The Sun Lakes Hiking Club welcomes you to come hike with us this season!
Warren Wasescha, Sun Lakes Hiking Club
Forty years ago, Sun Lakes resident Paul Seibert and his friend Leo Fontaine decided to informally start the Sun Lakes Hiking Club. Paul had been hiking on his own in the area for several years and felt others might find hiking as adventurous and interesting as he did. He started writing articles in the Sun Lakes Splash to get others in the community interested in hiking. Two years later, he officially incorporated the club, with about 10 to 15 active hikers regularly hiking with the club at the time. His two goals for the club were simple: go on adventurous hikes and have fun. Fun included friendly camaraderie on the trail as well as social gatherings, often on club members’ patios.
Today the club has more than 200 active hikers, and the goals are mostly the same: be a friendly, inclusive group that makes group hiking fun, challenging, social, and safe. We welcome all able-bodied hikers living in Sun Lakes or SunBird to join us. And we’ll take you to some incredibly scenic areas to hike, in and around the Valley.
On Friday, Nov. 7, please join us at our “Welcome Back” hiking season kick-off picnic at the Sun Lakes Country Club Oasis Park ramada, located at 9049-9015 E. Sun Lakes Blvd., beginning at noon. The club will provide baked or fried chicken. Just bring a non-alcoholic beverage of your choice and a side dish or dessert to share. If you are already a club member, please sign up on the Meetup site so we can have a good headcount. If you are new to the club or thinking about joining and not sure how to RSVP on our Meetup site, please join us anyway for fun and festivities and get your questions answered. We will have plenty of food!
Our club hikes at three different intensity levels on Mondays, and often a “Moderate” and “Mellow” intensity level on Wednesdays, from November through April. We hike the entire Phoenix Valley as well as an occasional hike in the Payson, Prescott, Casa Grande, and Tucson areas. You can check out current and past hikes on our Meetup site. Have questions not found on the site? Contact me at wjwasescha@gmail.com.
One of the best things about our Hiking Club is the community we’ve built over the past 40 years. It’s not just about the hiking—it’s about meeting new people, sharing stories, and enjoying the outdoors together.
Hiking is one of the many rewarding activities you can do in our community. We hope you will join us this season!