On 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 […]
Read moreOn October 30, 2018, 38 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 moreFor many years a group of dedicated volunteers, based primarily in Tucson, has kept the Arizona Trail, and others, free of deadfall, a major maintenance chore on the Arizona Trail. To do this safely, the Forest Service requires that everyone is trained and certified every three years; 2018 was the year. Zac Ribbing, an enthusiastic crosscut saw aficionado now with the […]
Read moreOn October 25th, 2018, 19 students From Montessori Charter School of Flagstaff Middle School gave their all to some trail work on Deer Hill Trail from Little Elden Horse Camp. This group is always keen, enthusiastic and ready to work! Students first had a lesson in trail design, hydrology and the process for getting a new trail approved. Next […]
Read moreOn October 23, 2018, 19 students from the Peaks School in Flagstaff had an outing to the Elden family homestead site and Elden Spring on Little Elden Trail. Students had a big day of learning! We learned the history of the Elden family and other homesteaders like them. Why they came to Flagstaff and why, in this case, they […]
Read moreHikers reported trail damage at the wash crossing immediately south of Picketpost TH. The creeks there flash flooded during summer storms, deepening the wash a couple feet or more, and creating a dangerous drop-off. And not far away, the Forest Service needed help with a gate on the LOST relocation project in Arnett Canyon. With the drop in temperatures the crew […]
Read moreOne of the most important skills educators, especially outdoor educators, need to have is flexibility and a willingness to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. On October 18th, 2018 we had to put this skill into action. Both 5th grade classes from Kinsey Inquiry and Discovery School were scheduled for outings to the Arizona Trail on the San Francisco Peaks this […]
Read moreOn September 6th, 2018, Seeds of Stewardships first expedition of the fall semester began. 5 students from City High School embarked on an adventure into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Unlike other SOS groups, our partnership works to specifically build greater literacy skills through reading and being read to. Our partnership is designed to bring the students into beautiful Sonoran Desert […]
Read moreOn October 4th, 2018, 19 students from Ms. Lemke’s class at Peaks School visited the Arizona Trail on the San Francisco Peaks to view the changing leaves. Students started their hike at the Aspen Loop trailhead. We walked through tunnels of beautiful peaking fall leaves to a warm and sunny spot in a meadow. Here we learned some Arizona […]
Read moreKNAU (September 7, 2018) by Gillian Ferris, Aaron Granillo, Matt Nelson & Dale Shewalter This week’s segment of Poetry Friday honors the 50th anniversary of the National Trail System Act, legislation that helped establish a series of trails across the nation dedicated to preservation, conservation, public access and enjoyment of the outdoors. In the Southwest, the Arizona Trail stretches 800 […]
Read moreKNAU (September 7, 2018) by Aaron Granillo This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Trail System Act. The legislation cleared the way for a series of national trails, aimed at preserving “the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the nation.” The Arizona Trail is part of that system. It stretches more than 800 miles from the US-Mexico […]
Read moreArizona Public Media (September 26, 2018) by Tony Paniagua After retiring as a national park ranger, Green Valley resident Stephen Chaffee decided add a major journey to his life — literally. He hiked the Arizona Trail twice — more than 1600 miles total — and he wrote a poetry book about his adventures. Each poem celebrates the individual 43 passages of […]
Read moreArizona Highways blog (October 1, 2018) by Kirsten Kraklio Author Rodo Sofranac is passionate about Arizona’s diverse environment, children’s literacy and giving back to his community. Those passions unite in his latest project: the children’s book The Red Tail Tale on the Arizona Trail, which he wrote with his wife, Susan. The book is divided into three parts. The first part educates young readers about […]
Read moreOn September 27, 2018, 17 students from the Montessori Charter School of Flagstaff’s Middle School made a visit to Little Spring and Bismark Lake near the San Francisco Peaks Passage of the Arizona Trail. We had a full day of learning and outdoor experiences. Using the Jr. Explorer Handbooks students learned about C. Hart Merriam’s Life Zone theory that […]
Read moreOn September 26, 2018, 38 students from Flagstaff Junior Academy’s 5th grade visited Picture Canyon along the Elden Mountain passage of the Arizona Trail. Students hiked a 3.5 mile round trip removing invasive weeds and learning about the local area as we went. A few days earlier during a classroom visit, the students had been introduced to the idea […]
Read moreOn September 25th, 2018, 7 students from Flagstaff High School’s Outdoor Discovery class went for a hike on the Arizona Trail San Francisco Peaks passage. The goal of the day was simple. Students wanted to hike 5 miles total and experience the beauty of the mixed conifer forests at a higher elevation than town. Prior to setting out on […]
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