Flagstaff Outdoors Club: hike, drink and be merrry
Northern Arizona outdoor afficionados have long based their adventures in funky, scenic Flagstaff. Now these folks have a home, too, with the popularity of Flag's newest scene for adventure hounds. The web-connected Flagstaff Outdoor Club welcomes members to its fold at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Flagstaff_... where the intro reads:
"Flagstaff Outdoors! is for anyone between the ages of 20 something and 40 something that love the great outdoors and all the things that you can do out there. Flagstaff Outdoors! is a social outdoor club that does everything from hiking, biking, snowshoeing, skiing, rock climbing, camping and boating to parties and road trips to things of group interest."
A glimpse at the site reveals a highly active club that's starting to attract a lot attention in northern Arizona. Since it's modestly-attended founding Dec 6, 2000, the member database now supports 84 people throughout the region. Members post discussions, write up trip reports and download photos to share from club excursions.
Club regular Tory Bennetsen, said he joined the club to to find out cool places to hike when he moved up from Austin, Texas, last year.
"I was hiking on my own, but I didn't have enough experience to know where all cool spots are" he said. "And it's also really fun to socialize with other outdoor enthusiasts."
Joining the club is easy, Bennetsen said. "Once you attend a meeting or a trip you are considered a member."
"Meetings are low-key," he added.
Core members - calling themselves the FOCers - rely on the website to keep up-to-date on current club happenings - some of which pop up quite spontaneously, Benetsen noted, since any member can offer to lead or host an event at will.
To keep the calendar chock-full of activities, the club meets every other Tuesday at Flagstaff's downtown Wine Loft, on San Francisco Street, 5:30-7:30p.m. Here FOCers plan out trips, holiday parties, movie nights and happy hours.
During meetings, Club Leader Jerry Tucille, reviews recent trips that went out and asks attendees if they want to offer ideas for upcoming weeks.
Tucille said if a member suggests a trip - say a houseboating adventure on Lake Powell - he counters with, "I assume you are willing to lead this one."
"It's a lot better when someone takes point on a trip," he explained. "When someone is actually willing to organize a trip, it runs better and gets more attendance."
Outings range in difficulty from easy, lazy picnic days by Ashurst Lake, to strenous ten-hour jaunts into South Canyon - a 3,000 foot Marble Canyon descent to the Colorado River involving continual bouldering, decent route-finding skills and much personal stamina.
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