Arizona Hiking

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year with the cooler temperatures.  Cooler weather for me means it is hiking season.  Hiking is a great way to relieve stress.  I enjoy hiking in Arizona because it is so diverse in vegetation and elevations.  You can hike throughout the year depending on where you go within the state.  Let me tell you a little bit about hiking and the benefits of getting outdoors in nature.

Hiking Etiquette:

1.  Follow and stay on the trails.  The paths are designed to preserve the natural vegetation, keep the area beautiful and for hikers to know their way.
2. Keep to the right on the path so other hikers can pass.
3. Pass on the left and announce yourself with “hello”.  When passing stay on the path.  Bikers yield to Hikers.  Hikers and Bikers yield to Horses.  When in a hiking group hike single file.
4.  Hikers going uphill are given the right away over hikers going downhill.
5. Pack in and pack out.  Carry your litter out.  Bring a plastic bag to carry your litter inside your back pack.

What to take on a day hike:

1. Back pack
2. Bring plenty of bottle water or hydration pack filled with water
3. Small first-aid kit
4. Small bottle of sun screen
5. Small packages of snacks and lunch items
6. Thin lite weight Pancho in case it rains
7. A charged cell phone and a compass.  Most smart phones have a compass.
8. Small flashlight and extra batteries
9. Small survival knife
10. Small hand sanitizer
11.  Matches or lighter
12. Map of the trail

What to wear:

1.  Hiking boots
2. Thick socks
3. Layered clothes depending on the weather and climate changes
4. Sun glasses
5. Hat

Plan your hiking route ahead of time and always tell someone else, where you are going in case of a emergency.  It is a good idea to hike with a partner for safety reasons.

Here is a list of some of my favorite places for a day hike:

• Usery Moutain Regional Park
• Lost Dutchman State Park
• Boyce Thompson Arboretum
• Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
• Butcher Jones Trail 463

The benefits of taking a hike:

Hiking gets your blood pumping, the body moving and being outdoors with nature has a calming influence on the mind and spirit.

Take away:

Hiking outdoors has lots of benefits.  Beautiful locations, the sceneries, fresh air, wildlife, birds chirping, and water rushing.  It is relaxing and calms the soul.  Gives you time to enjoy what is around you and forget about everything else.  On each trail, path and hike you see the beauty and feel at peace.  In today’s world we all need to see the beauty around us, have some calm peaceful moments and spend more time appreciating nature as well as each other.  Just think, what a difference life would be if we each took a little more time enjoying what wonders are around us and go for a hike!

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