Sun Lakes Hikers Marilyn Harkins, Mei-Mei Hill, Brian Hill, Bud Tasch, and Warren Wasescha joined another hiking group to trek to the oldest Juniper Tree in Arizona, called the Champion Juniper, near Prescott, estimated to be over 2,500 years old. Afterwards, they celebrated the hike with lunch at El Gato Azul Restaurant in Prescott, Ariz., where this photo was taken. (Photo by Bud Tasch)
Warren Wasescha, Sun Lakes Hiking Club
The only thing between you and hiking in the summer is a bit of imagination and ingenuity, especially during these hot months. Some hiking club members head to higher elevation areas like Prescott for a day of hiking in cooler weather. Others get up before dawn and off the trails by 8 a.m. before the summer heat sets in for the day. Still others find solace in indoor hiking in gyms or shopping malls. It’s all about keeping your body moving so it doesn’t seize up or lose muscle mass as we age.
For a milestone birthday event, my son organized an August hike in Colorado near Breckenridge, to hike a “Fourteener” as they call them. No small task….it requires climatizing to high elevation and a strenuous uphill climb experience. I summer in Wisconsin with nothing anywhere near as exciting to hike here, so I’ve been improvising with a set of 20 landscape paver steps down to our backyard that overlooks a city park. In one hour, I’m able to clock in 1,000 AEG by simply descending and climbing back up that set of stairs. I think my neighbors think I might be a bit crazy, but it gives me great aerobic exercise while being outside and not stuck in a gym. We benefit also from living along a scenic river valley with several impressive staircases that also add to the aerobic challenge. One staircase has over 200 steps…enough of a challenge for even the most fit hiker. Come August I think I might be ready to ascend that “Fourteener”. We’ll see.
Several hiking friends have traveled to faraway places for summer hiking. The pictures are amazing. There is so much beauty in this world, if you just reach out and find these places.
No matter where you are, remember the strategies you know to hike safely in heat and humidity. Choose cooler times to hike. Have plenty of water and electrolytes with you.
And if you are waiting to hike when it’s cooler overall, now’s a good time to consider hiking gear upgrades, conditioning walks in the neighborhood, and assess what you need to take along with you on any hike to stay safe.
Like the idea of hiking? Come join our club. We are a friendly, inclusive group of hikers that 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!