Members of the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club at American Flag Ranch House (Photo by Kevin Armsbrust)
Hikers on the Oracle Passage, led by Elisabeth Wheeler. (Photo by Dianna Willson)
Elisabeth Wheeler
Eighteen SaddleBrooke hikers participated in the Arizona Trail’s AZT in a Day event on Oct. 9. Striving together with other hikers, bikers, and horse riders, the goal was to cover the 800-mile Arizona National Scenic Trail in a 24-hour period. This year, some sections of the trail had experienced fire damage and were therefore inaccessible. SaddleBrooke Hiking Club members hiked on the Oracle Passage, which they maintain along with support by the Arizona Trail Association.
Participating SaddleBrooke hikers raised several hundred dollars for the Arizona Trail. They had fun identifying wildflowers and found devil’s claw in every stage of development. The views of the Galiuros, many rock formations, and Oracle Ridge were a treat.
At the end of the event, SaddleBrooke hikers toured the historic American Flag Ranch House. Volunteers Kevin Armbrust and John Medley of the Oracle Historical Society provided tours of the 100-plus-year-old barn and the 1880 territorial post office, re-created in the original ranch building.
The club donated $200 to the Oracle Historical Society, who maintains the American Flag Ranch House. The Oracle Historical Society has opened up the American Flag Ranch House for SaddleBrooke hiking tours for five years.