Left to right: Jeff Gillen, Lynn Warren (photographer), Donna Gillen, Julie Walmsley, Susan Bernt, Les Reister, Gary Bray, Len Jeffery, Beverly Kim, Steve Duncanson and Ed Kim pausing on an unusually green slope laced with poppies on the south side of Saddle Mountain.
Lynn Warren
Gary Bray is one of several Canadian members of the hiking club and began hiking with the club in 2007, normally hiking just one day a week. On February 24 Gary became only the second Canadian (and first from Ontario) to reach 1,609 km (1,000 miles). It was a beautiful, sunny day for a scenic but challenging hike around Saddle Mountain (Tonopah); midway through the hike, Gary surprised his fellow hikers with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries (carried in his backpack), a perfect complement to an al fresco lunch at the big saddle visible from I-10, enabling the group to celebrate his accomplishment in fine style. Gary loves hiking but has an even greater passion for running and weight training and will celebrate 50 years of running at the end of 2017, conservatively estimating that he will have run more than 33,000 miles, equivalent to running around the world 1.3 times. The club hikes five days a week all around the valley and offers interesting hikes for almost every fitness level. Visit the club website at PCHIKERS.ORG for more information and photos.