Moderate hikers at Willow Springs: Front row (left to right): Jeanette Chenier, Vince LeBlanc, Vicky Gross, Ron Deraas, Paul Feeney; back row (left to right): Richard Gardell, Camille Rye, Paul Engle, Joan Carlisle, Gene Jencsok, Garry Breitbach, David Coffman, Joe Milne (photo by Scott Downey)
Warren Wasescha, Sun Lakes Hiking Club
It’s two months into the hiking season, and we have a lot going on. December’s club meeting had a guest speaker talking about the realities of invasive plants plaguing Arizona’s trails and what we can do about it. More details on the March Special Hike in Page were shared. By the time you read this, we will have had another successful holiday brunch at Diane Alessi and Henry Silberblatt’s home and a lot of fun hikes.
In my nine years of hiking here, I’d never been up to Lake Pleasant Regional Park. Huge reservoir, scenic landscape, and wild burros so tame that I saw a pair with their heads inside the side door of a minivan on the side of the road receiving food treats from the people inside. Not the typical wildlife sighting in these parts.
I also got the chance to hike a trail north of Tortilla Flats just off the Apache Trail. At the trailhead we were met with an amazing cloud formation that looked like angel wings—perfect for the holiday season. It’s a great hike, and even if you don’t hike, the road is worth a drive just to see the amazing scenery in that part of the Valley. But beware, the twists and turns are a lot like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland.
If you’re interested in joining us in Page, Ariz., for our Special Hike, remember, you must sign up by Feb. 1. That allows Ron Deraas and Joan Carlisle to finalize the details of the trip. At this writing, we have 69 hikers signed up. Come join the fun!
Looking for weekly adventure beyond the borders of Sun Lakes and SunBird? Come join the Sun Lakes Hiking Club. We are a friendly, inclusive group that welcomes all able-bodied hiking enthusiasts! Our club’s goal is to make group hiking fun, challenging, social, and safe. We hike in some incredibly scenic areas in and around the Valley. We welcome all able-bodied hikers living in Sun Lakes or SunBird to come join us.
You can learn more about the club by typing “Sun Lakes Hiking Club” into your web browser, and it will take you to our Meetup site where you can see a listing of our upcoming hikes and read more about our club. Email me at wjwasescha@gmail.com if you have any questions not found on our website.
Our club hikes at three different intensity levels on Mondays, and often a “Moderate” and “Mellow” intensity level on Wednesdays, from November through April.
Hiking is one of the many rewarding activities you can do in our community. We hope you will join us this season!