“B” Hikers Find Fall Foliage
Lynn Warren
The hiking club normally hikes reasonably close to PebbleCreek but occasionally ventures a little farther away. On Dec. 1, four “B” hikers headed to the Superior area to hike around Picketpost Mountain. The 11-mile hike started in rugged Arnett Canyon, which impressed not only with outstanding rock formations, but also with beautiful fall foliage since many cottonwoods were displaying peak color. The hike was not all foliage, however, since the hikers also stopped by an interesting perlite mine in an area that provided expansive views of Superior and the surrounding area. The remainder of the hike consisted of completing the circumference around the scenic but rugged mountain. Superior is investing significant resources in L.O.S.T. (Legends of Superior Trails) to develop trails near Picketpost Mountain, just behind well-known Boyce Thompson Arboretum. The club offers hikes six days a week with something appropriate for most levels of fitness. Join the Hiking Club and experience interesting areas you might not visit on your own; see pchikers.org for more information and photos.
4,000 Miles for Alex!
Alex Elijew and his wife, Charlene, came to PebbleCreek on July 4, 2009. Alex retired as an air traffic controller in New York City, and by February 2010, began his hiking career with the PebbleCreek Hikers. He recently achieved his 4,000th mile with the club (Charlene had reached that milestone in April). Alex is known for “carrying a big stick,” which he carved in an art class and carries with him on every hike; it is holding up the banner in this photo. The hike took place from the Lost Creek Trail in Verrado, a close and favorite hiking location for the club. Hikers took the SOB (South of the Border) Trail to a collection of petroglyphs.
The club offers a variety of hikes from Monday through Saturday each week, all led by a knowledgeable club member. Visit the website pchikers.org to learn more or come to a club meeting, held on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.
Celebrating Rainfall and a Hiking Milestone
The day after a rainfall is often fresh and brings water and green to the desert. Such was the case in early November when the PebbleCreek Hiking Club made their way to the two China Dams and Humbug Creek hike in the Lake Pleasant area. The first dam was built in 1890 by laborers from China (thus its name); the hike also traverses a short tunnel and canyon walls 15 to 20 feet high.
This unusual hike was a fitting location to celebrate a club member’s accomplishment of 3,000 miles with the Hiking Club. Nadine Eder moved to PebbleCreek in 2013 with her husband, Jeff, and they soon joined the Hiking Club. The 3,000 miles milestone is even more noteworthy because during the summers, Nadine returns to Detroit, Mich., where she works and volunteers as a dentist. Nadine is also an accomplished sewer, applying her skills in several different sewing mediums, volunteering to work on projects and assisting others in learning sewing. She also posts the weekly hike schedules and works to help keep the very detailed hike descriptions up-to-date on the Hiking Club website. Many club members recognized Nadine’s contributions and her hiking accomplishment at the November hike.
Visit pchikers.org to learn more about the club and then join in a hike, one of many with varied distances and elevation gain, that the club offers each week.
Hiker Celebrates Initial Milestone
Lynn Warren
Leon Mosse, a native Californian, retired from a career combining law enforcement and firefighting and joined the hiking club in 2018. On a rare foggy morning in December, Leon reached the initial milestone of 1,000 miles on a 7-mile hike in Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, just north of Cave Creek. He likely would have achieved this earlier but Leon has limited time to hike since he normally is busy assisting PebbleCreek residents as a member of the Patrol. Leon and wife Eileen are great people to hike with, since not only are they good hikers, but Leon is an experienced EMT and Eileen, a Registered Nurse, ran an emergency room in her career. Fortunately, on this hike, Leon and 17 fellow hikers did not need medical assistance, and at the end of the hike celebrated the occasion with orange juice, champagne, and a variety of cookies and snacks. Why not join the club and pursue your own milestones with a great group of people; visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos.