Texarkana (September 19, 2019) by Melanie Radzicki McManus SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — 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 […]
Read moreCopper Area News (September 18, 2019) by Staff Imagine hiking, biking or riding 800 miles in a single day. Sound impossible? It’s not – if you volunteer to cover one of nearly 100 separate sections of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT), along with others who each choose to travel different sections of the route, which extends from the […]
Read moreOn September 9th, 2019, 23 students from Basis North School left for a wild adventure in the Santa Catalina Mountains. This was the first hike of the semester, and though some of the students had been apart of SOS trips in the past, no one could expect what was to come on this day. My goal was to introduce the […]
Read moreTucson Foodie (September 12, 2019) by Matt Sterner The Arizona Trail Association is throwing a “Dinner and a Dip” Rooftop Lounge Party at the AC Hotel Tucson Downtown from 5 – 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 28. Just as the sun makes its descent behind the mountains, the party starts with a buffet-style dinner catered by Charro Steak and Charro Del Rey. […]
Read moreArizona Republic (September 14, 2019) by Molly Duerig Their trail names are “Iron” and “Sour Patch.” And they’re ready to break some records. Michelle “Iron” Bernstein-Schultz, 34, and her son, Blaine “Sour Patch” Schultz, 7, are preparing for what Bernstein-Schultz describes as “probably the biggest challenge” of her life. They’ll embark on March 16 to hike the entire length of […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (September 9, 2019) by Jack Welch The September activities calendar for Flagstaff is an awesome cornucopia of interesting happenings. Breathtaking in scope and sometimes more energetic than physically possible, it’s a whole month of a splendid overload. It’s a great time to learn something new, discover enriching possibilities or further explore the barely known. September has […]
Read moreOn September 6th, 2019, 8 students from Project More High School left Tucson to find the Highest Biome in the Sonoran Desert. This was the first expedition of the semester for these students, and they weren’t sure what to expect. The goals were to introduce students to the Seeds of Stewardship program, the Arizona Trail Association, and The Arizona Trail, […]
Read moreHarvestingRainwater.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 […]
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