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Nemesis Club: Evil Robots

For our final day in Arizona we decided add an Escape Room to the agenda. Tammy researched this and she wasn’t planning on doing one, but the Evil Robot room at the Nemesis Club seemed too good to pass up. She was totally right! 🤩

The Nemesis Club was the most well done escape room experience we have ever done. Everything was extremely well done, even the entrance and how they welcomed you was special. The room itself was so intricate and immersive that you really felt like you were there. The electronics were flawless. There were a lot of screens and videos and everything was exceptional. We also loved that the puzzles were not the same run of the mill digits to a lock but were more creative, yet solvable.

We solved the room with 31 seconds to spare! This is a “must do” experience! 👏 Room 34!

Family of four posing in front of a large red robot with glowing eyes inside an escape room, countdown timer showing 00:31 remaining
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Hiking Camelback Mountain

Today was our final day for hiking in Arizona and we decided to end with the big one, Camelback Mountain! The Cholla Trail is closed right now, so it was easy to pick the Echo Canyon Trail. This was the hardest hike I’ve ever done by a pretty big margin. In fact, both Tammy and I felt most of the hike was really more of a scramble over boulders. We took a steady pace up. Tammy would get ahead of me and wait for me to catch up. The hike up took 73 minutes, ascending 1,317 feet over 1.37 miles.

Satellite map showing Echo Canyon Trail route up Camelback Mountain with a color gradient track from green at the start to red at the summit.

I always feel like going down on steep trails is harder than going up, but for Camelback you are going down such a steep rate that it is more like climbing down rocks so you are using your hands to brace. I found going down easier than I expected. I did slip on loose gravel at one point and fell down. I was fine, but it was cool to see my Apple Watch accurately detect the fall. It took me 68 minutes to descend.

Hikers climbing a steep red rock face on Echo Canyon Trail with a chain-link safety fence on the left side and handrail cables ahead _The trail has two sections with handrails installed to help you get up and down._ Woman in cap and black capris standing beside a metal handrail on the rocky boulder-strewn Echo Canyon Trail on Camelback Mountain. _Second section of handrail with Tammy hanging out for me to arrive._ Hikers scrambling up a steep boulder-strewn gully on Echo Canyon Trail, red granite rocks filling the narrow passage between two rock walls, trees and sunlit sky above. _This gives some sense of what the ascent is like._ Hikers scrambling up a steep rocky slope on Echo Canyon Trail with Camelback Mountains red sandstone formation and Phoenix sprawl behind them _Looking back and seeing other hikers coming up the trail._ Rocky scramble trail on Echo Canyon with a brown Trail sign, desert scrub, red boulders, and sun flare over the mountain summit. _The trail curves around and climbs up on the ridgeline._ Red sandstone rock formations of Camelback Mountain with saguaro cacti, a trail sign, and the Phoenix metro sprawl stretching to the horizon below. _Looking back along the trail._ Hikers scrambling up steep red sandstone boulders on Echo Canyon Trail with Scottsdale sprawling below and rugged desert peaks in the background. _More hikers ascending up the steep boulders._ Rocky boulder-strewn trail ascending steeply with two hikers climbing ahead, dry desert scrub and jagged peaks visible under a bright hazy sun. _The trail just goes up for as long as you can see._ Two hikers posing at a trail marker on the rocky summit of a mountain with a sprawling city visible far below _Tammy and I at the Summit of Camelback!_ 🏆 Man in a bucket hat and sunglasses takes a selfie at the rocky summit with a sprawling desert city and mountains behind him. _Selfie with Phoenix way below me._
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Techies who Peloton First Ride

When Minnestar decided to launch these “Techies who …” communities I was really excited to get a Peloton group setup! As if by design, Peloton also just launched their brand new scheduled session feature that works perfect for this. So we are getting our very first ride scheduled, and I thought it would be fun to do it on St. Patrick’s day!

Three illustrated cyclists riding together on colorful bikes against a purple background, promoting a Minnestar Techies Who Peloton event.

If you are a Peloton Cyclist join our first Techies Who Peloton ride! 🚴

  1. Let’s do our very first ride on St. Patricks Day at 5:30pm with a 30-minute EDM ride with Jess King! 🎉 Join the class! 🗓 If that link doesn’t work please try another device or another time. It should open into the Peloton iOS app and allow you to sign up for the scheduled session. If it opens in a browser it will give you a beta feature message.

  2. Tag yourself to join our community and add the MInnestar tag to your Peloton profile! 🏷

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UTV in The Rolls

We have always thought it would be fun to rent a UTV and go out for some trail riding. We gave American Powersport Rentals a call and Duke got us all set up. We rented for a half day and were complete newbies but had a great time. We drove to the Rolls OHV Area in the Tonto National Forest. We didn’t have the electrical hookup for the trailer so I was happy it was only 15 miles of straight driving.

Here is our route for the day, you can also see the official trail map.

Satellite map of an OHV trail route with orange and yellow paths, green directional arrows, and labeled stops including Parked, Stop 1, Stop 2, Turn Around, and No Go Area.

We got the Teryx4 out in the Pobrecito staging area and took off.

Four people wearing helmets goggles and dust masks pose in front of a UTV in an Arizona desert landscape with saguaro cacti _Before taking off with our helmets, goggles and masks on for dust._ Four people in helmets and goggles give thumbs up inside a UTV with desert mountains visible through the roll cage behind them. _The dust wasn't too bad so we ditched the masks._ Man wearing a black helmet and plaid shirt driving a UTV through an open desert landscape under a clear blue sky. _Me having a lot of fun._ Man in a helmet and plaid shirt reading a paper trail map inside a UTV parked in a desert landscape with saguaro cacti _Navigating and figuring out where we are heading._ Blue UTV hood in foreground approaching a sandy desert hill lined with saguaro cactus and dry brush under a clear blue sky _Trails were awesome. Some fast, some really rocky, and a lot of pebbles you could tear around in._ Blue Kawasaki Teryx4 UTV parked on sandy desert ground with mountain range and clear blue sky in background, passenger wearing a helmet seated inside. _Our stop at Palo Fierro for a break._ Person in a plaid shirt and cap giving a thumbs up while driving a blue Kawasaki Teryx4 UTV on a sandy desert trail with saguaro cacti in the background _On 1863 at Stop 2 taking the wheel after Tammy gave it a go._ Three people in helmets and goggles inside a UTV cab, one making a peace sign, desert terrain visible through the open back _Family selfie! Mazie is having more fun than she looks in the picture._
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Pinnacle Peak

Every Wednesday that we have been in Arizona, Tammy has been able to meet up with her Mom and hike Pinnacle Peak. Most of the time Mazie has been able to join her, but I was working so I couldn’t join. This week I’m on vacation and Tammy and I got to hike it together. It is a great route and the trail was impeccably maintained. They even have volunteers that are there to call for help if anyone needs it.

Satellite map showing a GPS track of a hiking route through desert terrain, with a red start pin on the left and green end pin on the right.

Tammy and I hiked from the trailhead to the end which was 2 miles. We went all the way to the end and touched the gate at marker 101. 436 feet of climbing that way. On the way back Tammy and I went at our own pace, and we both decided to push it.

She quickly left me in the dust. On the way back, the trail immediately climbs steadily for a half-mile and I was “redlined” at 170+ bpm the entire way up. You also get to climb more on the way back with 732 feet of elevation in the 2 mile return route. It turns out the end of the trail is about 300 feet lower than the trailhead!

Rocky granite peak rising above a boulder-strewn hillside dotted with tall saguaro cacti under a clear blue Arizona sky. _View of Pinnacle Peak from the beginning of the trail. You never do get to the peak._ Sonoran Desert hillside covered in saguaro cacti and scrub brush with large granite boulders and distant mountain ridges under a clear blue sky _Can’t get enough of the Saguaro cactus all around the trail._ Sonoran Desert hillside with saguaro cacti and granite boulders overlooking a sprawling valley with mountains in the hazy distance _You can see Scottsdale and the surrounding Phoenix area very well from here._ Desert golf course community with saguaro cacti and luxury homes nestled among rocky terrain, mountains visible in the distance _Golf courses really stand out in the desert landscape. As do the incredible houses in this area._ Saguaro cacti and desert shrubs covering a rocky hillside with a winding dirt hiking trail visible in the distance under a clear blue sky. _You climb and descend twice on this trail. Here you can see the trail on the other side climbing up the second mountain._ Rocky hiking trail with stone and timber steps climbing steeply up a desert hillside flanked by boulders and sparse desert shrubs _Stairs in the trail on the descent toward the end of the trail._ Rusty metal trail sign reading STRENUOUS BEYOND THIS POINT mounted beside a narrow sandy path cutting between large granite boulders. _Strenuous indeed._ 💦
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Drive-in movie at West Wind in Glendale, AZ! There must be 10 screens here. 🤩 Seeing Tom & Jerry. 🍿

Drive-in movie screen at night showing the Tom and Jerry film title card, with rows of cars parked in the foreground.
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Chelsea’s Kitchen

Tammy and I had a delicious lunch today at Chelsea’s Kitchen! We started with Prickly Pear Margaritas, one of our favorites. The New Mexico Hatch Chili Queso let the Hatch Chili’s shine. The Green Chile Cornbread was delicious with a touch of heat and sweetness. We finished with the LGO Reserve Short Rib Tacos. Thanks to my brother Isaiah and his wife Tiffany for the recommendation!

Two pink prickly pear margaritas with salted rims and lime wedges on ice served in rocks glasses on a granite table outdoors. New Mexico Hatch Chili Queso in a cast iron pot topped with cilantro, served with tortilla chips and a flour tortilla alongside two prickly pear margaritas and green chile cornbread in a cast iron Stack of grilled corn tortillas on wax paper beside a plate of braised short rib with guacamole kale salad and salsa on a stone table Two people smiling at the camera at an outdoor restaurant patio with trees, patio heaters, and colorful furniture in the background.
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Trail panorama on Infinity Loop Hike.

Gravel desert trail winding through Sonoran Desert scrub and saguaro cacti toward rocky mountain ridgeline under blue sky
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Infinity Loop Hike

This morning Tammy and I hiked the Infinity Loop trail in Dreamy Draw. We were looking for a longer hike without much elevation today, so this 5 mile loop with just 500 feet of elevation worked well. Plus, we got to make an Infinity Loop ♾ with our tracks!

GPS track of a 5-mile desert hiking loop in Phoenix Arizona forming a figure-eight shape overlaid on satellite imagery

It was a good hike but we would have lost the trail a dozen times if we weren’t tracking it with the All Trails app. There are no markers and there are dozens of intersecting trails.

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Recognizing International Women’s Day 2021 and Choosing to Challenge! We will advocate for and support the women in our lives. #ChooseToChallenge #IWD2021

Four family members each raising one hand in a ChooseToChallenge pose, standing against a wood plank wall.

See IWD 2024, 2021, 2020, 2020 @ SPS, and 2018.