Members helping Charlene celebrate, from left to right, are Stacey Miller, Kris Raczkiewicz, Nadine Eder (kneeling), Jim Gillespie, Amy Boll (a guest), Charlene Elijew, Ann Rohlman, Tom Wellman, Diana Bedwell, Sandy Mednick, Dave Schuldt, Nancy Love, Clare Bangs, Alex Elijew, Dennis Zigmunt, Ron Hoffman, and Mary Hill. (Photo by Dana Thomas)
Charlene Reaches 4,000 Miles with Hiking Club
On the historic Butterfield Trail in Estrella Mountain Regional Park, PebbleCreek Hiking Club member Charlene Elijew reached her 4,000th mile since joining the club. The Butterfield Trail, located in this Maricopa County Park, is a favorite of the club. Interestingly, it is part of a very long (795 miles) overland stagecoach trail that opened in 1857, starting in St. Louis, Mo., and ending in San Francisco. Charlene is known for wearing tall, colorful hiking socks and she brightens the trail for fellow hikers. Congratulations to Charlene! Come join her and other hikers, and learn about the club at pchikers.org.
Left to right: Dave Ausman (“Ausy”), Lynn Warren (photographer), and Kris Raczkiewicz on the Devil’s Garden loop in Arches NP with Double O arch in the background
Hiking in Moab
Lynn Warren
How does a hiker celebrate a birthday? By going on an 11-mile hike with almost 2,000 ft. of vertical, of course. To celebrate Kris Raczkiewicz’s birthday, three PebbleCreek couples headed to Moab, Utah, and Kris, Lynn, and “Ausy” enjoyed approximately 35 miles of scenic hiking spread over four days, saving the most challenging hike for Kris’ birthday. If you are not familiar with Moab, it is surrounded by outstanding red rock terrain and is next door to two national parks. Not to show favoritism, the hikers hiked two days in Arches National Park and two days in Canyonlands National Park. Although Moab and the parks tend to be very crowded, the hikers encountered relatively few people on the trails chosen. All the scenery and hikes were outstanding, but the hikers were most impressed with the Devil’s Garden loop in Arches NP since you have the opportunity to be up-close-and-personal with several arches, including the Double O arch.
Hikers shown from left to right are Mary Hill, Diana Bedwell, Laurel Laux, Dennis Zigmunt, Pam Marshall, Linda Schmillen, Len Jeffrey, Laurie Rosenbloom, and Kay Thomas. (Photo by Dana Thomas)
Maricopa Trail Hike
Ruth Bindler
Arizona is blessed with beautiful blue skies and the saguaro cactus. This multi-armed saguaro was found on the Maricopa Trail in White Tanks Regional Park. Maricopa Trail is a 315-mile trail connecting the major regional and municipal parks in Maricopa County. Hiking Club members enjoy their time outdoors and learn about the flora and fauna of the desert from fellow hikers. Saguaros growing in the desert get their first arm when they are about 70 years old, so the saguaro in this photo must be quite old. Woodpeckers and Flickers peck holes in saguaros to make nests, and then many other bird species use the holes for nests later. The saguaro seals the inside of the hole with a woody growth, called a boot, to avoid decay and moisture loss. Check out the PebbleCreek Hikers website at pchikers.com and come join us.