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RIDGEBACK OVERLOOK-APACHE VISTA CIRCUIT Phoenix Sonoran Preserve Ridgeback Trail Hikers approach the Ridgeback Overlook  There's no better time than around the holidays to take advantage of the head-clearing benefits of hiking. When overwhelmed by travel plans, entertaining guests, shopping, decorating and hyper-excited kids, sometimes you just need to break away and breath on a peaceful mountain top. You don't have to drive far, load down on heavy duty gear or spend an entire day in the wilderness to get to such a place. In fact, if all you have is a few hours to spare, you can still knock off a double header high point trek in the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve. Beginning at the Apache Wash Trailhead, follow Sidewinder Trail 0.86 mile to the Apache Vista turnoff. This 0.51 mile spur trail circles over two minor peaks above sprawling desert arroyos where on most mornings, commercial hot air balloons float overhead. Apache Vista Trail Enjoy the show then descend and continue 0.3 mil...

HUMBOLDT  MOUNTAIN Tonto National Forest Looking east over Horseshoe Lake Sometimes I just feel like a brainless hike up a hill with no route finding, treacherous terrain or precarious precipices. Just. Up.  Thankfully, Humboldt Mountain meets this criteria and it's not too far from downtown Phoenix.  You've probably seen this hill and wondered about it ---there's a huge, white �golf ball� (as it�s commonly called) on the summit that�s visible from the back roads north of Cave Creek and Carefree. The white ball, which is an FAA radar station used for air traffic control, shares the summit with a fire tower and a hardware jungle of tech equipment. The hike involves walking up a narrow road of crumbling asphalt via a series of gentle switchbacks and a combination of flat and fairly steep segments.  Summit views The 2005 Cave Creek Complex Fire took a toll on the area's vegetation, but recovery is underway and desert shrubs are popping up everywhere. With every few feet...

WHAT'S THAT PATCH MEAN? Maybe you've noticed hikers sporting colorful Arizona Hiking Group patches and wondered what they represent. Since they became available in September, several hundred trekkers have attached patches and stickers to their gear in hopes of running into other group members while out on the trails. Members on a group hike in McDowell Sonoran Preserve Arizona Hiking Group is a virtual meeting place, photo-sharing site and educational resource on Facebook. Established in September 2012, the group has grown steadily to over 7000 members. Group admins seek to foster a friendly, nonsense-free zone where hikers of all levels and backgrounds feel welcome in sharing their experiences and asking for advise. Haters, trolls and off-message interlopers will feel the swift swing of the "ban hammer" because the group values on-topic dialogue. Issues such as heat-related hiking tragedies, trail etiquette, land stewardship and preparedness are vigorously discussed...

SWEETWATER WETLANDS, TUCSON The Santa Catalina mountains viewed from the wetlands Not so long ago, the area surrounding Tucson's Sweetwater Wetlands was home to dusty croplands and tumbling tumbleweeds. This desert expanse along the usually dry* channel of the Santa Cruz River provided little in terms of quality wildlife habitat. Recognizing an opportunity to transform the site into a desert oasis with a multi-faceted set of objectives, the City of Tucson constructed the wetlands to serve as a water reclamation facility that recharges the local aquifer and provides reclaimed water for reuse in city turf irrigation thus conserving potable water for human consumption. The project also restores and protects important plant and animal ecosystems. According to the Tucson Audubon Society, more than 300 bird species have been spotted at the site. Warblers, waterfowl, song sparrows and wading birds are drawn to the watery, green oasis along with critters like racoons, deer, reptiles and a...

SWEETWATER PRESERVE: TUCSON Saguaro Vista Trail Protecting a critical wildlife corridor between the Tucson Mountains and the Santa Cruz River, Sweetwater Preserve also complements a trail-rich area of west Tucson that includes Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park. Within the 880-acre property, 16 interconnected trails combine for over 12 miles of non-motorized-use routes. For a smallish site, the trails are surprisingly varied. Based on conversations I had with local hikers and riders in the parking lot, the Saguaro Vista Trail is the best place to start exploring. Turns out, that was great advise as this cactus-cluttered pathway gets you into the good stuff quickly. Within a few minutes of mild uphill hiking, views of the Santa Catalina Mountains rising over downtown Tucson and a wildly contorted crested saguaro provide ample photo opportunities. Santa Catalina Mountains viewed from Black Rock Loop The trail then swings northwest where the graceful arms of chain fruit choll...

[Episode 107] Today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is about self-psychology. Tom is a retired professor of social work from Widener University and the author of several publications on social work and self psychology. In today's episode Tom talks about the role of empathy in self psychology, the function of mirroring, idealizing, and twinship experiences in the development of the self, how self psychology can be applied in individual, couple, and family contexts. Tom talks us through a case involving an adolescent male and shares resources for those interested in learning more. Transcript Download MP3 [52:22] Introduction Hey there podcast listeners, Jonathan here. Today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is about self-psychology. Self psychology is part of the psychodynamic tradition which includes drive theory, ego psychology, and object-relations theory. I know some of you hearing the word �psychodynamic� and thinking, "old stuff.� But I have some goo...