Product Review - CRKT Eat'N Tool

So J. comes home one day and says he ordered these gadgets for our camp kitchen from his tool guy? "Ooookay, ummm, so whatja buy", I hesitantly ask..."well, they're these fork things". About a week later he comes home with  handleless sporks. Well, not quite handleless, but enough to make me question it.

The CRKT Eat'n Tool is a high tech, all in one spork/bottle opener/screwdriver/pry tip/metric wrench conveniently hung off a mini carabiner. It's light weight and sturdy, small enough to make the ultralight backpacker happy and ergonomic enough to keep the camping gourmet satisfied.

Once I got used to it I liked it. I wish the spoon bowl was a bit bigger, but I like old fashioned BIG tablespoons for my morning cereal. J. brought home the black safety coated model, it also comes in a dull silver that for Arizona's hot sun I think might be more comfortable. I didn't test it for this, but I do wonder if left in the hot sun would the black be hotter than all get out?

If you are looking to simplify your kitchen rig, I do recommend the CRKT Eat'n Tool. It does everything it is advertised to do and it's kinda sexy, too.

Sunday Surfing - Hike to Havasupai Falls

I'm looking forward to this being my next good vacation...how about you?

Dinosaur Tracks and Ghost Beads

Just west of Tuba City is an old painted sign...Dinosaur Tracks Here. I yelled turn left and we were off on a bumpy dirt road in search of adventure.

Around 600 feet down the road is a row of wooden Navajo ramadas, this day not yet set up when we arrived. We were approached by a soft spoken guide who offered to show us the tracks in exchange for a small donation. Anticipation rising we agreed and set foot on the worn sandstone to see what was created 160 million years ago.

Navajo Ramada, Tuba City, AZ                                                                                                         ©Marcia Mauskopf 2011

This area is a series of soft swells of red sandstone riddled with the prints of Dilophosaurus dinosaur tracks left in antediluvian mud. Camouflaged in the rock, a splash of water from our guide's bottle brought it to life. For you movie buffs. this is the dinosaur we fell in love with in Jurrasic Park, 3 toed lizards up to 20 feet in length and weighing half a ton, a footprint cast in stone only left to delight our imaginations.

Once shown the prints our guide shyly suggested we see the beadwork his wife makes. I was attracted to a string of brown wooden beads interspersed with green glass beads. "Tell me about these" I asked. "well, those are ghost beads...the wooden ones are cedar berries, they purify and protect from evil spirits." As I put my head through the string of beads and adjusted them around my neck I asked why they were called ghost beads. Our new Navajo friend chuckled and said that in the '60's hippies came through the area and hearing the story of the cedar berries proclaimed them Ghost Beads......

Souvenirs of a trip back in time.                                                                                               ©Marcia Mauskopf 2011

This is an easy hike around that is fascinating for young and old alike. Blink and you'll miss it, your opportunity to take a break from the Highway and walk back into ancient time.

Bell Rock Pathway - Sedona, AZ

So, I had a couple of business type things to do in Sedona week before last and really wanted to take a hike in the somewhat cooler temps out of the city.....and it started raining. Going  on the rocks was out, too slippery for my tastes so I thought I'd finally try Bell Rock Pathway, a baby safe route that winds it's way to  Bell Rock or, taking the longer trail, winds it's way around Courthouse Butte for a leisurely 3 1/2 miles.

I drove to the parking lot, a half mile south of Bell Rock just off SR 179 and by then the rain had turned into a refreshingly soft drizzle. Grabbed an ever present trekking pole and I was on my way down the level path.

Hiking Stick or Lightning Rod...you decide.                                 ©Marcia Mauskopf 2011

I was giggling at myself carrying the pole (bum knee and all) when I heard a sudden crash of thunder, look up and laughed "how cool, thunder...thunder!" looked at the metal pole in my hand and panicked "OH CRAP! LIGHTNING ROD!!!" just another Monsoon Day on a Sedona trail.

How to get there:
Take SR 179 to Bell Rock Pathway turnoff in the village of Oak Creek. Good Facilities, paved lot, bathroom, wide graded trail. You will need a Red Rock pass for this lot.

Rahelio, Your Guide for Sedona Nature Excursions [Mystic Tours]

I laid on the mountaintop feeling the warmth of the sandstone rise through my back to meet the vibration of the drumbeat pounding through my mid-section above. Listening to the Indian prayer chant, the knot in my lower back that had bothered me for 30 years suddenly relaxed and I somehow knew that it would trouble me no more. I opened my eyes to the views of Airport Mesa, the other participants in our group and Rahelio quietly standing beside.

Rahelio is a Toltec Wisdom Teacher making his home in Sedona, AZ. He takes people on tours of a very special nature, enjoying the beauty of Red Rock Country while exploring the spiritual vistas within themselves. Rahelio came to Sedona to live in 1987 after being a guide on Maui, Hawaii. His desire to help people connect with the land was the impetus for working as a guide here.

Toltec Wisdom Teacher, Rahelio                                       ©Marcia Mauskopf 2011

Anyone can hike on the land on their own, but a guided outing by Rahelio brings in the spiritual aspect  that so many miss. Rahelio helps you to experience the magic of ancient sacred land. You will hike, you will learn about the land and a quieter life but more than anything you will experience a quietness of spirit that is unlike anything in your daily life. This is not your Mother's off - road tour, this is a journey into your own connection with Mother Earth. There are many things that have to be experienced...not analyzed or lectured about. While some of the other tours in the valley will give you an education in Spirit, Rahelio helps you experience it in a way that will transform your life.

My experience with Rahelio taught me that when one is open to Spirit there is no need for mood altering chemicals, there is a natural high that comes from a connection to the Earth. He helps bridge the gap from external to internal offering an experience that is as unique as the red land he helps you explore.


For Excursion Information contact Rahelio at:  
Phone: (928) 282-6735 
Email: rahelio@msn.com 
Website: www.rahelio.com

Sunday Surfing - Haunted Canyon

A Word About Dehydration

I bet you thought that I was going to remind you [like everyone else does this time of year] to drink your water...Actually, we're talking about the other kind of dehydraton and how very easy it is to do your own stuff for trail and camp.

I got my dehydrator a lifetime ago...I had the mistaken idea that I would save money with it and quickly realized that there isn't a savings over grocery bought dried fruits unless you have trees. But there is a much better reason to drying your own than saving money. Drying your own gives you access to fruit and veggies with no preservatives and saves a ton of space as you will see in the attached photos.

Of course the fruit can be eaten right out of the bag, but no one really tells you how to use fruit and veggies to cook. Here's what I do. Mid day I figure out how much I'm going to need for the dish that I am making, put it in a nalgene and cover with water. check and shake gently every couple of hours to make sure that the water is absorbed and if you need more water in it. If you are hiking the very act of walking will gently agitate. By dinner time your recipe addition will be re-hydrated and ready to cook.


Home dehydrated foods that are properly stored will last 6 months and if frozen a couple of years. Your main danger is mold. Always examine your dehydrated food for mold issues and dispose if it gets hit. Otherwise, Bon Appetit!

Drying can reduce storage size to 1/4 of original packaging.   ©Marcia Mauskopf 2011

#10 cans of peaches are less than $4 at Costco and peas are on sale for as little as 33¢     ©Marcia Mauskopf 2011

You can even dry lemons to flavor your fresh caught trout! This is 11 lemons from my tree. ©Marcia Mauskopf @2011