Category Archives: outdoors

Bikes, Just sayin', Mountain biking, outdoors

Thomas Edison, Mountain Bikes and a Droid

On Thomas Edison’s 164th birthday I wanted to post a blog regarding inventions and gadgets.

I think Edison  would be very proud of some of our newest inventions and gadgets we have today in our modern world.

Tonight,  a group of us  did a night ride on our bikes through part of the Prescott National Forest.

We are stopped for a breather when I looked up and asked,  “is that Jupiter or Mars over there in the sky?” – The guy on the bike next to me pulls his Droid out of his back pack and shows us his GoogleSky app on his phone.

Here we are standing in the dark checking out our solar system off a cell phone.

I think Mr. T.E. would be very proud of our newest inventions we have pulled out of our inventive hats.

Happy 164th Birthday Mr. Edision…It was a great ride and I think you would have enjoyed the company.

Steve

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DVD's I'm watching, Life Goals, outdoors, Travel

MOUNTAIN OF STORMS


In 1968 I was in the 5th grade and climbing the black soiled hills of Iowa …. but In the Summer of 1968 Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins founder of  Northface  rounded up a some friends and a Volkswagon bus. The embarked on an epic 6 month road journey from San Francisco to the Chilean Patagonia, surfing, skiing and hiking along the way. Mountain of Storms is the testament.  Nice to know the company’s founders are the real deal.   Years later most  anyone who loves the outdoors is grateful for their gear.

– Great film.

Mount Fitzroy – Patagonia

Anybody wanna go?

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Arizona, Environmental Stewardship, leadership, Ministry, outdoors

Restoring Eden

Had a great discussion and conversation  with founder Peter Illyn from http://restoringeden.org/ today in Sedona.

Restoring Eden emphasizes three major ways to engage in stewardship of God’s creation:
*Enjoying God’s creation
*Hands-on service and restoration projects
*Civic engagement and public advocacy
Mission:
Restoring Eden’s mission is to make hearts bigger, hands dirtier, and voices stronger by rediscovering the biblical call to love, serve, and protect God’s creation.
Description:
Restoring Eden is a movement of like-minded people who see a strong connection between our Christian spirituality and our role as caretakers of creation.
Company Overview:
Christians for Environmental Stewardship
I think this ship will be going place in the coming season aheadd….really looking forward to partnering with tis visionary.
Steve
psalm 104:24
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outdoors

127 HOURS

Just saw the movie 127 hours.

127 Hours is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crushes his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Canyonlands National Park of Utah. Over the next five days Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, abseil a 65 foot wall and hike over eight miles before he is finally rescued.

Great movie.

The Story: – April 26, 2003, started as a routine Saturday of climbing for Aron Ralston
Ralston was 150-yards above the final rappel in Bluejohn Canyon. He was maneuvering in a 3-foot wide slot trying to get over the top of a large boulder wedged between the narrow canyon walls. He climbed up the boulder face and it seemed very stable as he stood on top. As he began to climb down the opposite side the perfectly balanced 800-pound rock shifted several feet, pinning his right arm – he was trapped.
Within the first hour after becoming trapped Ralston had calculated his options and came up with four possible solutions.
Someone would happen along and rescue him.
He would be able to chip away at the rock and free his hand.
He would be able to rig up something with the ropes and equipment he had to move the rock.
If all else failed, he would need to sever the arm.
Death was a 5th possibility that Ralston didn’t want to consider.

Lessons learned:

1. Always let someone know where you are going.

2. If possible, don’t go it alone.

3. Make sure you take your Swiss Army knife.

What an amazing story of survival and a prevailing spirit.

Steve

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outdoors

THIN PLACES AND WIDE OPEN SPACES


The latest edition of BACKPACKER magazine has a very interesting article regarding Evangelicals and the environment.

If  you are a Christ follower and an outdoor lover you might what to pick up the March issue and read the “Hike Pray Protest” article.
This movement is resonating with a lot of people who are in the Evangelical ranks.

I was first introduced to the phrase “Thin Places” in Mark Batterson’s Book Wild Goose Chase.

http://chasethegoose.com/

Now I’m reading about it in BACKPACKER magazine.

The early Celtic Christians had a name for places where heaven and earth seem to touch.  A place in nature  where the spiritual and the natural came together….They called them “thin places.”  The place were the wall between you and God more permeable and thinner.
I totally agree with my Celtic forerunners.

Anyway read the article for yourself and see if you have a kindred spirit with the author.

The LORD God put the man in the Garden of Eden to take care of it and to look after it. Genesis 2:15

An Adventure Friendly Shepherd
Steve

http://www.backpacker.com/
http://restoringeden.org/
http://action.restoringeden.org/p/salsa/web/blog/public/?blog_KEY=222

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Arizona, Ministry, outdoors

New Horizons/Teen Challenge @ Lake Powell

I just wanted to post a few pics from an amazing weekend with some amazing students and leaders I had at Lake Powell last weekend.

I was invited to speak at their annual Honors Retreat by pastor Daniel Williamson who is the Lead pastor of  Lamb Of God Church in Flagstaff.

http://www.azteenchallenge.org/cms/index.cfm?&PrimaryKeyList=,783&itemID=204069

All I can say is, this guy is a true authentic pastor. I watched him pour his life into these students and leaders.

The weekend was filled with outdoor activities as well as four sessions I themed as “SURVIVOR”.

I gave four sessions to help the teens survive in the real world after they graduated from New Horizons.

*Surviving Sons – Taken from the 33 Chilean miners trapped for 60 plus days in Chile.

*Between A Rock And A Hard Place – Taken from the Aron Rolston  Story.

*The “Z Man” – The Story of Zacchaeus who was a small man who was up a tree.

*The Apple Of God’s Eye – Taken from Deuteronomy 32:10

Here are a few pics of an amazing crew in what we called Cathedral Cove.

Double click on the pic to enlarge it if you want to see a bigger image.

One of the coolest parts of the retreat for me was having my son Caleb with us the entire weekend.

One of the leaders of the retreat took us on a tour up Navajo Canyon.

The accommodations Captain Z provided for the leaders was really tough…man we suffered in this 54 footer.

75 pancakes – Pastor Daniel

What a team of leaders. These guys truly are servants.

I have had a lot of letters and notes handed to me over 30 years of ministry but this note on a napkin from a student named Zach is one of my favorites.

Just had to scan it and make it digital for histories sake.

Thank you Pastor Daniel and Teen Challenge for a great weekend in an amazing place.

Pastor Steve


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cycling, Mountain biking, outdoors, Prescott

Ride The Divide

My friend Patrick Fraher ask if I would post
this.

Prescott Mountain Bike Alliance is sponsoring in six days the special
Prescott screening of RIDE THE DIVIDE. Don’t miss the chance to see this incredible film. This movie is selling out everywhere it’s being shown, Prescott should be no exception!Mon night Oct 4th, 7 pm… at Prescott 1st Assembly of God Community Room-1455 Willow Creek Rd. Prescott Arizona.

Should be a great night for the Prescott mountain biking community! Lets make Prescott a hit with the ride the divide team.

http://www.ridethedividemovie.com/

An award-winning feature film about the world’s toughest mountain bike race, which traverses over 2700 miles along the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. The film weaves the story of three characters’ experiences with immense mountain beauty and small-town culture as they attempt to pedal from Banff, Canada to a small, dusty crossing on the Mexican border.

Doors open at 6:00 P.M.

The fee is $10.00 per person.

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Arizona, family, outdoors

FATHER/SON, FLAGSTAFF, FUN

Just wanted to post a few pics of our Labor day getaway to Flagstaff.

We took the pups for a hike around portions of the Arizona trail – they loved being unleashed.

There are so many portions of Arizona that still astound me with its beauty at times.

The pics cannot begin to let you feel the amazing color and hymnals of God in this place.

My son Caleb and I camped two nights @ forest service road 151 and the trail head of the Arizona trail.

Gotta love Caleb’s eye for photography.

Being so close to the Az. trail head we did not hesitate to ride a little singletrack on Monday morning.

A little story about this North Face Tent. It actually made it to the summit of Mount Everest. I guess the guy who used it almost died in it.

I love the material and the amazing economy of space this tent brings to you.

What a great weekend my son and I had catching up and having dad son connect time.  Loved it big time.

Labor day weekend 2010 was a win win situation.

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Arizona, Mountain biking, outdoors, SINGLE SPEED

25 MILES 3,300 FEET OF CLIMBING

My friend Dave Sewell sent me this profile pic of  the elevation we climbed yesterday.

The 3300 feet of climbing and the 25 plus miles took us to just over 9000 feet in elevation at Mt. Humphrey’s  in Flagstaff for an amazing ride through the aspens and ferns yesterday.

I wanted to just post a few pics of the amazing place we mountain biked on the Arizona trail yesterday.

NOTE: click on the pic to enlarge it.

The Arizona trail travels all the way from Mexico to the Utah boarder.

This section of trail is beautiful and scenic to say the least.

With its Aspen groves and lush ferns you never stop looking at the landscape.

The literally 18 inches of singletrack is like following a ribbon through the forest.

I will be headed back to this hikers/bikers/nature lovers/photographers paradise in mid September to catch a glimpse of the aspen’s turning yellow.

Gotta love the riots of color that surrounds the Flagstaff/Mt Humphrey’s area.

This is one of the funnest rides I have do all year.

These two guys made the ride fun for all of us. Dave Sewel is a local moutain bike guide and David Mangan is a very healthy 62 year old mtn bike dude.

This pic gives you a view of the side of Mt. Humphreys you don’t normally get to see.

If you go on this trail make sure you get a good map of the area.

Or contact Dave Sewell for an amazing guided tour

http://www.go-ar.com/index.html

http://singletrack.us/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=4884&fullsize=1

A good day on a single speed through the apsens….and yes the climb was well worth the payoff.

I have always wanted to ride this section of trail and now I want to go back with others who have never traveled this way before so they can enjoy it as well.

Steve

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Mountain biking, outdoors

Pescott Az. trail system is really getting there.

Saturday about 15 of the locals met at the forest service building here in Prescott to go work on about 800 yards of trail .

I just wanted to post a few pics of the event sponsored by Prescott Mountain Biking Alliance and the Forest department.

What a great day of  trailbuilding.   18 people showed up and we got a good piece of 327 built as well as rebuilding the intersection with trail 391 and FS Rd 9401J.

We are not just building trails…….we are building community.

Thanks PMBA and friends for the good times.

Steve

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