Pictured here, with poles in the air, hikers are ready to head off with the early morning light highlighting the red and golden rock. Hikers are Mary Hill, Barb Kripps, Pat Wilson, Tom Wellman, Jan Sherwood, Diana Bedwell, Nadine Eder, Sandy Mednick, Leon Mosse, Eileen Lords Mosse, Nancy Love, and Pam Marshall (photographer).
“C” Level Hikers Go West
Jan Sherwood
The Superstition Mountains, Apache Trail, Lost Dutchman, Praying Hands, Miner’s Needle: are you curious? The C level of the PebbleCreek Hiking Club headed 55 miles west to complete a 2-day overnight trip. Tom Wellman and Ron Hoffman planned our hiking adventure in the Superstition Mountains. The beautiful peaks and valleys are the result of ancient lava eruptions and are named because they appear masked in fog from a distance.
On day 1, we headed along AZ 88 on the Apache Trail to the area of Lost Dutchman State Park to hike to the feature known as Praying Hands. In the 1800s, a large gold mine was supposedly discovered by “The Dutchman” never to be found again.
Our adventure on day 2 was the trail to Miner’s Needle, standing more than 3,648 feet tall. We spotted the “eye of the needle,” a small arch near the summit, along with views across the valley carpeted in yellow brittlebush. We covered about 15 miles and 2,400 feet of elevation gain over two days, including on one of the hottest days in February, plus celebrating the added bonus of Leon Mosse achieving his 2,000 milestone.
The club does overnight hikes during the year of various lengths; there is room in cars if you don’t want to drive. Go to our website at pchikers.org to find out when our next meeting is and join the fun.
L to R: Bill Halte, Brian Goldade, Tom O’Reilly, and Lynn Warren (photographer) pausing for a photo after successfully descending from the top of “Big Jim” mountain in the background.
“B” Hikers Challenge “Big Jim”
Lynn Warren
On Feb. 23 , four “B” hikers headed to the Hell’s Canyon Wilderness area west of Lake Pleasant to hike a trail known as “Walking Jim,” named for Jim Stoltz, a long-distance hiker, adventurer, and wilderness activist who helped with the planning and design of several trails throughout the American Southwest, including this one. The hikers followed “Walking Jim” to the turnoff for the “Big Jim” trail which led to the summit of a mountain known as Pike’s Peak but called “Big Jim” by hikers in honor of Jim Stoltz. The climb to the top was steep and challenging, but the group completed the hike without incident (well almost, ask Tom about the importance of securing your key fob) and enjoyed great views of the Hieroglyphic Mountains and Lake Pleasant. Why not join the club and experience areas such as this with a great group of people; visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos.
L to R: Jan Larson, Lynn Warren, Steve McElroy, Stacey Miller, and Brian Goldade pausing in State Farm Stadium after completing the Advanced hike in the inaugural Cardinals Climb.
Hiking the Cardinals Climb
Lynn Warren
Although the hiking club conducts hikes all around the valley, occasionally it participates in other activities. On Feb. 21, a team of five “B” hikers completed the Advanced “hike” in the inaugural Cardinals Climb in State Farm Stadium. The event was well organized and different levels of “hikes” were laid out in the stadium, so the hikers did a lot of climbing and descending steps as they went up, down and across in the stadium for a total of over 2 miles (a lot of stairs). The objective of the event was to raise money to support special needs organizations, and more than 3,400 people participated and nearly $2.5 million was raised. After the hike, participants were presented a medal and treated to a post-hike party on the grassy area with music and appearances by Michael Bidwell, owner of the Cardinals, and popular players Trey McBride and Michael Wilson. The club enjoys interesting hikes all around the valley and occasionally participates in other activities such as this; visit the club’s website at pchikers.org for more information and pictures.
L-R front: Eileen Lords-Mosse, Mary Perlaki-Neely, and Rowena Stephenson; back: Lynn Warren (photographer), Tom Chistolini, Mike Tansey, Susan Grant, Bill Bohringer, Laurie Malatesta, Brian Goldade, Clare Bangs, Diana Bedwell, Stacey Miller, Nancy Love, Jan Larson and Doug Bieker pausing after a snack break in a rocky White Tanks wash.
Hikers Enjoy a Saturday Morning
Lynn Warren
Occasionally, shorter, easier hikes are scheduled for Saturdays. On Feb. 28, an impressive number of hikers turned out for a relatively easy 9-mile “C-challenge” hike with only 500 feet of elevation gain in the White Tank Mountain Regional Park, just 20 minutes from PebbleCreek. The hikers parked at the library and began the hike on the Mule Deer trail on their way toward Ramada 9, experiencing a variety of scenery and trail surfaces; the group stopped for a snack break in a large wash before returning to the parking area. The club offers hikes at different levels six days a week; visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos.
Hikers Celebrate “Octo” Members
Ruth Bindler
We all know the benefits of regular exercise—on the heart, metabolism, mental health, sleep, social interaction. One group of people who demonstrate all of those impacts is the group of octogenarian hikers in the PebbleCreek Hiking Club. The club honors their “octo” members with an annual walk followed by socializing and snacks at Goodyear Square and Bullard Wash. This year there were more than 50 hikers in attendance, and 11 members of those were 80 years or over. A hearty congratulations to the “octo” hikers setting the bar for all of us! Visit the hiking club website at pchikers.org for information about this active club.