Hikers at Boyce Thompson Arboretum (photo by docent Beth Houck)
Walt Shields
On Feb. 9, 14 SaddleBrooke Hiking Club members visited the Boyce Thompson Arboretum located near Superior, Ariz., 75 miles north of SaddleBrooke. Established in 1924, the Arboretum is the oldest and largest in Arizona. It houses a large selection of desert plants from around the world, which are beautifully displayed in different sections of the Arboretum.
Our group enjoyed an informative hour-long, docent-led discovery tour to begin our morning. We learned about the uniqueness of desert plants and the remarkable ways in which they have adapted to survive in regions with very little precipitation. We then enjoyed walking some of the three miles of groomed trails that afforded beautiful views of the surrounding rock formations and mountains.
Following our arboretum visit, we drove 10 minutes east to the quaint mining town of Superior where we feasted on delicious barbecue at the Silver King Smokehouse.
Hikers who enjoyed this trek were Tiggy Shields, Paul Rizza, Walt Shields, Jane Perry, Bruce Landeck, Bill Johnston, Judy Landeck, Julie Davis, Kathy Johnston, Karen Munn, Colin Wiltshire, Evelyn Wiltshire, Bill MacSween, and Bev MacSween.