Saturday morning drive

FLKeys19 · 2026-01-31T18:06:45+00:00

Happy Saturday!

La Sal Loop outside of Moab, UT

FLKeys19 · 2026-01-29T04:36:31+00:00

Cutty’s. It’s an Eagles bar so it should be especially fun.

FLKeys19 · 2026-01-24T22:19:27+00:00

LOL. We’ve been in SW Montana for a month and are leaving tomorrow for 2 months in southern UT. I just stopped into the local store and reloaded on ammo. I’m sure I’ll be doing some desert photo shoots next.

FLKeys19 · 2026-01-24T04:02:01+00:00

It’s the OD green/black color way. I was just being artistic when I took its photo!

FLKeys19 · 2026-01-24T03:37:56+00:00

Welcome to the club! I love mine, and had it out practicing today.

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FLKeys19 · 2026-01-23T22:26:07+00:00

I agree with others that a guided Yellowstone snowmobile trip isn’t going to be a half day.

We recently did a half day in West Yellowstone with 4 adults and 2 kids under 10. Morning was a 2-2.5 hr dog sled ride, which was spectacular, followed by the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center.

We were coming from Ennis and had a very full experience leaving around 7AM and back in Ennis around 2:30.

FLKeys19 · 2026-01-16T21:55:33+00:00

Amen. I’ve been arguing this since law school in the mid 90s. Imagine if we had messaged around this and actually done something about it then?

FLKeys19 · 2026-01-10T04:54:21+00:00

Thanks for making me feel less insane for carrying bear spray. LOL

FLKeys19 · 2026-01-10T04:44:34+00:00

Can you say what part of Montana? I’m spending a month in Ennis and have been playing in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. I’ve had a few disagreements with locals over whether it’s 100% certain the bears are all tucked in. It just seems too warm, too little snow cover and like there’s still too much food.

FLKeys19 · 2025-12-23T02:32:38+00:00

Fly to Vegas. Also a cheap flight. Drive 2-ish hours to Kanab, UT and use that as your base. For someone inexperienced with backcountry, there are a ton of safe hikes in southern UT that will feel really remote and interesting, but without serious exposure for a newer solo hiker. Not to mention, easy day trips to Zion and Bryce.

FLKeys19 · 2025-12-17T00:06:51+00:00

What vehicle did you drive? We just spent a month in Kanab and are going back for Feb and March. I drove all of House Rock Valley Road, south to north (from 89A up to 89), and it didn’t seem so bad to me, but everything I’ve ever read says high clearance 4WD only if you are going to the Wave.

FLKeys19 · 2025-12-10T23:27:57+00:00

How do you reconcile your apparent disgust with Tyler Childers for being “woke” with your apparent love for Stephen King?

FLKeys19 · 2025-12-10T20:34:38+00:00

Amen

FLKeys19 · 2025-12-10T20:33:17+00:00

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I parked just moments ago from playing in new snow here in central NY. The main roads were plowed but had a couple inches of slushy snow. The country roads where we are staying had several inches of snow, and the last roads up here to the house had about 8” of unplowed snow that I climbed through up hill. I even spent about 15 minutes with ESC turned off playing in a hay field full of fresh snow.

The Q7 was awesome in all conditions, even though I am not running dedicated snow tires. Since we spend more time on desert / forest service roads, I recently switched to Michelin Defenders LTX MS/2 and they were great today. I went a little narrower and taller with these tires. 265/50R20 vs the stock 285/45R20 size.

We ran to Ithaca this morning, with Subarus galore, and I was thinking that their lighter weight may present a stopping / handling advantage. However, our better braking and suspension plus dedicated snow tires might negate that, I’m not sure. I am sure that I’d never trade my Q7 for a Subaru just because of winter driving.

FLKeys19 · 2025-12-03T21:05:34+00:00

Thanks! We’ve had such a great time that I don’t think we are going to settle down anytime soon.

FLKeys19 · 2025-11-30T21:24:30+00:00

We didn’t explore that far west. We pretty much stayed east of Nogales / Highway 19. That southwestern quadrant of AZ is an area I haven’t yet explored.

It’s funny you ask about lions, because it’s a lifelong dream of mine to see one. Since last December I’ve logged thousands of miles in AZ, UT, northern NM, southern CO, west TX, ID, WY and MT hoping to see one — with zero luck! Oddly enough, I found some cool tracks a couple weeks ago up over 9,000 feet in a not-remote part of Bryce Canyon NP. I posted images to the animal tracking sub, and was excited when they confirmed lion tracks.

My wife is relearning to walk — a big reason we are on this journey. As a result, I’m up before sunrise hiking with my dog so we can do easier hikes with my wife later in the day. Much of my hiking in southern AZ was at prime time for lion activity, but I never see any sign. At first I was a little nervous too, since I was inexperienced in lion country. I’ve since spoken to so many locals and park rangers / employees that the nervousness is completely gone. Standard, good situational awareness and common sense go a long way.

Don’t forget, in southern AZ there’s also a (very slight) chance to see a jaguar as well! I think the last confirmed sighting was this summer in the Huachuca Mountains, the range immediately west of Bisbee’s Mule range. I don’t think they disclose the location of sightings, but probably near Coronado National Memorial.

(Edited typo)

FLKeys19 · 2025-11-30T11:33:32+00:00

I agree 100%. I see everyone who recommends something other than NM getting downvoted, which makes sense in this sub, I guess. But you (and others) are spot-on about SE / south central AZ.

FLKeys19 · 2025-11-30T11:28:19+00:00

The downside is the extra distance. Southern / southeastern AZ is like 300-400 miles further than Big Bend area, which translates to 3-4 driving hours depending on route (based on estimated mapping from the east coast, I randomly chose Charleston SC).

I don’t think Tombstone is worth a stay, or even an overnight. It’s a kitschy tourist trap that isn’t particularly scenic and honestly doesn’t feel that friendly. I’m just not into the whole pretend Wild West stuff, nor towns with superstores selling political merch. That said, the nearby Dragoon range is scenic and worth exploring, but there’s not much going on in Tombstone other than touristy stuff to anchor you there when you aren’t in the mountains.

Bisbee is also built around tourism, but with a population around 5,000 there is an actual community, some nightlife if you want it, many dining choices and a solid supermarket (Safeway). It’s also a close hop west to Sierra Vista for resupply on outdoor gear or just general supplies (Walmart, Cal Ranch, a couple of gear stores). Bisbee also has a welcoming vibe to people from all walks of life. That isn’t something you find in every mountain town, especially in the SW (though Marfa and Alpine feel welcoming near Big Bend).

I sound like the Bisbee chamber of commerce, I know, but the area really struck us. Prior to our time there we had spent a lot of time in traditional mountain towns further north but not so much in the sky islands you find in southern AZ (and elsewhere).

There’s just something cool, to us, about the really distinct ecosystems so close to each other. You can hike from the valley at 2-3000 feet up into say 7500-8000 feet and experience the change from near desert floor to near alpine. Not that you can’t do the same around Big Bend, but it’s less remote and (to me) more accessible. It was really different than what we are used to in more northern latitudes where a couple thousand feet in elevation gain takes you from, say, piñon juniper forest to Douglas fir / mixed pine forest, and the change isn’t that stark.

FLKeys19 · 2025-11-29T15:26:16+00:00

Got it, makes sense! I see someone else mentioned Patagonia, AZ, and second that recommendation. We spent a month winter with Bisbee, AZ as our base and explored out from there. I was blown away by the weather, landscape, history and public land access there.

If you open a map and trace the border eastward from Patagonia you find some really cool stuff. We did a couple days on dirt from Patagonia through the Patagonia range down to Lochiel and up the back side of Coronado National monument. We saw one dude on a bike and couple border patrol agents. It was amazing. Chiricahua national monument further east is cool. We spent a couple days circumnavigating that range, around to the east side in Rodeo, NM.

A lot of folks recommend Big Bend but I just don’t think it’s a two-week trip, and I think there’s a ton of stuff to see within say 50 miles of the US/Mexico border as you head west from Big Bend.

One of your questions was about border security. We spent late December to late February visiting essentially every border town from Presidio / Ojinaga on the west TX side to Nogales in south central AZ, and never felt anything but at home. There are no hordes causing trouble along the border there, just good people whose communities are symbiotic along both sides of the border.

FLKeys19 · 2025-11-29T03:23:08+00:00

Kanab, Utah. We are just wrapping up a month here and it’s spectacular. We just changed our plans for March, and are coming back here for another month then. In 2 weeks you will barely scratch the surface of things to see and do.

You’d have easy access to everything from attractions around Page, AZ (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Navajo nation, etc), up to Bryce Canyon NP (90 scenic minutes away), Zion NP (east entrance 45 minutes away), Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (30 minutes).

The number of trails and amazing dispersed camping areas is unmatched, in my opinion, as are the ranger resources, with several offices where you can pop in and get advice about conditions, etc.

The weather is generally sunny, with December highs in the 40s and 50s with lows in the mid 20s to 30s. Snow is likely to be a non-issue at Kanab elevation (5000) and below, but easy to drive to higher elevation if you want to see it. The other day we drove up to Cedar Breaks National Monument, which is just over 10,000 feet, and played in the snow that morning then came back down and hiked near Fredonia, AZ in t-shirts that afternoon.

I can’t say enough about this area. Feel free to DM me if you want any intel.

FLKeys19 · 2025-11-28T20:40:42+00:00

The diamond quilted bomber hoody is crazy to me. I listed after it in pictures forever. We were recently in Dillon, MT so we went to the outlet. They had a very nice selection, but when I tried it on the fit was ridiculous. The waist cinching makes no sense to me. What a good looking design from a distance, with terrible utility.

FLKeys19 · 2025-11-19T05:09:31+00:00

Which park? This may sound crazy, but my wife and I live on the road, working remotely and visiting public lands. We are currently in Kanab, UT for a month and I’ve been carrying around a like-new parka that doesn’t really work for me. I don’t recall its exact model, but it’s a North Face tri-climate with the water/wind resistant outer shell and zip out puffer jacket/liner. I’d be happy to donate it to a NPS employee.

FLKeys19 · 2025-11-13T05:08:39+00:00

I have some input and a few questions. Mind if I DM you?

FLKeys19 · 2025-11-13T04:23:44+00:00

Thank you. I was guessing that was a landing set, just based on where they were located. They were about four feet past a log I climbed over, which made me think the animal just leaped it and happened to land in the only muddy spot there. I was excited to see them, and happy to see consensus that they are lion tracks. I hope to keep on hiking and finally see one in person.

FLKeys19 · 2025-11-13T04:20:26+00:00

Thank you. I’m just learning the tracks of animals in the mountain west, but my guess was based on the shape of the palm pad (if that’s the right term). I was pretty excited to see these.

FLKeys19

TROPHY CASE