HIKING

Hiking is a great thing to just get out there and do. Whether you are alone, with a companion, or in a group, it is beneficial on many levels. Fitness, naturally. Of course, I also use it as a way to get better vantage points and less-traveled subjects for photography. If you are fortunate enough to choose the right trail, you may hardly see another person. So it is great to just get away and be on your own. It doesn't matter where you are, there are going to be some great trails. Arizona is fortunately a place where you can find hikes everywhere. In the Phoenix area, up north, and in between, there is a diverse array of excellent hikes. I hope to document at least a few of the good ones I have been on here. 

SEE CANYON ON THE MOGOLLON RIM

I went to See Canyon on Memorial Day 2014. It was certainly a very quiet hike as there was not that much traffic on the trail. Most of the trail was in great shape and offered good views of the forest and rim above. The only unfortunate point of the hike was reaching the rim and realizing there was not a great view back down below. It wasn't a big deal, and the degree of solitude on the trail was more than enough to compensate.

BELL TRAIL IN THE WET BEAVER WILDERNESS NEAR SEDONA, AZ

I went on this hike for the first time in late June 2014 as a part of Arizona Highways Magazine's summer hiking series celebrating 50 years of wilderness preserves. The Wet Beaver Wilderness is part of Arizona's over 4 million acres of wilderness, and the Bell Trail is a great way to see it. We only went to Bell Crossing (above), where the trail crosses the Wet Beaver River. The trail goes slightly over a mile from there over 1200 feet up to the rim, which I imagine would provide excellent views. It certainly would be good to go back some time and do that.

DEVIL'S LAKE NEAR BARABOO, WI

I circled Devil's Lake in June 2014 as a part of my 10-state summer vacation drive. It was a fun hike, mostly through forest, and provided some great bluff vistas like this one. There were many other trails in the park, but unfortunately not nearly enough time.

BRIGHT ANGEL TRAIL AT THE GRAND CANYON

Hiking the Grand Canyon was certainly a great achievement, and I only did part of one of the many trails there. There are certainly limitless other hiking possibilities there. We took the Bright Angel Trail from the rim all the way to the Colorado River, about 8 miles each way. It was supposedly longer than you were supposed to go for a day hike, but it was doable in mid-April before it got unbearably hot. It's crazy to think that when it starts out in the high 30s at the rim you will have to be thinking about potential 90-degree temps by the time you get to the river. But that's reality. And that is also why you don't do this during the summer (unless you don't want to make it out).

A.B. YOUNG TRAIL IN OAK CREEK CANYON NORTH OF SEDONA, AZ

The A.B. Young trail was a fun trail to do north of Sedona. The best part by far was the fact that the only people we saw all day were when we were getting back out to 89A after the hike was over. Talk about solitude. There were some excellent views to be had from the top, as well. Unfortunately the sun was not cooperating on this particular day, hence the gloomy shots. I'm curious how the trail was affected by the Slide Fire of late May 2014; it most likely caused some severe damage along this route.

CAMELBACK IN PHOENIX, AZ

There is no such thing as solitude at Camelback. This is the most traveled hiking trail in the Phoenix area, whether you go up on the east side (Cholla) or the west side (Echo Canyon). It is certainly challenging and provides an excellent workout, but if you are lucky enough to even find a parking spot, you will be joined by many others trying to hit the summit. Even at 5:30 am on the first of July, you will have many companions.

FLAT IRON IN THE SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS NEAR APACHE JUNCTION, AZ

The Flat Iron trail is the toughest in the Superstitions, and as some say, the toughest in Arizona. After hiking in the Grand Canyon (another contender for most difficult trails), I tend to agree. This trail goes slowly upward for a ways as you make your way from the parking lot, but before you know it, you're basically climbing. Make no mistake, this is a full-body workout. Your body will remind you for a while afterward. Once you get to the top, however, you are over 4500 feet and have a commanding view of the valley in almost every direction. But the hike isn't over: you still have to get back down. And on this hike more than any other, it is really the hardest part.

NATIONAL TRAIL/MORMON LOOP AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, AZ

South Mountain Park is gigantic. There is so much to do there, so many trails, and I have really only done one 8-mile section. It's a great section, and depending on where you are along the trail, you can have excellent views of downtown Phoenix and the rest of the valley, or you can temporarily forget you are anywhere near civilization. It is truly an amazing hike. I'm looking forward to going on more of the seemingly endless number of trails here.

HUMPHREY'S PEAK TRAIL NEAR FLAGSTAFF, AZ

Humphrey's Peak is the highest point in the state of Arizona, at 12,633 feet. The trail to the top is unbelievable, right from the start. You begin near 9000 feet at Arizona Snowbowl, a popular skiing area every winter. Crossing the ski run area gives you a great view of other mountains in the area before you enter the forest for quite a while. From there you climb and climb, occasionally popping out for air (there's not much of it at this elevation, either, and you will be gasping for each breath). The picture above was taken from one of the little openings covered in rocks. The openings allow you to get a view out, and they are breathtaking. Continue from here, and a little over a mile away you will run out of trees since you are too high for them to survive. Unfortunately, I haven't quite made it that far, since the last time I was there was in mid-May 2013, when there was still enough snow as low as 11,000 feet to preclude easy movement in anything other than snowshoes. Needless to say, I didn't have any. Sometime I will make it up there, and it will probably help to stay overnight in Flagstaff the day before to help get used to the elevation. That should make it a little easier for the body to handle.

Update, late July 2014: I finally made it to the top. I did stay over in Flagstaff the night before to aid in acclimation to the elevation, but realistically, when you're going to be that high up, there's not much you can do. This is an incredibly long hike (it took me over 6 hours round trip), but just getting to say you've been to the highest point in Arizona is totally worth it. The hardest part is after you get to the tree line and the tundra region (around 11,400 feet). At this point you are completely exposed to the elements. No shade from the sun. No protection from a potentially thunderous cloud. To top it all off, you can hardly get a breath due to the impossibly thin air. The mountain is taunting you along the way, too, with several false peaks that get you all excited, only to find that you really still have a ways to go. After getting all the glory of making it to the peak, the way back down feels amazing, as the air continually gets thicker and begins to feel closer to the real thing again. I'm very proud to say that I have completed this hike, and the only way to be any higher in this state is in a plane.

BUENOS AIRES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE NEAR ARIVACA, AZ

This is a cool place to visit in southern Arizona. There are numerous little trails to check out in or around the refuge, and this particular one was basically in the small town of Arivaca. It provided some great views, a chance to check out some wildlife, and was pretty low-effort. In general, a relaxing hike/walk someplace different. Bonus: if you come down or go back via I-19, you get to see road signs and distance markings in kilometers! Again, different.

PIESTEWA PEAK IN PHOENIX, AZ

Piestewa is a great 1.2-mile rocky trek that provides some terrific views of the Phoenix area. This one is pretty well-traveled, too, so watch out for others, and good luck finding a spot to park depending on when you go. But if you're able to make it to the top, you can see in each direction all over the valley. Again, be careful on the way down that you don't get run over.

DREAMY DRAW IN PHOENIX, AZ

Dreamy Draw is just north of Piestewa, a part of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve. This is much flatter than Piestewa, and much better for a casual jaunt. Equestrians very much love these trails, however, so be wary of them. Not much else to say, just a good, relatively easy hike on your choice of trail.