Club hikers on Brown’s Mountain and Cone Mountain Trails in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve this past November: Diane Alessi, Marge Mogelnicki, Ed Molieri, Phyllis Ellstron, Jim Bauer, Bob Faulker, Kathy Ivesdahl, Tracy Nilsen, Paula DeSimone, Ted Maresh, and Sharon Mastroianni (photo by Henry Silberblatt)
Warren Wasescha, Sun Lakes Hiking Club
You know there’s excitement in the air when attendance levels are up for both our season kick-off Welcome Back Picnic and November hike sign-ups. It’s a good signal that everyone’s been more than ready for the new hiking season to begin!
Like the idea of hiking socially? Come join us and enjoy all that this hiking season has to offer. We are a friendly, inclusive group of hikers who welcome all able-bodied hikers. Our goal is to make group hiking fun, challenging, social, and safe. We hike Mondays at three different intensity levels and a Moderate intensity on Wednesdays. We also have one Special Hike planned for next spring that involves several nights’ stay somewhere fun—a time to build even stronger relationships with other Sun Lakes Hiking Club members.
Motivated hikes are rigorous and usually 7 to 10 miles in length, with elevation gains in the 1,000 to 2,000-plus feet range. Moderate hikes are less strenuous and are in the 5- to 7-mile range and up to 1,000 feet elevation gain. Mellow hikes are led at a leisurely pace and are usually up to 5 miles and 500 feet elevation gain and often include a lunch afterwards to socialize.
To join our club, we ask you to successfully complete two hikes at the Mellow level and get signed off by the hike leaders. After that, you can choose to hike at whatever level matches your abilities. Annual club dues are $5 with a one-time $6 initiation fee to cover the cost of a name badge.
For more information about our club, please type in “Sun Lakes Hiking Club” into your web browser to view our Meet-up site with information about our club, along with photos and descriptions of past and future hikes. If there are questions you have that are not answered on our website, please contact our president Ted Maresh at [email protected] and he can help you.
A reminder that our Dec. 1 club meeting location will be the Chandler REI store’s community meeting room located at 870 N. 54th Street, Chandler, AZ 85226. Store representatives will let us know what the latest and greatest hiking equipment is all about.
Hiking is one of the many rewarding activities you can do in our community. We look forward to hiking with you this season!