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Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist

Stories by Ted

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The Chapel of the Holy Cross is nestled beneath two un-named hills.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist March 14, 2024
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As the metropolitan area across the Salt River Valley continues to spread out, it is refreshing to see that islands of nature have been kept, well, natural.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist February 29, 2024
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New Year’s Day means hiking. If you want to get your new year off on the right foot, literally speaking, hit the trail.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist February 15, 2024
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Don’t look for turkeys or a creek on the Turkey Creek Trail on the south side of Sedona.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist February 5, 2024
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It’s probably another sign of old age, reminiscing about days gone by.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist January 18, 2024
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The holiday traditions associated with several plants are not well known, yet hiking throughout this season is going to put you up against some of these plants, such as Mistletoe.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist January 4, 2024
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Remember the series from 1970, Here Come the Brides?

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist December 21, 2023
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I have noticed that aging involves a number of physical/mental changes.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist November 23, 2023
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Food is so basic; I often take it for granted.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist November 9, 2023
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Some books entertain, some inform, others inspire. My friend Virginia was so inspired by this month’s book discussion title, Born to Run, she decided to write a sequel to this title by training for an ultra-run, starting with the Kachina 50K route on the San Francisco Peaks.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist October 26, 2023
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Coming back from Sierra Vista, I hoped to find some fall colors atop the Catalinas. What better place to enjoy fall colors as Autumn begins than on a trail named, the “Aspen Trail.”

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist October 12, 2023
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Continuing our discussion from last time on hiking while harvesting fruit from abandoned orchards, as well as native plants, today we’ll cover two more sites.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist September 23, 2023
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John Denver sang, “You’d be a poorer man if you never saw an eagle fly.”

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist September 21, 2023
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John Denver sang, "You'd be a poorer man if you never saw an eagle fly." Agreed. I would add, "You'd be a poorer person never having bitten into a ripe peach, pear or fig from the tree."

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist September 20, 2023
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Our final group of high country wildflowers is as distinctive as the single site serving as the representative location where to expect these beauties.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist August 31, 2023
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The highest, coolest hiking in Arizona is home to some of the best loved and most unique plants on Earth.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist August 17, 2023
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People have a favorite color like they have a favorite cuisine.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist August 3, 2023
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Picking up where we left off last time ...

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While these mountains bear the name “White,” we will focus on flowers that are reddish, that is red, orange or pink.

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Now that summer has arrived, it’s time to think about hiking cooler.

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Thanks to the Friends of Spring Valley Library, I have access to Arizona Highways magazine.

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Using the team building exercise, “Two Truths and a Lie,” see if you can spot phony claims as I attempt to use it to provide a clear picture of my “hike” on the north side of Granite Mountain from the Williamson Valley Trailhead.

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Catalina State Park lies adjacent to the Coronado National Forest, offering many trails inside the Park and beyond.

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Most hikers to the “top” of Granite Mountain never get near it and for good reason.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist April 27, 2023
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I wasn’t sure what to expect as I drove into Red Rock Crossing.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist April 15, 2023
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First ascents often boost egos. Therefore, we set our sights on Red Mountain in the New River Mountains.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist March 30, 2023
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Hoping for a great wildflower season, we set out on the Pipeline Canyon Trail at Lake Pleasant.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist March 16, 2023
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The segment of Wolf Creek I hiked on two separate day hikes lies between “Trail” 202 and Forest Road 67 south of Mayer.

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Brady Butte rises to almost 6,400 feet above sea level, offering views unparalleled in Yavapai County, perhaps all of Arizona.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist February 18, 2023
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So far, so good. Each hike I’ve done this year has involved a trail I’ve never done, sort of.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist February 4, 2023
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I try to begin each New Year’s Day hiking. Thanks to the wet weather, my hike for 2023 was delayed by a day.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist January 19, 2023
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Do you recall, last year the notorious Grinch was spotted on the Maricopa Trail, disguised as jolly old St. Nick? Well, he’s at it again.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist January 7, 2023
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About a dozen of us huddled around a campfire near Acker Park wondering if the occasional raindrops were going to become more frequent.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist December 22, 2022
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The number and variety of federally designated wilderness areas in eastern Yavapai County is impressive because it’s extensive. Therefore, the number of hiking opportunities, is mind boggling.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist December 8, 2022
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I was confused. Surely we missed the trail junction, as I remembered it from the last time we hiked here in 2009.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist November 24, 2022
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I left off last time heading east on the Cam-boh Trail toward the Ironwood Forest Trail. This was the only segment where I encountered another trail user, an equestrian at the intersection with the Golden Gate Multi-use Trail.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist November 10, 2022
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My last column covered a hike to the summit of Mormon Mountain through a mixed conifer forest. Today’s hike is in the Sonoran Desert. Arizona = Variety!

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist October 27, 2022
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The expectation that Arizona is a desert, covered by rocks with a few cacti scattered about is shattered on the Mogollon Rim, where it is hard to find a view through all the pine trees.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist October 13, 2022
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As you may recall, last time I was hurtling down the road out of Grapevine Canyon on a mountain bike in a hail storm, trying to beat the rising waters of Big Bug Creek to avoid being trapped on the wrong side of the Creek at best or swept away in an attempt to cross at worst.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist October 1, 2022
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Aside from the routine decisions of where and when to hike, with whom, what to take, there may be some crisis or critical decisions to be made on the trail.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist September 15, 2022
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The Arizona Trail, like any trail stretching hundreds of miles, includes some portions that are more or less enjoyable than other sections.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist September 1, 2022
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You can learn something new every day, and this certainly applies on the trail. I invited a handful of hikers to West Fork to introduce them to this wonderful slot canyon. Here’s what I learned.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist August 18, 2022
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I first completed the Circle Trail in September 2007, though it was not, in fact, officially completed then. Since then, it has undergone significant changes.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist August 6, 2022
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I don't know if I'd call it a dilemma, but the challenge to keep hiking without overheating is a challenge calling for new solutions.

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Jim asked, “What’s your strategy to hike without overheating?” Great question. My first thought was to suggest the tried and true approach of hiking high.

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I drank the water in Grapevine Canyon recently untreated, as I have done on several previous occasions. I was high above the new fence, designed to keep livestock restricted to the lower portion of this designated botanical area on the Prescott National Forest.

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Trail 21 on the north side of Bill Williams Mountain is one of the finest day hikes in Arizona. How could it become “The Hike from Hell?” The trail is well-made and easy to follow.

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Fire restrictions are ahead of schedule thanks to the ongoing drought.

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I heard the distinct buzz of a rattlesnake as I slowly made my way up Grapevine Creek recently. I instinctively stopped.

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“Hiking” the Maricopa Trail in sections amounts to covering over 450 miles. I began on Nov. 11 and finished April 3.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist April 28, 2022

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