Have you hiked on the Arizona Trail? If not you might be surprised to learn that there are great opportunities to experience a day hike on the AZT that are only a short drive from Tucson! One of my favorite sections of the AZT is the Sycamore Reservoir Trail. Looking down into the Sycamore Reservoir…
Category: Activities
2012 Cave Creek Thriller and McDowell Mountain Frenzy
30k Start at the 2012 Cave Creek Thriller October 2012: 3:12:57 and 12.4 miles into the Cave Creek Thriller I reached the Start/Finish line aid station – my first 30k race was not going exactly as I imagined. My stomach rebelled during the first lap, I was tired and hot and I thought about dropping…
8000M Challenge & Big City Mountaineers
Each year, a team from Summit Hut joins about 150 of our closest outdoor friends for a heart-pounding, 38-mile day hike! The goal is to summit 3 of the tallest peaks in Southern California in under 24 hours. It’s an incredible physical challenge, but it’s also an amazing experience. The camaraderie between stores that are…
Mt Humphrey’s Sunrise Summit
We left Tucson around 3pm headed for Flagstaff. We had two options for our hike. We could either find a campsite, get a good night’s sleep and start early in the morning OR we were considering having dinner, getting a few hours of sleep and starting around midnight, putting us at the summit around sunrise….
Pusch Peak
The trail to Pusch Peak from the west (the Northwest Side Route) is nicely documented in this blog post by Dave Baker – but, like most destinations, there is more than one route to the top! One other option is the ‘Southeast Ridge Route’ described in “The Santa Catalina Mountains: A Guide to the Trails…
Don’t Forget Your Sun Protection!
Editor’s Note: This is a special guest post from Lisa Quale, Senior Health Educator at the Arizona Cancer Center Skin Cancer Institute. This post is part of our Sun Protection Weeks now happening. Through May 9th save 20% on select sun protection accessories from Buff, Tilley and Outdoor Research. Also, join us on May 3rd,…
Milagrosa Canyon
Milagrosa Canyon was the first place I ever experienced the magic of monsoons: my brother and I hiked out there under a sky going indigo and saguaros shining electric on the ridge. The first wash crossing drenched us to our knees with warm summer rainwater. Looking at the first sunbathed red cliffs is a view…
A Long(ish) Walk in Southern Arizona
Great long distance backpacking in southern Arizona? Have to admit I used to think not, but that was simply due to my weak imagination. It was the Arizona Trail that first opened my mind to the enormous possibilities Arizona holds for stitching together long distance backpacking trips. Our route -; about 95 miles of walking…
2012 Mesquite Canyon 1/2 Marathon Race Report
With so many great opportunities to hike, climb and adventure around Tucson I rarely take advantage of the outdoor destinations outside of Phoenix. But this March I was tempted up to White Tank Mountain Regional Park to take part in the 1/2 Marathon length of Araviapa Running‘s Mesquite Canyon Race. The Mesquite Canyon Race has…
Being A Warrior Princess is Tougher Than You Think
As a kid growing up in the woods, I fantasized about being a warrior princess: a powerful girl trained in the arts of survival and war, who could stalk soundlessly through the brush and skillfully ambush prey. I wanted to live in a house made of earth, fish in the river with a spear, wear…