The new guy in Flagstaff!

[williewilkens]

Although I don't stick out in a crowd as much as I did in Dallas! (The only acceptable long-hair in that area is JESUS!!!)

Having only been here a week, I've heard the "you are screwed" in people's voices a hundred times already. Apparently, my 2WD Suburban and my wife's Mercedes convertible are not worthy for Flagstaff winters...so I intend to fix that situation as soon as I can!

I work in IT, although I'm not your normal IT-type dude...been in bands for over 20 years (no one famous, relax folks!)...have quite a gathering of guitars, basses, amps, etc...hopefully I won't have to unload a bunch of them to rectify the 4x4 need, but if I do, so be it.

Looking forward to getting to a few NFL games this year, too! I'm actually going over to the Cardinals training camp tomorrow...woo hoo!

Peace!

willie

 

[Parrotheadrob]

Welcome to the sight, find yourself a nice 4runner, and enjoy the Games...lol

 

[Trevloc]

eh idk. they snow plow the roads daily. hahaha.

i went up to flag for work in... october? a few years back and i was in a red cross van (dodge something rather) and lets just say i got stuck a few times. that ice is narly. and that wasnt even december or jan.

but i think youll be fine if you stick to main roads and dont live in the woods.

and btw, welcome! :bigok:

 

[williewilkens]

Ehh...well...I kinda live in the woods. At least on a gravel road about 1 1/2 miles off the paved road, anyway!

When you have four dogs and are trying to rent something, you sort of have to take what you can get. I would like to think I could get by with the Suburban, but that's not what I'm hearing...so let the search begin!

Whatever I get will most likely be a hand-me-down to the daughter...so I want her to be in a safe vehicle that won't get stuck...

Thanks for the welcome, fellas...it is GREAT to be back in Arizona!!!

 

[Geolander]

I just moved out of Flag a couple months ago after going to school there for 4 years. It's an awesome place to live, but you'll definitely want something with 4WD for the winter. They plow the roads in town, so it's not too bad there (though not great), but if you've got a mile and a half of unpaved gravel to get to your house, you'll need 4WD, a plow, or both. The snow can really build up, especially out in the woods, and you may not be completely clear until April or even early May in a bad year.

Also, even though they do plow the roads in town, they don't always do a very good job of it. If there's a big storm, it can take days to weeks to get all the ice clear. And Flag does get some big storms. Not last winter, but the winter before (December 2009), we got 6+ ft of snow in about 2-3 days. Collapsed a few roofs and closed the university for half of finals week.

Where in Flag are you living? Somewhere off Lake Mary Road?

 

[williewilkens]

I just moved out of Flag a couple months ago after going to school there for 4 years. It's an awesome place to live, but you'll definitely want something with 4WD for the winter. They plow the roads in town, so it's not too bad there (though not great), but if you've got a mile and a half of unpaved gravel to get to your house, you'll need 4WD, a plow, or both. The snow can really build up, especially out in the woods, and you may not be completely clear until April or even early May in a bad year.

Also, even though they do plow the roads in town, they don't always do a very good job of it. If there's a big storm, it can take days to weeks to get all the ice clear. And Flag does get some big storms. Not last winter, but the winter before (December 2009), we got 6+ ft of snow in about 2-3 days. Collapsed a few roofs and closed the university for half of finals week.

Where in Flag are you living? Somewhere off Lake Mary Road?

I'm on the opposite (I guess?) end of town. I'm out in the Doney Park area off Townsend-Winona Road. I don't know if the snow really piles up here so much...but I hear the winds are pretty strong...

Did you graduate from NAU? Because that's where I'll be working...

 

[Geolander]

I'm on the opposite (I guess?) end of town. I'm out in the Doney Park area off Townsend-Winona Road. I don't know if the snow really piles up here so much...but I hear the winds are pretty strong...

Did you graduate from NAU? Because that's where I'll be working...

Oh, ok. Yeah, the snow can pile up over there too. Basically, anywhere where there's significant shade. It gets pretty sunny in between storms, so areas in the open can completely melt, but the stuff on the north sides of buildings and in the trees tends to stick around a lot longer. The winds are pretty strong everywhere in the spring and fall - that was pretty much the only thing I didn't like about Flag.

Yep, I graduated from NAU. Geology, class of '11. If I wasn't headed to grad school in Kansas, I would have probably stayed in Flag. Which department are you working in? Or are you doing general campus IT?

 

[williewilkens]

Oh, ok. Yeah, the snow can pile up over there too. Basically, anywhere where there's significant shade. It gets pretty sunny in between storms, so areas in the open can completely melt, but the stuff on the north sides of buildings and in the trees tends to stick around a lot longer. The winds are pretty strong everywhere in the spring and fall - that was pretty much the only thing I didn't like about Flag.

Yep, I graduated from NAU. Geology, class of '11. If I wasn't headed to grad school in Kansas, I would have probably stayed in Flag. Which department are you working in? Or are you doing general campus IT?

If that's the case, then I should be in good shape at the house. Not many big trees on the property, so there's little shade to speak of here. .

I will be working in general campus IT...on the Financial Aid side of their PeopleSoft application. I went down there yesterday to do some paperwork and meet the team, and tried to get a parking pass...but couldn't get anything since I didn't have my ID badge yet. So we will wing it with off-street parking on Monday. But I do have a plan...that involves bike riding (horrors!!!). Should be fun! Lol!

 

[Geolander]

If that's the case, then I should be in good shape at the house. Not many big trees on the property, so there's little shade to speak of here.

That will probably make your snow clearing a little easier, so long as you get some sun between the storms. That's what happened this past winter - we'd get a foot or two, then a few weeks of sun, then some more snow, and so on. There was almost always bare ground by the time the next storm hit.

I will be working in general campus IT...on the Financial Aid side of their PeopleSoft application. I went down there yesterday to do some paperwork and meet the team, and tried to get a parking pass...but couldn't get anything since I didn't have my ID badge yet. So we will wing it with off-street parking on Monday. But I do have a plan...that involves bike riding (horrors!!!). Should be fun! Lol!

Ah PeopleSoft...maybe you'll be able to make more sense of it lol. I hated that system. Biking is definitely the way to get around Flag. I actually never had a car up there and biked year-round, even in the snow. I never had to commute as far as you though. It'll be a good ride out there, approaching brutal in the spring when it gets windy.

For parking, you can try asking at the SuperPawn on Milton. I know they used to sell cheap parking passes for their lot, though I'd heard rumors that they may not be doing it this year.

 

[williewilkens]

Thanks for the heads up on the Super Pawn...I will stop in and see what the deal is. The plan is to take my wife to work (at the hospital) and then bike down the hill from there...then she can grab me on the way back by.
But...it will probably go as most plans do...:whipping2