Left to right: Bill Halte, Neal Wring, Steve McElroy, and Lynn Warren (photographer) pause in early morning sun along the Arizona Trail (AZT) on the way to Blue Ridge Trailhead.
Backpacking on the Arizona Trail
Lynn Warren
Many Hiking Club members no longer want to sleep on the ground, even on a comfortable air mattress. However, there are still a few who engage in backpacking adventures a few times a year, and on May 26, four backpackers began a four-day, 66-mile adventure covering several passages along the 800-mile Arizona Trail (AZT), which runs from Mexico to Utah. The trip began at Marshall Lake near Flagstaff and ended at the Blue Ridge Trailhead north of Payson. Demonstrating the diversity of Arizona, temperatures in Phoenix were flirting with triple digits, whereas daily highs on the hike were upper 70s, chilling to upper 30s overnight, since the elevation was mostly over 7,000 feet. Most of the hike consisted of rolling terrain through large stands of ponderosa pine. Although the hikers had a great time on the AZT, a post-hike stop at Beaver Street Brewery in Flagstaff was a most welcomed treat.
Left to right: Marilyn Reynolds, Clare Bangs, Beverly Kim, Dana Thomas, Kris Raczkiewicz, Eileen Lords-Mosse, and Lynn Warren (photographer) pausing after a snack break on the SOB trail in Verrado.
Hiking Verrado in Summer Heat
Lynn Warren
When temperature and humidity increase, hiking becomes more challenging, so the club tends to leave early and frequent trails closer to PebbleCreek. On July 7, seven hikers completed an interesting 6.3-mile loop in Verrado on the South of the Border (SOB) Trail with a moderate 700 feet of elevation gain. The hike started and ended at the Verrado Golf Course. Even in summer, the club offers hikes six days a week, so visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos. Hikes are offered at three levels of ability, so why not try a summer hike? You might like it and will have a feeling of satisfaction for challenging our summer heat.