Reminder:  Full Moon Hike July 25th @ 7:30 PM (this is a FREE event)

The Summer Full Moon Events will be 3 tiers

* Full Moon Hike @ 7:30 PM see information below:

* Help Hydrate the Homeless:

I am have decided to host the Thirst Aid through the end of summer.  Therefore, we will continue having a 3-tier event for July &  August.  St. Joseph the Worker, is a non-profit that assist homeless individuals in securing permanent, full-time employment. 

* Help Hydrate the Homeless -- donate cases of bottled water or make a tax-deductible financial contribution to SJTW.

* Dinner @ Gallagher's (since Aunt Chiladas closes at 10)

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Details:

Full Moon Hike

Difficulty:  Moderate, with a little steep climb, up to the Ridgeline.  There is a part of the Ridgeline, going down, that has loose gravel as well.

Mileage:  4.0

What to bring:  Plenty of Water--NO LESS THAN 1 LITER, good hiking shoes, snacks, a camera to capture the beautiful moon.  Some hikers like to bring flashlights, but it's not necessary.  Between the full moon and the city lights, we have never had difficulties seeing the trail.

Directions:  Take I-10 East (towards Tucson) and get off on Baseline Road.  Head West till 46th Street and make a left.  Now, you will come to a point in the road where it appears to be a driveway.  It is not.  It is part of the street.  Drive all the way till the road ends and park in the 2nd parking lot on the left.

Please Note:  Do not park in the 1st left parking lot.  This is a business lot and you may be towed.  If our parking lot is full, you may park along the street.

We might see some wildlife, as well.  We have encountered rattlers, coyotes, and even javalenas.  During one of our hikes, a pack of coyotes actually crossed the trail, less than 10 feet in front of us.  The main thing to remember is you leave them alone, they will leave you alone.

Remember, know your strength and weaknesses on the trail.  If you're a beginner, take your time on the trail.  I will try to have a sweeper in the back, to ensure that everyone is safe.

I am trained & certified as a "Wilderness First Responder", so my pack might be larger than the rest of yours.  The first and foremost thing about a hike, especially a full moon hike, is safety comes first. 

We will be joined, by other Meetup groups as well.  See you on the trail

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Hydrating the Homeless:

Bring cases of bottled water and Teri Ann will drop them off at SJTW.  If you donate 10+ cases, your business website link will be featured on her website FREE for 60 days after the donation.  Water and financial contributions are tax-deductible.

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Dinner @ Gallagher's

For the summer we will be having our dinners at Gallagher's since AC closes so early.  If you do not want to do the hike, come join us for dinner.  We should be there between 9:30-9:45 pm.

3220 E Baseline (NE corner of 32nd Street/Baseline)
Phoenix, AZ
602-437-0981
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I will be driving a silver Dodge Dakota with a picture of a dog and horse on the back window.  I look forward to our next full moon hike and hope everyone will contribute water for the homeless.  Remember, how hot AZ gets during the summer and there have been several deaths of the homeless each summer.

Teri Ann 602-579-1437

"Man injured on hike rescued" 

This was the title of an article in today's paper.  A 54-year-old man hiked for 20 minutes when he got his foot caught in a crack.  Thankfully, he had enough water and food with him.  But, most importantly he had his cell phone with him.  He called for help around 5:30 am, so he had started his hike early, which is very smart during the summer intense heat.

This is the 94th hiker that Phoenix Firefighters have rescued this year.  This does not count the people that have been rescued by the Maricopa County Sheriff Mountain Rescue Posse.

Remember to always carry your cell phone with you.  I have run into hikers that have left their phones in the car because they did not get a signal.  It doesn't matter, at one spot you might not get a signal, but at another spot you may.  Plus, you can use the light from the phone as a signaling device.

There have been several recent rescues off Camelback Mountain, as well as other trails this summer.  This is due to the Hiker(s) being unprepared for the AZ heat....it can kill. 

Tips for Summer Hiking:

• Hike early in the morning (there are times I am on the trail between 4:30 am and 5 am.
• Bring Extra Water -- NO EXCEPTION (you may not drink it all, but you might save another life)
• Wear proper summer hiking clothes, that allow the air to flow through you.  Do not wear bluejeans in the summer.  They will get wet from your sweat and will not dry.
• Carry your cell phone with you @ all times.  You may not get a signal, but always carry it with you because when you dial "911", it's supposed to go into Analog mode.  Also, you can use it as a signaling device.
• Tell a family member, or friend, your itinerary.
• Take snacks to energize you during your hike.
• Cut your mileage down during the intense heat.  I normally hike less than 5 miles per trip.
• Have a safe hike by always being prepared for the unexpected.
  

Beginning in August, our guided hikes will resume in Flagstaff for the following trails:

•  Humphrey's Peak
• Mount Elden Lookout
• Little Bear Trail
• Kachina Trail
• Abineau/Bear Jaw Trails

• Ladies Hiking Boot Camp will resume in October
• Accepting 1-on-1 fitness/nutritional consultations & programs
• Flagstaff guided hikes are on hold until the forest is opened at the end of July, due to the recent carelessness of a camper that did not put out his fire completely
• Special Family Rate: Nutritional & Exercise program:  We will come to your house and meet with all family members and determined what their fitness/nutritional needs are.  We will even go through your cupboards and tell you what to throw out and what to keep.  A family that plays together, stays together.

• In the next couple of weeks, I will be redesigning my entire website, so check back often.
• Due to the fires in Flagstaff, San Franciso Peaks, will be closed to all hiking activities for @ least till July 25th.
• Sedona Guided Hikes are still being offered

Summer is here and it's time to head north for some great hiking.

• Hiking Humphrey's Peak
•  Backpacking on Humphrey's Peak
• Guided hikes in Flagstaff & Sedona

FALL CLASSES NOW FORMING:

Fall classes will be posted on the website by Monday, September 28th.  Classes & Clinics will include:

* Beginner Hiking Clinic
* Intermediate Hiking Clinic
* Women's Beginner Backpacking Clinic
* Introduce Fifi (your dog) to Hiking
* Children's Hiking & Adventure Club
* Ladies Hiking Boot Camp

Clinics include classroom time, manual, as well as interactive hiking and backpacking.

So, check back on the 28th and see which classes you, and your friends, would like to sign up for.

I will be working on my "Mt. Whitney" and  "WFR" stories next week.  I have been playing catch up, this week.  I haven't had a chance to download the pictures yet, either.

I have started the Fall Semester @ SCC/PVCC, so now I have homework and mid-terms, finals, etc.  It's been so many years since I have been in school, it's weird.

We have returned from "Mt. Whitney".  My hiking partner, Leo, and I did a one-day ascent on Whitney on the 31st of August.

I will be posting pictures and our story in a week or so.  I am preparing for our monthly "Full Moon" hike this evening.  After that, I am taking a break from hiking for a couple of weeks.

After 5 years of planning, I am finally heading out to Mt. Whitney @ 3:00 am.  For the past 6 months, I have been training for this moment.  Our permit is for a one-day assent.  This will involve over 6,100 feet of elevation gain, as well as 21.4 miles of hiking.

I have been in hard-core training for the past two months.  I have summited Humphrey’s Peak 4 times, as well as doing other high altitude hiking in Flagstaff.  We attempted to climb Humphrey’s Peak on the 24^th, but had to head down the trail @ mile 6, when a rain/hail storm blew in.  There’s nothing like being battered by hail when you are trying to get down a mountain.  This also happened to me on the 12^th when I hiked the Bear Jaw/Abineau trails.  The rain and hail was so bad, I kept slipping and sliding on the sleek lava rocks while hiking down Abineau.  By the time I reached my truck, I had been on the trails for 5.5 hours and I looked like I had taken a mud bath.

I will be meeting my partner, Leo, @ the Lone Pine Camp Site.  Bears are a big problem @ Whitney, so we will need to rent a bear canister for our food.  I had to make sure that I grabbed all snack bars; I normally keep in the truck, and put them in my ice chest.  Bears @ Whitney will actually destroy a car if they smell food.  They are known for breaking into trunks and tearing out the back seats to reach food.  In fact, if a bear is found by your vehicle and trying to break in, and you are not near, they will tow it.  There have been quite a few bear’s shot, over the years, because a careless hiker left food in their vehicle, and the bear was creating a hazardous situation.

Saturday afternoon will be spent picking up the permits and setting up camp.  The evening will just be spent relaxing.  We plan on hiking up to the “Lone Pine Lake” on Sunday.  This will include a 1,490 feet of elevation gain, and almost 6 miles of hiking.

We plan on beginning our hike @ 3 a.m.  We know this will be a very long day, and may take 12-14 hours or more.  The goal, of course, is to summit Whitney.  At this time, there is snow and ice on a lot of the top parts of Whitney (from a late season storm).  However, we understand from the rangers that the trails are clear. 

Here is the trail mileage & elevation:

• Whitney Portal Trail Head starts @ 8,360 feet
• John Muir Wilderness Sign @ 8,500 feet (.5 miles)
• Lone Pine Lake @ 9,850 feet (2.5 miles with an elevation gain of 1,490 feet)
• Outpost Camp @ 10,365 feet (3.5 miles with an elevation gain of 2,005 ft)
• Mirror Lake @ 10,640 feet (4.0 miles w/an elevation gain of 2,280 ft)
• Trailside Meadow @ 11,395 feet (5.0 miles w/an elevation gain of 3,035 ft)
• Trail Camp @ 12,000 feet (6.0 miles w/an elevation gain of 3,640 ft)
• Trail Crest @ 13,777 feet (8.2 miles w/an elevation gain of 5,417 ft)
• John Muir Trail  @ 13,480 feet—yup we climb down some (8.7 miles w/an elevation gain of 5,120 ft)
• Mount Muir  @ 14,015 feet (9.0 miles w/an elevation gain of 5,655 feet)
• Keeler Needle @ 14,000 feet (10.2 miles w/an elevation gain of 5,640 ft)
• Mt. Whitney Summit @ 14,494 feet (10.7 miles w/an elevation gain of 6,134 ft)

WHEW----NOW WE GET TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, BUT CLIMBING DOWN

My good friend, Cherie who would have climbed Whitney @ midnight to be able to view the sunrise wants to meet us for dinner Monday night.  Geez, I am not even sure I will be able to walk after all that, let alone have an appetite.  I guess we’ll just have to see.

Tuesday morning will be spent relaxing and I plan on having one of the “Whitney Portal Store & Restaurant” famous big pancakes for breakfast.  We will head out sometime on Tuesday.

20 days from now, I will be climbing Mt. Whitney. I head to Flagstaff in the morning to do high-altitude hiking. My goal is 7 to 12 miles.

On Thursday, I will be climbing Humphrey's for the 5th time.  Thursday afternoon I head out to the campground that I will be staying @ during my 10-days of "Wilderness First Responder" course.  I am really excited about the course and have been studying for the past 4 months. I finally received a 97% on the practice test.

I decided to continue my Wilderness Medicine and attend the "Wilderness EMT" course for 30-days in Yosemite. Now, that will be exciting.During my off time, when I am not studying, I will be able to hike around the campground, and apprently there are several trails. The campground is @ 8,000 feet which is great for altitude.

When I check out on the 24th, I plan on doing a double on Humphrey's (yup...up/down & up/down again 18 miles). This will be my last hike before heading back to good, old hot Phoenix.

I will be home for 3 days before heading to Lone Pine on the 29th. My hiking partner lives in CA (yeah...I found a hiking partner that has hiked Whitney befor) and has been training. He will meet me @ the campground.

On Sunday (30th), we plan on doing baby hikes and getting our permit and gearing up to leave @ 3 am on the 31st to begin our one-day accent on Whitney.

I have been dreaming about climbing Whitney for over five years and can't believe it's so close now.  I will send another update after my Flagstaff experience, and post lots of pics.

I am very tired.  Tonight, I help lead a "Full Moon Hike" in South Mountain.  Our group, along with another hiking group, does this hike once a month.  It's a cool hike and we hike 3.9 miles, with a little bit of climbing.

I did not update my blog yesterday, because I was completely out of it.  You see, yesterday I hiked 4.25 hours in South Mountain and almost collapsed.  You see, I started on the trail @ 5:30 am, and the trail I was on was shaded until 7:00 AM.  When I headed down the mountain, on the other side where I started, I began hiking in the sun.

I thought if I added a 2nd trail it would add 2 more miles into my hike, which is what I needed.  However, there is absolutely no shade on this trail, and it wasn't that hot (under 95).  The problem was the high humidity that I had to deal with.  Geez...I felt like I was back in Texas.

About 8:30 am, I really began slowing down, and realized that the humidity was effecting me more than I thought it would.  I had 4 liters of water, and I was going through it pretty quickly.  When I had finished this 2nd trail, I needed to head over on the 3rd trail that would loop me back to where I began the hike.

That last 1.5 miles of the hike was a killer.  I had no shade, I was going through my water, and I just felt drained.  As a Wildernes First Aid Rescuer I knew I would be in trouble if I did not get off the trail quickly.  I reached the top of the hill and I was able to see our farm.  But, it was still .5 miles away.  I thought about calling a friend to pick me up @ the bottom of the hill, but decided against it.  After all, it was just another .5 mile, right .

Hiking that last .5 mile, I can't tell you how badly I just wanted to stop and sit down and rest.  I knew in my mind, and heart, that would be the worse thing to do.  So, I walked very slowly to the farm.  I can't tell you how happy I was when I turned the corner of where we live and I saw our horses in the pasture, that greeted me, that made me

When entering the house, I basically threw down my pack and collapse on the couch.  I thank God for Kallie, who I had called when I first got home, who went and did a couple of pet sits for me, so I could rest.

I actually fell in a deep sleep, and didn't wake for almost 1.5 hours.  The lesson learned?  When checking the weather reports, when hiking in AZ intense hot summers, to also check the humidity percentage.  It could make a big difference.  I have hiked in the heat for weeks now, including up to 105, but the dry heat is so much different than when you have to deal with humidity on top of it.

Last night didn't go so well on the eliptical.  When I plugged in the AC Adaptor, I realized that the cord somehow had been cut.  So, I haven't worked out now for 5 days, not good @ all.

I am currently packing my new day/summit pack together.  I want to start hiking with it, because it will be bigger and heavier than my normal Camelback pack.  It's a lot more roomier and I will be able to carry extra supplies, food, and first aid.

Tomorrow, the plan is to begin a hike in South Mountain no later than 5 am.  I am going to try to go for distance, and not so much in elevation gain.  The most I have hiked @ one time is 17 miles, but I have walked more than 20 miles in a day, so it's duable.  I just haven't figured out if  I want to start on the west end of SM (where I live) or head out to the Pima Canyon end (East side).

If I start from my end I can do the Alta trail (my favorite training mountain) to the summit and then head down the east side of Alta.  I can then connect to the Bajada trail and do a little bit of the National Trail that will lead me back to the west end.  So, basically it's a very long loop.

Today was a very busy day for me.  I had my mammogram, did a chest x-ray, had my fingerprints and mug shot done for the Sheriff's Rescue Posse and then ended my evening with a 3-hour AZ Mountain Rescue Meeting.  I am getting really excited about the possibility of joining the mountain rescue.  It's all volunteers and a lot of hard work.  I will really need to concentrate on my upper body strength, as well as work on my rock climbing skills. 

I do plan on taking indoor rock climbing class, via Paradise Valley CC, beginning in September.  I will then learn, again, how to lead climb.  When I took rock climbing classes two years ago, I was just beginning to learn lead climbing when I had my truck accident.  I just began climbing again a few months ago.  I forgot how much I missed it.

Well, I better say nitey-nite, as I need to finish my pack and need to get up extra early to feed the horses, since my sister is out of town until Sunday.