"Arizona" and "Snow". Two words you might not immediately associate with each other but it does snow here! My friend Taniah and I headed up north to do some exploring after some fresh snowfall in Flagstaff, Arizona.
A 2.5 hour drive from the Phoenix valley and we decided to check out Snowbowl, where EVERYBODY was taking advantage of the snowfall.
We bought tickets for the gondola which would give us an open view of Flagstaff. It was much chiller than expected, especially as we gained altitude. I could feel the winding biting at my face, hands and occasionally my torso when my jacket rolled up. The best part is, I'm scared of heights and I must've misjudged this one because oh sh*t!
Going down wasn't really any better, if you couldn't tell just by looking at my face in the video thumbnail. Trust me, I'm hollering but it gets drowned out in the wind.
Ariel view of Flagstaff from the ski lift
After the intense-to-me ride and a bird's eye view of Flagstaff, we decided to check out one of the forest roads on the way back down the mountain.
The quick pit stop gave us the chance for a few shots.
As we drove the backside of the mountain, the snow began to turn into slush and into a pasty mud in some areas. Then, as the sun was setting the the paste was freezing over into ice! Cars and even other 4x4 trucks were needing to be helped out. But not Beast Mode (My 4Runner :p), not Beast Mode!
Unfortunately, the forest road I wanted to drive down was closed. From the northside, it descends along the mountain, with breathtaking views. We just went as far as we could and got a couple more quick shots.
Excuse my extremely chapped lips. It was frigidly chilling and dry on the ski lift and I was doomed from there, but Taniah managed to get some shots of me.
I managed a behind the scenes shot of her taking my photos. She really had to work to get those angles!
We had to be back in the valley so we called it a day. An interesting trip for sure! Until next time :)
Check out some of the gear I use!