Happy New Year 2009

Just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a peaceful and happy new year!

Stay safe out there!


See you in 2009!

Arizona Snowbowl is Open for 2008-2009

It's been a great two weeks for the Snowbowl. The latest snow report is:

• 12-16" in the last 24 hours
• 13-17" storm total
• 36-60" settled snow depth

And the latest forecast is for an additional 12" or more by Friday.

If you want to get in some skiing over the holidays, just remember that chains or 4-wheel drive are required.

Get the latest snow reports and details for the lifts and lodging at Arizona Snowbowl.

Northern Arizona Snow

Just the beginning of our first heavy snowfall. It's difficult to get a true picture of how much snow we saw in the early morning light, since I'm not venturing any further out than the deck. At least 9 inches around Flagstaff. Maybe Friday morning I'll be brave enough to get out and about to get some pics at the end of this winter event.


Schools and college classes are cancelled, so it's a great day to be snug and warm inside.

National Monuments Trip

If you haven't visited Flagstaff Area Monuments for a while, it's time to think about taking that day trip. Last week we visited Walnut Canyon, stopped in at the Sunset Crater visitor center and then took the loop drive around to Wupatki and Highway 89. We didn't have enough time to take any of the trails or visit the Publeos at Wupatki, but will get back soon if the snow doesn't ruin the plans.

This should remind you of why you need to take this trip:

Down into Walnut Canyon

Walnut Canyon Wall

Toward Wupatki on the Loop Road
Painted Desert in the Distance

Here's the link to an article about the Flagstaff Monuments that I wrote for Southwest US Travel at About.com.

Coconino Chronicles Celebration

This is Post #100 for The Coconino Chronicles! It's an exciting day around here. But, no rest for the those who have so much to explore and write about.

We'll be starting on the the road to 200 posts tomorrow, with an update on our day trip to Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater and Wupatki. Here's a sneak peek:

San Francisco Peaks

Walnut Canyon Visitor Center

Mars 3-D Photos Released

Remember the Mars Exhibit at Lowell Observatory? Now you can seesome spectacular pictures online, at the Arizona Daily Star. Thanks to Arizona Geology Blog for this link.

The University of Arizona High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter did fantastic work.

Kudos!

Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona

USS Arizona Memorial

Courtesy NPS Collection

Today we remember Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona and all those who lost their lives in the December 7, 1941 attack and those who live with the scars and the memories of that day. The USS Arizona sank within nine minutes of being hit by an armor-piercing bomb that ignited her forward ammunition magazine, taking 1,177 lives. The USS Utah and the USS Oklahoma were also destroyed. A total of 21 ships were either sunk or damaged. A total of 2,388 lives were lost and 1178 were wounded.

This attack led to the United States becoming involved in WWII. The citizens of Northern Arizona, including Flagstaff, Hopi and Navajo communities, joined the rest of the country in the massive war effort. If you want to learn about this time, read Arizona's War Town: Flagstaff, Navajo Ordinance Depot, and World War II by John S. Westerlund.

The National Park Service is tasked with preserving and protecting the USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, which spans the mid-section of the ship that still lies underwater where she sank. The Memorial website gives an overview of the history of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, including historic pictures, a submerged cultural resources study and the thoughts of survivors.

For more resources, visit the Arizona Memorial Museum website.

Eugene Shoemaker Video

We just discovered this video from TLC' "Solar Empire." It features a wonderful two-minute clip of Eugene Shoemaker. This is the first video of him that I've seen.

He talks about "discovering" evidence of a meteor impact crater right here in northern Arizona, after looking at it for 30 years. I just wish it was longer. Flagstaff and the world certainly lost a real treasure when we lost him.

See the video at Solar Empire: Impact Craters on Earth. If you aren't familiar with Dr. Shoemaker, you can learn about him, his work and how his life was cut short at USGS About: People.

Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau

In an earlier post I mentioned Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, by Ron Blakey and Wayne Ranney. For this background, see The Coconino Chronicles August 11, 2008.

We were able to attend their lecture on Wednesday night. The book arrived from Amazon on Monday, so the timing was just right.

The book is as good as I thought it would be. You can get a feel for what Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau is all about on Dr. Blakey's website.

The lecture gave a really helpful overview and Wayne Ranney talked about how the maps are made, which was extremely interesting. The video of the lecture should be available soon onthe Grand Canyon Association website. I will post that update as soon as I get an update.

We've been following Dr. Blakey through his website for a long time. It is great to see the publication of this book. If you want to purchase it, I would highly recommend Amazon.com because the price is so good.

Flagstaff Tourism in Sky & Telescope

I really like the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau ad in the December 2008 issue of Sky & Telescope. Sorry I didn't write down the page number when I saw it at Barnes & Noble.

I did jot down a bit of the copy written beside the photograph of the interior of the Clark Observatory at Lowell:

Hot stars.

Big lenses.

{No paparazzi.}

Great job, CVB!

Mars Phoenix Lander Finishes Work

If you've been reading Coconino Chronicles for very long, you how much I love Lowell Observatory, Percival Lowell, Mars and especially all the hard working little guys on the Mars missions, so I was sad to read this post yesterday that begins:

Mars Phoenix Lander Finishes Successful Work On Red Planet

November 10, 2008 -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has ceased communications after operating for more than five months. As anticipated, seasonal decline in sunshine at the robot's arctic landing site is not providing enough sunlight for the solar arrays to collect the power necessary to charge batteries that operate the lander's instruments. Mission engineers last received a signal from the lander on Nov. 2. Phoenix, in addition to shorter daylight, has encountered a dustier sky, more clouds and colder temperatures as the northern Mars summer approaches autumn. The mission exceeded its planned operational life of three months to conduct and return science data. The project team will be listening carefully during the next few weeks to hear if Phoenix revives and phones home. However, engineers now believe that is unlikely because of the worsening weather conditions on Mars. While the spacecraft's work has ended, the analysis of data from the instruments is in its earliest stages. Read more ....

Sunrise on the First Snowfall

Flagstaff awoke to a blanket of snow this morning. It won't last long, but it is so beautiful while it lasts!

National Geographic Life on Mars

We just watched the 2008 National Geographic Naked Science "Life on Mars" about Mars Lander and the folks at the University of Arizona.

In an earlier post, I talked about how Gene Shoemaker would have wanted to be "right there" with these scientists and their project on Mars.

Today while I was watching this show, it occurred to me how delighted Percival Lowell would have been about all these Mars discoveries and the "little guys and gals" up there working away. The story about the "canals on Mars" may not have turned out the way he thought but, do I think he would be disappointed? I don't think so.

When he sent A.E. Douglass to find the perfect spot for his observatory, in his wildest dreams I don't believe that could envision the future of Martian discoveries. How could he have imagined a machine that could take pictures of the surface of the planet's surface and send those photos back to earth to be turned into the 3-D exhibit? One that would be on display in Lowell Observatory's Rotunda--at his own observatory which is still doing science after more than a hundred years. Wouldn't he be pleased that Lowell and Mars are still connected in the year 2008?

Flagstaff Visitor Center Information

I have mentioned in previous posts about the Flagstaff CVB and the Visitor Center and what a great job I think they are doing. Well it seems Flagstaff visitors agree with me. The Fall Cityscape cites the results of a guest satisfaction survey. It seems that out of 760 surveys returned, 736 were returned with the highest possible scores. Kudos to the hardworking staff.

Last week I stopped in to pick up hard copies of the brochures that I have been raving about in pdf format available on the CVB website. I have to admit I still love the pdf's but these really are great printed brochures.

As usual the Visitor Center was a beehive of activity with friendly and attentive staff all around. Take a few minutes and see how the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau is doing its job.

Cityscape Fall 2008

Flagstaff Cityscape for Fall 2008 just arrived. Can't wait to read it.

In skimming this issue, I did see that the Starlight Pines Bed & Breakfast was honored as the 2008 Best of Flagstaff Award from the U.S. Local Business Association. Congratulations and keep up the good work.

We'll get back to Cityscape next week. Have a great weekend

Haunted Flagstaff 2008

Don't know how I missed this! The Visitor's Bureau is offering (has been all through October) walking tours of "Haunted Flagstaff. Two days left--tonight and tomorrow night, Halloween. Hopefully, you can still make reservations, although it isn't absolutely necessary to reserve a space.

Tours begin at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. from the Flagstaff Visitor Center at the train station downtown. Before you go, you might check out this spooky pdf.

Sounds like a terrific way to spend a Halloween night.

Get more details at the CVB or call 928-774-9541.

National Geographic, Flagstaff and Lowell

The November 2008 issue of National Geographic has a very welcome article, Our Vanishing Night, on light pollution and its effects on nature and on humans. In the third paragraph down on page 3 of the web version of the article, the writer, Verlyn Klinkenborg, writes about the mission to limit light pollution and protect the dark skies. He mentions Flagstaff and its pioneering civic efforts to control light and protect the viewing at Lowell Observatory. He also writes about the implementation of even more stringent lighting regulations in Flagstaff and its designation as the first International Dark Sky City.

Be sure to take a look at the beautiful photographs by Jim Richardson and read Glynnis McPhee's interview with him.

We do appreciate National Geographic publishing this story that highlights the ever-growing problem of light pollution and acknowledging the efforts of cities around the world to control that pollution.

Havasupai at Arizona Geology Blog

From Lee Allison's Arizona Geology Blog on October 22, 2008: "The Havasupai Tribe announced a $1 million donation that will allow them to build an early warning system for floods and repair damage from the August flood that devastated their Grand Canyon home."

Please read the rest of the post and play the videos of the the flood.

This donation should help to assure that the Havasupai have warning should this type of disaster threaten them again.

A New Perspective on Mars at Lowell

On Saturday evening, October 25, 2008, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Lowell Observatory will host the grand opening of an international exhibit created by the German Space Agency. "A New Perspective on Mars" is making its first stop in the western United States at Lowell and will be on display from October 22 through December 3, 2008.

This showcase of large-format images from the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft will be on display in Lowell Observatory's Rotunda. The Rotunda is a great choice. It's a wonderful building, filled with history. Obviously one of my favorite places.

At 5:45 p.m., Dr. Ralf Jaumann, Head of DLR's Planetary Geology Section and Experiment Manager for the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on Mars Express, will give a 15-minute presentation.

Be sure to put this on your weekend calendar. This is a great opportunity to hear Dr. Jaumann and see this exhibit that comes to Flagstaff after visiting Europe, Canada and the United Nations.

Thanks to Steele Wotkyns, Lowell Observatory Public Relations Manager for the advisory about this grand opening.

Homecoming at NAU

Make your plans for lot of fun in Flagstaff. Next weekend, actually Thursday, October 23, 2008 through Sunday, October 26, 2008, is Northern Arizona University's 84th Homecoming. Check out all the activities now because you'll need to make reservations.

Get tickets at the Central Ticket Office for Saturday's NAU Homecoming Game vs. Weber State at the Skydome.

Flagstaff Barnes and Noble

Take a little trip down to Barnes and Noble Bookstore and browse through the Arizona section. Lots of good reading is cropping up. Though I must say, they're not doing justice to our local writers. Many titles by local authors are missing from the shelves. Maybe we can all ask about that.

By the way, you can now have a wonderful light breakfast with your coffee. Their Spinach and Artichoke Cheese Strata is so good that you may want to try it at other times of the day. So yummy!

Theme Town by Thomas Wayne Paradis

Here's a very interesting thing to do around Flagstaff. It all revolves around Theme Town: A Geography of Landscape and community in Flagstaff, Arizona, written by Dr. Thomas Wayne Paradis. His book was written as a self-guided walking tour for NAU students in his world geography classes. But, it's an excellent resource for learning about Flagstaff.

You'll need to:

1. Purchase (or borrow from the library) a copy of Theme Town.
2. Read the book and make note of things you want to pay special attention to has you do the walking.
3. Go to the book's website, Theme Town and check out the supplemental materials.
4. Take Dr. Paradis' tour on foot. You may want to divide it into sections as noted in the book or walk the entire tour and then return to different sections.

You'll never view Flagstaff the same way again, after you read Theme Town and take the tour. It's a great trip.

Autumn Star Fest at Lowell Observatory

It's that time of year again. This Sunday, October 12, 2008, from 5:30-9:30 p.m., Lowell Observatory will host Autumn Star Fest, with indoor programs and telescope viewing. It looks like the weather will be great for stargazing. It is going to be a bit nippy though, so be sure to dress appropriately.

Just a hint of autumn on the way to the Snow Bowl 10-5-08

Looks like fall is here with lows dipping into the twenties over the next few days. Time to get out and see what's happening with the georgeous colors around Flagstaff and the Peaks.

Flagstaff's 15-Minute Makeover Reminder

Don't forget that on 10-15-08, at 10:15 a.m., we can all participate in Flagstaff's first annual 15-minute makeover.

Head outside and clean up the litter. If we all donate just fifteen minutes of our time, we can't make a huge impact on our city landscape. All we have to do is just pick up what does not belong. Be sure to toss it in an appropriate trash or recycle container.

The City of Flagstaff is asking everyone to register online. They're even going to offer prizes to randomly chosen participants. The sign-up form does not appear to be available yet, so check back on the City website.

Fall Begins in Flagstaff

Here's a leaf peek on October 5, 2008. Just a taste of things to come:

And, yes, that is snow on the San Francisco Peaks:

Trappings of the American West

In addition to all the Flagstaff Festival of Science activities this weekend, a new exhibit opens at the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA). During the 19th annual Trappings of the American West, October 4 through November 2, 2008, the Historic McMillan Homestead on the grounds of MNA, will be open to the public for the first time.

With the 1886 Homestead as its backdrop, Trappings will showcase contemporary art of the American West, but Flagstaff's history will also occupy part of this unique stage.

What an opportunity to enjoy the interpretation of the cowboy and the American West by these talented artists and learn about the fascinating people who built the foundation of our modern American town.

What a great fall weekend!

Interferometer Tour at Anderson Mesa

Aerial View
Courtesy NPOI

Thanks to Lowell Observatory, Naval Observatory and the Naval Research Laboratory for a fantastic tour of the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI) on Sunday, September 28, during the 2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science.

Jim Clark, Senior Mechanical Engineer, was our guide for the tour. His hospitality and his extensive knowledge combined to give us a most enjoyable, as well as educational, view of the NPOI on Anderson Mesa.

I highly recommend this once a year opportunity. But, you'll have to wait until the 2009 Flagstaff Festival of Science.

Siderostat Station
M. Crain 9-28-2008

2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science Day #10

On the last day of the Festival of Science, Sunday, October 5, we still have some interesting activities on the schedule.

From 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., visit the Slide Rock State Park Open House at Slide Rock State Park, Oak Creek Canyon.

At 10 a.m., you can take the *Scenic Science Skyride at Arizona Snowbowl.

From 12:30 – 4:30 p.m., attend the U.S. Naval Observatory Open House.

At 7 p.m., Riordan Mansion State Historic Park will host Human Life in the Little Colorado River Valley with Linda Marie Golier, from the Center for Desert Archaeology.

From 7:30-10:00 p.m., you'll have one last opportunity to Zoom into Planets, Stars, Nebulae & Galaxies at the NAU Campus Observatory.

Get details at 2008 Festival of Science.
*This requires reservations.

2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science Day #9

This going to be a full day for the Festival of Science. Here's what you can do on Saturday, October 4:

Day trips:

From 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., you can attend Jerome State historic Park Open House.

From 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., think about attending the Meteor Crater Open House. If you are so inclined, you can take the rare opportunity to go on a walk around the *whole rim of the crater.

From 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., take part in the Homolovi Ruins State Park: Crossroads of Exploration Presentation & Hike.

From 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Open House takes place.

From 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., visit Wupatki National Monument Open House.

At 10 a.m. & 1 p.m., Wupatki National Monument offers Archaeology of the Citadel District Walking Tours.

From 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., you can attend the National Weather Service Open House & Balloon Launch at Camp Navajo Army Depot.

From 1 – 5 p.m., The Arboretum at Flagstaff holds an Open House.

From 2 – 4 p.m., take the Keyhole Sink Rock Hike.

From 7 – 10 p.m., U.S. Naval Observatory is having a Deep Sky Star Party.

Closer to home, in Flagstaff:

From 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Night Visions III continues at the Coconino Center for the Arts.

At 7 p.m., Riordan Mansion State Historic Park hosts The 1917-1918 Flu Epidemic in Flagstaff by Bee Valvo, NAU Cline Library Special Collections and Archives

From 7:30-10:00 p.m., you'll have another opportunity to Zoom into Planets, Stars, Nebulae & Galaxies at the NAU Campus Observatory.

Get details at 2008 Festival of Science.
*This walk requires reservations.

2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science Day #8

What does the Festival of Science offer on Friday, October 3?

From 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Night Visions III continues at the Coconino Center for the Arts.

From 3 – 4 p.m., you can see what Flagstaff recycling is all about when you take the Norton Materials Recovery Facility Public Tour.

At 4 p.m., Lowell Observatory hosts Caves on Earth and Mars: The Search for Life with J. Judson Wynne from the Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research at USGS.

At 5 p.m., Lowell Observatory then presents Dr. G. Kent Colbath, a retired paleontologist, speaking about Worms that eat Fish: The Surprising Fossil History of Killer Worms.

At 7:00 p.m., the Museum of Northern Arizona hosts Zooming in on Mars from Orbit: Updates from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter with Dr. Laszlo Keszthelyi, USGS.

At 7:00 p.m., join Richard and Sherry Mangum, Flagstaff Historians and Neil Weintraub, from Kaibab National Forest, as they present Preserving and Interpreting the 1892–1900 Grand Canyon-Flagstaff Stage Coach Line, at Riordan Mansion State Historic.

From 7 – 9 p.m., you have a chance to attend a pre-release screening of the new PBS film, HotSpots. NAU Cline Library is host.

From 7:30-10:00 p.m., you'll have another opportunity to Zoom into Planets, Stars, Nebulae & Galaxies at the NAU Campus Observatory.

Details at 2008 Festival of Science.

2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science Day #7

Thursday, October 2, at the Festival of Science, looks like this:

From 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Night Visions III continues at the Coconino Center for the Arts.

At 4 p.m., Lowell Observatory hosts When Scorpions Ruled the World, with Dr. Larry Stevens, Museum of Northern Arizona.

At 5 p.m., Lowell Observatory then presents Zooming into Mars with the Microscopic Imagers on Spirit and Opportunity with Dr. Ken Herkenhoff, U.S. Geological Survey.

At 7 p.m., Museum of Northern Arizona gives us the scoop on Flagstaff’s Carbon Footprint by Nicole Woodman, City of Flagstaff.

Get the details at 2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science.

2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science Day #6

It's time to take a look at the Festival of Science on October 1.

10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Take this final opportunity during the Festival to participate in the Hart Prairie Guided Nature Walk.

From 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Night Visions III continues at the Coconino Center for the Arts. It's a visual celebration of Flagstaff’s 50th anniversary as the world’s first International Dark Skies City.

From Noon – 6 p.m., attend the Willow Bend Environmental Education Center Open House with its exhibit, Sustainable Living: It’s Easy Being Green.

At 4 p.m., you can go to Lowell Observatory and learn about Astronomical Sketching: Learning to Draw the Wonders of the Sky from Jeremy Perez with W. L. Gore & Associates.

At 5 p.m., still at Lowell Observatory, you can hear a lecture, How Ancient and Current Cultures Use Science by Bryan Bates, Coconino Community College.

At 7 p.m., the Museum of Northern Arizona hosts Natural Zoomers: Dragonflies of Northern Arizona, with Dr. Larry Stevens, MNA.

Get the details at 2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science.

2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science Day #5

It's time to talk about the fifth day ( September 30) of Flagstaff Festival of Science. Lots of interesting things going on.

From 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., fourth graders from Flagstaff schools can Make a Splash with Project WET Water Festival at the Thorpe Park Ballfields.

From 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Night Visions III continues at Coconino Center for the Arts.

At 4 p.m., Lowell Observatory presents Tassel-eared Squirrels, a lecture by Dr. Sylvester Allred from NAU.

At 5 p.m., still at Lowell, Dr. Marc Murison with the U.S. Naval Observatory will speak about The Search for Extrasolar Planets.

At 7 p.m., the Museum of Northern Arizona is host to Jillian Worssam, National PolarTREC Teacher, and The Bering Sea: Life Magnified.

Get the details at 2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science.

2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science Day #4

What's happening on Monday, September 29? Not quite as many Festival of Science choices to make. However, the lectures sound great and if the timing is just right between the last two, you might just make all three.

At 4 p.m., Lowell Observatory presents NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander Discoveries with Sanlyn Buxner & Carla Bitter from the University of Arizona.

Then you don't even have to move from your seat to hear the next lecture.

At 5 p.m., Lisa Leap from Grand Canyon National Park will speak about the archaeological sites at the bottom of the Grand Canyon that are in jeopardy.

At 7 p.m., if you hurry, you can hear about Earthquakes: From Quakelets to Megakillers, from Dr. David Brumbaugh scientist with the NAU Arizona Earthquake Information Center. This lecture is across town at the Museum of Northern Arizona.

Get the details at 2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science.

2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science Day #3

Now for September 28, Sunday's possibilities during the Festival of Science.

Day trips:

From 9 a.m.–5 p.m., you can attend the Walnut Canyon National Monument Open House.

At 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., with *reservations, you'll be able to go on the 90-minute tour of the Interferometer at Anderson Mesa.

At 10 a.m., you can join a Coconino National Forest Lava River Cave Tour. *Reservations needed.

From 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. you can take the Hart Prairie Guided Nature Walk. Be sure to read the instructions about this beautiful and educational walk.

At 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., you can tour the Elden Pueblo Project.

From 1–4 p.m., you can attend Fort Valley Experimental Forest Station Centennial Open House.

Closer to home in Flagstaff:

From 2-4 p.m., take the family to the Science Poetry Slam for Kids at East Flagstaff Public Library.

At 4 p.m., Judy Springer, of the NAU Ecological Restoration Institute, will talk about Creating Moon Gardens for Mystical Nighttime Enjoyment, at the Coconino Center for the Arts.

From 5:30 – 9:30 p.m., Lowell Observatory Open House gives you a chance to do a little star-gazing and learn about buying a telescope and observing.

At 7:00 p.m., you can learn about Fort Valley Experimental Forest at 100 Years from Historian Susan Olberding, at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park. In addition to the lecture, an exhibit of hand-tinted glass slides will be on display at West House from 6-7 p.m.

From 7:30-10:00 p.m., you'll have a third opportunity to Zoom into Planets, Stars, Nebulae & Galaxies at the NAU Campus Observatory.

*Telephone number for reservations is listed at Flagstaff Festival of Science Schedule.

2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science Day #2

The Festival of Science offers eleven things to do from 8 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. today. It will be hard to know what to choose. We'll all probably have to take a family vote, unless we're going solo.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

If you want to take a little day trip, here's what you can do:

From 8 a.m.-5:oo p.m. Tuzigoot National Monument is having an Open House.

From 8 a.m.-5:00 p.m. you might decide to attend the Montezuma Castle National Monument Open House.

From 9:00a.m.-4:00 p.m. you can participate in all the activities or just enjoy the beautiful surroundings at Verde River Day at Dead Horse Ranch State Park and Verde River Greenway.

From 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. you can take the Hart Prairie Guided Nature Walk. Be sure to read the instructions about this beautiful and educational walk.

Closer to home in Flagstaff:

From 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., you can enjoy Science in the Park at Wheeler Park.

From Noon-4 p.m., Flagstaff Medical Center is hosting an event for school-aged children, called Fantastic Voyage.

From 1:00-4:00 p.m., you might choose to attend Mountain Campus Science & Engineering Day at the NAU High Country Conference Center.

At 4:00 p.m., Jerry Snow will present his view of On the Beale Road with Peachy G. Breckinridge, 1857-1859. at Riordan Mansion State Park Courtyard.

From 6:00-8:00 p.m., you can attend the Night Visions III Opening Reception.

At 7:00 pm. Dr. Gerald G. Schaber will talk about the Apollo Missions in Flagstaff at Riordan Mansion State Park Courtyard.

From 7:30-10:00 p.m., you'll have a second opportunity to Zoom into Planets, Stars, Nebulae & Galaxies at the NAU Campus Observatory.

Get all the details at 2008 Festival of Science.

2008 Flagstaff Festival of Science Day #1

The 2008 Festival of Science starts in Flagstaff next Friday night, so we're going to visit each day of the festival daily until it starts. Just a heads up so you'll know what's happening when. We talked a bit about the Festival on August 12, 2008.

Friday, September 26, 2008

At 7:00 p.m., in the NAU Ardrey Auditorium, the Festival kicks off with the Zoom into Science Ballet, followed by the Shoemaker Keynote Lecture and science author Richard Preston. From a personal point of view, I can't think of a more appropriate speaker since he introduced me to Gene Shoemaker in his book First Light: The Search for the Edge of the Universe about the Hale Telescope.

At 7:30-10:00 p.m., the NAU Campus Observatory will open its doors with Zoom into Planets, Star, Nebulae & Galaxies and its new 20-inch telescope. Don't worry if you can't make it to the observatory Friday night, you'll have the opportunity again later in the week.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at Day 2 of the Festival.

Athletics at NAU

If you are interested in attending athletic events at Northern Arizona University (NAU) you'll like the NAU Lumberjacks website. One really handy resource is the Event Calendar. You can see each days' events by a simple mouse-over of the date. Easy access to the times for all activities, including volleyball, tennis, soccer, not just the big sports like football and basketball.

In addition you can see current news about NAU sports, like recaps of recent games or profiles of players. This is such a good resource since we no longer have Channel 2 News to keep us up-to-date on what's happening around town in Flagstaff and around campus.

Note: You can also see the TV Schedules for events that can be viewed on cable.

Hole in the Rock Expedition at Cline Library

The 2008 Community Lecture Series begins at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night, September 17, at Cline Library, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff. The first lecture, by Stewart Aitchison, is The Last Wagon Train: The Hole-in-the Rock Expedition. Aitchison is a zoologist, geologist and naturalist.

Get more details at Grand Canyon Association Calendar.

We're really looking forward to this season of lectures.

A. E. Douglas by George Ernest Webb

Want to learn more about A.E. Douglas and the part he played in establishing Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff? Then you'll want to take a little trip to the library, your favorite used bookstore or Amazon.com to find a copy of Tree Rings and Telescopes: The Scientific Career of A. E. Douglass by George Ernest Webb. In its pages you will find that and much more.

Beginning with the first page of the preface, Webb catches your attention and doesn't let you go until the end of the last chapter, The Final Quest.

The first paragraph begins with, "On March 15, 1960, more than 100 persons gathered on the sun-warmed summit of a southern Arizona mountain to dedicate Kitt Peak National Observatory. From the beginning of the ceremonies, one man gained particular notice. Andrew Ellicott Douglass (1867-1962), ninety-three years old, listened intently to the speakers and carefully explored the site of the largest single collection of astronomical instruments in the United States."

Webb ends with, "Few scientists establish enviable reputations in two fields; fewer still create and entirely new discipline. Douglass's success in achieving both these feats assures his place among the leaders of modern science."

And in the 190 pages in between, he details the career of A. E. Douglass. From Harvard University, to Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, to the University of Arizona in Tucson, Steward Observatory and the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, his impact on the making of science in the Southwest is explored with a sense of wonder and admiration.

This book is well-researched and includes extensive chapter notes and an impressive bibliography. I highly recommend it.

Arizona Geology Blog

Today seems like a good day to take a virtual trip over to Arizona Geology, the blog of the State Geologist of Arizona. To find out about Lee Allison, the blog's author, State Geologist and Director Arizona Geological Survey, and his reasons for starting Arizona Geology, see his first post on January 1, 2007. It is entitled Arizona lives and dies by its geology.

You may actually want to go back and browse all of the posts. There is a lot of extremely interesting information in these blog archives. For instance, Basin & Range aquifers 4th most heavily used in nation is a very welcome post.

I've added Arizona Geology to The Conconino Chronicles' Blogs of Note in the sidebar.

Flagstaff Bed Races

This weekend, join the fun and support Toys for Toys at the Flagstaff Bed Races. It all starts at Wheeler Park and its free. On Saturday, September 13, 2008, activities run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 10:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m.

You can watch the Bed Races and the Toys for Tots Parade. This will be two days of fun for the kids, too. There will be a ferris wheel, a bounce house and lots of kid's activities.

Don't forget the food and the craft show. Sounds like something for everyone at this 14th annual Flagstaff Bed Races.

Flagstaff Prelude to Open Studios

The Prelude to Open Studios exhibit is now open at the Coconino Center for the Arts. The Prelude is a glimpse of what we will be able to see during Flagstaff Open Studios, September 20-21, 2008. This exhibit features new works by all the artists participating in Open Studios.

You can get the details at Flagstaff Cultural Partners. Printed brochure maps for Open Studios are available at the Flagstaff Visitor Center, as well as at the Coconino Center for the Arts.

Flagstaff Weekend Events--So Much To Do

Flagstaff Route 66 Days has arrived. Lots of things going on tonight through Sunday. See the calendar of events here.

In addition, if hot cars amid "the cool pines of Arizona's High Country" is not for you, then head over to FlagstaffArizona.org and check out the calendar for the weekend. There's just too much to highlight it all here.

You have your choice of everything from a public recycling tour this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. to NAU Women's Soccer or NAU Football to the Grand Canyon Music Festival on the South Rim.

Sounds like there is something for everyone. Now, if we only knew what to do first.

Flagstaff First Friday ArtWalk

Remember that tomorrow, September 5, 2008, is the date for Flagstaff's First Friday ArtWalk. The time is 6-9 p.m. You can get all the details on this website. They even have a September ArtWalk Map that can be downloaded as a pdf.

If you've never been to this monthly event, it time to check it out. Enjoy the atmosphere of historic downtown and see what's new from Flagstaff artist's and artisans.

Seems like a really good time to also enjoy this wonderful cool mountain weather.

Coconino County Crater

It's been a while since we took a trip back to look at Coconino County history. So, here's an interesting excerpt from the 1906 Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, about Meteor Crater, then called Coon Mountain:

"COON MOUNTAIN'S SO-CALLED CRATER. — Messrs. P. M. Barringer and B. C. Tilghman have made an examination of Coon Mountain in Arizona, and the results of their work are published in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (December, 1905). Coon Mountain or Butte rises above the plain about five miles south of Sunshine station in Coconino County, Arizona.

The evidence collected has convinced the investigators that the "crater" was produced by the impact of an iron body falling out of space. The so-called mountain consists of a circular ridge from 130 to 160 feet in height, surrounding an almost circular depression in the earth varying from 3,600 to 3,800 feet in diameter and about 400 feet deep.

Viewed from the inside the surrounding ridge is about 560 feet above the level of the crater bottom. As this hole has a general resemblance to a crater, some observers have surmised that it was really the crater of a long-extinct volcano. The rim around it, however, is not composed of volcanic outpourings; the hole penetrates strata of red sandstone, yellowish limestone, gray sandstone, and, finally, a brownish sandstone, in which it terminates. The writers dismiss as untenable the theory that this is a volcanic crater.

Another theory is that the hole was produced by a steam explosion; but the vast amount of steam required could be stored up only in regions of volcanic activity, and there is no evidence that this was ever such a region.

The writers believe the evidence to be overwhelming that the cavity was formed by the impact of a large meteorite. Much of the rock was ground by the collision into fine particles and almost impalpable dust, and a great part of the crater rim is formed of this debris. The colliding body itself was, to a large extent, broken into pieces. Borings have revealed small fragments and splinters of it, but no large piece has been found beneath the floor of the crater. On the other hand, several tons of meteoric iron have been collected around the crater. Seven pieces of it weigh from 600 to over 1,000 pounds each, and smaller pieces were found around the crater to a distance of two and a half miles.

These iron specimens contain iron, nickel, iridium, and platinum, and there are millions of particles of it scattered far and wide around the crater. A shaft is now to be sunk in the centre of the crater, and, if possible, sufficient depth will be reached to demonstrate whether or not there are parts of the supposed foreign body buried several hundred feet beneath the central plain."

Pages 306-307
Bulletin of the American Geographical Society
By American Geographical Society of New York
Published by The Society, 1906

Coconino County Fair

Let's go to the fair--The 59th Coconino County Fair. It starts today and goes through Labor Day on Monday.

You can even leave your car in Flagstaff and ride the bus out to the Fairgrounds at Fort Tuthill County Park. See the details on the website above.

Whether you like the carnival rides, the music (The Bellamy Brothers will be there on Saturday.) or the exhibits and demonstrations, it should be a lot of fun way to officially end the summer.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Sounds like Sunday is going to be a cool, crisp day.

CLIMAS Southwest Climate Outlook

The August 2008 Southwest Climate Outlook from Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) at the University of Arizona.

This is such an easily digested overview of our climate conditions. It covers drought, temperature, precipitation (including Monsoon) and ENSO conditions.

Their summary may surprise you:

"The Bottom Line - Monsoon storms have delivered variable but copious amounts of precipitation. In many parts of New Mexico, monsoon rain is above average. These rains have helped New Mexico experience widespread short-term drought improvements. Extremely dry conditions in northern Arizona counties have harmed many crops."

To get more details from this report, you can view or download the pdf by following the link above.

Lowell Steele Visitor Center Milestone

A million visitors have been welcomed by Lowell Observatory since the Steele Visitor Center opened in 1994. Tomorrow will be a celebration. Get all the details here.

Sounds like lots of fun. Half-price admission. Free raffle tickets given out from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Raffle for some really nice prizes at 3:30 p.m.

Of course, as always, there will be tours and telescope viewing. Flagstaff is so fortunate to have such an amazing place to visit. I'm always ready to head up to Mars Hill. I'll see you there!

Early History of Flagstaff

Let's visit another book on Flagstaff history, by Platt Cline, They Came to the Mountain: The Story of Flagstaff's Beginnings.

You already know that I'm a big Platt Cline fan. And you know that I'm very interested in Flagstaff and Coconino County history. So, this is the perfect book for me--bringing the two together.

I was hooked from the beginning. Bernard L. Fontana, ended his foreword to They Came to the Mountain, dated April 1976, with this:

"At least as early as the summer of 1882, the townspeople were fussing over the need for schools, churches, and fraternal organizations. ...

None of this sounds like a wild and wooly western town of movie matinee and television fame. It sounds instead like a piece of already well-established middle America transplanting itself beneath the shadow of the San Francisco Peaks, 'The Mountain' to which men came. And the transplant has been a success. Today's Flagstaff boasts three astronomical observatories, a university and a renowned museum of anthropology and natural history, the Museum of Northern Arizona. As Cline remarks, 'the community's attitudes and values favoring [such institutions] were already evident in the 1880s.'

Platt Cline's concern for the present and his love for his home have led him to examine our common past. We are in his debt for having brought us, too, to the mountain."

This pretty much sums it up, but you really must find a copy of this book. You will be so glad you did.

History of Northern Arizona University

"This book ought to be read by anyone who loves Flagstaff and by everyone interested in higher education in Arizona."--Bruce Babbitt, Former Governor of Arizona, on the back cover of Mountain Campus: The Story of Northern Arizona University by Platt Cline.

You could very appropriately add to that statement: "This book should be suggested reading for all NAU students and parents." I would use the phrase required reading, but that somehow implies that this book might be something to look forward to with less than enthusiasm. Reading this book is anything but a chore.

Platt Cline loved NAU, but he also put on his newspaper editor's hat when he wrote it. The result is an extremely readable history of both the university which started as a normal school in 1899, and the town that supported it. This paragraph from the book's introduction gives you sense of connection between the two:

"The reader will early find that the school owed its conception and birth directly to the small town of Flagstaff, then only a few more than a dozen years from its founding, and I hope he shares my delight in how this extraordinary achievement was brought about by the community's leaders as they maneuvered astutely, patiently, with good will--and also a sense of humor--to attain their goal. It could only have happened in Flagstaff! While there could have been a Flagstaff without the school, there could never have been the school without Flagstaff."

Please consider picking up a used copy (it's out of print) of this excellent history. You'll never feel the same about Flagstaff and its Mountain Campus.

Class Time

Flagstaff K-12 students are settled into their new classes. And now Northern Arizona University (NAU) and Coconino Community College (CCC) start their Fall 2009 classes tomorrow.

It's an exciting time for students and the community alike. There's a new, yet familiar, energy in the air. College students do that to a town. We're glad to have them back.

When I had to search last week to find out when college classes actually start this semester, I realized how much we are all going to miss our live TV news reporting. In times past, I would have already known all the news of Fall 2008 at NAU and CCC, because I would have seen it on Channel 2 news. It's not going to be easy to keep up with what's happening on campus. And what about sports? How will we know what's coming up and how the teams are doing. We'll have to get that figured out.

But, for now, welcome "home" to all our college students.

Jerome and the Copper Town Ball

Just found out that Jerome, AZ is having its first annual Copper Town Ball on Saturday, September 13, 2008. That reminded me that we haven't visited Jerome, so let's take a virtual trip first. Three websites immediately come to mind:

• The Jerome Historical Society which gives a bit of history and information about the Mine Museum and the Society's plans to protect Jerome's historical heritage.
• Jerome Chamber of Commerce offers a really good overview of what's available to Jerome visitors. They've added a section of photos from the 2008 Home Tour--a good indication of what you might see on the 2009 tour.
• AZJerome.com is a commercial site and actually is the most informative website I've found.

According to AZJerome.com, today Jerome is a thriving on tourist and artist community and has a population of about 450, but it was once a booming mining town of 15,000, the fourth largest city in the Arizona territory.

Jerome is called "America's Most Vertical City" and "Largest Ghost Town in America." Sounds like a bit of information that might call for some more investigation. This town is interesting part of Arizona history that through ingenuity and hard work has managed to live on.

More Wayne Ranney Books

On August 11, 2008 we talked about Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau by Ron Blakey and Wayne Ranney. Today I want to share information about four other Ranney books:

• Carving Grand Canyon: Evidence, Theories and Mystery
• The Verde Valley: A Geological History
• Canyon Country
• Sedona Through Time: Geology of the Red Rocks

If you're interested, you can find out how to order them at Wayne Ranney. I got mine through Amazon.com.

All are small, but very readable and extremely informative, overviews of the geologic history of these four areas on the Colorado Plateau.

Thunder Over The Coconino

This Saturday, August 23, 2008, you can take a little trip up to the Grand Canyon Valle Airport for Thunder Over The Coconino. It's billed as their "4th Annual "Thunder Over the Coconino" Aircraft Fly-In, Historic Car Rally, and Chili Cook-off."

Sounds like fun. Imagine seeing vintage planes and cars, including a P51 Mustang and a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor, in an atmosphere filled with the spicy aroma from great pots of chili. What's better than that?

You can get all the details at Grand Canyon Valle Airport. If you need more help, the telephone number and email address are listed at the bottom of that page.

Don't forget to sign up to enter your prize-winning chili in the competition.

Grand Canyon Online

Courtesy National Park Service

Have you visited the Grand Canyon National Park website recently? Lots of information is available, including the Fall 2008 South Rim Guide in pdf format.

You can also grab the webcam at Yavapai Point on the South Rim, listen to Ranger Minutes, podcast, watch short video called Flight Into Canyon, or read Canyon Sketches eMagazine.

There is a great deal of history, including a priceless ebook, Polishing the Jewel: An Administrative History of Grand Canyon National Park by Michael F. Anderson. The only disappointment is that there isn't a lot of ecology and environment material, but Polishing the Jewel does make up for that.

Isn't it fantastic that we have the opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon as a day trip? A World Heritage Site, 1,218,375 acres big, right in Flagstaff's own back yard.

Sunflowers and Sunshine

After the storms, its a beautiful morning in Flagstaff. Hoping to hear that all are safe up at the Grand Canyon--flash floods and a dam break have led to some evacuations of Havasupai residents of Supai and tourists in the area.

Update at 6:05 p.m. today: Governor Napolitano announced all who are known to have been in the Canyon are safe.

Flagstaff

August 18, 2008

Arizona: A History

How about taking another trip by book? If you're looking for a good, but readable, book on Arizona history, consider Thoma E. Sheridan's Arizona ***A History published in 1995 by The University of Arizona Press.

It is extremely readable, presenting his unique view of the people, politics, corporations and events that shape Arizona history. But, he says that, "This book begins and ends with the natural world . . . nature in Arizona has made its own demands."

His is a very interesting point of view and well worth the time it takes to read this history of Arizona.

Flagstaff Loses Live News

Today, we lose our only local live television news. Flagstaff will no longer have live broadcasts to focus on the news, weather and issues affecting us locally.

After more than 30 years, KNAZ-TV will broadcast its last live news tonight. Instead we will have a Channel 12 northern Arizona bureau. It is my understanding that Channel 12 will include our weather in their normal weather segment. And sometimes local stories from the two reporters with the new bureau will be included with the Phoenix area news on Channel 12.

It's a sad day for news in our area. We thank all those who worked for Channel 2 and served the Flagstaff community and wish them only good things to come.

Ecological Restoration Institute at NAU

Just another short virtual trip over to NAU for a visit to the Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI). The ERI is on a mission that is directly affecting Flagstaff and the surrounding forest. You'll find lots of information about the contribution these dedicated people are making to the restoration and protection of our forests and our people.

This is how the ERI introduces itself, "The Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI) at Northern Arizona University (NAU) is nationally recognized for mobilizing the unique assets of a University to help solve the problem of unnaturally severe wildfire and degraded forest health. Focusing principally on landscapes where unprecedented wildfires threaten ecological and community sustainability, the ERI works to help cooperative efforts led by land management agencies and communities by providing comprehensive focused studies and monitoring and evaluation research and technical support.

Realizing that wildland and community health problems are interdisciplinary by nature, we seek to engage the university community across disciplinary boundaries—not just foresters, ecologists, and environmental scientists, but also engineers, economists, social scientists, educators, and beyond. In addition to the standard university functions of knowledge discovery, synthesis, and transfer, the ERI stresses a learning-by-doing approach—one that helps faculty, staff, and students gain real life experience working with land management agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and policy makers at the local to national level. Our goal is not just discovery of knowledge, but meaningful work that makes a difference for western forests.

The ERI was formally established by the Arizona Board of Regents in 1997 and by federal legislation in 2004. The ERI is funded by a combination of programmatic state and federal funding and through competitive grants programs."

You'll want to follow all the links on this site, to really understand how important their mission is. Don't miss this article, Thinning the fear from The Arizona Republic, June 30, 2008, if you want to find out about the progress and effects of forest land thinning in and around Flagstaff.

Flagstaff Festival of Science 2008

Mark your calendars for Zoom Into Science! Be sure to start now to make plans to attend the many events sheduled during the Flagstaff Festival of Science, September 26 - October 5, 2008.
Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone and First Light, will be the Shoemaker Keynote speaker on Friday, September 26. Then for ten days, if your time is limited, you'll have to make some tough decisions about what to see. Among your choices are the NAU Campus Observatory, the Interferometer Tour at Anderson Mesa, several lectures at Lowell Observatory, the Rim Walk at Meteor Crater, and Dragonflies of Northern Arizona at MNA.

Get all the details at Flagstaff Festival of Science. All activities are free, but don't wait to make plans because you need reservations for some events.

Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau

Come October, we will be able to hold in our hands the landscapes of hundreds of millions of years of geologic history. Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, by Ron Blakey and Wayne Ranney will be published. You can pre-order it at Amazon.com. I already did.

If you're a fan of Ron Blakey at NAU and the amazing maps he makes available to us on the Internet or of Wayne Ranney and his writing about the geologic history of the Sedona, Verde Valley and the Grand Canyon, this new book is a long awaited collaboration.

You can read about Ancient Lanscapes of the Colorado Plateau at The University of Arizona Press or at the Grand Canyon Association.

And there's more, the two authors will be giving a lecture, Tracing the Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, as part of the Canyon Country Community Lecture Series. See the details on the website, about the lecture in Prescott on Sunday, November 16, 2008 and in Flagstaff on Wednesday, November 19, 2008.

This is really something to look forward to--one more contribution to our understanding of the Colorado Plateau by these two brilliant geologists.

USArray Seismic Stations and NAU

Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University and University of Arizona earth scientists will be able to analyze and interpret data from eight USArray stations. The news release headline, dated July 28, 2008, read: "Arizona Geological Survey Receives FEMA Grant to Improve Earthquake Monitoring & Risk Assessment in Arizona."

From the news release, "The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded $493,678 as a Pre-Disaster Mitigation Competitive Grant to the consortium headed by the Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS) to improve earthquake monitoring and revisit seismic hazard assessment in Arizona. AZGS and the three universities are providing $172,000 in matching funds." This is the first time that FEMA has made funds available in this way.

This means that Arizona will be able to keep eight of the 58 stations which have been monitoring seismic activity in Arizona for almost two years and will be moving to another part of the United States in October 2008.

For more information see the Arizona Geological Survey webpage, Improving Earthquake Monitoring & Risk Assessment in Arizona.

So, once again NAU is involved in a project very important to Arizona and the local community.

2008 Flagstaff Route 66 Days

Just a heads up for Flagstaff Route 66 Days, so you can mark your calendars. You'll want to make time during this weekend, September 5, 6, 7, 2008, to head downtown for the car show, auto vendor show, arts and crafts show, plus lots of food and fun.

This is the event that will bring Route 66 nostalgia to downtown Flagstaff. You can get all the details at Flagstaff Route 66 Days.

Environmental History of the Colorado Plateau

What a fantastic resource for learning about this beautiful area. NAU website, Colorado Plateau-Land Use History of North America (CP-LUHNA) is described on its front page, "This website provides an introduction to the environmental history of the Colorado Plateau. It summarizes a vast body of research from multiple disciplines in an easily accessible format."

I can't begin to describe the vast amount of information available here. So, here are the broad categories covered:

• People
• Biota
• Places
• Tools
• Change
• Trends
• Research

The bibliographic database is temporarily unavailable as of the time of this post. But, I believe this is an unparalleled introduction to the environmental history of the Colorado Plateau. Congratulations to this group for an amazing job. This is part of the Land Use History of North America project by the USGS.

Route 66 Resources

Long View of Route 66 Flagstaff

If you're interested in Route 66, you might want to take a look at this Route 66-iana page by Sean Evans. You'll find Route 66 materials for researchers, resources at NAU Cline Library and some great information in Sean's own presentations.

This is the best resource I've found for information relevant to Route 66 and Arizona. Enjoy!

Protecting Northern Arizona's Dark Skies

If you want to know about Flagstaff and its designation as the world's first International Dark-Sky City, a good place to start is the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition. The FDSC says its mission is to celebrate, promote and protect the glorious dark skies of Flagstaff and northern Arizona.

The FDSC has a great website, giving an overview of Flagstaff's astronomical community, the battle to protect its night sky and the work of the International Dark-Sky Association and the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition.

You'll also find information about northern Arizona's lighting codes and lighting reference materials by Christian Luginbuhl of the U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station.

If your organization is in the greater Flagstaff area and you would like to help educate the public about dark sky issues, FDSC has a traveling exhibit available.

Don't forget to check the calendar of events celebrating the 50th anniversary of Flagstaff's first lighting ordinance. You can help celebrate with events through December 2008.

Northern Arizona Protected Place

How fortunate are we to have such beautiful places to explore!

One of those places is the 245-acre Hart Prairie Preserve, just fourteen miles from Flagstaff. The Nature Conservancy, its caretaker, says that it is home to the largest known Bebb willow community in the world, as well as old growth ponderosa. Elk, deer, and more than 40 species also claim the forests and wildflower meadows.

We can see this beautiful protected place up close, during the summer through mid-October, by participating in the free guided nature walks on Sunday mornings. This is the only time Hart Prairie is open to the public.

You will find all the details on the Hart Prairie page of The Nature Conservancy website.

Navajo Festival at MNA This Weekend

You'll want to be sure to plan some time this weekend, August 2-3, 2008, to visit the 59th Annual Navajo Festival of Arts and Culture, at the Museum of Northern Arizona.

This year, we'll be able to learn about the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II and the Navajo Lifeways. Seventy-five artists will exhibit their work. In addition, numerous shows presenting native music and dances will be presented.

You can see details of this celebration on the museum website.

Yet Another Mars Lander Update

This little guy just keeps amazing us all. We first talked about the Flagstaff to Mars connection on June 21, 2008 and then on June 26, 2008, we learned that the Phoenix Mars Lander scooped up soil that appears to contain all the requirements to support life.

But, there's more. Today, we have this headline, "NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian Water, Mission Extended," from NASA and the University of Arizona. Mars Lander finally got a soil into its "oven" for testing. This test confirmed what the camera saw, the ice in the soil where the Lander was digging.

This is really intriguing. Makes one wonder what may be discovered during the rest of the mission which has be extended through the end of September.

Stay tuned for more results.

Historical Atlas of Arizona

Here on The Coconino Chronicles we're all about taking trips Northern Arizona, many of them related to the history of this beautiful and diverse area. What better tool to help us do our exploration than an atlas? And even better, how about a great historical atlas?

I think the Historical Atlas of Arizona by Henry P. Walker and Don Bufkin is going to prove to be an invaluable asset to our travels. I just got the second edition which was published in 1986 by the University of Oklahoma Press--apparently no updates since then.

It's not a full-color book with all the bells and whistles, just simple black and white. But, I think it is just perfect, very clear, detailed graphics. It includes maps of the early explorers, military posts, the counties and how they have changed over time, federal lands, state lands, railroads and much, much more. Of course some of the statistics about population and such are out of date after more than twenty years, but it contains an enormous amount of historical information in a very concise, usable format.

The Peaks District

If you want to plan recreational activities in the Coconino National Forest, here's the place to start. This is the Recreation on the Coconino Forest section of the Forest website. Before you go further, be sure to check out the yellow box with updates about road work and such. For safety's sake read the do's and don'ts under the heading The Coconino National Forest Welcomes Visitors.

After getting the basics out of the way, go down the page to So Much To Do & See. If you click on the "Peaks District" you'll be taken to a page all about the Volcanic Highlands area around the San Francisco Peaks.

Here' you'll find information on all the recreational activities available, including camping, hiking, scenic drives and more. There is a list giving the overview information and then a link to the detail page for each activity.

For instance, if you choose Fatmans Loop Trail #25, you then see a description of the trail, its length, its rating (easy, difficult), when its open, hiking time, elevation, where to access it and more. At the bottom of the page is a great map of the surrounding area and highlighted in red is Fatmans Loop.

You'll find similar information for each activity. There you have it. Just by visiting this website, you can get all the basic information you need, in a nutshell and from a very reliable source. Have fun exploring, the website and the area.

Flagstaff: Past & Present

Yesterday, I received my copy of Flagstaff: Past & Present by Richard and Sherry Mangum. I knew that it was going to beautiful, but I didn't expect it to be filled with extensive text, as well as historical and modern photographs that tell the story of Flagstaff.

If you want to get an overview the history of this mountain town, you can't do better than the Magnums' marvelous book.

The Arboretum at Flagstaff This Weekend

The 2008 Wildflower Walks at the Arboretum are scheduled only four times. This weekend, Saturday, July 26, is one of those times. You can also participate in these Wildflower Walks on August 30 and September 27.

Sounds like this Saturday should be a great time to head out to the Arboretum, since the Wildflower Walk is included in the price of admission. You'll want to get there early because only 20 people can take the walk with Dr. Gwendolyn Waring. The walk starts and 9:30 a.m. and lasts about two hours.

You can also go on the Guided Birdwalk starting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. The Arboretum website says these walks guided by Audubon Society members are free. So, perhaps there is no admission here. Please check to be sure.

In addition, there are guided Tours of the Gardens every day at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and Wild Birds of Prey programs are scheduled at noon and 2:00 p.m. Both these are also included in the price of admission.

This 200-acre facility will certainly give you a lot for you money this Saturday. Check the hours and fees here. In case you aren't familiar with the Arboretum's location, see a map and directions here.

Flagstaff Sunset and Sharlot Arrives

What a magnificent sunset over Flagstaff! It happens so quickly I almost missed it last night.

I finally gave up on the mail (see July 18, 2008, post) and took a little trip down to Bookman's to see if they had a copy of the Sharlot book I ordered. And they actually did have a copy, so I'm off to find out what Dr. Margaret Maxwell has to tell us about Miss Sharlot Hall in A Passion for Freedom, so I can keep my promise to add more to her story here on The Coconino Chronicles.

The Cardinals Are Here

Update: Please see current updated schedule at Training Camp 'o8.

Flagstaff welcomes the Arizona Cardinals. Training camp starts Friday. Twenty-nine practices are open to the public. Parking and admission is free at the practice fields next the NAU Skydome.

The schedule and all the details are available at FlagstaffWebCam.com. Three things to remember: Check the weather. Take your umbrella for a dash to the car. Wear you sunscreen and sunglasses.

A little Monsoon possibility won't put a damper on this. Sounds like fun.

Coconino County 2008 Report to Citizens

It's another trip you only have to take to your mailbox. On the heels of Cityscape, see our post, we just received the Coconino County 2008 Report to Citizens.

It's another excellent resource for all residents of Coconino County. This publication from the Office of the Board of Supervisors is 23 pages of must-know information. It covers everything from the Ready! Coconino emergency notification system on page 2, to volunteer opportunities on page 5, to employment, career and small business information on page 24. In between there's still more extremely important information.

If you didn't get your copy, you can contact Brenda Grey at 928.779.6695 or go to the Coconino County website, then click on "Citizens" and then on "Citizens Newsletter" to download the complete the report in pdf format.

Please take the time to read this entire publication. You'll be glad you did.

Short Trips Around Flagstaff This Weekend

Too many places to be. Too little time. That's how folks in Flagstaff may feel this weekend, July 19-20, 2008.

Here are just a few highlights:

• Lowell Observatory--Special lectures and telescope viewings both tonight and Sunday night. Sunday is Summer Star Fest. See Lowell.edu for details.
• Museum of Northern Arizona--THERIZINOSAUR--Mystery of Sickle-Claw Dinosaur among the most interesting things to see and do at MNA.
• Heritage Square-Downtown Flagstaff--Burnett Family Bluegrass today at 4 p.m. and Grand Canyon Guitar Society Concert tomorrow at 2 p.m.

See the complete weekend calendar at Flagstaff.org because it's shaping up to be a great summer weekend.

The Lady From Prescott Part II

It's way past time for another trip to Prescott. Back on June 28, I wrote about The Lady From Prescott and promised another post. Well, the dog ate my book, or more exactly it was lost somewhere between "It was mailed on June 26" and "It's July 18 and I didn't get my book yet." There's an SOS out, but nothing yet, so this is an interim post on Miss Sharlot Hall.

Today, let's take a virtual trip over to the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott. Currently, on the home page, there is a video of John Langellier's appearance on KAET, on June 10, to discuss the 80th anniversary of the museum. It's the perfect introduction to Sharlot Hall and her life's work, the museum which bears her name.

In addition to the online tours of the Governor's Mansion and the legacy of Sharlot Mabridth Hall , there is also an on-line only exhibit, Color and Texture: The Vibrant Art of Jack Dudley.

You'll want to stay awhile on this website and explore all the interesting information it has to offer, don't leave until you check out this index page.

We'll be joining you real soon down in Prescott at the real world Sharlot Hall Museum. And we'll also be revisiting Miss Hall as soon as we track down that book we want to share.

NAU Yearbooks Online

If you attended Northern Arizona University (NAU) and want to take a walk down Memory Lane or you just want to know a little more about NAU history, Cline Library and the Colorado Digital Archives gives you access to many yearbooks from 1915 to 1978. You can view them online at Northern Arizona University Yearbooks.

While you're browsing, don't overlook the advertisements. On page 6 of the 1915 volume of The Pine, the following ad appears: "For the Bachelor Girl or the School Girl--There's nothing like the Electric Iron--It weighs but 3 pounds--It costs but $2.50. HOTPOINT Traveller's Iron for pressing the Dainty Summer Waists, so dear to the heart of Girlhood. Use it right in your room." by FLAGSTAFF ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. "Do It Electrically"

Thank you NAU and Cline Library for giving us access to these priceless historical resources.

Discovery Space Op-Ed

Yesterday, Lowell Observatory Blog highlighted the new op-ed piece by Bob Millis, Lowell Observatory's Director, on Discovery Space. It's called Who Stole the Night Sky?

Kudos for a great job of focusing attention on the growing problem of light pollution. Here is a taste of this important opinion piece, given a national venue by Discovery:

"If Arizona, for example, were to adopt statewide the lighting practices required by the ordinances in Flagstaff and Coconino County, a recent study shows the state would save $30,000,000 dollars per year and stop 14,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide from being annually pumped into the atmosphere. Imagine these savings if the entire United States were to follow suit."

Be sure to read the rest of the article and follow the links in it. One of them leads to a video about the "Happy Jack" telescope.

North American Monsoon

Did you know that our monsoon rains actually have a name? According to CLIMAS at the University of Arizona, this major Southwest climate feature is called the North American Monsoon (NAM) and gives us our precious summer rains.

This climate system is featured in a new report, Border Climate Summary, which I just received from CLIMAS. You can download it as a pdf. The Coconino Chronicles first looked at Climate Assessment for the Southwest in this post.

The Border Climate Summary gives an excellent overview of the NAM and some programs that are currently underway to track and predict these vital monsoon rains.

Quilt Camp in the Pines 2008

This week, Flagstaff's NAU is the place to be if you're a quilter in Northern Arizona. Starting Sunday, July 13 and continuing through Saturday the 19th, Quilt Camp in the Pines draws not only local artisans, but quilters from all over the country. If you're local, it's not too late to attend a session at the last minute, since each quilting class is priced individually and there are still several classes that have open seats.

All the information and the class schedule is on the Internet at QuiltCamp.com.

2008 Pecos Conference in Flagstaff

The Pecos Conference, which will be held August 7-10, 2008, in Flagstaff, has been meeting for 80 years to informally discuss Southwestern prehistory. The first conference was held in the summer of 1927, the year before the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) opened its doors. Flagstaff and the MNA hosted the Pecos Conference for the first time in 1950 and most recently in 2001.

You will find all the particulars here, including registration forms, location of the four venues to be used this year and an overview of all the sessions, plus special events.

From the conference home page, "In recent years, Native Americans, avocational archaeologists, the general public and media organizations have come to play an increasingly important role, serving as participants and as audience, to celebrate archaeological research and to mark cultural continuity."

In case you have not heard, David R. Wilcox, Senior Research Anthropologist, MNA, the 2008 Conference Chairman, recently received this award: "The Arizona Archaeological Society announced at it’s Spring State Meeting in Flagstaff on May 24, 2008 that Dr David Wilcox, Senior Research Archaeologist at the Museum of Northern Arizona has been selected to receive The 2008 Professional Archaeologist of the Year Award from the AAS." (Press release from the Arizona Archaeological Society.)

By the way, the Northern Arizona Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society, meets the third Tuesday of each month, at 7:00 p.m., in The Peaks - Alpine Room (3150 N. Winding Brook Road, that Hwy 180 north of Flagstaff, just south of MNA.)

Flagstaff, circa 1890, Part II

We continue our trip (Part I) back to the Southwest of the late 19th century, as John L. Stoddard leaves Flagstaff by stage coach on his way to the Grand Canyon.

"One glorious September morning, leaving our train at Flagstaff, we started in stage-coaches for a drive of sixty-five miles to the Grand Canon. I had looked forward to this drive with some misgiving, dreading the heat of the sun, and the dust and sand which I had supposed we should encounter; but to my astonishment and delight it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It was only eleven hours in duration, and not only was most of the route level, but two-thirds of it lay through a section of beautifully rolling land, diversified with open glades and thousands upon thousands of tall pines and cedars entirely free from undergrowth. It is no exaggeration to say that we drove that day for miles at a time over a road carpeted with pine needles. The truth is, Arizona, though usually considered a treeless and rainless country, possesses some remarkable exceptions; and the region near Flagstaff not only abounds in stately pine, but is at certain seasons visited by rainstorms which keep it fresh and beautiful. During our stay at the Grand Canon we had a shower every night; the atmosphere was marvelously pure, and aromatic with the odors of a million pines; and so exhilarating was exercise in the open air, that however arduous it might be, we never felt inconvenienced by fatigue, and mere existence gave us joy. Decidedly, then , it will not do to condemn the whole of Arizona because of the heat of its arid, southern plains; for the northern portion of the state is a plateau, with an elevation of from five thousand to seven thousand feet. Hence, as it is not latitude, so much as altitude, that gives us healthful, pleasing temperature, in parts of Arizona the climate is delightful during the entire year."

"A portion of this stage-coach journey led us over the flank of the great San Francisco Mountain. The isolated position, striking similarity, and almost uniform altitude of its four peaks, rising nearly thirteen thousand feet above the sea, have long made them famous. Moreover, they are memorable for having cast a lurid light upon the development of this portion of our planet. Cold, calm, and harmless though they now appear, the time has been when they contained a molten mass which needed but a throb of Earth's uneasy heart to light the heavens with an angry glare, and cover the adjoining plains with floods of fire. Lava has often poured from their destructive cones, and can be traced thence over a distance of thirty miles ; proving that they once served as vents for the volcanic force which the thin crust of earth was vainly striving to confine. But their activity is apparently ended. The voices with which they formerly shouted to one another in the joy of devastation have been silenced. Conquered at last, their fires smolder now beneath a barrier too firm to yield, and their huge forms appear like funeral monuments reared to the memory of the power buried at their base. Another fascinating sight upon this drive was that of the Painted Desert whose variously colored streaks of sand, succeeding one another to the rim of the horizon, made the vast area seem paved with bands of onyx, agate, and carnelian. About the hour of noon we reached a lunch.station at which the stages, going to and from the Canon, meet and pass. The structure itself is rather primitive ; but a good meal is served to tourists at this wayside halting.place, and since our appetites had been sharpened by the long ride and tonic.giving air, it seemed to us the most delicious of repasts. The principal object of one of the members of our party, in making the journey described in these pages, was to determine the advisability of building a railroad from Flagstaff to the Canon. Whether this will be done eventually is not, however, a matter of vital interest to travelers, since the country traversed can easily be made an almost ideal coaching.route; and with good stages, frequent relays of horses, and a well-appointed lunch-station, a journey thus accomplished would be preferable to a trip by rail."

"Night had already come when we arrived at our destination, known as Hance's Camp, near the border of the Canon. As we drove up to it, the situation seemed enchanting in its peace and beauty ; for it is located in a grove of noble pines, through which the moon that night looked down in full-orbed splendor, paving the turf with inlaid ebony and silver, and laying a mantle of white velvet on the tents in which we were to sleep. Hance's log cabin serves as a kitchen and dining-room for travelers, and a few guests can even find lodging there; but, until a hotel is built, the principal dormitories must be the tents, which are provided with wooden floors and furnished with tables, chairs, and comfortable beds."

" This kind of accommodation, however, although excellent for travelers in robust health, is not sufficiently luxurious to attract many tourists. The evident necessity of the place is a commodious, well-kept inn, situated a few hundred feet to the rear of Hance's Camp, on the very edge of the Canon. If such a hotel, built on a spot commanding the incomparable view, were properly advert is ed and well.managed, I firmly believe that thousands of people would come here every year, on their way to or from the Pacific coast — not wishing or expecting it to be a place of fashion, but seeking it as a point where, close beside a park of pines, seven thousand feet above the level of the sea, one of the greatest marvels of the world can be enjoyed, in all the different phases it presents at morning, noon, and night, in sunshine, moonlight, and in storm. Early the next morning I eagerly climbed the little knoll at the foot of which our tents were located, for I well knew that from its summit I should see the Canon. Many grand objects in the world are heralded by sound : the solemn music of Niagara, the roar of active geysers in the Yellowstone, the intermittent thunder of the sea upon a rocky coast, are all distinguishable at some distance ; but over the Grand Canon of the Colorado broods a solemn silence. No warning voice proclaims its close proximity ; no partial view prepares us for its awful presence. We walk a few steps through the pine trees from the camp and suddenly find ourselves upon the Canon's edge. Just before reaching it, I halted for a moment, as has always been my wont when approaching for the first time any natural or historic object that I have longed for years to look upon. Around me rose the stately pines ; behind me was a simple stretch of rolling woodland ; nothing betrayed the nearness of one of the greatest wonders of the world. Could it be possible that I was to be disappointed ? At last I hurried through the intervening space, gave a quick look, and almost reeled."

"The globe itself seemed to have suddenly yawned asunder, leaving me trembling on the hither brink of two dissevered hemispheres. Vast as the bed of a vanished ocean, deep as Mount Washington, riven from its apex to its base, the grandest canon on our planet lay glittering below me in the sunlight like a submerged continent, drowned by an ocean that had ebbed away. At my very feet, so near that I could have leaped at once into eternity, the earth was cleft to a depth of six thousand six hundred feet — not by a narrow gorge, like other canons, but by an awful gulf within whose cavernous immensity the forests of the Adirondacks would appear like jackstraws, the Hudson Palisades would be an insignificant stratum, Niagara would be indiscernible, and cities could be tossed like pebbles. As brain grew steadier and vision clearer, I saw, directly opposite, the other side of the Canon thirteen miles away."

"It was a mountain wall, a mile in height, extending to the right and left as far as the eye could reach ; and since the cliff upon which I was standing was its counterpart, it seemed to me as if these parallel banks were once the shore-lines of a vanished sea. Between them lay a vast, incomparable void, two hundred miles in length, presenting an unbroken panorama to the east and west until the gaze could follow it no farther. Try to conceive what these dimensions mean by realizing that a strip of the State of Massachusetts, thirteen miles in width, and reaching from Boston to Albany, could be laid as a covering over this Canon, from one end to the other ; and that if the entire range of the White Mountains were flung into it, the monstrous pit would still remain comparatively empty ! Even now it is by no means without contents ; for, as I gazed with awe and wonder into its colossal area, I seemed to be looking down upon a colored relief.map of the mountain systems of the continent."

And here we leave John Stoddard as he admires the magnificent Grand Canyon.

Excerpted from John L. Stoddard's Lectures, Volume X, 1989, Boston, Balch Brothers Co. Now in public domain.