The Today show just reported rising sea levels might amount to as
much as 4 feet in the next century.
This is frightening.
Flagstaff, with its hills and valleys averages 7,000 feet above sea
level.
This would reduce that average to only 6,996 feet!!!!!!!
That sounds safe.
But, what if there is an extra high high tide????????
Some people could take refuge on Mars Hill-it towers hundreds of
feet higher than downtown Flagstaff-which is situated in a floodplain-
--and, it is only one mile from City Hall.
The extra cautious might go ten miles north of Mars Hill to the
Horchderfer Hills----which top out at 9,200 feet. Go north on Hwy. 89
as if driving to the Grand Canyon----park at the Flagstaff Nordic Ski
Center and run (don't walk) up the ski trails into the Horchderfer
Hills.
Those truly paranoid might go up into the San Francisco/Kachina Peaks
which have two peaks at over 12,000 feet and one at 11,969 feet.
But, don't forget, Agassiz Peak is off limits because it has
Arizona's only Arctic Tundra and can not be traversed even when the
snow cover is very deep. In winter. Sometimes in summer.
Past posts of links have not worked well at this site. To find more
information on the Arctic tundra in Arizona-use:
http://www.google.com and the search terms: "Agassiz Peak"
amd "Arctic tundra"
One can hike around the base of Agassiz Peak. The Humphrey's Trail
goes to the saddle between Agassiz Peak and Humphrey's Peak-where one
finds the remains of an old dirt road that once allowed cars up to
about 12,000 feet but which is now in a Wilderness area---you can't
drive it. At the S.E. end of Agassiz Peak is a saddle with a cut off
tree that matches the angle to mount a telescope's equatorial mount.
Lowell Observatory once mounted a high altitude telescope here and
planned on an observatory at the site---but, the wash below the
saddle is in the direction from whence come the predominant winds.
This channeled even the slightest breeze at the telescope and made
for unsteady seeing.
Something to contemplate while the high tide waves lap at your feet
and you try to decide if you want to risk the fines for trampling the
Arctic tundra of Agassiz Peak.