Club members enjoying a photo moment on the Ballantine Trail this past March north of Phoenix. Left to right: Warren Wasescha, Tracy Nilsen, Jeanette Chenier, Diane Alessi, Henry Silberblatt, Ed Molieri, and Ted Maresh (photo by Warren Wasescha)
Warren Wasescha
The incredible beauty of hiking trails in this part of the world is incomparable to many other places. Over the years, it has been a joy to have experienced so much beauty hiking with the Sun Lakes Hiking Club. An electronic picture frame on my desk reminds me every day of some of my favorite hikes with the club over the years.
Like to hike? Come join our club. 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. Membership is open to individuals who reside, rent, or lease in Sun Lakes or SunBird. We also allow former residents to hike with the club, provided they continue to maintain their annual membership with the club.
Our club hikes formally November through April and informally in the summer. We hike at three different levels of intensity. Motivated hikes are considered difficult and are more rigorous hikes, led at a faster pace with less frequent stops. They measure 7 to 10 miles in length and involve 1,000 to 2,000+ elevation gain. Moderate hikes are less strenuous and allow more time for socialization and stops along the way. They are usually under 7 miles in length and up to 1,000 feet in elevation gain. Mellow hikes are the easiest of the three different hiking levels, led at a leisurely pace and often involve a lunch stop afterwards. They are under 5 miles in length and under 500 feet elevation gain.
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.
If you would like to join summer club hikers who explore some of Arizona’s cooler hiking spots, 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.
Hiking is one of the many rewarding activities you can do in our community. We look forward to hiking with you!