Club members hiking across Ellison Creek in Payson this summer (photo by Jim Savage)
Warren Wasescha
For club hikers who spend summers in places like Colorado or Washington State, you’ve got a pretty good thing going with hiking in cooler weather. If you’re in SunBird and Sun Lakes in July, hiking can be a bit more challenging due to the heat but just as enjoyable with a bit of planning. Many club members who spend the summer here have a strategy of getting up very early, reaching trailheads before dawn wearing headlamps to initially guide their way, then finishing up before the heat of the day arrives. Others travel to cooler trails with trees and water to beat the heat and experience a change in scenery. One trail club hikers recently discovered and hiked was Trail 5264 near Payson, which included a water crossing at Ellison Creek. Club hikers had a great time experiencing the cooling effect of the creek waters. Summer hiking is all about getting creative to manage the hot summers here in the Valley.
Are you tired of the summer heat and would like to join summer club hikers to explore Arizona’s cooler hiking spots offering up shady forests and water views? If so, please contact Stu Frost at [email protected]. Stu is one of the summer hikers in Sun Lakes who leads easy hikes in Arizona’s great outdoors on most Mondays all summer.
Like the idea of hiking socially? Join our club and enjoy all that we have to offer. We are a friendly, inclusive group of hikers who welcome all able-bodied hikers. Our goal is to make group hiking fun, challenging, social, and safe. We hike formally November through April and informally May through October. Our club is open to anyone living in SunBird and Sun Lakes.
For more information about our club, please type “Sun Lakes Hiking Club” into your web browser and look for our Meetup page. You’ll find information about our club along with photos and descriptions of past and future hikes. If you have questions about the club not answered on our website, please contact our president Ted Maresh at [email protected] and he can help you.
Hiking is one of the many rewarding activities you can do in our community. We look forward to hiking with you!