HarvestingRainwater.com (September 8, 2019) By Brad Lancaster I love water and seek it out when I hike—especially tinajas, natural water pools in the desert. Such ephemeral pools can be created with simple strategies in dry areas where they don’t already exist. Similarly, rainwater tanks coupled with small catchment roofs can provide water that can last year round; existing pools can […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (September 8, 2019) by Sam McManis Off the trail and in captivity at the Kickstand Kafe, Darwin seems slightly uneasy, perhaps yearning for a return to his native habitat. His piercing blue eyes dart around when a big truck rumbles up North Humphreys Street, and he stops moving altogether when an ambulance, siren wailing, zooms past. “So […]
Read moreOn August 30-31, a dedicated crew of eight Arizona Trail Association volunteers joined Assistant Trail Director Zach MacDonald to venture into a particularly remote segment of the Arizona Trail to install an AZT Rainwater Collector. This unit is the first of its kind and was designed by the Arizona Trail Association and metalsmith extraordinaire Rob Bauer in consultation with sustainability […]
Read moreChicago Tribune (September 4, 2019) by Melanie Radzicki McManus Fat drops of rain tap out a mournful melody on the nylon ceiling stretched over my head. Peeking out from under a thick down quilt, I watch tiny rivulets of water drip down the sides of my tent and sigh. It’s not supposed to be raining here, at the entrance […]
Read moreErin Margaret Taylor, 28, passed away on May 30, 2019. Erin was born in New Mexico and raised in Casa Grande, AZ. Erin was a loving mother of two children Lyanne and Jax of Casa Grande. She was a caring daughter and sister and will be remembered for her laughter, smile and determination. She loved to cook and bake, especially […]
Read moreSaddlebag Notes (August 30, 2019) by Elisabeth Wheeler Since October of last year, SaddleBrooke hikers have volunteered over 3500 hours of trail work on the Oracle Passage of the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Hikers, runners, equestrian riders and bikers have expressed great appreciation for the trail work done by SaddleBrooke volunteers. The Oracle Passage is one of the best maintained […]
Read moreAZ Central (August 29, 2019) by Mare Czinar You can’t get there from here,” my hiking partner told a confused pair of trekkers who asked us for directions to an Arizona Trail junction. He gently kicked my shin to signal he was joking as the couple fumbled with a map. Waiting a beat to satisfy his warped sense of humor, […]
Read moreThe Valley Toyota Dealers recently donated a 2019 Toyota Tacoma to the Arizona Trail Association. We are excited beyond words! The 4×4 Toyota Tacoma can haul up to four people plus lots of tools and gear, and can easily tow a trailer into those hard-to-access areas. Look for it at a trailhead near you…the custom topo map wrap makes it […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (August 17, 2019) – by Sam McManis Sometimes, just hanging out with your dogs is not enough. Sometimes, you want to get a little closer to the wilder side of the animal kingdom. Not mountain lions or bears, nothing that extreme, but maybe commune with some elegant, grazing quadrupeds and gaze at birds in flight. And, […]
Read moreAdventure Journal (August 14, 2019) by Laura Jean Schneider “Any day now, calves should be hitting the ground, but until then, it’s the two of us, working toward our vision of productive, healthy rangelands, good cattle and good horses, trying to make a go of it.” This sentence started a 20-month chronicle of the inception and progress of a New […]
Read moreAZ Central (August 13, 2019) by Rich Leveille To experience the state’s groundwater threat in the flesh, one only needs to hike the Arizona Trail. Arizona’s landscape has made me keenly aware of how water can impact rock, soil and life. In a matter of minutes, a desert rain shower can transform the black, desiccated, inorganic-looking crust on otherwise naked […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (August 10, 2019) by Sun Sport’s Staff On Thursday, Oct. 17, Flagstaff ultrarunner Helen Galerakis will start her bid to set the supported fastest known time on the 803.5-mile Arizona Trail, running from the southern border of Utah to the northern border of Mexico. The current fast know time (which was unsupported) was set by Jeff […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (August 11, 2019) – by Helen Galerakis I almost don’t want to mention the words “Museum Fire” in the hope that I can pretend it never happened. However, I know the fire’s brutal reality will hit hard when we’re allowed into the area again to see what were once some of our most cherished trails. Like […]
Read moreOn April 24th, 2019 4 students from Miami High School embarked on an adventure into the Tonto National Forest to hike Parker Creek Trail. The drive from Miami to Young Arizona Follows the Young Highway, an incredibly scenic path through sudden mountains that provide a large scale habitat for pine forests and their affiliates. It is less than an hours […]
Read moreOn April 10th, 2019, 10 students from Miami High School left for what would become a very adventurous day in the Pinal Mountains near Miami Arizona. Our goal for the day was to hike a tough trail into the north-facing slope, allowing us to challenge our bodies, and experience what steep changes in terrain can do to the surrounding ecosystems […]
Read moreOn February 13, 2019, 10 students from Miami High School explored a nearby section of the Arizona National Scenic Trail to hike and to enjoy some nature. This is the second time we made the long drive from Tucson to Miami/Globe, leaving our home base while it was still dark. It’s all worth it, though! After arriving to the school […]
Read moreOn April 12th, 2019, 10 students from Kino School left for an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. On previous expeditions this group had explored the lower canyons, gaining key insight into the effects large mountains have on the low Sonoran Desert areas. Now, we were heading to the top in order to observe and explore the mixed coniferous forests […]
Read moreOn April 18 and 19, 40 total 4th-grade students from Mt.Vista Elementary School left their town in Oracle to Venture into the Santa Catalina Mountains for a day of stewardship. This marked the 10th combined expedition between the two groups, a final trip to cap the season. Each trip prior had been one filled with amazing adventure, so much learning, […]
Read moreOn May 2, 2019, 7 students from City High School embarked on a mission to help repair The Arizona Trail. We had heard rumors of trail obstructions on Oracle Ridge Trail that had occurred during the late winter storms, and planned to scout the area in case it needed repair. Our previous trips were filled with hiking and adventure, using […]
Read moreOn May 8th, 2019, 6 students from Miami High School set out from their air-conditioned classrooms and ventured into the heat of the desert for a day of trail work. After four previous adventurous expeditions, the students were excited to be equipped with tools and learn how to maintain and repair trail. We decided to hike North from Picket Post […]
Read moreOn May 3rd, 2019, 12 students from Kino School began a day dedicated to stewardship on The Arizona Trail. Our four previous expeditions were dedicated to hiking, exploring, and learning about Sonoran Desert landscapes. Trails allowed to enter and learn about these places, which otherwise would be inaccessible. Most often we do not think about the trail under our feet, […]
Read moreOutside (July 25, 2019) by Megan Michelson Whether you’re still reeling from Marc Peruzzi’s attack on trail runners or just fired up to prove that you do, in fact, love volunteer trail work, we thought we’d make it even easier to donate your time to an upcoming work day by compiling a number of ways to give back to some favorite recreation spots. It doesn’t […]
Read moreOn November 1st, 2018, 5 students from City High School ventured up the Santa Catalina Mountains for an adventure in the high pine forests that floated above Tucson. This was a literacy class, with the goals of increasing the reading interest and levels, of students while being in the outdoors. Using the Arizona Trail, we began our hike from Marshal […]
Read moreOn January 9th, 2019, 10 students from Kino School went on an adventure to learn about the low Sonoran Desert environment. Together on a cloudy winter day, we hiked through Pima Canyon, a riparian area within the southwestern extent of the Santa Catalina Mountains. This being the first expedition of the semester, our goal was to begin getting to […]
Read moreAZ Central (July 18, 2019) by Mare Czinar Wildflower season is in full bloom in Flagstaff’s Dry Lake Hills area. Recent logging and forest-clearing operations that had closed many of the trails that meander through the diverse terrain of Coconino National Forest — north of 9,299-foot Mount Elden — are gradually finishing up, and several paths are now open. One particularly productive wildflower […]
Read moreOn September 12th, 2018, 13 students from Imago Dei Middle School embarked on an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains using Sunset Trailhead. This was the first expedition of the season for this group of students, and one they were sure to remember for a long time. The students were ready for an adventure wearing uniforms and huge excited smiles. Our […]
Read moreNavajo-Hopi Observer (July 9, 2019) by Stan Bindell FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Sandy Canyon is an easy hike minutes from Flagstaff that offers canyons, meadows, caves, flowers and butterflies. The great part of Sandy Canyon is that the three mile hike is not long and it is part of the Arizona Trail. Hikers can do as little or as much as […]
Read moreKNAU Arizona Public Radio (July 9, 2019) by Ryan Heinsius Arizona Republican Senator Martha McSally wants to become the first member of Congress to hike the full length of a federally designated national scenic trail. She recently hiked a seven-mile section of the Arizona Trail on a visit to Flagstaff. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports. McSally laced up her hiking shoes […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (July 7, 2019) by Sam McManis Scoffing locals who eye-roll with impunity at flatlanders invading Flagstaff and (gasp, gasp) trying to acclimate on the trails probably will have a good laugh at me — a newcomer who lived in Central Washington, 1,200 feet elevation, for three years and, before that, spent a decade in the Sacramento Valley […]
Read moreFlagstaff Business News (July 6, 2019) by FBN Efforts have aligned to improve the outdoor experience for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians seeking to discover Northern Arizona’s wide-open spaces. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Babbitt Ranches, Coconino County and the Arizona Trail Association (ATA) grants permission and identifies resources to develop and maintain a trail along a nearly 13-mile stretch […]
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