Flagstaff’s Snowbowl in Summer: Traveling to the Top
Posted in Scenery, Southwest, Travel | By Shelley Gillespie | Tags: Flagstaff, Southwest, US Domestic Travel
Many of us hover near sea level and never get on top of things to get a broader perspective. When the temperatures climb and the snow melts in Flagstaff, Arizona, the Arizona Snow Bowl opens up its ski lift, the “Scenic Skyride” for non-skiers. The ride to the top of the tallest mountain in Arizona is an adventure in itself. The ride up the ski lift travels at a steady, measured pace. Sitting “locked in” with a bar protecting you from falling out, you travel up above the tree line to the tallest spot, 11,500 feet above sea level, in Arizona.
It is also a cool retreat, where you can escape the summer’s heat. The wind blows and you have almost a half hour to decompress from the day’s concerns. You may see other lift riders, but they’re far enough away so the chatter and bustle of life leaves you with some contemplative time.
As you travel up the slope to the top, the lift supports chronicle your ascent with signs showing every 500 feet you ascend.
Once at the top, on Fridays and weekends, knowledgeable Forest and Park Service “interpreters” explain the geologic origins of the mountains (volcanic) and native plants and animals. According to the Forest Rangers, there are 600 volcanoes in the Flagstaff area. Don’t worry– none have erupted in almost 1,000 years and they don’t generally erupt but once in 10,000 years! Lava tubes are explained, too.
Snowbowl trip in summer
Amenities at the top consist of restrooms – the “highest in Arizona”- and views of pine trees and the mountains and valleys below. (No food. Bring some if you need it. There is a small restaurant at the foot of the ski lift that offers box lunches.)
No hiking is allowed from this upper location, but if you are intrepid enough to have hiked from the base, they will give you a free lift ride down!
Up to the Top of Arizona
If you are craving a different experience and a chance to see nature – birds and other animals are visible as you travel on the lift – it is a great interlude.
Fees vary depending on age. (Free for those under 7 and over 70.) Open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day. From Labor Day until mid-October, the Skyride is open Fridays through Sunday, weather permitting.
Coming down the mountain
www.arizonasnowbowl.com/summer/skyride.php
Tags: Flagstaff, Southwest, US Domestic Travel