Warren Wasescha, Sun Lakes Hiking Club
June marks the start of summer hiking. For some club members, that means reacquainting themselves with trails near their summer homes in places like Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan, and Canada. For others, it’s a well-planned trip to visit family in northern climates. And for still others, it’s a trip to far-away places like Europe or Asia.
I’m often sent photos of fellow club members hiking in these different places, or I can see their hikes on Facebook, and I’m always reminded of how beautiful the world really is when it comes to hiking in nature, no matter where you are.
What I’m also amazed at is the group of Sun Lakes Hiking Club members who stay in the Valley and hike all summer long. The heat can be dangerous, for sure, but the members I’ve talked to plan wisely. Starting before sunrise with headlamps. Getting off the trails before the heat spikes. Taking plenty of water and electrolytes. Being exceptionally smart about covering up and taking safe measures. Making the hikes shorter than normal. And they do it for the exercise and the social connections with the other hikers.
Like the idea of hiking socially? Join our club and enjoy all that we have 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 formally November through April and informally May through October. 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. You’ll find information about our club, along with photos and descriptions of past and future hikes. If you have questions about the club not answered on our website, please let me know at wjwasescha@gmail.com.
Hiking is one of the many rewarding activities you can do in our community. We look forward to hiking with you!