Standing from left to right: Susan Bernt, Tom Bernt, Kay Thomas, Diana Bedwell, Pam Marshall, Nancy Love, Randy Hellman, Beverly Kim, Bill Halte, Dana Thomas, Neil Wring, and Lynn Warren (photographer). Kneeling left to right: Teri deMars and Rowena Stephenson.
Goodyear Make a Difference Day
Rowena Stephenson
A group of PebbleCreek Hikers took some time out from hiking to help improve the City of Goodyear on Oct. 26. They participated in the annual community service event, Make a Difference Day. Nearly 200 volunteers from several community groups completed projects to help the city’s residents and improve neighborhoods.
Fourteen PebbleCreek Hikers spent the day painting 60 bollards, a fire hydrant, and several railings at Bullard Water Campus. Fresh yellow paint will enhance the visibility for truck drivers entering and exiting the facility, protecting specific areas of the water treatment plant. The Hikers’ generous spirit was in full display as their donated time saved tax dollars for more urgent city needs.
Left: Bill Halte, Neal Wring, Laurie Rosenbloom, Laurel Laux, Peter Rollison; right: Stacey Miller, Dennis Zigmunt, Linda Schmillen, Susan Bernt, Sandy Mednick, Lynn Warren, and Kris Raczkiewicz pausing near the water on a hike in the Tres Rios Wetlands (not pictured, photographer Mary Hill).
Hikers Enjoy Tres Rios Wetlands
Lynn Warren
For a change of pace, all levels of hikers joined forces on Oct. 21 and enjoyed a leisurely, relatively flat 7-mile hike in the Tres Rios Wetlands just east of the Phoenix Raceway. Tres Rios is a Phoenix Water Dept. 700-acre habitat restoration and water reclamation project providing an extensive riparian and wetland area near the confluence of the Gila, Salt, and Agua Fria Rivers. Although normally a birder’s paradise, most of the birds seemed to be on vacation for this outing, but the hikers did see several large egrets and a green heron that had an impressive beak. A few of the “B” hikers weren’t satisfied with just a flat hike so made the climb at the end to the top of Monument Hill to view Point Zero, a survey marker established in 1865 that designates the zero point from which almost every legal property description in Phoenix (and Arizona) is tied. Join the club and enjoy the Arizona outdoors with a fun group of people. Visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos.
Left to right: Stacey Miller, Clare Bangs, Mike Tansey, Kris Raczkiewicz, Neal Wring, Tom O’Reilly, and Lynn Warren (photographer) pausing after lunch at Hackamore Arch in the Goldfields (Apache Junction).
“B” Hikers Visit the Goldfields
Lynn Warren
During the hot summer, the hiking club tended to hike close to PebbleCreek. However, on Oct. 9, for one of the early hikes of the 2024-25 season, seven “B” hikers challenged I-10 traffic and headed for the Goldfields (Goldfield Recreation Area), which are just north of the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction. The Goldfields offer beautiful scenery since there are impressive exposed rock formations that are outstanding when highlighted on a sunny day. The group completed a 9-mile hike that was a combination of jeep roads, trails and, since it was a “B” hike, some bushwhacking. One highlight was having lunch at the Hackamore Arch shown in the photo. Join the hiking club and you, too, can enjoy interesting and scenic outings like this with a great group of people; visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos.