L to R: Mike Tansey, Stacey Miller, Lynn Warren (photographer), Kris Raczkiewicz, and Neal Wring pausing along the Kachina Trail, surrounded by aspens and ferns.
Hiking the Kachina Trail
Lynn Warren
On a recent trip to Flagstaff, a group of “B” hikers enjoyed a 7-mile, change-of-pace hike through woods with shade and a lot of greenery. The hike was on the Kachina Trail, which starts at the end of one of the parking lots at SnowBowl ski area. Although the hike involved rolling terrain and required only a 1,000-foot elevation gain, it was challenging since the entire hike was in thinner air at 9,000 feet elevation. The club hikes 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.
L to R: Stacey Miller, Neal Wring, Betty Wring, Lynn Warren, Kris Raczkiewicz, Mike Tansey, Christy Zemke, Henry Raczkiewicz, and Thom Zemke pausing on the descent into Walnut Canyon; the trail eventually flattens out far below and provides close-up views of dwellings built by Native Americans hundreds of years ago.
Hikers Explore Flagstaff Cultural Sites
Lynn Warren
The primary focus of the hiking club is, of course, hiking, but on July 21, a group of hikers headed to the cooler climes of Flagstaff to enjoy a four-day break from valley heat and to engage in a few easy hikes with a secondary objective of experiencing some of the cultural attractions in the Flagstaff area. On the first day, the group hiked trails at Sunset Crater and Wupatki heritage site, followed the next day with a visit to Walnut Canyon, a scenic but rugged canyon in which Native Americans built year-round homes. Although the park has nice trails on the rim and in the canyon, there are nearly 200 steps that must be negotiated descending into the canyon and climbing on the return to the rim. This site was occupied by Native Americans for several hundred years and their ability to build and live in this challenging location without modern tools and equipment is truly impressive. The club hikes all around the valley and often takes a break from strictly hiking to enjoy other Arizona attractions; visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos.
L to R: Tom O’Reilly, Kris Raczkiewicz, Doug Bieker, Clare Bangs, Rowena Stephenson, Stacey Miller, and Lynn Warren (photographer) pausing after an early-morning snack break along the Gadsden Trail in Estrella Mountain Regional Park.
Hikers Challenge the Heat
Lynn Warren
Valley hikers escape summer heat in various ways but there are times when the only option is to face up to the local, hot conditions and hike, regardless of the temperature. Local TV news has featured incidents on Phoenix icons like Camelback, Piestewa, and South Mountain, a few of which didn’t end well. Our PebbleCreek hikers are generally acclimated to summer conditions and try to be smarter about summer hikes and conduct shorter, close-in hikes without much climbing; summer hikes start early and hikers are on the trail around 6 a.m. and finish before 10 a.m. On July 5, seven “B” hikers enjoyed a 7-mile hike in nearby Estrella Mountain Regional Park; although the temperature was not as hot as those experienced in August, the humidity was higher, making for a steamy morning but nevertheless a satisfying scenic loop. The club hikes all around the valley, including summer; visit the club website at pchikers.org for more information and photos.