"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed."
- Mohandas Gandhi

Canyoneers:

Larry The Mountain Man

Dingo Dog

El Lobo H. Grande

The Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, close to Sedona is relatively unknown and seldom visited. The defining feature is the canyon itself, which cuts through the Mogollon Rim, and winds for more than 20 miles. There are dozens of place names in Arizona containing the word sycamore, and when you find these places you find their name sake tree, the ghostly, pale barked Arizona Sycamore.

We chose to "cowboy up" and hike the remote, obscure, 11 mile(r/t) Dogie trail, where back in it's day, cowboys drove cattle through this spectacular Wilderness. 

"Dogie" is cowboy for a motherless calf. 

We caught magnificent views of sandstone ramparts and had a nice lunch at the junction with the Sycamore Basin Trail. The Dogie dips in and out of many drainages . Cottonwoods and willows lined the banks of a very dry Sycamore Creek. Little wildlife, were out in the heat of the day, only a couple of King Snakes.

We hiked for about 6 hours and ended it with our traditional camp chair/cerveza ritual at the trailhead. The back road (525C) to the trailhead requires a high clearance vehicle.

Our plans include returning for a winter backpack skirting the entire Wilderness.

BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS

LARRY THE MOUNTAIN MAN & DINGO LITTLE DOGGIE ON THE TRAIL SYCAMORE WILDERNESS

 

 

RED ROCK SANDSTONE FORMATIONS

 

QUITE A VARIETY OF WILDFLOWERS

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THESE WILDFLOWERS? OF COURSE LOBO CAN, BECAUSE HE IS A WORLD FAMOUS GUIDE.

 

 

MEN BEHAVING BADLY: (NOW THIS IS FUNNY! I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE!")

-DINGO FOR CALLING THE NATURE LOVING LOBO A "QUEER" BECAUSE THE SENSITIVE WOLF WAS ENJOYING THE DESERT WILDFLOWERS AND BUTTERFLIES.

-LORENZO FOR MISSING THIS TRIP AND SNEAKING OFF TO MEXICO WITH SECRET HIS PAL TONY. (NOTE IT IS RUMORED THAT ZO HAS A MEXICAN GIRL FRIEND IN SAN CARLOS THAT DOES NOT EXACTLY PUSH HERSELF AWAY FROM THE COMIDA.  LORENZO HAS HIRED A RODEO CLOWN TO DISTRACT HER WHEN HE BRINGS GROCERIES BACK TO THE CONDO.)

-MOUNTAIN MAN -LARRY, THE EASTERN LIBERAL FOR TORMENTING AND NEEDLING  DINGO  (OF THE JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY) THE WHOLE TRIP, " REPEATING  "ITS HARD WORK" "LET GET ER DONE"

-LOBO FOR SINGING  "GET ALONG LITTLE DOGGIE' FOR 3 MILES AND THEN "A PONY NAMED WILDFIRE" FOR 7  

-LOBO FOR HAVING CONSTANT ANXIETY ABOUT MISSING THE CELTICS/HAWKS GAME AND THEN HALUCINATING, HAVING A VISION JOE JOHNSON'S FACE IN A ROCK FORMATION.

-DINGO FOR TALKING SMACK ABOUT JUAN DA JACKAL'S  BAD, INCONSIDERATE  PRACTICE OF PROLIFIC TRAIL FARTING WHILE RIPPING THEM HIMSELF, ALL DAY.

-DINGO WHO ALWAYS WANTS TO GO EXPLORING AND PUT IN MORE UNNECESSARY MILAGE AND THEN COMPLAINED ABOUT THE LONG UPHILL HIKE  THE WHOLE WAY BACK.

-THE TRES AMIGOS FOR WOLFING DOWN HUGE PORTIONS OF  MEXICAN FOOD IN COTTONWOOD AND THEN WASHING IT DOWN WITH A PITCHER OF MARGARITAS. 

Dave Brubeck and Concert Joe

Dave and Joe probably don't know each other. Both are legends.

Dave Brubeck

Gerry and I spent an evening with jazz pianist/icon  Dave Brubeck accompanied by his talented  rhythm section of Chris and Dan Brubeck and horn player Robert Millitello, at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts. 

It was an evening to remember, an exquisite performance. Refined and perfect.

 Dave is 87 years young, but his joy of performing continues to excite his audiences. Dave grew up on a 45,000 acre  cattle ranch in the Sierras, managed by his father. The lure of piano and Jazz had him playing professionally by his early teens. In 1942 he entered the army where he served under Patton in the European Theatre.

Brubeck and his trio cut their first records in San Francisco in 1949 and launched what later became known as "cool jazz" By 1954, his popularity was such that his picture appeared on the cover of Time Magazine and his recordings were being played throughout the world. 

In 1959 the album Time Out was released and became the first instrumental jazz album to sell 1 million copies. The single, Take Five, remains the best selling jazz single of all time. When I was 12 years old,  listening to my transistor radio on the way to basketball practice, I fell in love with that song. It remains my favorite jazz piece.

During his long career, Dave has recorded with many legendary jazz artists. His musical contributions over the past half century as both pianist and composer have earned him many honors including, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Benjamin Franklin Award for public diplomacy presented at the White House by Condoleeza Rice.

Dave Brubeck-Concert number 491-El Lobo Life long list

Concert Joe

Concert Joe has absolutely no affiliation with the music business. Concert Joe has won no awards. Concert Joe simply goes to concerts. He lives in Manhattan and is a "mostly unemployed" construction worker that has been going to college for 3 decades. In 1989 he claims to have spent 15 grand on concerts.

Concert Joe tried to get into the Guinness Book of World Records -- something like Most Concerts Attended by Someone Outside the Music Industry -- but Joe says, "I called them and they laughed. I think they're more interested in people who can throw cow turds the farthest. They told me to call them back if I ate more than 176 snails."

A highlight of his two decades of concert-going, a night he remembers fondly, he saw a Grateful Dead concert then caught Ella Fitzgerald, then Kitaro, and finally closed the night with the Butthole Surfers. Only in New York can this be achieved!!!

Concert Joe, went out 350 nights last year and saw over 730 live shows. He has spent more than half his life running around clubs, bars, theaters, and arenas, catching some 6,000 shows and documenting his presence at each one. 

"I'm getting older. I can't keep this up any longer," Joe says

Like Dave Brubeck, Concert Joe is also a legend and deserving of White House recognition. His life's work serves as a fine example for the youngsters of this country. Select a goal and "Get Errr Done!""

Note: El Lobo's lifelong list of concerts does not include performances at clubs, bars garage bands etc. I mean, if I included the Justus Five and all the other stuff I have seen, God only knows what my number would be, taking nothing away from Joe.  My list is exclusive. An artist or group must have had at least one hit on the Billboard Charts. Also, Concert Joe does not have a wife that saw the Beatles in Candlestick in 1966.

Screw Concert Joe!!!!

Concert Joe

=

The mountains are calling and I must go.

 -John Muir

Highlights of this trip include

-Visiting many friends and relatives

-Staying at the Damon Five Star Resort and relaxing at the Arroyo de Tranquiidad

-Fly fishing the Truckee River

-Slamming done cervezas at local breweries and Scruples

-Listening to the "River" radio station that includes "River Runs" of 7 songs in a row

-Going to Hot August Night's Concert-Gerry and The Pacemakers (Concert # 494)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekJamEuV8pw

-Road trip to Pyramid Lake

-Seeking and finding the secluded Baron's Beach Lake Tahoe, secret location of summer time keggars and parties when I was in high school

-Backpacking to Warren Lake in the Sierras-awesome sights, sense of remoteness and wild flowers

-Attending the Reno High School all classes reunion picnic

Warren Lake from above-PIC by James Cabanas

Warren Lake from below-PIC by James Cabanas

 Secluded Baron's Beach-Lake Tahoe  PIC by Bob Shea