Wayne McCormick
Broker/Owner
Realty Executives of Flagstaff
Elk Ridge in Williams is a family-friendly ski, snowboard and tubing recreation area.
The rope tow was about to shut down late Friday afternoon and skiers and snowboarders of all ages scrambled to get in their last runs as the sinking sun sent beams of light across blue-white snow.
Welcome to Elk Ridge. A mere 30 miles west of Flagstaff on Interstate 40, this little gem of a mountain resort offers a full array of snowplay activities, rentals, lessons and a cozy day lodge.
The lodge is newly remodeled and includes a warming fireplace and the White Stag Cafe, which offers comfort food and views of the slopes out the windows.
Elk Ridge covers about 30 acres of skiable runs. All seven runs are groomed and visible from the lodge area.
Some runs have vertical drops of 600 feet, with a beginner's slope offering a gentle, 30-degree descent and a chance to practice skills.
Elk Ridge offers a wonderful alternative to crowded slopes and long lift lines, with a variety of terrain and friendly people.
The Elk Ridge season is December through April.
IF YOU GO
WHAT:
Elk Ridge Ski and Outdoor Recreation Area
Operating in cooperation with the National Forest Service, in the Kaibab National Forest
Season total for snow, 68 inches
WHERE:
Drive south from downtown Williams about 2.5 miles, continuing when it becomes Perkinsville Road.
Take a right on Ski Run Road (Forest Service Road 106), 1.5 miles up the hill to Elk Ridge. Sign on the right. Chains or 4WD may be required during heavy snows.
WHEN:
Open Friday through Monday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Half-day rates begin at 1:30 p.m.
White Stag Cafe, open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FEES:
Tubing: Two new runs available.
All day, 13 and older, $10; All day, 4 to 12 years, $7; under 3 free with paid adult.
Skiing, snowboarding: Poma Lift and a rope tow.
$20 all-day lift ticket.
Family and group rates available.
Rental available for tubes, downhill and cross-country skis, poles, boots and boards.
For information about rental packages and lessons, visit www.elkridgeski.com.
If you go...
Park off Highway 180 at the northern, gated end of Hart Prairie Road (FR 151). If you go past the Chapel of the Holy Dove, you've gone too far.
(Clarification: Many maps dub the staging area across from the chapel as the Walker Lake rest area. This is because the parking lot does serve as a good place to unload snowmobiles and access Hart Prairie Road across the highway. But the actual Walker Lake is 2 miles to the east of Highway 180.)
Ski or snowshoe up Hart Prairie Road to the intersection with FR 418. Go left for 200 yards, then take a snowmobile trail on the left for about a half-mile to the outer base of the crater and the trail sign. Leave your skis here and walk up the final 200 yards.
At the rim, walk briefly downhill, then to the left. You'll come to a steep chute with a nice runout onto the lakebed.
Fitness coach Steve Ilg recommends a north-facing slope in a scenic meadow just north of the Cheshire subdivision. Here are his directions:
Park at the first Wing Mountain turnoff road (gate locked): FR222
Ski or snowshoe a half-mile to first cattleguard
Go left (southeast)... down a hill on FR 923OF. Upon entering a barbed wire gate (be sure to close it!), veer right instead of following the road.
Noodle west toward Wing Mountain following a drainage system for less than a quarter mile and you'll see the big, beautiful meadow before you. Sledding is optimal on the north-facing south slope, although the entire southwest hill system is great!
With the Arizona Snowbowl and Snowbowl Road closed to sledding, the Forest Service has created three formal snowplay areas along Highway 180.
By DAILY SUN STAFF
Cari Hennikson, 10, gripped the tote string tightly of the new sled she got for her birthday and looked down the snowy slope of Crowley Pit, calculating the best time to maneuver into the stream of rowdy snowplay enthusiasts.
Cari, with her younger brother, Kyle and her father, ‘Tor, were up from the Valley on a Sunday snow- play trip. They weren’t alone--the pit was full of Valley families, many of them hard pressed to find a good place to sled once they learned that the Arizona Snowbowl was closed to sledding and parking was banned along Snowbowl Road.
It seems like it would behoove Flagstaff, ... Bto set up a place to sled,” said Todd Swansiger. We just found this place driving around.”
Actually, the Coconino National Forest has created three formal snowplay areas north of Snowbowl off Highway 180. Following is a brief description of each:
Wing Mountain: This site is a mecca for sledders as well as cross- country skiers. Most of the Forest Service roads at WingMountain are off-limits to wheeled vehicles between Dec. 1 and April 1, and there are also informal trails along gas pipeline easements.
The access road (FR 2228) is 2.8 miles north of Snowbowl Road. Hart Prairie Road (FR 151) is on the right, and about 100yards farther on the left is FR 222B.
For some reason, the Forest Service does not want to post a sign saying “Wing Mountain.” Instead, the sign says ‘Parking Area” Take FR 222B about a mile to the kiosk with a map of the trails. About a quarter-mile farther, there is a sizable parking lot. Drivers of high-clearance vehicles can proceed even farther to the base of the sledding hills.
Crowley Pit: This area is smaller than Wing Mountain but often less crowded. It is also at a higher elevation, so the snow tends to last a day or two longer. The pit is 9.8 miles north of Snowbowl road on the left, or about a mile north of the Flagstaff Nordic Center. Again, the sign at the turnoff (milepost 233) says ‘Parking Area,” not Crowley Pit. The access road is 200 yards long and there is parking for about 25 to 30 vehicles.
Walker Lake: This also is known as the Kendrick Park Watchable Wildlife Area. It is 14 miles north of Snowbowl Road on the left opposite the Chapel of the Holy Dove. This area is primarily for cross-country skiers and snowmobilers who want to explore the flatlands of Kendrick Park as well as the foothills of Kendrick Peak.
There are other informal snowplay areas along Highway 180, but the Forest Service discourages their use because of the hazards of parking along busy Highway 180.
For more information, contact the Peaks Ranger District at 526-0866.
Tempe has Arizona State University, Mill Avenue and a man-made lake. Tucson has funky Fourth Avenue and a huge grassy mall on the University of Arizona campus.
But Flagstaff has them both beat, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, which ranks the northern Arizona town as one of the nation’s five best college towns.
“Flagstaff’s ambience is cozy and cultural, with a symphony orchestra, museums and art galleries,” the magazine’s May issue says.
Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College wield a strong influence on the town, but college students aren’t they only ones attracted to Flagstaff. Baby boomers are also lured there because the campuses “generate so much energy that it’s infectious,” said Jack Welch, who retired to Flagstaff from St. Louis eight years ago.
Delaware native Ray Lynch, who fell in love with Flagstaff while passing through on a road trip, moved there, told the magazine that “very few people wish they were someplace else.”
Northern Arizona University's (NAU) program in Engineering received recognition from U.S. News & World Report recently ranking it 38th in the Nation. Out of approximately 110 other colleges offering Bachelor's and Master's Degrees for their Engineering Dept., NAU tied 38th place with nine other colleges and universities. Included in these were Miami University in Oxford Ohio, Boise State University and The Citadel in South Carolina.
With Arizona State University and University of Arizona offering doctoral programs in Engineering, they ranked 37th and 48th out of nearly 100 other universities in their class, according to Robert Morse, director of data research for this report.
Learn more about Northern Arizona University HERE.
Greater Flagstaff ranks high economically
According to Milken Institute, an independent public-policy think tank, Flagstaff ranks the region 21st among 179 small cities, despite failing job growth.
Continued steady production from local high-tech industries in the region has helped keep the metropolitan area on the list of best performing cities across the nation. The Flagstaff Metro Area includes most of northern Arizona and a small portion of Southern Utah. The study focuses on populations under 235,000. Milken has been ranking Flagstaff since 2004 and Flagstaff receives high ratings primarily due to growth at W.L. Gore & Associates a major employer in the area and the high wages paid to those that work at those jobs. The report ranked the northern Arizona region as fourth in the nation among small cities in terms of high tech production for a five year period.
W.L. Gore is a leader in developing and producing stents and other high-tech medical devices. It has added about 200 jobs in Flagstaff in the last three years. Other spin-off companies such as Machine Solutions have grown, along with Nestle Purina.
The report found Flagstaff businesses produce goods and services valued at 78% more per employee than the national average when reviewing production between 2001 & 2006. Local high-tech production between 2005 & 2006 earned Flagstaff the sixth position in the same study. Flat job growth for the area over the same period hurt Flagstaff's overall rating. The report found job growth between March 2005 & March 2006 was just 0.3%. The slow job growth pushed the ratings for Flagstaff to 136th on the list of 179 cities. The last time Milken published the study in 2005, the city was ranked 25th for new jobs.
The Greater Flagstaff Economic Council, reported it helped to attract a total of 132 new jobs to the city last year.
Features include lights, controls, sensors
By James Dulley
Question: My bathroom vent fan is noisy and there is a mold problem around the tub, so I think a new vent fan is needed. I want an efficient, quite one. What features should I look for and how big should it be?
Answer: Most older bathroom vent fans were noisy when new and the sound level increases with age.
Bathroom mold and mildew problems are caused by excessive humidity from using a vent fan that is too small or not running it long enough.
Your budget will determine the quality (noise level and features) of the vent fan you select. The top-of-the-line, quietest models with the latest features can cost up to $200. These quiet vent fans are ideal for a bathroom in a master bedroom where another person is trying to sleep.
A new lower-cost option, if you just need somewhat quieter operation and more airflow, is a rebuilding kit for about $20. These kits work in many older Broan and Nutone vent fans that were installed by builders in many homes. The kit includes a modern grille, two motor plates and a new motor.
You have quite a few bathroom vent fan options: fan only, fan/light, fan/light/heater and fan/light/night-light. There are also different types of controls: on-off wall switch, motion-sensing and humidity-sensing.
Humidity-sensing vent fans are most effective and efficient because they come on automatically only when needed and then shut off. This allows you to leave for work without switching off the fan while the bathroom is still too humid. The best models sense the rate of change in humidity as opposed to just to overall humidity level. You can manually override the sensor.
Fan noise level is rated in sones, so compare them for various models. The quietest ones are only 0.3 sones, which is barely audible. Special grille designs and large blades, which turn slower, reduce the sound level. Models designed with a 6-inch duct, instead of the typical 4 inches, are quieter.
Installing a remote in-line fan with multiple ports is another quiet option. If you select a fan/light model, get one that uses fluorescent bulbs for greater-efficiency. To be Energy Star qualified, fan/light models must use these bulbs. Night-light options use only about four watts.
Another lighting option is a new ceiling recessed fan/light. It resembles a standard recessed light but doubles as a vent fan.
Venting tubular skylights for bathrooms are also available. The size of a vent fan is rated in cfm (cubic feet per minute) of airflow.
A general rule is you need 1.1 cfms for each square foot of bathroom floor area. Dividing the cfm of a fan by its electricity usage (watts) is a good way to compare their efficiencies.
