The Chapel of the Holy Cross is nestled beneath two un-named hills.
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.
New Year’s Day means hiking. If you want to get your new year off on the right foot, literally speaking, hit the trail.
Don’t look for turkeys or a creek on the Turkey Creek Trail on the south side of Sedona.
It’s probably another sign of old age, reminiscing about days gone by.
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.
Remember the series from 1970, Here Come the Brides?
I have noticed that aging involves a number of physical/mental changes.
Food is so basic; I often take it for granted.
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.
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.”
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.
John Denver sang, “You’d be a poorer man if you never saw an eagle fly.”
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."
Our final group of high country wildflowers is as distinctive as the single site serving as the representative location where to expect these beauties.
The highest, coolest hiking in Arizona is home to some of the best loved and most unique plants on Earth.
People have a favorite color like they have a favorite cuisine.
Picking up where we left off last time ...
While these mountains bear the name “White,” we will focus on flowers that are reddish, that is red, orange or pink.
Now that summer has arrived, it’s time to think about hiking cooler.
Thanks to the Friends of Spring Valley Library, I have access to Arizona Highways magazine.
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.
Catalina State Park lies adjacent to the Coronado National Forest, offering many trails inside the Park and beyond.
Most hikers to the “top” of Granite Mountain never get near it and for good reason.
I wasn’t sure what to expect as I drove into Red Rock Crossing.
First ascents often boost egos. Therefore, we set our sights on Red Mountain in the New River Mountains.
Hoping for a great wildflower season, we set out on the Pipeline Canyon Trail at Lake Pleasant.
The segment of Wolf Creek I hiked on two separate day hikes lies between “Trail” 202 and Forest Road 67 south of Mayer.
Brady Butte rises to almost 6,400 feet above sea level, offering views unparalleled in Yavapai County, perhaps all of Arizona.
So far, so good. Each hike I’ve done this year has involved a trail I’ve never done, sort of.
I try to begin each New Year’s Day hiking. Thanks to the wet weather, my hike for 2023 was delayed by a day.
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.
About a dozen of us huddled around a campfire near Acker Park wondering if the occasional raindrops were going to become more frequent.
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.
I was confused. Surely we missed the trail junction, as I remembered it from the last time we hiked here in 2009.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
The Arizona Trail, like any trail stretching hundreds of miles, includes some portions that are more or less enjoyable than other sections.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fire restrictions are ahead of schedule thanks to the ongoing drought.
I heard the distinct buzz of a rattlesnake as I slowly made my way up Grapevine Creek recently. I instinctively stopped.
“Hiking” the Maricopa Trail in sections amounts to covering over 450 miles. I began on Nov. 11 and finished April 3.