David Sorenson On October 16 and 17, eleven hikers from the Saddlebrooke Hiking Club hiked Boynton Canyon, Devil’s Bridge and the West Fork of Oak Creek. Boynton Canyon is the ancestral home of the Yavapai and Sinagua peoples and is also considered a vortex. Devil’s Bridge is a land bridge that is 100 feet above…
Sue Bush Summer rains bring overgrowth, especially catclaw bushes, on the Oracle Passage of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Catclaw thorns draw blood when hikers get too close. Sixteen members of the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club mounted an assault on the extensive catclaw bushes threatening hikers on a portion of the Oracle Passage. The battle with…
Mary Hanley On Wednesday, November 15 at 4:00 p.m. Dr. Joaquin Ruiz, Vice President for Innovation and Dean of the College of Science at the University of Arizona, will speak to members of the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club about the geological features of the Catalina Mountains that attract the variety of vegetation, plants and wildlife that…
Myrna Simms On Wednesday, October 18, come hear Meteorologist Jeff Beamish from KVOA speak about weather and hiking at the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club monthly meeting. Jeff Beamish is not only a meteorologist, but also a dedicated hiker. He will share information with us on interpreting weather forecasts in light of upcoming hikes and help us…
Elisabeth Wheeler Ray Peale of the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club is the new Co-Steward of the Oracle Passage of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Ray replaces Mary Croft who served for the past three years. Ray brings excellent trail work experience to his new position. Since 1996 Ray has been active with the New Mexico Volunteers…
Dave Sorenson As part of the April hiking club trip to Page, Arizona members of the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club visited the leading animal sanctuary in the United States in Kanab, Utah. The tour of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, which places some 8000 dogs and cats each year, was on April 19. The facility has…
Hikers take a hike to Wahweap Hoodoo Elisabeth Wheeler Hikers on the Wahweap Hoodoo hike during the April SaddleBrooke Hiking Trip to Page, Arizona enjoyed three coves of unusual white sandstone formations capped by multi-colored conglomerate rocks. The hike was eight miles round-trip up the Wahweap Canyon, crossing the dry stream bed many times and…
Walt Shields Thirteen members of the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club completed the strenuous ascent up Panther Peak on April 5. The total hike length is less than six miles but it involves a vertical section up a steep gulley in which over a thousand feet is gained in less than one mile. The summit affords stunning…
Elisabeth Wheeler When wildflowers bloom SaddleBrooke hikers take to the hills of Catalina State Park to find over 40 varieties of flowers. The fields of Mexican gold poppies were highlighted with white chicory, pink owl clover, purple scorpion weed, yellow janusia and purple desert lupine. It was delightful to discover an early blooming mariposa lily…
Walt Shields Catalina Hills Drive is beautiful again as a result of volunteer efforts of members of the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club. The club has participated in the Pinal County Adopt-A-Highway program for eight years to maintain 2.5 miles of Catalina Hills Drive from SaddleBrooke Boulevard to its entrance into the Preserve. Many thanks to the…