September 10, 2017 Participants met under the scenic pines of the Mormon Lake passage for classroom and hands-on learning time for Modules 1&2 of the ATA Trail Skills Institute. 10 volunteers were joined by instructors Mark Loseth and Matt Roberts of ACE in learning the basics of trail corridor maintenance and drainage. The class covered terminology, slope recommendations and vegetation […]
Read moreSeptember 9, 2017 The REI “Force of Nature” event brought 23 female volunteers out to help address issues with drainage and erosion issues immediately north and south of the Apache Spring Trailhead. The crew built 9 wide drains and debermed the trail, repaired 3 switchback turns including adding drainage above, below, and on the inslope to protect the turns. They […]
Read moreSeptember 9, 2017 Many thanks to Josh Ellner, Holly Hovious, Rachel Dockendorf and Jennie Slusar for supporting our September work event south of the Grandview Fire Tower. Since this area was burned in a fire last year (about 2 miles of the Arizona Trail) we had many “leaner” and downed trees to remove. We were happy to see that in […]
Read moreThe Daily Sun Ask A Ranger Sabrina: When winter grips the high snowy north, hikers seeking warmer trails look to the desert climate of southern Arizona. My recommended hike features stunning views, Sonoran Desert flora and a lush riparian corridor along the Gila River Canyons Passage of the Arizona Trail. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]
Read moreOctober 1-7, 2017 Fourteen volunteers traveled from all over the United States to volunteer to participate in the American Hiking Society and ATA’s Volunteer Vacation. The AHS program matches trail volunteers with a wide variety of trail volunteer opportunities throughout the US and beyond. Many of these volunteers had never visited Arizona before, and most of them had not even […]
Read moreSeptember 6, 2017 The USFS Globe Ranger District has long been a strong supporter of the AZT and the ATA. Through the cooperative effort between the District and the ATA, all AZT gates on the district are now the iconic super gates, the last one being, understandably, the most remote. Volunteers replaced the gate on Montana Mountain, located just south […]
Read moreThe Daily Sun The Arizona Trail Association’s Seeds of Stewardship program has announced the receipt of a grant from Recreational Equipment Inc. to launch Gear Girls, a girls-only club that uses mountain biking, trail work and snowsports to build confidence, outdoor competence, character and community in young women grades 4-8. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]
Read moreThe Daily Sun Jack Welch We parked on the corner of Izabel and Sixth Avenue and used the Sego Lily section of our urban trail system to climb up to the Arizona Trail on McMillan Mesa. Don Carter and I lead walks from the Adult Center and had decided to view the partial eclipse of the sun from that elevated […]
Read morePayson Roundup Alexis Bechman It is the largest trails project in Arizona history, running the length of the state from Mexico to Utah, and planners are now working to preserve and protect the Arizona Trail and make it a destination in Rim Country. The 800-mile trail passes just west of Payson, hugging the rugged Mazatzal Mountains to the south, past […]
Read moreThe Daily Sun Emory Cowan The 800-mile-long Arizona Trail that spans the length of the state is getting a new level of management. It will come in the form of a comprehensive plan aimed at better protecting and preserving the trail’s resources, whether they are located on federal, state, county, municipal or private land. Federal agencies released an initial draft […]
Read moreThe Daily Sun Natural Restorations, a nonprofit organization sponsored by the Arizona Trail Association, works to remove trash, graffiti and anything foreign to the environment from outdoor recreation and wilderness areas across the state. The organization provides hands-on service learning opportunities for youth and adult volunteers and also provides contract work to military veterans on a five-member Dedicated Restoration Team. […]
Read moreJuly 28, 2017 Twenty-five Arizona Trail Volunteers traveled across the state to the Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim, to clear Passage 39 of 139 downed trees and loads of brush. This was ATA’s first work event allowed in GCNP in as long as anyone could remember, so everyone wanted to demonstrate that we are capable and reliable trail stewards. […]
Read moreNavajo-Hopi Observer Stan Bindell One joy of going to Jacob Lake in the past was the lake where you could go fishing or take a quick swim. Or at least it used to be. One of the reasons my hiking buddy, grandson Nick Basham, wanted to go the north rim of the Grand Canyon was to enjoy the lake. The […]
Read moreKJZZ Stina Sieg The U.S. Forest Service is looking for input on a long-distance trail that runs through the rugged center of the state. The Arizona Trail spans 800 miles, from Mexico to Utah. The Arizona Trail was completed in 2011, and now the forest service is creating a comprehensive plan for its future. [To read the rest of this […]
Read moreTrailMeister.com Ride along with TrailMeister as we venture out from the Picketpost Trailhead onto the Arizona Trail with members of the East Valley Back Country Horsemen, Arizona Horse Council, and the Superstition Horsemen’s Association. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]
Read moreThe Daily Sun Andrea Michaels East of the Buffalo Park parking lot, along a path that stretches south to Mexico and north to Utah, there stands a large metal trailhead tribute to Dale Shewalter. Dale was the Flagstaff visionary, teacher, geologist, cyclist, equestrian, hiker, runner, and adventurer whose persistence and leadership in pursuit of his vision produced a gem among […]
Read moreJune 24, 2017 The third installment of the 2017 Trail Skills Institute training took place near Happy Jack. The one day trail assessment and maintenance training took place on a section of single track trail that varies between beautiful side hill design, old forest roads and some short but eroded fall line sections. The variance between trail conditions provided an […]
Read moreJuly 22-23, 2017 Twenty three AZT Segment Stewards attended the training and celebration at the Arizona Nordic Village outside of Flagstaff. Thanks to the Babbitt Ranches for hosting the event! Jim McFadden discussed strategies for promoting the Arizona Trail including recruiting business partners with his events in Flagstaff. We also covered the ATA Sign and Gate Inventory and how stewards […]
Read moreThe Daily Sun There’s a wealth of new map and app tools designed to enhance your enjoyment and ease of hiking the trails of the Coconino National Forest (CNF) and local passages of the Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZNST). This season the Interpretive Partnership will feature several CNF trails and AZNST passages in our columns and on our public hikes. […]
Read moreOutdoor Industry Association Shauna Farnell If you’ve ever visited Arizona’s Sonoran Desert or Ironwood Forest, you know they’re magical landscapes. They are part of the area marking the globe’s only home for the saguaro cactus. Each unique in its stoic pose, saguaros arms can take 100 years or more to grow. The Native American Tohono O’odham tribe believes every saguaro […]
Read moreJune 10-11, 2017 This work event involved a part of the trail that descends a hill above Blue Ridge Campground that had a lot of erosion due to rain runoff over the years. The group was able to stay in a loop of the Moqui Group Campground. Twenty volunteers worked on Saturday building drains to channel water off the side […]
Read moreJune 10-11, 2017 This work event involved a part of the trail that descends a hill above Blue Ridge Campground that had a lot of erosion due to rain runoff over the years. The group was able to stay in a loop of the Moqui Group Campground. Twenty volunteers worked on Saturday building drains to channel water off the side […]
Read moreHuffington Post James Orndorf Tucked far away from the noise of the world, adjacent to very little and convenient to almost nothing (an enviable amount of nothing and very little), the Coronado National Memorial sits along the border with Mexico in southeastern Arizona, just over 200 miles from Phoenix. The site was designated the Coronado International Memorial on August 18, […]
Read moreSeward City News Kelley Lane The Arizona National Scenic Trail had been on our radar since 2014, when I met a fellow hiker who had completed it a few years earlier. “You’ll have to rent a car partway through, buy water and then drive around to cache it for yourself,” said Brian Adams, who was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail […]
Read moreJune 7, 2017 If you’d been traveling the AZT’s Ponderosa country on Passage 28 on June 7th, you might have been lucky enough to come upon a marvelous exhibition of girl power. Fifteen members of the Linda Vista Young Women’s group spent part of their day creating drains and repairing tread on the Happy Jack passage near Moqui Campground. It […]
Read moreJune 1-5, 2017 Thanks to an extraordinary effort on the part of AZT volunteers, the Forest Service, and AZT stewards, the entire Arizona Trail north of the Grand Canyon from the National Park boundary to Route 89A has been cleared of deadfall! Thanks for all the hard work and long miles driven to Lee Allen, Roger Smith, David Rabb, Dan […]
Read moreJune 1, 2017 Scout Troop 829 from Queen Creek hiked the Highline and included daily activities along the way. They worked on badges and this was a service project. Chris from Payson RD connected them with the ATA and it came together. After hiking over 9 miles, the scouts had a short rest while the Toyota underwent the third flat […]
Read moreMay 24, 2017 Work on the new Colonel Devin trail continued with removal of the large logs. These were too big or numerous to be handled on the trail construction project a few weeks ago, so some diehards returned with saws and pry bars to remove them. The FS fellows showed up for a little chain saw work on a […]
Read moreKVOA.com Alyx Dote A high school senior hiked 800 miles alone to raise money for charity. Brady Maghran, 17, is a student at BASIS Oro Valley. As part of his senior project, he hiked the Arizona Trail by himself to benefit the Southern Arizona Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. [To read the rest of this article, click here.]
Read moreMay 6-8, 2017 A key milestone for ATA through-hikers is the climb up the Mogollon Rim, 18 miles east of the Pine TH. After contouring below the towering cliffs of the rim the trail makes a sharp turn to the north, and quickly ascends the rim. Unfortunately, it follows a utility corridor for most of the climb. The ATA recently […]
Read more
