Spring showers bring new flowers!
February 26, 2010 by Take A Hike Arizona
Scottsdale and Phoenix hiking trails are starting to show off their colors! I did a quick scouting trip to see what is going on out in the desert as far as our spring flower season. The amount of rain we have had over the past month or so should definitely provide us with a much more colorful wildflower season than last year. Anyway, just to give you a real quick update on what we are seeing out there right now….
The Chuparosa, always an early bloomer, is hitting its full stride right about now. You will find the red blossoms on the plants especially abundant on the sunnier sides of the trail and along the warmer areas along the washes. In particular, you can see these plants in full bloom along the sides of the road as you drive around town as well. The Chuparosa further up the slopes and on northern sides of slopes have yet to blossom. For those of you who may not already know this, you can eat the blossoms of the Chuparosa. You will even find them mixed in for color in salads you order from select restaurants around the valley. So go find a blooming Chuparosa and pick a fresh red blossom and try tasting it (please make sure you know it is a Chuparosa before eating it!). Let me know what you think it tastes like.
Other plants not yet blooming quite as spectacularly as the Chuparosa are the Creosote and Brittlebush. Both of these bush-like plants produce pretty yellow flowers. The Creosote flowers are smaller and are accompanied by little white fuzz balls (I’m sure there is a technical name for those cute fuzz balls – if you know it – please tell me). The Brittlebush produces larger daisy-like flowers and can be found all over the desert in the Spring. I also noticed that the Buckhorn Cholla (not Staghorn which is not in this part of the desert) is starting to produce the very beginnings of its blossoms. As you hike along, check out the burgundy color shoots sprouting from the tips of the cholla branches on the Buckhorn.
We’ve also been seeing quite a few tiny little yellow and white flowers sprouting up here and there among the rocky slopes. I’ve yet to see any poppies, lupine, owl’s clover, desert marigolds or any other cactus blooming. As soon as those start popping up, I will be sure to let you know. If you’d like to see what these flowers look like, just go to our photo gallery and head to the Flower folder. We have photos of all kinds of desert flora. If you have any questions about anything you see during your desert wanderings, please give us a shout at info@takeahikearizona.com and we’ll try to help you out or find someone who can! Enjoy the Spring!
Geronimo’s Cave
January 19, 2010 by Take A Hike Arizona
As promised previously, here is an update about our hiking exploration to Geronimo’s Cave in the Superstitions. This particular route is one that I have not taken before so it was all new to me! Based on sound advice received from one of expert hiking pals, we started our day by heading up the Peralta Trail. First, I cannot say enough how beautiful the Peralta Trail is, which is why it is the most traveled trail in Arizona! As I’ve mentioned (probably many times) before, it is one of my favorites. With that said, I didn’t think heading over to Geronimo’s Cave was going to be that much different. But, boy was it!
So for those of you not familiar with the area, head up the Peralta Trail up to the Freemont Saddle that overlooks Weaver’s Needle. Do not try to hike up to the cave first. From the saddle, head up and over the rocks to your right where many people go to get an even better view of the Needle. If you look towards the Needle (twelve o’clock), a little to the right (about 1-2 o’clock) is a lone pine tree (a little one). You can’t miss it. As our friend told us, look for “the tree”. I was a little concerned at first until I saw that is is indeed the ONLY tree up there. That tree is actually on the trail that you want to pick up to head toward Geronimo’s Cave. However, the tree is in the opposite direction of where you want to head. So, start hiking on the trail to the right of the saddle that looks like it will take you toward the tree eventually, and you are on the right trail (just don’t bear left to head to the tree when that option appears).
Almost immediately you are in for a scenic treat. The minute you turn the corner and start heading back in the general direction of the trailhead, you have gorgeous views of the other side of the Superstitions that y0u don’t get to see while hiking up the Peralta Trail. It’s nothing but wilderness. At this point, I wish I could tell you to just follow the trail from here on out but it is not so easy. The “trail” is not a clear path or marked in any manner. You may see cairns once in a while that you hope point you in the right direction, but that is about it. The only thing I can tell you is stay parallel to the Peralta Canyon that you hiked up earlier and eventually you may find your way back to the trailhead. Seriously. This hike back via Geronimo’s Cave is not for the faint of heart nor the ill-prepared. You know the rule of thumb used at the Grand Canyon….it takes twice as long to hike a mile up than it does down? Well, reverse that for this hike.
Do not attempt to go back this way if you are running low on water or snacks. It takes some time to return by this route. You should also be concerned about returning this way if you have anyone in your group that has even a minimal fear of heights. There is quite a bit of scrambling over rocks and sliding down steep inclines – often close to the edge of large dropoffs. So take your time.
The cave itself will be off to the left side of the trail in the area where the landscape/rocks have a yellow tint. The cave is quite large and pretty open so you really can’t miss it. You have to leave the trail for a few yards to hike up to the actual cave entrance, but you should see some paths that are worn down a bit from others that have gone there before you. This is a great spot to hang out and enjoy the view for a bit and take lots of photos! After this point, the trail gets a bit scarce. You have to pick your way through the boulders – while staying parallel to Peralta Canyon. You will also have to scramble quite a bit to get back to an area that feels like an actual trail again.
With all that said, my best advice is if you are going to Geronimo Cave for the first time, go with someone who has been there before and can help guide you back to the Peralta Trailhead. Also, be sure to bring lots of water, snacks and really comfortable, sturdy shoes. Some of the descents are pretty steep and can be hard on your toes if you don’t have the right shoes on. I would not recommend bringing younger kids as some of the rock scrambling may be difficult for them to get up and it is a long hike for little legs.
If you are curious about the hike, please feel free to check out the photos we took. They are in our photo gallery on our website under the Superstitions hiking folder. If you would like more information about the hike or would like a guided hike out into the area, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@takeahikearizona.com. We love to share our experiences with you and keep you safe out in the desert!
Hiking in the Superstitions
January 19, 2010 by Take A Hike Arizona
One of our favorite hikes in the Superstitions is the ever popular Peralta Trail. It is so popular that parking can be a problem on the weekends. But even on a busy weekend, the area is so large that you are not competing for space on the trail like you would on Pinnacle Peak, Camelback or Piestewa Peak.
Right from the start, the Peralta Trail has beautiful scenery around every corner. The rock formations along the way are some of the most unique to be found in the valley and during the warmer months, we often see gorgeous collared lizards and blooming flowers of all kinds. From the Peralta Trail you can also find Geronimo’s Cave (if you know where to look). We are heading out there tomorrow for a fun (day off) hike. We’ll be sure to take some more photos – especially of the cave – and post them to our blog. So stay tuned for some more info about the hike and a few other trails that you can find starting from the same trailhead.
Take A Hike Arizona, LLC is one of the very few companies/organizations that holds a commercial permit to hike in this area of the Superstitions. If you’d like to learn more about the excursions we offer in the Superstitions Wilderness Area, just give us a holler at 480-634-8488 or email us at info@takeahikearizona.com. We’d love to take you out there and show you the beauty found in this special part of the Sonoran Desert.
Kids Camp Schedule
August 8, 2009 by Take A Hike Arizona
Heading into the desert!
Well, the summer has been fun so far. We’ve been keeping busy doing sunrise, sunset and night hikes during the hot desert season. Check out some of our beautiful photos from these excursions when you have a chance. The sunsets this summer have been amazing! One of the things we’ve really enjoyed this summer is our Parents’ Night Out kids camp. This is a night hiking camp for the kids which is about 4 hours long. During the summer it is a great opportunity for parents to get out for a night knowing their children are having a great evening themselves. This camp was so popular that we are offering several additional opportunities for parents to tell their kids to “Take A Hike“!
The next night hiking camp for kids will be held on Friday, August 28, 2009. The kids will love this night hiking camp made just for them! We will take the kids out on a desert scavenger hunt for fluorescent gems, go on a scorpion hunt (we don’t get that close to them!), look for small desert critters that come out at night and we will get them actively involved in lots of fun desert themed activities and games!
For only $30 ($25 for each additional sibling) the Camp Adventure includes: Guided hike, pizza, water, snacks, refreshments, use of backpack, an arts & crafts project, and lots of FUN!!! See below for our night hiking camp schedule.
Also, as we head into the Fall season and the weather cools, we will once again be offering our Kids’ Day Hiking Camp. We often schedule these camps to coincide with the Scottsdale School District calendar. Our day camps are 5 hours long and similar to the night camps include water, refreshments, snacks, lunch, an arts & crafts project, fun interactive desert themed games and a guided hike into the Sonoran Desert. The cost for this hiking camp is $40 per child ($35 for each additonal sibling). See the schedule below for our upcoming day hiking camps.
Please keep in mind that these camps do fill up quickly. If you would like more information or would like to reserve your child’s space, just give us a call at 480-634-8488.
Parents’ Night Out/Kids Night Hiking Camp
Dates: August 28, 2009, September 25, 2009, November 20, 2009
Time: 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Meeting Place: McDowell Mountain Community Center, 10607 E. Paradise Lane, Scottsdale, AZ
Kids Day Hiking Camp Schedule
Dates: Wednesday-November 11, 2009, Monday-December 21, 2009, Wednesday-December 23, 2009
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Meeting Place: The Gateway Trailhead, 18333 E. Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ
Casino Arizona Showstoppers
June 28, 2009 by Take A Hike Arizona
Okay, so we are not always hiking at Take A Hike Arizona. We also have some down time of our own which oddly enough does include more hiking, but also includes all kinds of fun activities and sight seeing. We love to get out to see everything we can here in Arizona (and there is much to see and do)! And the thought occurred to me that we could share some of the sights to see and things to do on our blog along with all our other hiking related stuff! So here is our first post about stuff we have seen and done in the great state of Arizona!
A few weeks back we attended the Arizona Highways Travel Show at the Phoenix Convention Center. At the show, we chatted with individuals from a number of hospitality related businesses, one of which was Casino Arizona. The staff at this booth were handing out complimentary passes to see the “Showstopper Live!” show. So, because they were free and being handed to me, I took them. I’ve lived here in the valley for about 14 years and have never stepped foot into Casino Arizona. Not sure why, but it’s just something I’ve never done. Anyway, I took the tickets with a high level of doubt that I would ever use them.
So, to make a long story short, my mom came into town to visit. We did our annual camping trip up to Sedona with the kids and did a lot of local sightseeing of kid-friendly museums around Phoenix. Then one night, I just happened to remember that I had these free tickets. So I figured what the heck, it’s free, we have no plans for the evening, so let’s go! The show started at 7:00pm and the guest services said it was first come first serve as far as seating. Their recommendation was to arrive at 6:00pm. So we did.
We waited in line at the guest services counter which is located at the front door right when you come in. As we waited, we heard several announcements about getting complimentary tickets to the show. Apparently, anyone can just show up and receive the complimentary tickets, even though they have a retail value of $55. So my first word of advice is, don’t pay to see the show. The tickets appear to be free (at least during the week)! Okay, no real surprise there I guess. The second thing I learned within the first 5 minutes of arriving is that, we did not need to wait in the long line but we could scoot around to the left side of the counter and pick up the tickets for the show and avoid the slower moving queue for all the other services provided at the guest counter.
Now we have our tickets in hand, which come with a 2 drink minimum per person purchase by the way. What is that saying…nothing is for free? hmmmmm. Well, the 2 drink minimum is actually pretty minimal. You can just buy 2 fountain drinks for $2.50 each if you want and that will satisfy the requirement. We decided to go all out and buy 2 cocktails (on special) for $5 each plus tip. Oh and don’t be surprised when they tell you have to order your 2 drink minimum up front. You have to decide which 2 drinks you want and then they are delivered to you at the same time. I understand the logistics of doing it this way, but I didn’t really appreciate having my second drink sitting there getting warm while I drank my first one. Anyway, our total out of pocket for an evening of entertainment was $10 each plus tip. Then we waited. Don’t forget we had been advised to arrive early to get a seat, so we now had about 45 minutes to sit and drink and wait. So, we sipped slowly. Oh, and just as an FYI, they do not serve any kind of appetizers or snacks in the showroom to go along with your drinks. That was kind of disappointing.
Then the show began. The lineup for the evening was Elvis (what’s a tribute without Elvis?), Gloria Estefan, Reba McIntire, and The Four Tops. I have to say, I really wasn’t expecting much but, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the entertainment. Elvis was entertaining and had a great voice. The Reba impersonator was spot on. She looked, spoke and sang much like Reba. I had a hard time seeing a difference! But I really enjoyed the Four Tops – not my generation, however – they were excellent! They selected some great songs and really got the crowd going. The woman impersonating Gloria Estefan had a beautiful singing voice but was noticeably different than what you would expect Gloria Estefan to be like. We did miss out on seeing Madonna though. I was looking forward to that tribute. Maybe she has a larger draw and only makes appearances on weekends. I’m not sure. We also got to see a knife throwing act mid-way through the show. They were quite funny and provided a nice break from the singing acts.
So, if you are looking for something fun and cheap to do in the Scottsdale area, you should check out this show. It was quite fun and the entertainers really put their all into it. And after drinking my 2 required beverages in quick order before they got warm, I didn’t seem to mind having a 2 drink minimum purchase. The show is at Casino Arizona located at the Loop-101 and Mckellips. If you happen to go see it, let me know what you think!
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