The new Echo Canyon Trail alignment at Camelback Mountain will add another quarter mile to the popular Phoenix summit climb, easing an erosion-causing steep grade near the start. The renovation is just part of a $3 million project by the city of Phoenix that will be closing the trail and…
A short film by a Flagstaff photographer argues against the possible destruction of the Devil’s Canyon wilderness while highlighting the area’s rich scenery and wildlife. The wilderness area, including the popular Oak Flat Campground just east of Superior, is the target of a long-planned mining proposal to tap an estimated…
This week, NASA released the first images of the dig site where the Curiosity Rover, which landed on Mars in August of 2012, will collect the first drill sample on Mars. Curiosity sent the image of the site taken at the lowest point of Gale Crater that scientists are describing…
If you’re awake late tonight/early tomorrow morning, look up. The Quadrantids meteor shower peaked this morning and will continue to shine bright (for anyone willing to roll out of bed) tomorrow morning. See also: – Best Places to Satisfy Your Inner Space Nerd: Best of Phoenix 2012 – NASA May…
It’s been 40 years since man has stepped foot on the Moon, and if all goes as planned, space exploration experts anticipate NASA will be announcing more manned missions to outer space very soon. According to Space.com, NASA has been planning to set up a manned outpost beyond the Moon’s…
New, temporary signs have gone up at Camelback Mountain to warn people about the danger of bees following the death on Monday of a 19-year-old hiker. Signs on sandwich boards were placed at the trail head of Echo Canyon trail, and also along the trail on the north end of…
In an age when politicians are proposing legislation to deny women access to birth control, scientists at South Carolina’s Clemson University are giving it away for free — to squirrels. According to National Geographic, a warmer winter and a boom in nuts (of the food variety) has led to a…
If you have big plans to barbecue by the pool or hit the lake this weekend before it gets cool(er), you’ll want to pack sunscreen — and then check that the sunscreen isn’t going to burn you. Energizer Holdings announced this morning that it is voluntarily removing a number of…
See also: NASA Releases Curiosity’s First “True Color” Image of Mars This week, scientists at NASA gave the world a look at mountains on Mars, taken by the Curiosity Rover. Mount Sharp is near the rover’s landing spot, and was captured here with Curiosity’s 100-millimeter telephoto lens and the 34-milllimeter…
See also: We’re Doomed: Scientists Create “Supersoldier” Ants with Jaws See also: We’re Doomed: Scientists Set Record for Hottest Temperature Ever in Experiment Dubbed “PHENIX” See also: We’re Doomed: Scientists Discover Jumping Cockroach If you have plans to go spelunking in Oregon, you might want to pack a few tissues,…
This morning, NASA released the first “true-color” shot from the Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars on Sunday night. Curiosity sent the image of the ridge of the north wall of Gale Crater more than 352 million miles back to earth. From NASA: This view of the landscape to the…
No matter how much experience or confidence any of us has, the second we step outside we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. We here at Cycle got a good reminder of this lesson last weekend while mountain biking up north in Munds Park when a three-headed perfect storm…
Laurie Notaro is an author, crafter, and expert at finding a good cocktail. She grew up in Phoenix, but is currently based in Eugene, Oregon. Each week, she’ll be joining us to share a crafting adventure, draw a flowchart, or remember a few of her favorite things about Phoenix. Today,…
See also: Seven Summer Olympic Sports That, Yes, Really Are Olympic Sports See also: Arizonans are London-bound for the 2012 Olympics See also: 2012 Olympic Fashion: The Good, The Bad, and The Glorious The London 2012 Olympics kick off tonight with an opening ceremony that’s guaranteed to be full of…
What are your plans this July 4? If you’re like us, you’ll stay the hell inside and maybe catch a replay of the fireworks show on Channel 5 or something. We know, we know — not as exciting. So in case you’re a lover of the patriotic spectacle, but can’t…
It’s official: You are no longer allowed to complain. Sure, it’s 112 degrees outside, but at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, scientists were able to set a new record for the world’s hottest temperature: a plasma measured at 7.2 trillion degrees Fahrenheit. That’s 250,000 times hotter than…
Sure, it’s hot as hell out there in the afternoons, but last week we thought we’d drive down Interstate 10 to Picacho Peak for a morning jaunt to one of the state’s best summits. Turns out, the whole park is now closed for four friggin’ months of the year! Starting…
June’s host to more than 30 “national holidays,” including the ever-important National Doughnut Day, Hug Your Cat Day, and today’s very fitting International Panic Day. Fortunately, if you’re a skater, there’s no need for panic. In fact, this week’s going to be pretty sweet thanks to Cowtown Skateboards and a…
Mapping the roadways of the world isn’t enough for Google, which announced its Street View program is headed for wilderness hiking trails. Like much about the Internet, this sounds like both a blessing and a curse. After all, Google Street View can be accessed equally by lost motorists and burglars…
No need to break a sweat or severely damage your vision this afternoon, members of The Exploratorium are hosting a live webcast of Venus’ transit across the Sun from Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory. The webcast has a live telescope feed to the tune of audio commentary every 30 minutes and…
Tomorrow afternoon, Venus will be visible from Earth for several hours as it transits the Sun. Venus’ orbit differs from Earth’s a mere 3.4 degrees, which is enough to usually keep the planet out of sight. The event is a once-in-a-lifetime event — as the next transits are slated for…
In celebration of long-gone Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist who created modern system of plants and animal names and classifications, The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and a committee of scientists from around the world announced its top 10 new species discovered in 2011. Brace yourself:…
