On January 30, 2019, forty students from Flagstaff Junior Academy made a visit to the Arizona Nordic Village to experience the joy of learning outdoors in the winter. If you think getting 40 5th graders dressed in snow clothes, boots, and snowshoes is easy, you’ve definitely never done it. Figuring out the straps, getting them tightened down, and then […]
Read moreOn January 24, 2019, twenty students from Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy made a visit to the Flagstaff Nordic Village to make the most out of the remaining snow. Out of 20 students only 5 had ever nordic skied before. Just learning to lace boots tightly, and attach them to the ski was a difficult skill that took focus, […]
Read moreVisit Tucson Magazine (2019) Hikers, mountain bikers, trail runners, and equestrians — an adventure of a lifetime awaits you on the Arizona National Scenic Trail. This non-motorized path, part of the National Trails System, stretches 800 miles from Mexico to Utah. It has numerous access points, allowing you to choose your own adventure — whether it’s a day trip, an […]
Read moreBikepacking.com (January 16, 2019) by Nicolaus Hawbaker Nicolaus Hawbaker rode the length of the Arizona Trail for his first bikepacking trip, and found himself asking big questions about wilderness stewardship as he pedaled through its picturesque landscapes. In this short essay, he reflects on the lasting impression his time on the trail left on him, and offers some thoughts on […]
Read moreArizona Daily Sun (January 13, 2019) by Alexandra Wittenburg It is clear that Lyndsay Hupp, creator of Huppy Bar, the locally-produced, nationally-eaten natural whole food energy bar, loves adventure. The Ohio native grew up playing all kinds of sports. When she was a teenager, she discovered whitewater rafting, mountain biking and climbing. At 17, she visited the southwest and fell in […]
Read moreKVOA-Tucson (January 11, 2019) by Jeff Beamish It’s a gateway to the Arizona Trail and honors one of the lives lost in the January 8th tragedy. The Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead resides at Davidson Canyon on Tucson’s southeast side. Part trail, part memorial, complete with namesake, mural and one of Gabe’s poems etched in stone. Within the trailhead: a 32 mile […]
Read moreSix Days of Racing on the Arizona Trail Mountain Flyer (Winter 2019) by Kurt Refsnider It took a moment to realize just where I was as I opened my eyes. Still enveloped by the dark of night, my groggy, fatigued brain started to replay memories from the prior day: a strangely humid morning, bonking hard while ascending out of the […]
Read moreA Look at the West’s Water Crisis Via the Arizona Trail Mountain Flyer (Winter 2019) by Ian Catto | Images by Whitton Feer My father would play Johnny Cash often when I was young, so I grew a liking for his music as a kid. His voice is deep and intense, but his lyrics are poetic and entertaining. One song […]
Read moreFootNotes (December 2018) by Bonnie Stevens Efforts are aligning 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 move forward with single-track trail development and maintenance along an 11-mile segment […]
Read moreJust in time for the chilly weather, we are delighted to offer Arizona Trail toques (aka beanies) from Crown Trails Headwear. Featuring the Arizona Trail logo in natural colors, this uncuffed knit cap keeps your head and ears cozy and warm. It’s a durable toque (pronounced twook) that stays snug and comfortable on your head for many miles on the trail […]
Read moreThe Arizona Trail Association, with Bureau of Land Management funding, just relocated 0.8 miles of the trail south of Florence. The trail passed very close to a key water source which raised concerns from the grazing permittee, and BLM had committed to eventually moving the trail. Environmental clearances were finished just days before the funding expired, so this week was […]
Read moreOn November 9th, 2018, 19 students from Mountain Vista Elementary School embarked on a trip to Oracle State Park. This incredible place is right in the backyard for these students, yet too many had never visited. We hoped to learn about this unique environment by hiking on the Arizona Trail and searching for the plants and animals that characterize it. […]
Read moreOn October 10th, 2018, 19 students from Mountain Vista Elementary School took the long journey up Catalina Highway to explore Mt. Lemmon’s gorgeous landscapes. The top of this mountain has remained unexplored for most of these students, and with the changing season comes the gems of colors and fragrance. The youth were incredibly excited to learn and adventure in these unique […]
Read moreOn September 27th, 2018, 18 students from Mt. Vista Elementary School set out to explore Catalina State Park. This adventure was designed to let the students explore beautiful lowland Sonoran Desert landscapes, and teach them how to identify the different places the flora and fauna call home. Using arroyos, mesquite forests, and open rugged trails, we searched high and […]
Read moreDec. 22, 2018 (AZ Family.com) by Briana Whitney If there was ever a man who defined the phrase “age is just a number,” it’s Art Huseonica. “It’s been a passion since I was 10 years old,” he said. “I’m 67 years old! Why do I want to do this?” he laughed. He goes by “Karts” on the trails these days. He’s […]
Read moreOn March 20, 2018, 13 students from Miami High School embarked on an adventure into White Canyon, west of Kearny, Arizona. This was the third expedition of their semester, meaning these students were more than prepared for the hot hike they were about to begin. This area is a landscape of mountains and canyons shaped by massive volumes of seasonal […]
Read moreThe Tonto National Forest recently ordered two AZT gates and the usual gang installed them today. These are number 70 and 71! It was a multi-day effort though, given the logistics of getting the materials to the remote locations. One gate went a mile west of Cross F trailhead, and the other was south of Sunflower, neither of which were […]
Read moreIt was the kind of outing we aspire for every time we take our students out. Magic was happening December 6th, 2018 when 19 students from the Montessori Charter School of Flagstaff bundled up in their winter best and made a trip to the Flagstaff Nordic Center. Our first and most important goals was to teach the students […]
Read moreThe Bulletin (December 6, 2018) by Jon Stewart Bend, OR–The Fourth National Climate Assessment, a detailed 1,600-page report compiled by 13 federal agencies, has little good to say about the future impacts of climate change for America. Released by the Trump administration on Black Friday in the hopes of being overlooked in the holiday news cycle, it clearly contradicts those who […]
Read moreOn September 21st, 2018, 10 students from Mansfeld Middle School embarked on an amazing adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. With summers heat still swollen and boiling in the low desert valleys, we were all eager to escape to the high mixed coniferous forest. This was the first expedition of the semester for these students, and they were as excited […]
Read moreOn October 26th, 2018, 14 students from Mountain Vista Elementary School embarked on an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Using Marshall Gulch Trailhead on the Arizona Trail, these youth were excited and ready to explore the pine fresh mountain tops. On this day, we all had the special pleasure of hiking with Ray Peale and Elisabeth Wheeler, and meeting […]
Read moreOn November 27th, 2018, 18 students from Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy had an introduction to map and compass navigation. In a world of cell phones and GPS devices, it can be easy to dismiss maps and compasses as irrelevant, but without this foundational knowledge it is difficult to impossible to know what one is looking at on a GPS […]
Read moreAmerican Trails Magazine (November, 2018) by Mike Buckley Just the briefest moment of fear and concern might best describe the emotion I felt when I opened the January 26th 2018 email from Warrior Expeditions that said “we have an opening in our Warrior Hike Arizona Trail Program and since you were at the top of our alternate list, below is […]
Read moreAZ Central (November 16, 2018) by Nicolaus Hawbaker Somewhere between sleeping in a feces-filled river and carrying my bike through the Grand Canyon, I began to re-evaluate the wisdom of allowing cattle to graze on public lands. A year of research did not prepare me for the profound effect the Arizona National Scenic Trail would have on me. Biking the […]
Read moreOn November 15, 2018, 120 students from Mount Elden Middle School APEX program went to the Arizona Trail on Forest Road 303 near Walnut Canyon for a day of trail work and exploration. With a group this large we need to break them up into much smaller groups to rotate through a variety of activities. Lessons with teachers, trail […]
Read moreOn November 14th, 2018 48 Students from Northland Preparatory Academy traveled to Gooseberry Springs Trail Head on the Arizona Trail Mormon Lake Passage to participate in some trailwork. Having learned from the day before, we changed the plans altogether. Though the day was slightly warmer and a lot less windy, the temperatures were still on the low side and […]
Read moreOn November 13, 2018, 50 Students from Northland Preparatory Academy went to Gooseberry Springs on the Arizona Trail Mormon Lake Passage to attempt some trail work and trail design lessons. It turned out, that though we studied trail design and cross slope a little, our biggest lesson was how to prepare for and manage very cold temperatures, frozen ground […]
Read moreOn November 8, 2018, 17 students from Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy went to Campbell Mesa to learn about trail design and do maintenance on the 2 mile Campbell Mesa loop. With plenty of help from our partners at the US Forest Service and Arizona Conservation Corps, the group was able to hike and repair drainage on the entire […]
Read moreOn November 6, 2018, 40 students from Mount Elden Middle School Alpine Academy joined us for a day of trail work and design. With large groups we tend to divide the group in half. One group learning about trail design and hydrology, the other group repairing trail. After a hearty lunch and, of course, cookies we trade. Students first […]
Read moreOn November 1, 2018, 48 students from Kinsey Inquiry and Discovery School visited Aspen Corner and the Arizona Trail to build trail and learn about trail design and construction. Students dug drains, discussed hydrology, and practiced designing their own trails. Though the day was chilly, they kept warm moving dirt and exploring. Experts from the US Forest Service were […]
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