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Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist

Stories by Ted

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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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There are any number of ways to save money while continuing to hike. With the price of fuel on the rise, my strategy focuses on hiking nearer to home. Therefore, Fain Park, with Fain Lake in Prescott Valley and the trail to the ancient Fitzmaurice Pueblo is on my radar.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist April 14, 2022
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The end is in sight. My progress on the Maricopa Trail to date is just over 200 miles or 86% of the innermost loop of this urban trail system.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist March 31, 2022
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Hiking north on the Black Canyon Trail from the New River Trailhead with a couple of Friends from Spring Valley Library, we searched for spring wildflowers.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist March 17, 2022
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Last time I gave some examples where hiking and biking complemented one another to complete a single route that would have been much more time consuming, hence unlikely to complete by only hiking.

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What a great idea, hiking the Tonto Trail in the Grand Canyon from the South Bass Trail to the New Hance Trail.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist February 21, 2022
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We recently discussed what we might hear on a hike. That got me thinking about what I see on the trail these days. Hearing requires listening.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist February 5, 2022
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Whether it’s waking up Christmas morning in the Apache Creek Wilderness or a day hike on New Year’s Day around Trail 95 near Lynx Lake, holiday traditions naturally involve hiking.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist January 20, 2022
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Hiking solo for 45 years involves very little talking, lots of listening. Hiking on Christmas Day, I began to wonder about the holiday tune, “Do you hear what I hear?” I heard some predictable greetings on Christmas Day, “Merry Christmas,” for example. When I responded with, “Merry Grinchmas,” I heard something else.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist January 6, 2022
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Christmas Authorities have issued an APB, warning hikers to keep an eye on their presents until December 25th. Why?

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist December 23, 2021
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As with other Circle Trails (e.g. Prescott Circle Trail, Cabin Loop Trail, etc.), you can begin where ever you like. You can piece it together or tackle it all at once. I’ve used both approaches on the Circle Trails aforementioned.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist December 9, 2021
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Moving up the east side of the State from the Wonder Land of Rocks, on our tour of diverse hiking destinations across Arizona, we come to the Blue Range Primitive Area in the White Mountains.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist November 11, 2021
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Exploring the diverse hiking options across Arizona, corner to corner, we must include the Chiricahua Mountains in the southeast corner of the state.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist October 21, 2021
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Variety is the spice of life, as everyone knows. Therefore, we at Yavapai County Free Library District (YCFLD) are creating a new series of hiking videos, focusing on the diversity of hiking options in our region.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist October 7, 2021
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I may sound like a luddite to some. But, I’m not suggesting we go back to the days when Mark Warner constructed a raft out of drift wood to float ponds in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, CO.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist September 23, 2021
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I sat in on a state-wide meeting of land managers discussing technology in hiking.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist September 9, 2021
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When summer began on the calendar, we were under fire restrictions.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist August 26, 2021
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Descending into the black hole of Carlsbad Caverns, I was engaged in conversation, using my standard “library voice.” I was promptly “shhhhhed” by a Park Ranger standing off in the shadows. Like your stereotypical librarian, Big Brother is watching and listening in Carlsbad Caverns.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist August 9, 2021
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Back in the ‘70s, when hiking became an all-consuming passion in my life, I recall only one directory of hikes for Arizona, 50 Hikes in Arizona.

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Where do you hike when two routes to the Grand Canyon are closed due to fires?

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Canyonlands is complicated. You only need to glance at a map to figure that out (https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/maps.htm).

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My summer hiking focus will be a tour of National Parks thanks to the fine book by Robert and Martha Manning: Walks of a Lifetime in America’s National Parks.

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The phone rang at my library in Spring Valley. The caller asked, “Do you know anyone who could train us on reading a topographic map and using an orienteering compass with a little GPS info thrown in for good measure?”

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When asked why anyone would want to work at the Cline Library in Flagstaff, the interviewer responded by saying, “Because the best hiking in Arizona is nearby.”

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He called it his favorite hike. Really? That’s quite a claim. He would rather hike Woodchute Trail 102 than any other route, at least in Yavapai County. His hiking experience did not extend much beyond local trails, yet that’s notable recognition for a trail perched above Jerome and Highway 89A.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist April 22, 2021
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Buckskin Mountain State Park lies at the north end of the Buckskin Mountains. I discussed the south end in February when I hiked in the vicinity of Gibraltar Mountain.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist April 19, 2021
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What a name, Lake Pleasant! Must be a pleasant place to be, so let’s take a hike there and see what’s up. Most people come here to boat, rather than hike. However, the range of hiking options has expanded in the past couple of years.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist March 25, 2021
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Having satisfied our desire to cool off by hiking in the snow, it’s time to side with Keith and warm up and dry off by hiking in the Sonoran Desert, namely on a section of the Black Canyon Trail.

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I asked Keith, “Been hiking recently?” He said, “No.” I asked, “Why not?” He responded, “I don’t want to get my feet wet.”

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist February 26, 2021
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What’s in a name? The Rock of Gibraltar evokes an impressive image of a mighty monolithic monument. ...

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist February 13, 2021
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Having hiked in Arizona’s wildlands since 1968, including the Sedona area, I was surprised to learn of the Lime Kiln Trail recently.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist January 29, 2021
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Occasionally, I like to explore hikes beyond our borders. Consequently, I had to add Big Bend National Park to my list of must see wildlands and thanks to Robert and Martha Manning, they offer a worthwhile discussion of this park in their latest book, “Walks of a Lifetime in America’s National Parks.”

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist January 14, 2021
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Continuing from my last column, the south portion of the Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness is much less vertical than the north unit. Having done my share of scrambling up and down cliffs the previous couple of days, I decided to approach the south unit differently.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist January 1, 2021
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The most remote corner of Arizona, Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness, lies between the Virgin River and Interstate 15 and the Utah-Arizona state line.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist December 21, 2020
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Thanks to Robert and Martha Manning, we have one of the finest guide books to hiking in the National Parks, Walks of a Lifetime in America’s National Parks....

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist December 3, 2020
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The latest book by Robert and Martha Manning, Walks of a Lifetime in America’s National Parks, focuses on the best of the best in America’s natural landscape. People have told me about their vacations to this or that city. I could never imagine a vacation like that.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist November 19, 2020
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The “top” of Yavapai County is cool, but not cool enough. Finding the coolest hiking destination in Arizona means going even higher, all the way to the top of Arizona, Humphrey’s Peak north of Flagstaff.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist November 3, 2020
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Though a native of Arizona with dozens of summers under my belt, the heat this year and the lack of rain has fried my brains, so to speak. What to do?

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist October 17, 2020
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Connecting the dots, one thing leads to another. Now that I have been introduced to the backside of Mayer, as a hiker, I have rediscovered Trail 9434.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist October 3, 2020
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Approaching the trailhead on County Road 177, Jimmy suggested we start hiking from a wide spot in the road, on a ridge half a mile above the closest starting point, a small canyon where the trailhead for Trail 9434 is found.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist September 19, 2020
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When invited to go on a hike with someone you have never hiked with, at a location you’ve never been to, what do you ask? What do you want to know about this hike? What do you know or want to know about the hiker?

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist September 12, 2020
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“Challenging, easy hikes” might be a contradictory statement, but the reality is that there is a continuum from easy to difficult. It’s not one or the other. It also varies widely between individual hikers. Easy for me could be difficult for you, and vice versa. Strawberry Crater offers just such a paradox for hikers.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist August 22, 2020
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Having hiked here many times, alone and with others, I was looking forward to cooling off on the trail to the summit which sits at more than 9,000 feet above sea level.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist August 8, 2020
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We’ve talked about “unorthodox” hiking now for a while and we will return to the topic again, soon. But you can’t always “be on,” so to speak. Intensity without an occasional break leads to weariness and loss of joy.

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Surprise? Why would anyone be surprised when the trail they are on completely disappears? Stuff happens, especially when hiking in the Arizona wilderness. The real issue is your response to finding yourself off route, lost or in over your head.

Hiking conditions after a devastating wildfire are unpredictable. The Goodwin Fire came through Grapevine Canyon in 2017. How is the landscape recovering? How does this recovery affect hiking there?

Is hiking more of an exploration for you, an adventure or marching/strolling down the trail, putting one foot in front of the other under ideal weather conditions?

In memory of Louis Yeager, let’s hike the canyon named for him on Mingus Mountain. He died on May 9, 1911 and he had a mine here. He also herded sheep. Arizona Place Names notes that the road to the mine was used by 20-mule freight wagons. I don’t know the significance of this factoid, but I do know that the road to Jerome from Prescott Valley, continues to impact the hiking experience on Trail 28.

Having recently discussed risk and healthy hiking, let’s take it to the next level by asking fellow hikers, “They say it’s edible, what do you think?”

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist April 29, 2020

Sometimes it pays to state the obvious. Hiking is healthy. Hiking, as a lifestyle, is a great way to manage the threat posed by a pandemic.

By Ted Johnson, Courier Columnist April 16, 2020