Left to right: Lynn Warren (photographer), Eileen and Leon Mosse, Kris Raczkiewicz, and Neal Wring enjoying a magical canyon with brilliant white rock formations in southern Utah.
Hikers Explore Southern Utah
Lynn Warren
A small group of “B” hikers drove to Kanab, Utah on April 4 and used this town as a base for three days of beautiful but challenging hikes around the area, from Zion to the west to Wahweap to the east. The objective of the trip was to pre-hike several areas to determine the feasibility of a possible future overnight club trip. The first day of hiking was in Zion and was conducted by club members on their own; the next two days were led by Dreamland, a Kanab tour operator, due to the remoteness and difficulty of access. The trip and hikes were a great success, except for one discovery, which probably should have been obvious—don’t go to Zion around a holiday or during spring break, since it is impossibly crowded.
The club enjoys interesting and adventurous hikes all around the Valley, as well as occasional overnight trips to more distant areas; visit the club’s website at pchikers.org for more information and pictures.
The hearty souls making this hike were (left to right): Mark Gruca, Dave Schuldt, Laurie Rosenbloom, Wayne McKinney, Diana Bedwell, and Linda Schmillen. (Photo by Dana Thomas)
Hiking Adventures at Agua Fria River
Dana Thomas
Hiking along the Agua Fria River at Badger Springs, Ariz., is an adventure because there is no trail along the river. The loop that the Hiking Club followed was an improvised route that intended to avoid getting wet in the river and finding a reasonable path through the boulders, as we made our way along the canyon. Seeing and listening to flowing water in the desert always makes for a special hike.
Jan Sherwood, Tom Wellman, Tina Williams, Leon Mosse, Sandy Mednick, Nancy Love, Kris Raczkiewicz, Nadine Eder, Charlene Elijew, Marilyn Reynolds, Ron Hoffman, Pete Williams, Alex Elijew, Wayne Wills, and Lyman Gallup (Photo by Fred Nix)
Multi-Day Hiking Adventure
Jan Sherwood
The PebbleCreek Hiking Club headed north for a multi-day hiking adventure in Prescott. Day one found both groups meeting at the Wolf Creek Falls after walking through the ponderosa forest. On day two, one group clambered over the granite boulders on the Constellation and Willow Lakes Trail, while the second group also climbed through boulders on the Little Granite Loop Trail. On these trails, weathered granite takes on fantastic shapes. In a normal year, the club does two longer overnight trips away from PebbleCreek. To join in the fun, visit our website at PCHikers.org.
Club members (left to right): Diana Bedwell, Sandy Mednick, Alex and Charlene Elijew, Jan Sherwood, Linda Schmillen, Pete and Tina Williams, Jim Gillespie, Nadine Eder, Dennis Zigmunt, Laurie Rosenbloom, Dave Schuldt, Art and Atkuso Arner, Fred Nix, Kay Thomas, and Tom Wellman (Photo by Dana Thomas)
Hikers Visit the Butterfield-Gadsden Trail Loop
Dana Thomas
Two groups of hikers went opposite directions on a Butterfield-Gadsden Trail loop hike in the Estrella Mountain Regional Park recently and met in a wash. The temperature was perfect for hiking. The Hiking Club has 11 club hikes per week, at four levels, and hikes all over great State 48. See pchikers.org for more information.
Tom Wellman, Dennis Zigmunt, Diana Houle, George Houle, Nancy Love, George Healey, Cheryl Healey, and Dave Schuldt (Photo by Jan Sherwood)
St. Patrick’s Day Hike with the Hiking Club
Jan Sherwood
As you head north towards Wickenburg, look to your right to see Red Top. This St. Patrick’s Day hike made a loop around Precious Peak and then continued around Red Top. This area has many healthy cacti, interesting rocks, and an abandoned mine shaft to enjoy along the trail. A few lupines were just starting to bloom, giving us a taste of what was to come later this spring. Look like fun? Join the PebbleCreek Hiking Club for more desert hikes offered at four difficulty levels, six days a week. More info visit pchikers.org.
Hiking Club Leadership Update
Ann G. Rohlman
On March 18, the PebbleCreek Hiking Club met via Zoom to elect a new president and secretary. We are happy to announce that Marilyn Reynolds and Laurie Rosenbloom were unanimously elected to those respective positions. Both Marilyn and Laurie are active hikers who bring enthusiasm to our outings. Their willingness to volunteer their time and effort, along with that enthusiasm, was a large part of the reason for their election to these high offices. Our members offer warm and heartfelt congratulations to both of them.
Outgoing president, Dana Thomas, has served for four years. Under his leadership, more hikers started to lead hikes. In addition, we created a plan to provide one-stop shopping for our hike maps, photos, and hike descriptions and directions. In addition, he achieved Honorary Status by completing 3,000 miles hiked and serving for four years in a leadership position. Leading during COVID was especially trying, but Dana accomplished it with panache. Outgoing secretary, Ann Rohlman, having also served for four years, forged ahead with the creation of a new website to replace the prior one, plus she took on duties as a hike coordinator.
Hikers Spend a Saturday Morning at Estrella Mountain Regional Park
Jan Sherwood
After a recent afternoon and night of rain, the air cleared, making our hike in Estrella Mountain Regional Park a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Estrella Mountain Regional Park is a short 8.5 mile drive down Estrella Parkway. This park, with its many trails, is an example of one of the close-in parks the PebbleCreek Hiking Club chooses for morning hikes, six days a week. While this series of trails had us home before lunch, other hikes are to more distant areas around Phoenix and beyond. If you’d like to join us to take a walk in the desert, you’ll find information about the club at pchikers.org.