A few general questions about living in Flagstaff

[Code Stemi]

I am just wondering if some locals could give some insight on my question. How often are black bear, mountain lions, bobcat, and elk seen in or around the Flagstaff area? I'm sure they are nowhere near the city proper, but how often are sightings out on the trails and such?

[blindjesse]

Elk often (though usually from a car, rarely on a trail). Have seen bobcat a few times; a mountain lion once; black bear never, but they are around (occasionally have to be removed from residential areas). 20 year resident.

[Code Stemi]

That surprises me that elk are seen often. I would assume deer as well? How about porcupine, fox, eagles?

[Mt.Mahn]

In regard to wildlife eventually you'll see it all if you get out and explore. Black bears (any species of bear) are known as the ghosts of the forest. They will see, smell and hear you before you ever see them. If you ever get to see one consider yourself lucky. The last thing I would worry about is bears as they usually avoid any human contact unless they've been fed by someone. If that occurs Fish & Game comes out to either euthanize or tranquilize and transfer to another part of the state. Elk, deer you'll see on a regular basis. Just use common sense and do not approach. They'll definitely leave you alone. If you want to see beautiful elk, hang out a few days in Payson and you'll see herds meandering on the outskirts of town. Mountain Lion -extremely rare to view one in the wild. I did see a few in Yavapai county-using a 60 power spotting scope- distance from me - 800 meters plus.

Back to Flagstaff, it's a beautiful area. Wildlife galore. It's a blessing to see Mother Nature's creations. I wouldn't fear any of them.

[Code Stemi]

Thanks, Mt. Mahn. Sounds like Flagstaff has a lot wildlife encounters if you're in the right place. Lucky for you guys.

[tralba]

Originally Posted by infocyde

Disclaimer: I actually live North of Flagstaff, but I think I can answer some of this.

- Basements: Hard to find, not a lot of builders build basements in houses in AZ. Something to do with the soil. Might be able to find something but requiring a basement will narrow your selection down significantly.

- Day Trips and Hiking: All over. Grand Canyon area to the North West, Sedona to the South West, all sorts of forest and hiking. Mountain biking is fairly big around Flagstaff as well.

- I think living in Flagstaff is essentially the "touristy stuff". The city is actually pretty small, if you want to do shopping you have to come into downtown where the students, the locals, the tourist, the travels taking a break off the I-40, all mingle. Living outside of downtown I guess is just what kind of half hour drive you want to get into town. I'd get a hotel in the middle of Flagstaff, and drive around during peek traffic hours. People complain about traffic, and it is slow going at peak times, but again Flagstaff is pretty small so even moving slowly you are through most of the rush hour pretty quickly compared to bigger cities. If you want more of a rustic vibe I guess look up a bed and breakfast in the surrounding area and come into town each day.

One note of caution. Jobs in Flagstaff that pay anything are fairly hard to come by. Make sure your telecommute jobs are fairly solid before taking a leap. I'm in a similar boat and that one issue has kept me from buying...the what if.

Good luck.

Very old buildings have basements or they were originally built back in 1800's and the earth settled in so that the first floor window tops barely show. That's how you can tell it's most likely a pre 1900's build. Maybe even pre 1800's. Our records are scarce going that far back : )

[carecare7]

Flagstaff air quality is NOT good. The constant proscribed (called "control") burns and the temp inversions (even in summer at night) make for horrible breathing all year long. Asthmatics and other people with respiratory issues beware!

[infocyde]

Originally Posted by carecare7

Flagstaff air quality is NOT good. The constant proscribed (called "control") burns and the temp inversions (even in summer at night) make for horrible breathing all year long. Asthmatics and other people with respiratory issues beware!

I love the area but would agree with this. If you have any sort of respiratory issues the high altitude, smoke at times, and desert dryness can cause issues. I find a few weeks out of the year I have a hard time of it at night breathing and sleeping. Mostly in Spring and Fall.