Judith Kuse
The Sun Lakes Hiking Club requires that those interested in becoming members participate in two hikes and obtain the hike leaders’ signatures for verification prior to application for membership. One way to satisfy part of that requirement is to participate in the Orientation Hike scheduled for January 11. This is a Mellow hike, which is the recommended level to begin with. The hike is three miles long at Veteran’s Oasis Park in Chandler or four miles long on the East Trail, Beverly Canyon Trail and West Trail at South Mountain. Desert hiking tips, club rules, regulations and policies will be reviewed during the hike. This hike is fun and informative and is focused on new members but open to all. Meet at Cottonwood at 7:45 a.m. and carpool to Veteran’s Oasis Park or South Mountain.
Information detailing the category of all upcoming hikes, name and location of the hike and the hike leader’s phone number can generally be found in each monthly edition of the Splash, and more specifics are available on the SLHC’s website at https://www.meetup.com/Sun-Lakes-Hiking-Club/#upcoming.
SLHC hikers gather at the Cottonwood parking lot near the flagpole before each hike. The meeting time for all January hikes is 7:45 a.m., unless otherwise noted on the website.
Monday Hikes:
January 8
Motivated – AZ Trail Passage 15 to Big Hill near Kearney; Leader Bud Tasch, 480-802-2836
Moderate — Pass Mountain Loop, Usery Mountain Regional Park; Leader DeEtte Faith, 480-895-8397
Mellow — Dutchman Trail to Parker Pass, Superstition Mountains; Leaders Scott and Linda Metz, 480-339-0313
January 15
Motivated Plus — South Mountain Double Lasso; Leader Mei Mei Ahlskog, 480-883-2013
Moderate Plus — North Mountain Summit and Shaw Butte Loop, Phoenix Mountain Preserve; Leader Stu Frost, 602-332-5676
Mellow — Brown’s Mountain Loop, Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve North; Leader Jim Reid, 480-787-9736
January 22
Motivated Plus — Robber’s Roost; Leader Brian Hill, 480-802-1050; *Leader permission required for this hike.
Moderate — Pinnacle Peak, North Scottsdale; Leader Marge Mogelnicki, 480-331-8456
Mellow — Bootlegger, Saddlehorn, Granite Mountain Loop and Balance Rock Trails, Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve North; Leader Mike Josephson, 248-496-5369
January 29
Moderate Plus — Lost Mine and Pyramid Loop at South Mountain; Leader Cheryl Verlander, 206-799-3116
Mellow — Scenic Loop Trail, McDowell Mountain Regional Park; Leaders Stan and Cindy Krasucki, 480-207-3683
Wednesday Hikes:
January 3
Moderate — Parker Pass, Superstition Mountains; Leader Anita Baker, 480-895-6988
January 10
Moderate — Turnbuckle, Granite Falls, Chuckwalla Trails, Skyline Regional Park near Buckeye; Leaders Al and Ginny Metz, 480-895-1868
January 17
Moderate — Dixie Mine Trail, McDowell Mountain Regional Park; Leaders Scott and Vivienne Torgeson, 503-339-5624
January 24
Moderate — Granite Mountain Loop, Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve North; Leaders Anna Larson, 360-600-8001, and Joyce Stefanick, 480-219-9939
January 31
Moderate Plus — Dixie Mine, Prospector, Windmill, Coachwhip Loop Hike, McDowell Mountain Regional Park; Leaders Dennis and Marilyn Harkins, 253-389-2101