Sun Lakes Hiking Club members Tracy Nilsen and DeEtte Faith enjoy views of Weaver’s Needle atop the Peralta Trail in the Superstitions Wilderness. (Photo by Warren Wasescha)
Warren Wasescha
Talk to any hiker, and they all have their favorite hikes: Mormon Loop and Hidden Valley Trails at South Mountain, Peralta Trail in the Superstitions, Quart Peak in the Estrellas, Ford Canyon in the White Tanks, Camelback Mountain. These and many more are the treasures that, when combined together, make the Valley one of the best places around to hike. Like personal friends to a hiker, these trails delight the spirit no matter how many times you visit them.
So, imagine the heartbreak of turning on the news and seeing one of your favorites up in flames due to a lightning strike. That’s what happened early last month when my hiker friend Stu Frost texted to say he saw video of fire swirling around the shoulder of Weaver’s Needle and heading towards Peralta Canyon in the Superstition Wilderness, a place where we had earlier enjoyed hiking to Lone Pine then onto Cave Trail via the Peralta Trail.
Hearing of this fire felt like hearing of the loss of an old friend. The original beauty of the area is now just a memory in our minds. Gone in a flash. Forever changed. Something that will take years to return to its prior beauty. And that’s life.
If there is a lesson to learn out of this incident, it’s to remember to cherish those moments when you are out in nature visiting one of your special favorites. Because it could be forever changed due to a natural disaster by the next time you get back for a visit. Haven’t been out hiking for a while? It might be time to plan a visit to one of your own favorite hikes in the Valley, and make a point to visit soon or when you can.
Like the idea of hiking and socializing with others? Search “Sun Lakes Hiking Club” in your web browser and visit our “Meetup” site to see descriptions and pictures of the hikes the club has done in the past. Hikes are offered at all skill levels.
Should we get the all-clear on social distancing, our regular hiking season is November through April, with off-calendar hikes happening in the summer. Contact Stu Frost for more details at [email protected].
Interested in more information about our club? Please contact our president, DeEtte Faith, at [email protected].
As always, we are a friendly, inclusive group that welcomes all able-bodied hiking enthusiasts!