Making hikes fun for kids!
February 19, 2009 by taha
So, for those of you who daydream about the day when you and the entire family can go out and enjoy a pleasant hike in the desert, we thought we would share a couple of the things we do to keep kids on our guided hikes engaged and hiking strong!
One of the things that all of the kids love when we hike with them is getting their own disposable camera. For a few dollars, you can purchase a disposable camera with 27 exposures. We like to also provide a “photo guide” to the kids. This photo guide has a list of items that the kids have to find along the hike and photograph. We leave about 10 “free” photos available that they can use to photograph anything they want. This activity has occupied the kids for an entire 4 mile hike! After the hike, the kids love to get their photos developed and create their own album. This also makes for a nice project for the kids to share at school with their class.
Another popular activity that the kids enjoy is doing a desert scavenger hunt. Create a list of things that they have to find such as a saguaro cactus under 12 inches tall or a saguaro with over 10 arms. We also like to have the kids look for specific animals and birds such as cottontail rabbits, lizards, cactus wrens, woodpeckers, or anything else that you have a likely chance of seeing on your hike. We do throw in a few animals that are more difficult to find such as a desert tortoise to make it a bit more challenging. That way the kids don’t complete the scavenger hunt in the first 20 minutes of the hike! This activity is a great way for the kids to learn more about the desert and pay more attention to the ecosystem around them.
Those are just a couple of the activities we do with kids on our hikes. However, just as important as keeping the kids engaged with activities is choosing the right trail for your family. I can’t imagine that anyone wants to end up carrying their child up a trail with a 1,500 foot elevation gain! Yikes! Before setting out on your hike, do a bit of research on the trails available in your area. Once you choose a trail, go with the mindset that the outing is about the enjoyment of getting out into nature with your kids, not just completing the entire hike. There have been times when we didn’t make it to the “end” of the trail, but that was okay. We had a good time just getting out and enjoying the part of the trail we did hike on and everyone was much happier for having turned around when we did versus getting to the endpoint.
Here in the Valley of the Sun, there are a number of great Arizona hiking trails available for families. Our favorites include the Metate Trail (2 miles) at the Spur Cross Conservation Area in Cave Creek, The Wind Cave Trail (3 miles) at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa, and the Pinnacle Peak Trail (4 miles) in Scottsdale. The more challenging of these hikes would be the Pinnacle Peak Trail at 4 miles with several sections of switchbacks. But the nice thing about this trail is the ability to stop at any restpoint and turn around and head back. Having the reststop as a turning point gives the kids a nice sense of accomplishment without having completed the entire trail.
So, those are just a few suggestions to help you get your hike started off on the right foot! Now, get out there and get hiking with the kids and have a great time!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_2SpJ4pDOQ&hl=en&fs=1]
A Chilly Day in the Desert!
February 9, 2009 by taha
Brittle bush in full bloom.
Well, it is a chilly day here in the desert! It started raining yesterday and has continued raining through today. I believe the reported high temperature for today is supposed to be about 60 degrees. brrrr. This does not happen very often in the Valley of the Sun, so for those of us who live here, we appreciate the change in the weather. For those visiting our area this week, it could be worse, at least it is not snowing! Although now that I think of it, I did hear reports of snow and hail just a bit north of us up in the Cave Creek and Carefree areas. I expect that once we suffer through these 3 or 4 days of winter 
, we will be right back in the swing of Spring!! The great news is, the more rain we get now, the more colorful our wildflower season will be!
The Spring wildflower season is truly something to behold here in the Sonoran Desert. We have almost every color you can imagine when all of the different plants and cacti bloom. One of the more popular places for locals to visit during the Spring is Picacho Peak. This area is well known for its poppy flowers. These flowers come in all kinds of vibrant colors like red, yellow and orange and they spread out as far as the eye can see! Another area that we particularly enjoy during the Spring is Usery Mountain Regional Park and the McDowell Mountains. In addition to the poppies, these areas also have countless cacti, bushes, trees and other flora that provide continual color to the desert from mid-February to late May. We have already seen much of the Chuparosa in full bloom. Over the past week, the brittlebush have started blooming with their yellow flowers. These plants practically cover the desert floor from one end to the other resembling a yellow carpet. These plants will continue to bloom for several months to come. Other plants that are the first indicators of spring are the Blue Palo Verde Tree and the Sweet Acacia Tree. These are usually the first to bloom, even before the chuparosa and brittlebush. The Blue Palo Verdes began blooming a week or so ago in the lower lying areas. The Little Leaf Palo Verdes will begin to bloom a few weeks after, as they are typically up a bit higher on the hillsides and more open to the chilly air. The Sweet Acacia Tree, although not an indigenous tree to the Sonoran Desert, has begun blooming in many of the nearby neighborhoods as well. What all of this means is, Spring is arriving! This is our absolute favorite time to hike and bring guests out into the desert. You simply can’t beat the desert scenery and colors! Check out our wildflower photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/takeahikearizona to see some great examples of the flowers we expect to see in the very near future!
Introduction to Take A Hike Arizona
February 6, 2009 by taha
Welcome to our new blog!
Take A Hike Arizona is a guided hiking company based out of Scottsdale, Arizona. We offer half-day (2-4 hours) and full-day (5-7 hours) guided hiking excursions into the Sonoran Desert. You can learn more specifics about our company on our website at http://www.takeahikearizona.com. June and I (Tracey) started this company with the desire to introduce our guests to this gorgeous desert we live in! As volunteer stewards with the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, we encountered so many ill-prepared people hiking out in the desert. We came across individuals with little or no water, improper footwear, inappropriate dress for the desert environment, and even scarier than that we met people who didn’t even know what trail they were supposed to be on or where they were supposed to be going! We felt very strongly that we could help visitors to our desert experience and explore it in a much safer and enjoyable manner. Hence, our tagline: Experience, Explore, Enjoy!
Both June and I have always been avid hikers. We have both hiked all over the world in a variety of climates and terrain. But, the Sonoran Desert is our passion! Contrary to popular belief, the desert is very alive with plant and animal life! We have seen so many desert inhabitants on our hikes including coyotes, bobcats, tortoises, snakes, jackrabbits, cottontail rabbits, mule deer, and so many lizards and birds that we could never keep count! Every day brings new sights and sounds on our hikes. We never know what we will experience from one day to the next. This is what fascinates us about this desert we call home.
We are very passionate about what we do. We love to bring both visitors and locals alike out into the desert and show them things that they never would have seen or learned about if they were hiking on their own. And of course our priority is to have our guests experience, explore and enjoy the desert in a manner that is safe for both them and the desert ecosystem. Our goal is to educate people about this precious resource we have right in our own backyard!
Recent Photo's
