – well worth the trip.

Goldwater Lake

Go up Senator Highway, which begins on Mount Vernon St, about 4 miles to the entrance to the lake. Turn right and park in the parking lot at the end of the road. This is a minimal fee area. The park has a picnic area, fishing, canoeing, and facilities. There is also a nice trail around the lake to the far side of the dam. Return the same trail.

Granite Basin Lake

Take Montezuma Street to Whipple Street to Iron Springs Road (these are actually the same road; it just changes names). Continue out Iron Springs Road about 4 miles to the Granite Basin turnoff. Proceed on this road about 4 miles to Granite Basin Lake. Follow the road around to the right to the trail head. Hike on the trail as far as you like and return the same way. This trail goes up onto Granite Mountain but the first part is fairly level. Picnic facilities may be found at the entrance to the park. This is a fee area – $2.00 per car.

Read about more great Prescott area hiking and biking trails and water recreation areas on our Prescott Lakes, Hiking & Outdoor Guide.