Motivated-level club hikers at the intersection of the Barnhardt Trail and Arizona Trail in Barnhardt Canyon (left to right): Bob Faulkner, Diane Alessi, Ted Maresh, Jeannette Chenier, Marilyn Harkins, and hike leaders Mei-Mei and Brian Hill (photo by Henry Silberblatt)
Warren Wasescha, Sun Lakes Hiking Club
I once asked a fellow hiker why he decided to join the Hiking Club. He said the answer was simple. His wife looked at him one day and said, “Get off that damn couch and do something.” So, he paged through the Splash and decided hiking would be his thing. It ultimately became a personal journey that led to better health and a variety of new friendships.
Not everyone who has joined the Hiking Club has a story quite like this, but they do have some common themes worth sharing. One relevant theme appropriate for the month following New Years Eve is the resolution to start living a better, healthier life. There are many pathways to that, and one is to get out on hiking trails instead of spending time on a treadmill indoors in a confined space. As one hiker told me, it’s just more visually interesting to hike on a trail than to look at a TV monitor in a gym while exercising.
Another common theme for hiking is the pure beauty of being out in nature. We all know Arizona is a phenomenal place when it comes to natural beauty. And with the club, we travel outside our community walls to hike many parts of the Phoenix Valley and beyond known for their scenic landscape. There’s nothing quite like the experience of hiking on a trail with a view you haven’t experienced before.
Socialization comes up often by club members as a reason to hike. You meet up with different people on the various hikes the club offers. One person compared a hike to a cocktail party, except your drink is water and your appetizers are energy bars. It offers you the ability to chat with many different people as you navigate the trail, with some ultimately becoming best friends over time.
And like many other clubs in Sun Lakes, the shared experience of doing something together with others who also share your passion is a common theme among hikers. You see that in the energy shown during our monthly meetings, social picnics, special hikes, and other group activities.
Want to get out on the trails as a part of your New Year’s resolution? Come join our club. We are a friendly, inclusive group of hikers welcoming 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 often a second “mellow” or “moderate” hike on Wednesdays. Our club is open to anyone living in Sun Lakes and SunBird.
For more information about our club, please type “Sun Lakes Hiking Club” into your web browser and look for our Meetup page. Questions not answered on our website? Please contact our president Ted Maresh at [email protected].
Hiking is one of the many rewarding activities you can do in our community. We look forward to hiking with you!