Ken Wong
On April 16, 17 club members guided by Kathryn Madore hiked Watson Lake on the final day of the Prescott trip. There was a special significance to this hike as it ended eight years that Kathryn Madore served the club as an elite Hike Guide. Just the day before, she led two separate walks in the downtown Prescott historic district, her last time as a Tour Guide for the club.
Kathryn joined the club on Feb. 2, 2016. She recounts numerous fun and positive experiences, especially hikes with Marv Rossof who taught her many aspects of hiking in the desert. Two years later in 2018, Walt Shields asked about her interest in guiding. Responding in the affirmative, the guide training process started. Rob Simms subsequently helped coach her, and her first hike as a Guide was Alamo Canyon on Oct. 16, 2018, with Walt Shields.
Kathryn guided countless hikes from 2018 to 2026, and it was never a job to her because she just enjoyed being around fellow hikers. She was emphatic that the people she interfaced with made all the difference, and said, “All hikes have a moment of magic and it is also the people you meet that make the hike rewarding.”
Guiding local area hikes was not all she did. Club trips require many guides to make the event possible, and over the years Kathryn has been a regular Trip Guide, most recently in Prescott. This is another level of service, requiring a sacrifice of time and expense to make the out-of-town trips even possible for the membership. Many guides make pre-trips to the destination to scout out the trails and determine viability for the members and do research on the various trail options. Kathryn was no exception.
Her contributions not only included guiding regularly scheduled and trip hikes, but in playing a major role in planning, designing, and implementing most of the walks the club offers today. Walt Shield’s Downtown Tucson Walk was the catalyst and model, and Kathryn developed the Mural Walk, the University of Arizona Walk, and the Barrio Walk with Jim Prager. She developed the Florence Walk based on an idea from Jean Reale. Most recently, Kathryn joined Nancy Reed in leading members on a tour of the Pima Air and Space Museum. All of this has added to the offerings of the club and have proven to be very popular—more often than not resulting in waiting lists for the events.
When asked for advice she can provide to new members, Kathryn responded by saying that it’s important to volunteer and make a difference. She hopes that someone will come out and be inspired to take her place. Many thanks to one of the great contributors to the success of our club. Kathryn—may you enjoy a long and healthy retirement!