Category Archives: Recreation

Trinity Tactical offers rifle course

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firearms-trainingPHOENIX — Trinity Tactical Applications is hosting a Tactical Carbine Fundamentals firearm course on November 11 from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. The course will be held at the Game and Fish Ben Avery Shooting Facility located at 4044 W. Black Canyon Boulevard.

The $80 course requires no prerequisite training, but does, of course, require your own ammunition and weapon.

According to the flier:

This course will improve your proficiency utilizing your rifle in practical applications; whether it be on duty, in the general public, or defending your home. We will cover shooting fundamentals, threat engagement, firing from realistic positions one can expect to encounter, reloading, clearing malfunctions, and engaging while moving, along with other real-world considerations. Taught by certified rifle instructors with real world experience employing a carbine in hostile environments, this course will expose students to the realities of utilizing a rifle in a variety of situations.

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The Pumpkin Patch Train event begins this weekend.

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WILLIAMS — The Grand Canyon Railway rolls to the secret pumpkin patch starting this weekend and running every weekend through October. The event includes some spooky fun at the terminal on Grand Canyon Boulevard.

The long-range weather forecast currently shows sunny weather for the event on Friday and Saturday with a slight chance of thunderstorms on Sunday. Highs will range from 82 to the upper 70s throughout the week. Highs Saturday and Sunday are expected to be around 78.
There are only eight-days for the Pumpkin Patch Event through October. The dates are the 3, 4 (this weekend), 9, 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18. Departure times are 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Tickets for the Pumpkin Patch train event are $23 for adults and $18 for children. Tickets can be purchased at the Grand Canyon Railway web site.

Oak Hill and Keyhole Sink parking area to temporarily close

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640-keyhole-sink-038WILLIAMS — The parking area that provides access to the Oak Hill Snow Play Area and Keyhole Sink Trail on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest will be temporarily closed beginning Sept. 8 due to the presence of heavy equipment and construction materials.

Old toilet facilities are scheduled to be removed in the area and replaced with new ones. Forest managers expect the construction work and disturbance of the parking area, which is located off of old Route 66 just west of Parks, to last from Sept. 8 through Sept. 16. It is anticipated that the parking area and the new facilities will reopen to public use on Sept. 17.

Due to no other available parking nearby, there will be no motorized access to the Oak Hill and Keyhole Sink areas while the construction work is taking place. The Keyhole Sink Trail will remain open, but the trailhead will only be accessible via nonmotorized means.

“This construction work will result in an improved recreation experience for our visitors once it is complete,” said Lisa Jones, recreation staff officer for the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts. “We hope to have the parking area cleaned up and reopened for public use by Sept. 17. Until then, we ask our visitors to understand that the temporary inconvenience will result in better facilities in the long term.”

ADEQ: Lake Powell safe for all uses

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PHOENIX — As the Labor Day holiday weekend approaches, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today that their analysis of water entering Lake Powell shows that the lake is safe for normal uses.

“ADEQ wants Arizona residents and visitors to know that Lake Powell is safe for Labor Day recreational activities including swimming and boating,” said ADEQ Water Quality Division Director Trevor Baggiore. “ADEQ and the multiple cooperating agencies are reviewing and analyzing new information as it becomes available as part of our everyday work to protect Arizona’s waters,” he added.

Scientists and specialists from several Arizona agencies have been and are continuing to monitor and assess data related to the mine spill. Arizona’s cooperating agencies agree that Lake Powell and the downstream Colorado River are safe for all uses including recreation and agriculture as well as a drinking water source for public water systems.

To establish baseline water quality, ADEQ conducted water quality sampling on August 12, 2015. Test results of these samples are consistent with historic water quality data from Lee’s Ferry (downstream of Glen Canyon Dam). These results, along with ADEQ’s data analysis of water entering Lake Powell (San Juan River test data collected by Utah) are available for review on the Arizona cooperating agencies’ Gold King Mine spill information website: https://ein.az.gov/gold-king-mine-spill-response, located on the Arizona Emergency Information Network (AZEIN) website.

As part of the ongoing water quality monitoring and assessment work, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is collecting and testing fish tissue and water quality samples from the Arizona portion of Lake Powell. As new test results become available, ADEQ will compare them with Arizona surface water quality standards and historical data to support water quality protection efforts and continue to share updated information on the AZEIN website.

Coconino County Fair opens tomorrow

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fair-banner-1FLAGSTAFF — The 66th Annual Coconino County Fair opens tomorrow and runs through Labor Day. The County Fair features traditions like youth livestock shows and auction, carnival rides and games, fair food, exhibitions by community members, live entertainment (PDF Schedule), a demolition derby, pie-eating and watermelon-eating contests, and more. The cost of admission is from $5 to $8.

Williams schedule is also filled with events. Tomorrow is the Casino Night at the Sultana to benefit Save Meant to Rescue with happy hour from 6 to 7 p.m. and gambling from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Labor Day is the annual Route 66 Mountain Man run to benefit the activities of the Lions Club. The Kiwanis Route 66 Street Market will be open Friday morning through Monday for four-days of bargains.

Star gazing in Williams and flights in Valle this weekend

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WILLIAMS — Two events are featured this weekend in Williams and Valle.

The Coconino Astronomical Society will be holding their monthly Star Party at the Glassburn lot area across from the laundry and Rod’s Steak house. These Star Parties allow you to view the stars and planets through your own telescope or with telescopes set up by the society. The Star Party season is coming to a close, so you need to get to one before they end. The party starts at about 7:30 p.m. and ends at 9 on Friday.

The Valle Airport Thunder Over Flagstaff begins early with a pancake breakfast at 6:30 a.m. until 10. The rest of the day at Valle Airport is checking out the car show and the various planes of history that fly in. You can also check out the Planes of Fame museum. Prices are included in the flier attached.
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Cutting Edge Tae Kwon Do hosts free self-defense course for women

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WILLIAMS — Cutting Edge Tae Kwon Do (Facebook) will be hosting a self-defense course for women only on Saturday, August 29 at 11:30 p.m. The class will be held at the Old Grade School (201 W Sheridan). Learn basic and effective self defense skills. No men; instructed by women. Must be 16 year old and up to participate. Wear comfortable clothes. For more information call 928-637-8736 or 928-707-1344.

Cool Country Cruise In in full swing

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CCCIn-15-08-08-01aWILLIAMS — Lime green, canary yellow, cherry red—all colors of the classic car spectrum are represented today in Williams. Although Williams is visited by classic cars all year, this is the event where they are lined up waiting for your cameras.

The annual Cool Country Cruise In—centered around Arizona Highways award winning restaurant, Twisters—is in full swing. Classic cars from every era of route 66 are packed in for display and some are for sale.

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Today is the day to check out the event because most will be gone tomorrow.

Springs Fire continues to meet management objectives

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Smoke from Spring fire visible from Williams, but County 73 currently unaffected.

Smoke from Spring fire visible from Williams, but County 73 currently unaffected.

WILLIAMS — The 410-acre, lightning-caused Springs Fire continues to meet fire management objectives, allowing natural fire to play its part in the ecosystem, improving both wildlife habitat and overall forest health. Crews are monitoring growth and evaluating the need for actions to keep the fire at a low to moderate intensity. The potential for continued growth depends on a variety of factors to include weather conditions, potential fuel continuity and winds.

Fire managers performed blacklining operations, yesterday, on the south side of County Road 73, also known as the “South Road” between Forest Road 354 (near Kunde Knoll) to Forest Road 3117. County Road 73 will now serve as a boundary to stop or eliminate fire growth to the north. Today blacklining may be conducted along boundaries near private lands, as the Springs Fire moves closer to sections of private land within the fire area.

Light impacts of smoke can be expected in the Garland Prairie and Sherwood Forest areas as winds are forecasted out of the southwest. Smoke may be visible in the Bellemont and I-40 area, Dogtown Lake and White Horse Lake vicinity. Over the next several days the wildfire is expected to move up Summit Mountain, where smoke may be more visible from a greater distance.

The fire, which started July 2, is located 9 miles southeast of Williams, near Davenport Knoll, to the west of Summit Mountain. No closures exist at this time, however campers are advised to be cautious when selecting campsites along Forest Road 354 and Forest Road 110. Although smoke was visible from Williams today, camp sites along County 73 are unaffected.

Deer a plenty in Williams

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Deer15-07-13-2640WILLIAMS — We are located in the high country where the deer and antelope play. Currently there are a lot of deer and elk foraging the forests around Williams and Flagstaff and all points in-between.

We remind visitors that the deer are very active around Country Club Road which is near the entrance/exit on the west end of town. They are also very active south on Perskinsville Road which leads past the Santa Fe dam. You need to keep an eye out on Highway 64 to the Grand Canyon, as well.

They are generally most active in the early morning, evening and night time hours and they can cross the road or freeway without warning. Please keep an eye on the sides of the roads and watch for them or you could have a very costly accident.

If you are camping, deer may seem tame enough to feed or pet. You might have even pet them at the Deer Farm Petting Zoo just east of Williams. In the wild, however, it is a different story. They can spook easily and attack without warning. Please watch your children while camping in the woods and do not let them explore alone.

You can generally get good photos from your vehicle or from a safe distance. Use your zoom.