big man tips

The Trails at Desert Mountain China Wall Loop  At the risk of inciting an uproar, be warned--I�m about to write about private hiking trails. I hear you. What? Why? Don�t tease me!   In fact, I wrestled with this one myself, and ultimately decided that although only residents and invited guests may hike on The Trails at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, the story of their development is an inspiration. A Sugar Sumac tree shades a trail   Many of us traipse along Arizona trails never giving a thought about how they got there or who takes care of them.   Desperados Trail Scouts prep to lead guided hikes Some hikers I�ve encountered believe that tax dollars and some mysterious well-funded branch of government plans, builds and hires the magic fairies who fix damage and haul out dog poop and trash.   Although some trails are within the domain of federal, state and city governments, they may also receive additional support non-profit agencies and volunteers. Other trails...

RESTORATION OF MARICOPA TRAIL SEGMENT 20 COMPLETE Tree burned in the 2005 Cave Creek Complex Fire Wildfires can be as confusing and they are devastating.   Sometimes they roar through a forest in take-no-hostages fury while in other situations, they hopscotch over the land creating a random patchwork of destruction and untouched swaths.   Strawberry Hedgehog cacti bloom March-April The 2005 Cave Creek Complex Fire that swept through Tonto National Forest north of the Valley resulted in a combination of heartbreaking ruin and pockets of unscathed life.   One fluke is the survival of a stand of junipers along Cottonwood Creek, an intermittent stream below Quien Sabe Peak. A point of pride of the restoration efforts of the nearly 14 miles of fire damaged trails that connect the Bronco Trailhead at Seven Springs Road with Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area is the mending of the route that passes by the  mile-long juniper haven that escaped the blaze. Corrals at the Bronc...

SLATE �QUARTZ-GO JOHN LOOP Cave Creek Regional Park Slate Trail The site of Cave Creek Regional Park has a storied history.   Cactus sprouts Before there were hiking trails, campgrounds and picnic ramadas, the park and its surroundings were used by the ancient Hohokam people, mine operations, farms and ranches.   The park�s relics of human endeavors are transient compared to its geological features.   Although the 2,922-acre site has been picked over by prospectors in search of gold deposits that never quite materialized, the peaks, gullies and bizarre curiosities borne of earth�s disruptive forces remain basically unchanged since before humans arrived.   Jasper and Quartz Taking a moderate-rated loop stroll on the Slate, Quartz and Go John trails reveals a wonderland of rock while staying (mostly) away from the park�s busiest routes. Slate Trail departs from a paved parking area with restrooms, heading east on an easy-to-follow, wash-addled tread.   During the ...

P.A. Seitts Preserve at Go John Canyon Golden cottonwoods along Cave Creek in P.A. Seitts Preserve Tucked between Cave Creek Regional Park and horsey suburban neighborhoods, the P.A. Seitts Preserve at Go John Canyon is a tiny buffer zone of beauty. The site is owned and managed by the Desert Foothills Land Trust, a nonprofit organization that works to conserve Sonoran Desert open spaces, sensitive plants and native animal species in the north Valley.   While some of the organization�s 23 properties that protect 680 acres are off limits or viewable only by guided tours, P.A. Seitts is open to the public. The Overlook Trail The 271-acre site preserves an important wildlife corridor, riparian habitat and historical elements along Cave Creek. Several hiking trails and nature paths explore the property�s various points of interest. To get to the trails, hike 0.2 mile on the access path to a gate and the main trail junction.   Craggy outcroppings on Overlook Trail A good way to beg...

FRUITS OF THE DESERT GUIDED HIKES Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area, Cave Creek Saguaro fruits ripen in early July The Rim is on fire, Flagstaff is covered in smoke, there's a blaze on Mt.Graham and who knows what other wildfires will break out and cause closures to our high-country hiking trails over the next few weeks?   Of course, we must first be concerned with the safety of firefighters and the communities surrounding the blazes. No matter how badly we Valley dwellers want to escape the heat and hike in the cool pines, we should stay out of the way. So, what? Give up hiking until the monsoon comes? No way. Instead, stay in town and take part in a hike that celebrates the annual ripening of saguaro fruits.  Ranger Kevin Smith at Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area in Cave Creek has educational hikes planned for July 1, 7 and 8 that focus on the identification of wild foods hiding in plain sight along local trails. Harvesting saguaro fruits The treks start early and end bef...

PALO VERDE TRAIL Tonto National Forest, Bartlett Reservoir Granite boulders above Bartlett Lake From the drive in to the trailhead to its turnaround point, this hike is packed with stunning scenery. Hedged among rough cut cliffs and desert highlands of the Verde River watershed, Bartlett Reservoir fills 12 miles of the canyon bound channel with crystalline waters teeming with bass, catfish and bluegills. Although the year-round recreation site which is located roughly 50 miles north of Phoenix is famous mostly for its boating, fishing, shaded picnic areas and camping opportunities, the Palo Verde Trail offers hikers a surprisingly challenging route with terrific mountain and water views. The trail meanders among the foothills and washes on the lake�s western banks. This is not a hike to try during or immediately after storms because rain rumbling off the foothills turns washes and gullies into raging rivers of debris. Chollas frame Tonto National Forest mountain vistas Don�t be fooled ...

ARTISTIC MUSINGS on SAGUARO HILL Cave Creek Art imitating life. In his essay The Decay of Lying , Oscar Wilde stated: �Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life.� This concept has been fodder for arguments among philosophers and pundits since ancient times. Throughout history, notable minds have contributed to the fray.   �Art is imitation and that�s bad.�   Plato   �Art completes what nature cannot bring to finish. The artist gives us knowledge of nature's unrealized ends.� Aristotle �Art is what you can get away with.� Andy Warhol Genuine and imposter saguaros mingle on the hill. The serene memorial gardens and trail at the Carol Bartol Preserve at Saguaro Hill is an excellent place to ruminate on the muddling of life with art and there�s a perfect subject waiting at the gateway--fake saguaros. At the top of the preserve�s entry staircase, visitors are greeted by an array of enormous sculptures imitating Carnegiea gigantean . At first glance, their too perfect...