wilderness: celebrate arizona's wild places

Wilderness: CeleBrATe AriZOnA’s Wild PlACes

Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet

http://arizona.sierraclub.org Grand Canyon Chapter Spring 2014

See Wilderness continued on pg. 13.

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Arizona’s WildernessBy Meg Weesner

The Wilderness Act of 1964 defined federal wilderness and designated 54 wilderness areas on National Forest

land. Five of these original wilderness areas were in Arizona – the Chiricahua, Galiuro, Mazatzal, Sierra Ancha, and Superstition wildernesses.

Even more importantly, the Wilderness Act established a process by which addition-al areas could be added by Congress to the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). Federal agencies were directed to evaluate roadless lands and to recommend potential wilderness additions. Organized groups and individual citizens can also rec-ommend areas for wilderness designation by working with Congressional representatives.

In the last 50 years, Congress has passed more than 100 laws adding to the NWPS. Eight of these laws have added wilderness ar-

eas in Arizona, which now has 90 wilderness areas (second only to California) covering 4.5 million acres (fourth behind Alaska, Cal-ifornia, and Idaho). Arizona is one of only five states that have wilderness areas man-aged by each of the four wilderness agencies.

Arizona’s wilderness additions started slowly. In 1970, Petrified Forest National Park became one of the first two units of the National Park System to have designated wilderness. The Mt. Baldy Wilderness in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (NF) was designated under the same law.

Two more forest wildernesses were added in 1972. Pine Mountain Wilderness in the Prescott and Tonto NFs was added in February of that year, and Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, part of the Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott NFs, was added in March.

Phoenix

Show LowPrescott

Yuma

Tucson

Flagstaff

Kingman

2 Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter

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Tucson

Prescott

Flagstaff

PALO VERDE

YAVAPAI

SEDONA/ VERDE VALLEY

Phoenix

PLATEAU

SAGUARO

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Canyon EchoSpring 2014 Vol. 50 No. 2

Canyon Echo © 2014. Canyon Echo (ISSN 0164-7024) is published quarterly for Sierra Club mem-bers by the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, 202 E. McDowell Rd., Ste. 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Phone: 602-253-8633, Fax: 602-258-6533. Printed at Valley Newspapers.

Front page banner designed by Erika Gronek.

Printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink.

EDITOR: Tiffany Sprague602-253-9140, [email protected]

DEDICATED VOLUNTEERSOutings Editor: Jerry Nelson

602-279-4668, [email protected]

Mailing Organizer: Jerry Nelson

Publications Committee: Priscilla Benbrook, Jon Findley, Kurt Florman, Chris Gehlker,

Tricia Gerrodette, Renée Guillory, Tyler Kokjohn, Jerry Nelson,

Carole Piszczek-Sheffield, Mike Smith

Publications Chair: Keith Bagwell520-623-0269, [email protected]

Webmaster: John Sheffield [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Annual dues to the Sierra Club are $39 (including $1 for Canyon Echo). Subscription rate for non-members is $10. Send check payable to Sierra Club - Canyon Echo, 202 E. McDowell Rd., Ste. 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

ADVERTISING: Advertising is sold on a first-come, space-available basis. The editor reserves the right to refuse any advertisements, and inclusion of advertisements does not imply endorsement by the Sierra Club. All interactions between advertisers and consumers are solely the responsi-bilities of those parties.

SUBMISSIONS: Send electronic or hard copies to the editor (include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of hard copies). Indicate copyright or Creative Commons preference. We are not responsible for lost or damaged items. Writer’s guidelines can be obtained by contacting the editor. All rights to publication of articles in this issue are reserved. The deadline is the first day of the month preceding the issue. Opinions expressed in Canyon Echo are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Sierra Club.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes and postage due to Sierra Club Member Services, c/o Canyon Echo, P.O. Box 421041, Palm Coast, FL 32142-6417. Periodi-cals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ.

Arizona Chapter Action DirectoryChapter Director Sandy Bahr 602-253-8633 [email protected] Chapter CoordinatorTiffany Sprague 602-253-9140 [email protected] Canyon Conservation Program CoordinatorAlicyn Gitlin 928-774-6514 [email protected] Conservation Program Coordinator and Coal to Clean EnergyDan Millis 520-620-6401 [email protected] Sentinels Program CoordinatorSteve Pawlowski 602-254-9330 [email protected]

CHAPTER OFFICES & COMMITTEE CHAIRS

(xc) 2014 Chapter Executive Committee (ExCom) members

2014 Group Voting Representatives to Chapter Ex-Com (see pp. 12–13 for contact information):Palo Verde: Mike Brady Plateau: Joe Shannon Rincon: Randy SerraglioSaguaro: Bev Full Sedona/Verde Valley: Carole Piszczek-Sheffield Yavapai: Gary Beverly

Chairperson: Elna Otter (xc) 520-212-9736 [email protected]: Keith Bagwell (xc) 520-623-0269 [email protected]: Lynne Cockrum-Murphy 602-569-6078 [email protected]: David McCaleb (xc) 602-840-7655 [email protected]: John Beshears 602-502-3990 [email protected]: Don Steuter (xc) 602-956-5057 [email protected]: Natalie Lucas 928-600-7844 [email protected]: Lynn DeMuth (xc) 480-699-0237 [email protected]: Bev Full 480-221-2554 [email protected]: Thom Hulen (xc) 480-730-5218 [email protected]: Jim Vaaler (xc) 602-553-8208 [email protected] (At-Large): Mark Coryell (xc) 480-219-8673 [email protected]

Ken Langton (xc) 520-749-3829 [email protected]

Chapter AnnouncementsAPR 5–6, JUN 28–29 (SAT–SUN) Chapter Conservation (SAT) and Executive Committee (SUN) meetings. Club leaders meet to consider matters related to statewide conservation efforts, share experiences across groups, and coordinate strategy to align our Chapter mission and goals with that of national Sierra Club. For more information, contact Don Steuter at 602-956-5057 or [email protected] or Elna Otter at 520-212-9736 or [email protected].

APR 9 and JUN 11 (WED) 6:30 p.m. Wildlife Activist Group meeting. Are you interested in learning more about the wildlife that calls our state home and in working for species’ protection? Join us to learn more about what’s happening with Arizona’s wildlife, upcoming projects and opportunities, and how you can get involved. For more information, contact our chapter office at 602-253-8633 or [email protected].

APR 21, MAY 19, JUN 16 (MON) 6:30 p.m. Political Committee meetings. 2014 is an election year. Help us make sure we elect more environmentally-friendly candidates by being part of our Political Committee! For more information, contact Thom Hulen at 602-619-9717 or [email protected]. NOTE: Participation in the Political Committee is restricted to current Sierra Club members.

APR 22, MAY 27, JUN 24 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. Energy Committee gatherings. Discussions, programs, and field trips encompass renewable energy and energy efficiency campaigns nationally and locally. Everyone is invited to participate, no matter how much or how little you know about energy issues. Specific time and location will be announced online or via email. To be added to our list or to get more information, please contact Jon Findley at 480-756-2916 or [email protected].

MAY 7 (WED) 5:30 p.m. Publications Committee meeting. Have an idea? Help plan future issues of Canyon Echo! Contact Keith Bagwell at 520-623-0269 or [email protected] or Tiffany Sprague at 602-253-9140 or [email protected].

JUN 1 (SUN) Copy deadline for Summer 2014 Canyon Echo. Theme of “Arizona’s Wilderness: What’s Missing?” Articles, art, photographs, poetry, essays, and brief epiphanies are welcome. Contact the editor before submitting at 602-253-9140 or [email protected] to discuss word count, photos to include, licensing, issue topics, and to request submission guidelines.

JUN 25 (WED) 1–5 p.m. (stop by anytime) Canyon Echo Mailing Party. Volunteers save the Chapter hundreds of dollars by preparing Canyon Echo for mailing. Thank you! The job is easy to learn, and we all have a great time. Any amount of time that you’re available is appreciated. Contact Jerry Nelson at 602-279-4668 or [email protected] for details.

GRAND CANYONCHAPTER

mailto:[email protected]


Spring 2014 Canyon Echo 3


2 Chapter Announcements

4 Conserve Arizona!

5 Thank You!

6 Superstition Wilderness

7 Wilderness Experiences

8 Mount Nutt Wilderness

9 Connect Youth With Nature

10 Bicycles and Wilderness

11 Wolf Advocacy

12 Group Happenings

14 Hikes and Outings

16 Service Outings

Grand Canyon Chapter – What’s Going On?

Palo Verde: Mike Brady Plateau: Joe Shannon Rincon: Randy SerraglioSaguaro: Bev Full Sedona/Verde Valley: Carole Piszczek-Sheffield Yavapai: Gary Beverly

Go With the Flow Benefit Concert To celebrate and support the Arizona Water Sentinels program, several musicians are donating their performances. Scheduled performers include D-Squared, The Strand, Pick and Holler, and Hannes Kvarran, plus maybe some friends!

Saturday, April 267 p.m.

Fiddler’s Dream Coffeehouse1702 E. Glendale Ave., Phoenix Admission by donation of $25

Please come out to this fun event with some great musicians and support our conservation work here in Arizona!

The Grand Canyon Chapter wishes to thank Fiddler’s Dream and the performers for generously donating their time and resources for this event. Fiddler’s Dream offers a smoke-free, alcohol-free, completely acoustic musical environment in a small venue. To find out more about the venue, visit http://fiddlersdream.org.

For more information, please contact Steve Pawlowski at 602-254-9330 or [email protected].

Photo Contest Arizona’s Wilderness

Show your love of Arizona’s wild places by entering our annual photo contest! The winner will receive a bag full of Sierra Club goodies, plus the honor and recognition of your fellow members!

Visit http://canyonecho.wikispaces.com/Photo+Contest for details and to enter.

Wilderness Reading ListInterested in learning more about the Wilderness Act and the history of wilderness areas? The following books can get you started.

Frome, Michael. Battle for the Wilderness (Rev. Ed.). Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1997.Lewis, Michael (Ed.). American Wilderness: A New History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.Nash, Roderick Frazier. Wilderness and the American Mind (4th Ed.). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2001.Scott, Doug. The Enduring Wilderness. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing, 2004.Turner, James Morton. The Promise of Wilderness: American Environmental Politics since 1964. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2012.

Border Wildlife Photo Exhibition Coming to Arizona

Continental Divide is an exhibit of 30 large canvas photo prints that depict the land, wildlife, and people of the U.S.–Mexico borderlands and the impact that construction of a border wall is having on them. The images in the exhibit were taken primarily during an expedition with the International League of Conservation Photographers along the 2000-mile border. The expedition included 13 photographers who documented a diverse range of borderlands flora, fauna, and cultures.

The Continental Divide photo exhibit will be featured at the Olney Gallery at Trinity Cathedral on 100 W. Roosevelt St. in Phoenix this June. A First Friday artist reception on June 6 will feature author and photographer Krista Schlyer, whose 2013 book, also titled Continental Divide, won several prestigious awards, including the National Outdoor Book Award.

For more information contact Sandy Bahr at 602-253-8633 or call the Olney Gallery at 623-826-9912.

D-Squared.

Photo © Krista Schlyer.

http://canyonecho.wikispaces.com/Photo+Contest



Meg WeesnerWilderness Warrior

Sandy is the Chapter Director.

Cast of Characters

Meg grew up in Nashville, Ten-nessee, and remembers family trips to the Great Smoky Mountains that developed her love of hiking and the outdoors. At Northwestern University, she became a leader in the Outing Club and started leading trips for hiking, canoeing, caving, rock climbing, and cross-country skiing. Majoring in jour-nalism, she hoped to write for a maga-zine such as Backpacker or Outside.

Right out of college, Meg got a job at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in northern Arizona. She spent her weekends visiting parks and pub-lic lands on the Colorado Plateau and decided she wanted to work as a park ranger. This inspiration led to addition-al seasonal jobs at Rocky Mountain National Park and Joshua Tree National Monument (now a national park). To gain permanent status, she accepted a job editing research papers for the U.S. Forest Service in Utah and then moved to a public affairs job on a National For-est in eastern Oregon.

To broaden her educational background, Meg obtained a Master’s degree at the Uni-versity of Idaho, with a focus on wilderness and wild and scenic rivers. By the mid-1980s, she had received a permanent job with the National Park Service and focused on managing natural resources in parks. Assignments took her to Delaware Water Gap National Recre-ation Area (Pennsylvania) and New River Gorge National River (West Virginia). She became Chief of Science and Resources Management at Saguaro National Park in 1991 and held that position until she retired in 2011.

Meg joined Sierra Club in 1977 and became a life member about a decade later. She is a member of numerous other environmental groups but particularly enjoys Sierra Club because of its focus on grassroots activism, outings, and developing environmental leaders. Since retirement, Meg has been able to take a more active role in conservation organizations. In addition to her role as chair of the chapter’s Wilderness 50th Anniversary Working Group, she also serves on the board of the International Ranger Federation, which supports rangers as front-line environmental defenders around the globe. She has traveled to more than 15 countries to visit parks and to meet with rangers, and she plans to attend the World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia, this November.

Meg enjoys living in southern Arizona because of the wonderful opportunities for out-door recreation. She likes hiking, birding, traveling, reading, swimming, and yoga and ad-mits to being a news junkie. Her brother’s family lives in Tucson, so she enjoys activities with her teenage niece and nephew, as well as a couple of cousins.

Meg feels that mining, threats to water resources, and the spread of invasive plants are the most pressing environmental problems in the state. She believes that Sierra Club is well positioned to work on these issues, as well as wildlife, the border, energy, climate change, and others. The strength of its membership has made Sierra Club a major influence in this country; its programs, which turn lovers of the outdoors into advocates and environmental leaders, will ensure that it retains that leadership position.

Meg Weesner in White Canyon Wilderness. Photo courtesy of Meg Weesner.

On February 18th, more than 150 peo-ple from 24 legislative districts and 22 or-ganizations participated in Environmental Day at the Arizona State Capitol. The year’s theme was “Conserve Arizona – Water, Wildlife, & Wildlands.”

Volunteer advocates attended commit-tee hearings and caucuses and met directly with their own legislators about environ-mental protection, letting legislators know that Arizonans want wolves recovered, our rivers flowing, and our state parks funded and protected. Many people were also there to encourage legislators to stop getting in the way of renewable energy and to support so-lar rooftop and energy efficiency programs.

The majority of Arizona legislators is out of step with its constituents on these impor-tant issues; Arizonans repeatedly and consis-tently express their support for Conserving Arizona. That is why it is so important for legislators to hear more from constituents.

Volunteer advocates asked legislators to oppose bills that would weaken protections for critically endangered Mexican wolves in Arizona; to support reinstating the State Parks Heritage Fund for parks, historic pres-

Arizonans Tell State to Conserve ArizonaBy Sandy Bahr

ervation, and natural areas and to adequately fund our State Parks System; and to oppose bills that prohibit local communities from implementing efficient and green building codes and that weaken renewable energy programs.

In addition to meeting with their own legislators, participants heard from the Hon-orable Doug Von Gausig, Mayor of Clark-dale, who spoke about “Why do I care about the Verde River?” They learned about why this river and others are so important to both Mayor Von Gausig and people throughout the state. Several legislators – Senators Steve Farley and Lynne Pancrazi and Representa-tives Chad Campbell and Jamescita Pesh-lakai – also joined participants for other por-tions of the day. Some legislators presented and took questions from advocates; others met with them more informally.

All in all, it was one of the most suc-cessful environmental days ever. Sierra Club thanks all who helped plan, implement, and participate and really appreciates the legisla-tors who took the time to meet with their constituents.

Stay Informed!Learn more about what’s going on at the Arizona Legislature and how you can get in-volved by signing up for our legislative updates! Sign up at http://bit.ly/signup_email.

Legislative District 26 participants and legislators (from left): Barbara Sherman, Representative Juan Mendez, Darlene Justus, Representative Andrew Sherwood, Michael Weiss, Senator Ed Ableser, Elizabeth Stewart, Haryaksha Gregor Knauer. Photo by Will Greene.



Thank You to Our Donors!

The Grand Canyon Chapter is also thankful for the generous support from those who chose to remain anonymous.

NOTE: This list includes donations received through March 11. Donations received after that time will appear in the next issue.

Tucson Inner City Outings would like to give a special thanks to Summit Hut and Columbia Company for their generous donation in the form of a grant that will help us continue to take kids outdoors and expose them to the wonders of nature.

Photo by Kim Daly.

Thank you to James O’Sullivan for donating in memory of Florence Casterlin.

Thank you to Cathy Gorman & Phil Hedrick for donating to our Arizona Water Sentinels Campaign and to Tamara Bird and Eva Putzova for donating to our Campaign to Restore and Protect Grand Canyon!

The Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter thanks and very much appreciates the Wilburforce Foundation and all it does for our Restore and Protect the Greater Grand Canyon Ecoregion project and American Express for providing matching grants for the volunteer hours contributed by American Express employees. Mil gracias!

The Morning Stars Sing Together (500+)David EngelmanRoger & Stephanie N. Young

Make the Mountains Glad ($100–499)Patricia ArnellMadeleine AscottDr. & Mrs. Robert D. BerenMarjorie CunninghamKevin DahlBeth Dutton & David BushNathania ElderJay FaulknerDonald FauselEd GogekKenneth & Diana GometzFred HaggersonChris HendersonTim HoganThomas HulenDavid & Norma JohnstoneLois KelleyS. T. Russell & S. NeeleyNancy SantoriBeverly SassWilliam ThorntonBarbara WarrenRic WatkinsJames M. Zurich

Keep Close to Nature’s Heart ($50–99)Paula A. AboudSteve ArthurBryan BatesSusan BeanJean ClarkMary Ann CookMr. & Mrs. Rudy DankwortAndre DargisGeorge DoranJohn DotyGordon FergusonGary & Yvonne HuckleberryNina JudgeJonathan H. KressMr. & Mrs. Ivo LucchittaJames McNallenKaren & Cecil MichaelHarry MitchellVivian RossJim RutherfordMarnie S. ShepperdAlice & Karl StambaughDale Turner & Julia FonsecaDr. & Mrs. James G. UrbanJohn WeissVivian Wood

Hitched to Everything Else in the Universe ($1–49)Roger J. AtheyAl BellaviaJim BrowerDon J. CheekRobert J. CoxJeanne DevineTerry & Jack DruckerAllen DuttonJohn M. FranklinMr. & Mrs. Marlin FriedBarry & Madeline FriedmanRoxane GeorgePenelope GravesHoward GrindlingerGeorge HornPamela W. HydeCarl JacobsRuth E. JagolinzerJules KetchamBernard W. KobesAndrew KuscsikPat LewisOttilie R. & J. Boyd MatchettC. Gene MccormickDotty MeyerCarroll MunzBrian NordstromJoan PrefontaineKaren RebbRon SeligMr. & Mrs. Thomas L. ShermanNancy SieferEve & Ernest SimonLeah SussmanT. J. Wernette & C. Brown



Superstition WildernessBy Thomas Hulen

Thom is a member of the Chapter Executive Committee and is a longtime conservation advocate.

One day, around 40 to 45 years ago, I was introduced to the Superstition Wilder-ness Area when I arrived near the First Water Trailhead with my parents and sister. I was impressed when I read the sign that cars, motorcycles, and trail bikes were not permit-ted in the Superstition Wilderness. We were enjoying a Sunday looking at old mines and talking about the famous Lost Dutchman Mine. I relished the stories with the boyish interest in adventure and buried treasure. Needless to say, we did not “rediscover” the Lost Dutchman Mine, but I did discover that there were people who valued land for what it is and not what it could be or what they wanted it to be.

My father explained to me that there were people who believed it would be a tragic mistake if we did not set aside land for wild-life and its priceless scenery. It would all be crowded with buildings, roads, and garbage, he said. Even though my father would not have considered himself a conservationist, he did appreciate the value of public land. He

was the first person to warn me about the lunacy of the Sagebrush Rebellion.

Since then, I have hiked a few hundred miles in the Superstition Wilderness Area. I have explored its canyons, discovered an-cient cliff dwellings and rock art, and learned a great deal about myself.

I am reminded every day of the gift of wilderness when I see the Superstition Mountains rising to the east of Tempe where I live. If I look to the west, I can see the Es-trella Mountain Wilderness Area and, on a really clear day, Table Top Wilderness Area.

This year, the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, I plan to celebrate by vis-iting as many wilderness areas as possible; when appropriate, I will speak up for wilder-ness and wildlands at every opportunity. It will be my recognition of those who brought the Wilderness Act to fruition and my hum-ble gift to the earth’s future inhabitants, all life forms.

Rogers Canyon, Superstition WildernessBy Mitch Stevens

Most folks have hopes and dreams, some more grandiose than others. But few are fortunate enough to realize all of their dreams. Elisha Reavis wanted to live off the land in a beautiful place far away from the hordes of humanity. He lived out his dream in a high mountain valley in the Supersti-tions where he farmed, grazed cattle, and tended an orchard. Ponderosa pines graced his ranch, and a beautiful, clear, spring-fed creek watered the fruit trees he planted. He died in 1896; his grave site is located in a place few people will ever see. Thanks to Randy Weber, a Tucson hiker, historian, and naturalist, our group was one of the few.

Our objective today was to explore Rogers Canyon, so we headed west at a trail junction and hiked into this beautiful can-yon. Gradually, the character and look of the landscape transformed from high desert grassland to riparian. Huge old sycamore trees, juniper, oak, and mountain laurel ap-

peared. As we ventured deeper into the thick of Rogers Canyon, spectacular volcanic rock formations were the main features. Various shapes chiseled by the elements resembled a teapot and Queen Victoria’s crown, and a huge boulder was perched precariously high up on the canyon wall.

Finally, we arrived at the end of the trail, which held a great reward. After a short climb, the view from a cave looking out across the canyon was fantastic, a sight to behold. We retraced our steps and enjoyed the glowing canyon in late afternoon light.

The long and bumpy drive from the Rogers Trough Trailhead is almost as striking as the hike itself. To the west, views of sagua-ro-studded Byous Butte, especially at sunset, are gorgeous. Numerous ridges and peaks of the Superstitions, as well as other sky islands, are prevalent throughout the journey back to civilization.

Mitch is an outings leader with the Rincon Group.

Byous Butte, Superstition Wilderness. Photo by Mitch Stevens.

2000



Hideout Heaven: Arizona’s Santa Teresa WildernessBy Robert Luce

Superstition Wilderness

Our trek through the Santa Teresa Wil-derness begins near the “town” of Klondyke, loops up through the high country, and re-turns to Klondyke Road roughly 15 miles east. We are backpacking the Grand En-chantment Trail, a 700-mile-long trail from Phoenix to Albuquerque.

The Santa Teresa Mountains are one of Arizona’s famed Sky Islands. The 26,780-acre wilderness is a remote, ragged network of eroded granite mountains with bizarre rock formations and no real hiking trails, so much of our route is a cross-country scram-ble through rough topography.

It’s so quiet out here; I hear a scurrying sound in the loose rock fifty yards across the drainage and spot five javalina. Rock wrens cheerfully call from granite outcrops among scattered agave, ocotillo, and juniper. Where the Reef Basin Trail tops out, the snow-cov-ered Galiuro Mountains and Gila Moun-tains shine in the morning sun. Snow in the shade on the north-facing slope right beside

us is also a reminder of the storm of a few days ago.

In five miles, we ascended from the desert scrub (3,400 feet) to pine/oak habi-

tat at Reef Tank (5,200 feet). Along the way, we passed old roads leading to Grand Reef Mine, Dog Water Mine, and other lead and silver mines, all played out decades

Mt. Wrightson NightBy Michael Smith

I am alone at 9453 feet, on a mountain top the way I imagine it: a quarter acre, may-be half, no trees, drop-offs up to 1000 feet on all sides. Above me, swifts are catching insects, their swept wings making identifica-tion easy. I am dehydrated after hiking up on a hot June day, the 32-ounce drink I had at the start long gone before I even reached Josephine Saddle at 7200 feet. I am a verti-cal mile and a half above Tucson, five miles from the trailhead.

My thirst doesn’t matter; I am higher than any other person in southern Arizona, seeing a wonderful sunset I will never forget, the reds and oranges stunning. It was worth hiking up from my Baldy Saddle campsite to the top. I must leave soon, as it is starting to get dark, and some of the trail is not safe in darkness. I will awaken tomorrow, away from the rush hour traffic of a large city, in one of the wilderness areas of Arizona, the trailhead little more than an hour’s drive from my house. Few ever see this place, the Mt. Wrightson Wilderness, my favorite spot

in southern Arizona, where I myself am a visitor and will not long remain.

I have camped here alone in a snow-storm, hearing the snow accumulate and then slide down the tent, warm inside my sleeping bag. I have day-hiked up here in the snow, playing hooky from work, return-ing to my job that afternoon, completely soaked, but absolutely happy and thrilled to be alive. I have hiked up here and down the other side to Gardner Canyon, then turned around and came back up and over. I came up the north side one day and stayed too long, hiking down in the dark, an owl’s sud-den hoot making me almost jump off the trail. That was a great hike. They all are.

From Baldy Saddle, reached from the west by 33 switchbacks, I see Green Valley and the Catalinas north of Tucson. To the east, I see Sonoita, Sierra Vista, and south into Mexico. From the top, I see all of these by just rotating, as is the Earth.

It took a lot of work to get up here, but that makes wilderness special. I am get-

ting my reward tonight. I earned this view, through the thirst and soreness I endured. I don’t yet know that later tonight, I will hear a cougar. I need wilderness. I can’t explain it or put a dollar sign on it, but I need it. Nor can I prove it, but I suspect others might be-come happier if they went into the wilder-

Mike, now living in Eugene, Oregon, hopes some day to again see Baldy Saddle.

ago. From the saddle overlooking Holdout Canyon, we appreciate the work it took to get here. Holdout was rumored to be an outlaw hideout; having explored Hole-in-the-Wall, Wyoming, and other hideouts of Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, I can see the resemblance. The patchwork maze of domes, spires, and gargoyles are hideout heaven. Holdout Creek provides water and creek-side sandy camp spots for us just as they might have for the Clanton Gang a hundred years ago.

On the next day, we make the dry, cross-country climb out of Holdout. Thick stands of wait-a-minute bush block our route, backward-facing spines grabbing ahold, scratching and ripping clothes and backpacks like angry bobcats. At a saddle we drop into Black Rock Canyon. In late af-ternoon, along Black Rock Creek, a stream with a flat, open floodplain, we find a camp-

ness, even a short distance, where they, too, would not long remain. They must decide for themselves. Right now, I must decide to return to my campsite. The swifts call, still catching bugs, as I start down the rocky trail.

Looking toward Mt. Wrightson from Baldy Saddle. Photo by dog.breath (Flickr).

See Santa Teresa continued on pg. 10.

City of Rocks in Holdout Canyon, Santa Teresa Wilderness. Photo by Bob Luce.



Jerry is a Sierra Club volunteer.

Mount Nutt Wilderness is located in the arid Black Mountains of northwestern Arizona, southwest of Kingman, and near the tourist stop of Oatman. It’s not a highly-used and well-known area. You won’t find managed campgrounds at its border, and there is only one road to an access point that can be traveled by passenger car. Not much more than a mile of officially-designated trails are within its boundary. Its remote high point of 5,216 feet gets little notice on the internet as a climbing destination despite its unique landscape and what must be an amazing view from the top. All these are qualities of a good wilderness.

On a warm night this past January, Jim Vaaler, David Mowry, and I camped near a dirt road a mile or so outside the wilder-ness with the intention of climbing Mt. Nutt the following day. The night was filled with sounds of yelping coyotes, braying wild burros, and the unfortunate distant whirr of an all-night operation at the Gold Road Mine, which we had passed on the drive in. All these were silenced by a sound outdoor sleep.

Our plans to reach the summit the next morning were thwarted by terrain more than by distance, but the experience, nonetheless, was memorable. Cottonwood Canyon had a surprising amount of water flowing from its

Mount Nutt WildernessBy Jerry Nelson

springs, making it necessary to climb around pools at the base of dry waterfalls and to cross a risky “bridge” made from a section of abandoned pipe that many years ago had carried water to a mine. Once we began to climb in earnest, the loose volcanic pebbles on the steep mocha-colored mountainsides doubled the exertion that was required to continue. As the morning passed and our legs tired, we gradually realized that our goal would not be achieved that day. We even-tually gave up the journey and made a final ascent to a saddle, where astounding views of volcanic ash slopes and lava spires accom-panied our lunch. There the summit of Mt. Nutt taunted us from only a half mile away horizontally, but still an unreachable 1,300 feet of loose rock and vertical cliffs above us. We arrived back at camp that evening very tired but, as always after such trips, with photos and memories to keep.

Mount Nutt Wilderness has contrasting management issues. It’s the home of desert bighorn sheep but also the home of contro-versial wild burros, descendants of animals used in mines many years ago. Outside its western boundary, light pollution from near-by Colorado River communities invades the skies, and noise pollution from nearby mines can invade the air. Once inside its deep can-yons, however, as John Muir once wrote,

“the galling harness of civilization drops off” and a visitor’s spirit is refreshed, if only for a few hours. Remoteness, rugged geology, challenging ascents, and scenic views make

Mount Nutt, as much as better-known primitive areas in Arizona, worthy of the proud designation of wilderness.

Top: Battleship Mountain. Bottom: Traversing the rugged geology. Photos by Jerry Nelson.



The Wonderer: A FableBy Ann McDermott

Inner City Outings: Connecting Youth with NatureBy Lisa Vaaler

Lisa is the Phoenix ICO Chair.

Inner City Outings (ICO) is a Sierra Club community outreach program that provides opportunities for urban youth and adults to explore, enjoy, and protect the natural world. This program is dedicated to providing outdoor opportunities to people who would not otherwise have them, in-cluding low-income youth of diverse cul-tural and ethnic backgrounds. ICO is made up entirely of volunteer leaders who organize a variety of outdoor adventures, including hiking, camping, mountain biking, caving, and service learning for people of all ages and abilities. Through these outings, participants are introduced to wilderness, Sierra Club

and its values, and how to tread lightly by using Leave No Trace ethics.

ICO volunteers work through partner-ships with selected agencies and children from ages 8 to 17. Food and transportation are provided, and leaders are trained in first-aid, CPR, environmental education, and youth leadership. We are always looking to form new partnerships.

In Phoenix, we try to lead monthly out-ings near the city and in wilderness areas around the state. Most of our outings con-sist of hiking, with an emphasis on natural elements, environmental impacts, plus his-torical aspects. Recent trips we have led with

Get Involved!Would you like to help introduce youth to nature? To get involved with Phoenix ICO, contact Lisa Vaaler at 602-468-4158 or [email protected]. To get involved with Tucson ICO, contact Judy Rubin at 520-891-3310 or [email protected].

It is said that there was once a time when humans lost sight of themselves and forgot who they were. Day and Night, the two primary creators, heard the prayers of those who remembered that skill and were truly perplexed.

“What are they asking?” said Day. “I don’t understand what they want.”

“I’m not sure,” answered Night. “Can it be they can’t see any longer? Are they blind?”

“Maybe that’s it,” said Day, “but how did that happen? They can create as well

as the rest of creation, so what’s blinding them?”

“Perhaps all they can see is what they create,” speculated Night. “Might that do it?”

“Not if they look closely enough,” an-swered Day. “Are they trying not to see?”

“Perhaps they’re just too distracted,” Night said thoughtfully. “Is there some way we can help?”

“We have shown them the greatest wholeness lies in the greatest diversity. The

greatest diversity is in wilderness. The whole of creation always mirrors the creators. This is self-evident,” said Day.

“To you, to us, but perhaps not them,” said Night. “That would be disorientating.”

“Then let’s call to them. Perhaps some can still hear,” Day proposed.

A bald eagle plunged feet first into the urban lake, snatching a fish for his nestlings.

He screamed his delight with the successful hunt and flew away. One child in those clus-tered on the playground looked up at the sound and watched the bird depart.

“I wonder,” she said, and walked into the forest.

Ann is committed to the fable as an art form that reaches across rational mind limitations.

youth include to Eagletail Wilderness, South Mountain, and the Oatman Massacre site.

Phoenix’s ICO program is in constant need of energetic new volunteers to drive youth to get active. Many volunteers give their time, sweat, and brilliance to provide exciting learning and exploring opportuni-ties for the youth. ICO stays successful by continuing to attract interested people with an active concern for our community’s fu-ture. Phoenix ICO is in need of volunteers

who are willing to lead hikes and outdoor activities. If you would like to learn more about our program and how to volunteer, we have monthly meetings the first Wednes-day of every month at 7 p.m., located at LUX coffee house at 4402 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85012. The light rail stops right by the coffee house. Please join us to learn more. Thank you, and hope to see you out on the trail supporting our youth!

Photos by Lisa Vaaler.



Santa Teresa continued from pg. 7.

Joe is Chair of the Plateau Group. Emma is a 31-year Sierra Club member. Both are avid cyclists.

Bicycles and the Wilderness ActBy Joe Shannon and Emma Benenati

site. Like real outlaws, we hide our tents in the brush, leave few tracks or sign, have no fire, and arrange our camp so we can see a mile or more of our back trail.

Day 3, our last in the Santa Teresa Wil-derness. Black Rock Canyon is suffused with a magnificent golden light at sunup. With our long shadows trailing behind, we execute another off-trail scramble, one nec-

essary to avoid trespassing on private land. On the ridge, we meet up with an old pack trail as it comes up from a ranch house and heads almost directly south toward Klon-dyke Road, traversing the shoulder of Cot-tonwood Mountain, Pinnacle Ridge, Dark Canyon, Devil’s Hole, and Lower Hideout beckon. A world of places yet to be explored.

Bob is a writer and nature photographer.

The Wilderness Act of 1964 states “...there should be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport....” It is the elimination of all forms of “mechanical transport” that has uniformly excluded bi-cycle travel in designated wilderness areas. Although the majority of mountain bike riders understand and respect the Wilder-ness Act as written, there is a determined ef-fort by the International Mountain Bike As-sociation (IMBA) to advocate for access into wilderness areas through boundary adjust-ments. The IMBA is, without question, an organization funded by the bicycle industry to promote new “access” to public lands, to reduce trail closures to mountain bikes, and, therefore, to sell more bicycles.

The IMBA has done a very good job of taking on the role of “good guy trail ambas-sador” through coordinating volunteer trail building and maintenance. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in Arizona uses its expertise and efforts as a primary source of “commu-nity trail input” and repair to compensate for its inability to secure needed funds to hire contractors. For example, the pending Coconino National Forest Dry Lake Hills/Mt Elden Recreation Plan is plainly skewed toward mountain bike travel, which many perceive as a pay-back to the IMBA and its members for many weekends of trail work over the years.

At first glance, you may see this as okay and not a problem for wilderness areas or even for USFS management decisions be-cause USFS officials are required to work with forest user groups. However, exchang-

ing public land access for volunteer work is not a transparent leadership method. Imag-ine if the mining industry used the same tactics by having its employees volunteer for road rehabilitation for access to proposed claims. Does this mean that over time the IMBA will achieve its goal of bicycle travel in federally-designated wilderness areas?

At the state level, IMBA is very active and good at convincing land managers that human-powered travel trumps the mechani-cal aspects of bikes, so bikers are really no different than hikers. Make no mistake, the IMBA is a well-funded and trained industry lobby group that has had success in pushing for new trails and access throughout western public land. The under-35 age group con-stantly demands new and more contrived trails as it grows bored with established trail systems. Wilderness areas are typically high elevation and steep, which suits the current bicycle industry push for downhill or grav-ity rider access. These are bikes with long suspension travel, equal to motorcycles, that weigh so much they cannot be pedaled up-hill.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Sierra Club members should continue to pressure the USFS to seek adequate funding for sustainable trails, to pursue a legal review of trading volunteer work for public land access, and to remind land managers that the Wilderness Act prohibits automobiles, bicycles, and other mechanized transport.

Learn more about IMBA’s Public Lands Initiative at https://www.imba.com/pli.

Joe Shannon enjoys a ride on a forest trail (not in wilderness). Photo by Emma Benenati.

Okay, maybe you don’t hunt or fish – or even like the idea – but you do like the outdoors. Buying a Duck Stamp is a way to show this appreciation. Duck Stamps are an example of a good program with minimal overhead: 98% of the $15 annual fee goes to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. Hunters of waterfowl are required to buy one; those who don’t hunt but who have a stamp can get into U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges without paying a fee.

Signed by Republican president Her-bert Hoover, with funding approved by Democrat Franklin Roosevelt five years later, the Duck Stamp is one of those wonderful American ideas in which people worked to-gether – people with different ideas, those who hunt and those who don’t. Both groups share a deep love for waterfowl and places where waterfowl congregate, areas so impor-tant to these species and to the purification of aquifers, but areas that are also in great danger of being lost.

The Case for Buying a Duck StampBy Michael Smith

I’ve been buying a stamp for only 10 years, far too late, I know, but while I can’t turn back the clock, I can control the fu-ture. Please control your future and that of our endangered wetlands. Tell your hunter friends that you have one. Be proud to show it. They will be impressed that you feel so strongly about wetlands that you plunked down $15, even if you don’t hunt. Tell them you like free passes to these areas. They are your lands.

Learn More!Learn more about and buy Duck Stamps at http://www.duckstamp.com. If you are an artist, consider entering the Duck Stamp artwork competition, the only fed-erally-legislated art competition in the country. Winning this contest is a big deal.

Mike is an active Sierra Club member.



Keystone predators, trophic cascades, grazing allotments, depredations – just a few of the many terms I have encountered as a novice advocate for wolves. It continues to be a complex and divisive topic, to say the least.

The federal proposal to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) split Americans primarily into two factions – wolf advocates urging continued protection and citing the benefits wolves bring to eco-systems, fearing their decimation once again, versus livestock owners fearing depredations and hunters fearing competition for prey. More than enough fear to go around.

In the six states where protection has been removed, 2,600 wolves have been killed via hunting over the last two years, a harbinger of the future if ESA protection is removed entirely. Idaho hired a professional hunter/trapper intending to eliminate 60% of the wolves in the Frank Church Wilder-ness. This was temporarily halted by an emergency motion filed by a coalition of conservation groups.

The announced results of a peer review performed by scientists at the behest of the federal government stated that the science

Wolf Advocacy – Not So Simple But Worth the EffortBy Kathy Ann Walsh

used to support the delisting proposal was faulty. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opened another 45-day public comment pe-riod, which ended on March 27.

So, do wolves really belong in our public wil-derness areas, and how do they serve a healthy ecosys-tem? In Yellow-stone, wolves were restored in 1995 after a 70-year absence. The elk population has been halved, bringing back over-browsed aspen, willows, and cottonwoods, which in turn stabilize streams and provide bird habi-tat. Reduced coyote populations assisted in resurgence of pronghorn. Fish, other aquatic species, and beavers are thriving in narrower, colder, deeper streams. This top-down effect of restoring a keystone predator is known as a trophic cascade, a complex interweaving of plant, water, and animal life.

Conversely, our public lands suffer from pollution and overgrazing by cattle whose owners enjoy the benefits of antiquated graz-ing allotments, without which the ranching

industry in the West would probably not be viable. Although some livestock owners have learned to coexist with wolves, the majority call for removal of wolves, which truly be-

long in the wilder-ness, so that cattle, which clearly don’t belong, can continue to degrade the land.

Here in the Southwest, the Mexican gray wolf (or lobo) may re-

ceive ESA protection as a separate subspe-cies. Although helpful, the Arizona Leg-

Kathy is a wilderness volunteer and wolf advocate.

I’m sure that you noted the passing of Pete Seeger at 94 years of age in January.

The legacy of Pete Seeger has so much to teach us. I always “liked” him, but I didn’t realize the length, depth, breadth, and value of his contributions to our society. I’m em-barrassed to admit that his death taught me more than his life – I guess I had my head in the sand on this one.

He was an amazing scholar of folk mu-sic, but, more importantly, he used music as a tool of social change. For 70 years, Seeger had a huge influence on every major social issue in America: workers rights, fair pay, free speech, anti-nuclear, women’s rights, ra-cial equality, civil rights, voting rights, peace movement, Vietnam war opposition, and environmental protection (especially the Hudson River).

Lessons from Pete Seeger’s LifeBy Gary Beverly

During Joe McCarthy’s 1950s anti-communist witch-hunt, Pete refused to answer questions, was blacklisted, and was sentenced to prison. In spite of the blacklist, he founded the Weavers, a wildly successful folk group with many hit songs in the ’50s.

Seeger, a contemporary of Woody Guthrie, wrote or popularized some of the most moving and memorable activist ballads of our time: “Turn, Turn, Turn,” “We Shall Overcome,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” “If I Had a Hammer,” “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy,” and many others. His music and voice renewed the spirit and re-solve of activists across the land while inspir-ing Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and other folk icons.

Today, as we work to clean our air and water and to preserve our wildlife and public

lands, we battle powerful corporate forces. It can sometimes feel hopeless. But Seeger was an incurable optimist, urging activists to keep at it, even when success seemed im-possible. Seeger believed in persistence. Para-phrasing Pete: You never know when some-thing you said, someone you talked to, will change them many years later. Keep at it.

Pete asks us to imagine a teeter-totter that has a basket on each end. One basket is loaded with heavy rocks. The other basket is empty. The heavy end, representing those that would destroy our quality of life, is root-ed in the status quo. And we are working to change the balance – trying to make the world right again and to create a sustainable

future – by using a teaspoon to trickle sand into the empty basket. One spoonful at a time; the rocks are laughing at us. But, if we get enough people with enough teaspoons, we will fill up that basket. At the tipping point, the teeter-totter begins to move, and suddenly tips to our side. And then everyone else looks up wondering, “What? How did that happen?”

Pete called this “horizontal power.” That is his legacy to us, the people.

To learn more about Pete Seeger and to see a remembrance of his life, visit http://bit.ly/SeegerTribute.

Gary is Chair of the Yavapai Group.

People were silentThen many found their voicesNow the wild wolves howl

–Sandy Bahr

islature launched bills SB1211, SB1212, and SCR1006, which make it much easier to kill wolves, set aside $250,000 to legally battle future reintroductions, and promote anti-wolf propaganda. At the time of writing this article, these bills have passed the Senate with the House vote looming.

To put the issue in perspective, a quote from “The Daily Coyote” by Shreve Stock-ton: “We romanticize that wild animals en-joy an idyllic life of freedom, when really, they are fighting to survive, for food and shelter and safety and against the infringe-ments of man.”

Mexican gray wolf howling. Photo courtesy of Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center.

The Case for Buying a Duck Stamp



Happenings Around the StateSix groups make up the Grand Canyon Chapter. All the events and meetings listed below are open to members interested in learning more about the Sierra Club. You can find out more at our website: http://arizona.sierraclub.org/meetings_events.asp. Schedules are subject to change. (x) Group ExCom members

Rincon Group (Tucson)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/rincon

Chair: Randy Serraglio (x) 520-396-1143 [email protected]/Conservation: Keith Bagwell (x) 520-623-0269 [email protected]: Roy Emrick (x) 520-326-7883 [email protected]: Ken Bierman 520-882-2708 [email protected]: Russell Lowes (x) 520-321-3670 [email protected]: Mitch Stevens 520-647-3823 [email protected] City Outings: Judy Rubin 520-891-3310 [email protected]: Lee Oler 520-791-9246 [email protected]: Natalie Lucas (x) 928-600-7844 [email protected] (At-Large): Michelle Crow (x) 520-743-9958 [email protected]

Carl Kanun (x) 520-297-1128 [email protected]

Canyon Echo encourages contributors to use Creative Commons licensing.This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCom-mercial-ShareAlike License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5 or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California 94105.

All other contributions, including photos, cartoons, and written work, fall under standard copyright restrictions.

Saguaro Group (North Maricopa County)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/saguaro

Chair: Bev Full (x) 480-221-2554 [email protected]/Conservation: Dianne Leis (x) 480-619-8789 [email protected]: Lynne Cockrum-Murphy (x) 602-569-6078 [email protected]: Urb Weidner (x) 602-595-3301 [email protected]: Peter Weinelt (x) 623-388-2209 [email protected] Outings: Doug Murphy (x) 602-569-6078 [email protected]: Jim Wilkey 480-649-2836 [email protected]: Bob Moore (x) 480-543-7409 [email protected]

Palo Verde Group (Phoenix)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/paloverde

Chair/Membership: Michael Brady (x) 480-250-4054 [email protected]: Fareed Abou-Haidar (x) 480-345-1779 [email protected]: Jerry Nelson (x) 602-279-4668 [email protected]: Blair McLaughlin (x) 602-618-8591 [email protected]: Don Steuter (x) 602-956-5057 [email protected]: Jim Vaaler (x) 602-553-8208 [email protected] City Outings: Lisa Vaaler 602-468-4158 [email protected]: Ariel Lebarron (x) [email protected] (At-Large): David McCaleb (x) 602-840-7655 [email protected]

Natalie Melkonoff (x) [email protected]

MAY 6, JUN 3 (TUE) 6:30 p.m. Conservation Committee meetings. Contact Don Steuter. MAY 8, JUN 12 (THU) 6:30 p.m. Executive Committee meetings. Contact Mike Brady. Meetings are held in the 2nd floor conference room in the SE corner of the Quality Inn, 202 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix.

APR 17, MAY 15, JUN 19 (THU) 6:30 p.m. Free monthly programs. The Palo Verde Group offers monthly programs on the third Thursday of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Quality Inn Garden Room, 202 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix. Monthly programs are open to the public. Visit http://PaloVerdeGroup.org or call 480-990-9165 for more information.

For information on any event, contact Bev Full.

APR 19 (SAT) 8 a.m. Breakfast discussion. Join us at Songbird’s Nest Café, 6033 E. Cave Creek Rd. Our guest, Meg Weesner, will talk about wilderness and its role and history in Arizona. Arizona has 90 wilderness areas covering 4.5 million acres of federal land. It is one of only five states that have wilderness areas managed by all four federal wilderness agencies. During 2014, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of passage of the Wilderness Act, and Meg will describe some of the activities that will be held and how Sierra Club members can get involved. Meg is a 35-year life member of Sierra Club. She has been serving as the chapter’s Wilderness 50th Anniversary Coordinator since early 2013, and she is retired from a 34-year career in the National Park Service. To be followed by a short hike at 9 a.m.

MAY 15 (THU) 5:30 p.m. Executive Committee meeting/potluck. Located at Urb Weidner’s home. All interested members are invited to participate.

MAY 17 (SAT) 8 a.m. Breakfast discussion. Join us at Songbird’s Nest in Cave Creek. A member of the Raptor Rescue Foundation will present a short program and will bring a bird or two.

JUN 21 (SAT) Wildlife rehabilitation center tour. Meet at Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center to view native animals being cared for. Bring a sack lunch to enjoy after the tour.

APR 24, MAY 22, JUN 26 (THU) Conservation Committee (6 p.m.) and Executive Committee (7:15 p.m.) meetings. The meetings are open to the public. Sierra Club members, in particular, are urged to attend and to participate. Hope you see you there! Located in the first floor conference room of the Historic YWCA, 738 N. Fifth Ave., Tucson.

The following programs are located at SEIU, 1600 N. Tucson Blvd., Tucson. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Keith Bagwell.

APR 10 (THU) 7 p.m. Seeking Action on Global Climate Change. Since the early 1990s, the United Nations, under its Framework Convention for Climate Change, has sought global collective action on climate change. Sierra Club and its youth chapter, Sierra Student Coalition, have sent a 20-member delegation each year to try to persuade U.S. negotiators to take bold action to reduce global climate disruption. Rincon Group Membership Chair Natalie Lucas has participated on this delegation for several years, this year in Warsaw, Poland. She gives a brief history of the talks, tells us where they stand, and describes the Sierra Club strategy to move us forward in a positive fashion.

MAY 8 (THU) 7 p.m. Energy Issues from Fukushima to Tucson. Rincon Group Energy Chair Russell Lowes fills us in on today’s major energy issues – international, national, and local. He answers these questions: Does Japan have Fukushima under control? What is the status of solar, wind, nuclear, and coal energy in Germany and in other leading renewables nations? What is fracking, and what is its impact on climate change? What is going on in Arizona’s solar industry? Does it still make sense to go solar after Arizona politicians’ anti-solar assault? What is the status of Tucson’s coal/gas power plant? What, individually and collectively, can we do to move from fossil fuels to renewables?

JUN 12 (THU) 7 p.m. Wilderness in Arizona. Meg Weesner tells us about wilderness and its role and history in Arizona, which has 90 designated wilderness areas covering 4.5 million acres of federal land. It is one of only five states with wilderness areas that all four federal land agencies manage. This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act. Meg describes some activities that are part of the celebration and how Sierra Club members can get involved. Meg, a 35-year life member of Sierra Club, has been serving as the Grand Canyon Chapter’s Wilderness 50th Anniversary Coordinator since early 2013. She is retired from a 34-year National Park Service career.



For information about activities in the Flagstaff area, contact Joe Shannon.

Wilderness continued from pg. 1.

Meg chairs the chapter’s Wilderness 50th Anniversary Working Group.

Plateau Group (Flagstaff)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/plateau

Chair: Joe Shannon (x) 928-527-3116 [email protected]: Sienna Chapman (x) 928-863-0074 [email protected]: Sarah Johnson (x) 831-998-2585 [email protected]: Sharon Galbreath [email protected]: Rick Resnick [email protected] (At-Large): Heath Emerson (x) 661-352-4953 [email protected]

Dick Hingson (x) 928-699-8366 [email protected]

Yavapai Group (Prescott)http://arizona.sierraclub.org/yavapai

For information about activities in the Prescott area, contact Gary Beverly.

Chair/Outings: Gary Beverly (x) 928-636-2638 [email protected]/Conservation: Tom Slaback (x) 928-778-4233 [email protected]/Treasurer/Political: Joe Zarnoch (x) 928-636-5501 [email protected]: Robby Alley (x) 928-200-5631 [email protected] (At-Large): Bart Brush (x) 928-710-7691 [email protected]

For information about activities in the Sedona/Verde Valley area, contact Brian Myers.

Sedona/Verde Valley Grouphttp://arizona.sierraclub.org/sedona

Chair: Brian Myers (x) 928-204-1703 [email protected]: Anne Crosman (x) 928-284-9252 [email protected]: Carole Piszczek-Sheffield (x) 928-204-1517 [email protected]: Margaret Anderson 928-203-4355 [email protected]: Tina Choate (x) 928-204-1703 [email protected]: Angela Lefevre 928-204-5827 [email protected]: Duane Edwards [email protected]: John Sheffield 928-204-1517 [email protected] (At-Large): Carol Grieshaber (x) 928-592-9222 [email protected]

In late 1976, portions of Chiricahua National Monument and what was then Sa-guaro National Monument (now a national park) were added. The Pusch Ridge Wilder-ness in the Coronado NF was designated early in 1978, and, in November of that year, the huge National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 designated most of Organ Pipe Cac-tus National Monument as wilderness.

These laws, however, merely set the stage for the larger and more comprehensive wilderness laws that were to come. Dedi-cated members of Sierra Club and other conservation organizations worked tirelessly, and, in August 1984, the Arizona Wilder-ness Act was passed. It designated more than one million additional acres of wilderness in Arizona, most of which was on national forest land. It also designated the first nine wilderness areas on Bureau of Land Manage-ment (BLM) lands in the state – including Aravaipa Canyon in the southeast and Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs on the Plateau.

Then, late in 1990, the number and acreage of wilderness areas in Arizona more than doubled. The Arizona Desert Wilder-ness Act was the culmination of almost 20

years of work by local conservationists to protect roadless areas on BLM lands and wildlife refuges. The bill designated 38 new BLM wilderness areas and additions to Ara-vaipa Canyon Wilderness. It also designated the largest wilderness in Arizona – Cabeza Prieta – and areas on three other wildlife ref-uges.

Hundreds of conservation activists, many of them with Sierra Club, deserve thanks for these designations. In Congress, Morris K. Udall, Jim McNulty, Dennis DeConcini, Barry Goldwater, and John Mc-Cain were the leaders whose work resulted in these areas being protected as wilderness forever.

Is Arizona’s wilderness system complete? Not at all. Stay tuned for our next issue to learn about potential additions to wilderness in Arizona.

Additional information about Arizona wilderness areas can be found http://www.wilderness.net. Information about 50th anniversary events is posted at http://www.azwild50th.org and http://www.wilderness50th.org.

Classified Ads(To inquire about advertising, contact 602-253-9140 or [email protected].)

ENJOY THE OUTDOORS and many other activities you love even more- See me for injury relief/deep tissue massage/ stretching to manage as your discomfort, as many of our fellow members have. John Evans LMT (since 1995) 480-495-0898

FOR RENT. Cabin & Airstream trailers at Blue River Wilderness Retreat near Alpine, AZ. Pines, flowing streams bordered by National Forest. Outstanding hiking, fishing, & birding. Wireless access. Reasonable rates by week or month. www.blueriverretreat.com – [email protected] – 928-339-4426.

FOR RENT. Small cabin on beautiful, secluded, Blue River. Tall pines. 6200’ elevation. Excel-lent hiking and birding. Sleeps 2 ONLY. Small bath and kitchen, utilities included. Near Alpine, AZ. $350/week, $1000/month. Call 480-488-3006 or email [email protected].

Keep Up to Date with Our Chapter!Are you into social networking? So are we!

Chapter page – http://bit.ly/gcc_fbArizona Water Sentinels page – http://bit.ly/azsentinels_fbBorderlands Campaign page – http://bit.ly/border_fbEnergy – http://bit.ly/cleanenergy_fbGrand Canyon Campaign page – http://bit.ly/gccampaign_fb

Sandy Bahr – https://twitter.com/SLBahrBorderlands Campaign – https://twitter.com/SC_BorderlandsGrand Canyon Campaign – https://twitter.com/SC_GrandCanyon

Chapter – http://bit.ly/gcc_meetup

Sign up for monthly emails at http://bit.ly/signup_email.


http://www.wilderness50th.org

http://www.wilderness50th.org



Explore and Enjoy ArizonaFor up-to-date information about outings, visit http://arizona.sierraclub.org/outings.asp.

Celebrate Wilderness!

Throughout 2014, outings leaders will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act by leading hikes and other trips to Arizona’s 90 wilderness areas. Help us celebrate by joining one of these outings! Look for this logo for a wilderness outing.

Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness. Photo by Darrell Foster.

APR 5 (SAT) “C” Upper Verde River Wildlife Area (3 mi., 300’ EC OW). After eagle-spot-ting at Del Rio Springs, we’ll hike down a trail to the Verde River, where hikers can choose a) to hike 2 mi. to the confluence with Gran-ite Creek or b) to cross the river and explore sights on the rim. Either way, we’ll find bea-ver dams, wildlife, and stories about the river. Bring your camera. We’ll learn about the natural history of and the conservation issues surrounding the Verde River. Reserva-tion required; 15-hiker limit. Contact Chuck Dorsey at [email protected] (pre-ferred) or 503-686-4274. Prescott

APR 5 (SAT) “B” Bronco Ridge–Bronco Creek (11 mi., >800’ EC). This partially ex-ploratory on- and off-trail ridge trek will take us into the New River Mountains near Seven Springs. We’ll begin at Bronco Trailhead but head northward off-trail along a prominent ridge. Eventually we’ll descend to Cotton-wood Trail and follow it back to Bronco Trail, then return to our cars. Expect abundant up- and downhill travel, steep slopes, spiny plants, spectacular vistas, and untold adven-ture. Drive 40 mi. from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 9 (WED) “C” Brins Mesa Trail in the Red Rock Wilderness (6 mi. RT, 1000’ EC). Carpool to the trailhead a few mi. north of Sedona off Hwy 89A for this very nice hike.

Bring water and snacks. Contact Bev Full at 480-221-2554 or [email protected]. Phoenix

APR 12 (SAT) “C+” ICO (Inner City Outings) Sierra Anchas Reynolds Creek (6–7 mi. RT, 1200’ EC). Come enjoy this great wilderness area with kids. We will be hiking

Reynolds Creek Trail in the beautiful Sierra Ancha Wilderness. Spend the day with kids enjoying the breathtaking views! Contact Lisa Vaaler at 602-468-4158 or [email protected]. Phoenix

APR 12 (SAT) “A” Miller Peak – Miller Peak Wilderness (7.4 mi. RT, 3800’ EC). Miller Peak, at 9470’, is the highest mountain in the Huachuca Mountains and is lo-

cated 4 mi. north of the U.S.–Mexico border. We will hike Lutz Canyon Trail and then Crest Trail to the summit. Along the trail we will see

remnants of 100-year-old mining operations and equipment. Be prepared for a stiff climb as we ascend to the peak. This hike will be limited to those in excellent physical condi-tion. Contact Donald Smith at 520-591-9938 or [email protected]. Tucson

APR 12 (SAT) “C” Saguaro NP Wilderness (East): Bridal Wreath Falls (6 mi. RT, 1100’ EC). We will go up Douglas Springs Trail to Brid-al Wreath Falls and will discuss the

Wilderness Act and national parks. Limit 18. Contact Meg Weesner at 520-290-1723 or [email protected]. Tucson

APR 13 (SUN) “C” Thunderbird Park Sun-set Hike (3.5 mi., 500’ EC). We’ll travel the Cholla Loop and part of Coach Whip Trail. This hike loops around and then up the top of a hill on the east side of the park. The last 2 mi. is a gradual downhill and offers nice el-evated sunset views of much of the west val-ley. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or [email protected]. Phoenix

APR 13 (SUN) “C” Honey Bee Canyon Na-ture and Photography Hike (2–3 mi., 100’ EC). This will be an easy hike focusing on wildlife and bird viewing opportunities. Bring

an interest in learning about desert ecology. Basic desert plant, bird, and wildlife identi-fication included, so don’t expect a high-speed hike. Photography is encouraged. Families with quiet, well-behaved children over 10 are welcome; please be sure that your child can hike the distance. Limit 12. Contact Beth Ann Krueger at 520-405-5470 or [email protected]. Tucson

APR 13 (SAT) “B+” Cottonwood Mountain (6–7 mi., 1760’ EC). This exploratory hike in Tonto Basin south of Gisela will take us across a riparian area and along ridges to the 4497’ summit of Cottonwood Mountain. Expect fine views, steep and slippery slopes, brushy and spiny vegetation (leather gloves recommended), and possibly wet feet. Drive 70 mi. from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

APR 19 (SAT) “C” Upper Verde River Wild-life Area (3 mi., 300’ EC OW). See descrip-tion of April 5 outing. Reservation required; 15-hiker limit. Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-636-2638. Prescott

APR 20 (SAT) “B+” Bronco Butte (10 mi., 1200’ EC). On this trek near Cave Creek, we’ll

follow a ridge and bag several high points until we reach the 4800’ summit of Bronco Butte. Our return route will be equally inter-esting. Total gain and loss will exceed 1200’. Expect truculent vegetation, steep and slip-pery slopes, up- and downhill travel aplenty, and other tribulations. Leather gloves recom-mended. Drive 35 mi. from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-256-2854. Phoenix

APR 25–27 (FRI–SUN) “B” Mt. Graham Backpack. Day one, we will hike 4–5 mi. on Ash Creek Trail (4400’) to Oak Flat (6300’) or to the 7000’ level. Day two will take

us to the “cat walk” at 8300’, then 6 mi. to the “Horse Camp” on Shingle Mill Trail at 6000’. The final day, we will walk 6 mi. on Shingle Mill Trail, ending at 3600’. Ash Creek Trail features waterfalls and a beautiful ripar-ian area. Shingle Mill Canyon is wide open with expansive views. We will talk about the wilderness potential for area. Contact Jim Vaaler at 602-553-8208 or [email protected]. Phoenix

APR 25–30 (FRI–WED) “D” Canoe/Kayak the Green River through Labyrinth Canyon. This area is designated “wilderness study” and is currently threatened

by potential mining. Camp 4 nights along the river with awesome views. Carpool from Phoenix to Moab to group camp on Friday. We will be inviting members of the local Southwest Utah Wilderness Alliance to talk about their preservation efforts. Cost: $195, includes the group camp, shuttles, canoe rental equipment, and the food while on the river. Contact Bev Full at 480-221-2554 or [email protected]. Phoenix

APR 26 (SAT) “B” Sycamore Creek Wilderness to Railroad Draw (6 mi., 300’ EC OW). We’ll begin at Sycamore Wilderness Trailhead but will quickly detour

away from other hikers. When we reach Syc-amore Creek, we’ll hike down to the Verde River, then up river 3 mi. through the riparian forest, pausing for outstanding views of the red rock Verde Canyon and searching for os-prey, bald eagle, black hawk, and great blue heron. There is no trail, but the walking is easy. Occasional shallow wading is required. Reservation required; 12-hiker limit. Contact






Explore and Enjoy ArizonaFor up-to-date information about outings, visit http://arizona.sierraclub.org/outings.asp.

See Outings continued on pg. 16.

Gary Beverly at [email protected] (pre-ferred) or 928-636-2638. Prescott

APR 26 (SAT) “B” Salome Jug – Salome Wilderness (6 mi. RT). Salome Creek is a major drainage for the Sierra Ancha Mountains; the Jug is the narrow section be-

fore Roosevelt Lake. This technical hike in a water-filled canyon cut from pink granite is for beginner to intermediate canyoneering enthusiasts. There is a considerable amount of wading and swimming; all participants must be experienced at scrambling and rappelling. Everyone will provide their own gear, such as harness, descending device, carabineers, helmets, and slings. We’ll dis-cuss the amazing geology of this canyon. Contact Mitch Stevens at 520-991-1199 or [email protected]. Tucson

APR 26 (SAT) “B” Maverick Butte (7 mi., 1200’ EC). This peakbag will take us to the 4870’-high summit of Maverick Butte in the New River Mountains near Seven Springs. We will mostly follow a jeep trail, but the final mile of the climb will be off-trail with steep and rocky slopes and punishing vegetation. The views of the Verde Valley and surround-ing mountains are spectacular. Drive 45 mi. from Scottsdale. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

MAY 3 (SAT) “B” Elephant Head (6.2 mi RT, 1053’ EC, 2343’ accumulated EC). Elephant Head (5607’) is a prominent natural land-mark in Santa Cruz Valley on the west side of the Santa Rita mountain range. Climbing this steep 1000’ monolith will require some class-3 off-trail scrambling and a class-4 move near the summit. The summit affords magnificent views of the Santa Cruz Valley, Arivaca, Tubac, and Baboquivari Peak. This hike will be limited to those with experience in off-trail hiking and in good physical con-dition. Contact Donald Smith at 520-591-9938 or [email protected]. Tucson

MAY 3 (SAT) “C” Eagletail Moun-tains Wilderness (7 mi. RT). The 97,880-acre Eagletail Mountains Wilderness was created as part of the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act

of 1990 and contains the 15 mi. of the Ea-gletail Mountains and Courthouse Rock. We will hike Ben Avery Trail and, along the way,

will learn more about this special wilderness, its plants and animals, and the people who helped it gain wilderness protection. Con-tact Sandy Bahr at 602-253-8633 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAY 3 (SAT) “B+” Peak 5630 (9 mi., 1600’ EC). Northeast of Superior, several peaks ex-ceeding 5000’ in elevation overlook Queen Creek Canyon. The highest of these is 5630’ but is unnamed. This hike will take us up a ridge to the summit, following a steep, rocky, and brushy route. Views are superb. Our re-turn trip will mostly follow dirt roads. Drive 70 mi. from Tempe. Call Ken McGinty at 602-265-2854. Phoenix

MAY 4 (SUN) “C” Chiricahua Na-tional Monument Wilderness: Heart of Rocks and Rhyolite Canyon (7 mi., 1500’ EC). This is a one-way hike, ending lower than

we started, but there are some uphill sec-tions. We will take at least two cars to do the shuttle. The views are stunning, and during a lunch break we will discuss how historical resources in wilderness are managed. Limit 12. Contact Meg Weesner at 520-290-1723 or [email protected]. Tucson

MAY 10 (SAT) “C” ICO (Inner City Outings) Red Mountain Flagstaff. Come enjoy this Cinder Cone estimated to be over one mil-lion years old. Hiking with kids as we travel into the heart of this breached-out cone, with dramatic changes in soil and rock features! Truly a unique geological formation! Contact Lisa Vaaler at 602-468-4158 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAY 10 (SAT) “C-” Lake Pleasant Hike, Pic-nic, and Swim. We’ll hike Pipeline Canyon Trail (3.8 mi. RT, 250’ EC), then we’ll have a picnic lunch (bring your own). After lunch, we’ll head for the visitors center and do the short Roadrunner Trail (1.2 mi. RT) on the lake’s shore by the dam. We can do some swimming from Roadrunner Trail. You’re welcome to do some or all of this. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAY 17 (SAT) “B” Apache Creek Wilder-ness (7 mi. RT, 500’ EC). Apache Creek is one of the least visited wilderness areas on the Prescott National Forest and offers beau-

tiful vistas, remote quiet, and abun-dant wildlife. Elevations are around 5400’, and water is perennial in the creek. Drive time from Prescott is approximately 75 minutes, and

roads are suitable for passenger cars. Camp-ing is available at dispersed campsites. Res-ervation required; 5-hiker limit. Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-636-2638. Prescott

MAY 18–19 (SUN–MON) “C” Strawberry Crater Wilderness (4 mi. RT, 800’ EC). Hike from Painted Desert Vista into Strawberry Crater Wilderness. This outing is part of

an overnight camp at O’Leary Group Camp-ground by Sunset Crater National Monu-ment. Cost: $20, includes one dinner, one breakfast, and campground fees. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or [email protected] or Bev Full at 480-221-2554 or [email protected]. Phoenix

MAY 24 (SAT) “B” Muldoon Poten-tial Wilderness Area (4 mi. OW, 300’ EC). Join us for an off-trail ad-venture in a wild and beautiful sec-tion of the upper Verde River that

lies within this Potential Wilderness Area. From the trailhead on the canyon rim, we’ll hike down 300’ for 0.5 mi. to the end of the trail at the river. From here, there is no trail

– just a very remote and beautiful canyon. We’ll wade across the river (knee deep) a few times to explore interesting sights. Reserva-tion required; 10-hiker limit. Contact Gary Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-636-2638. Prescott

MAY 31 (SAT) “C” Upper Verde River Wild-life Area (3 mi. OW, 300’ EC). See descrip-tion of April 5 outing. Pre-reservation re-quired; 15-hiker limit. Contact Chuck Dorsey at [email protected] (preferred) or 503-686-4274. Prescott

JUN 6–8 (FRI–SUN) Navajo National Monu-ment Camp (5 mi. RT, 700’ EC). Two nights group camping and guided tour hike of the ruins at Navajo National Monument. The monument is at 7300’ elevation. Cost: $40, includes 2 dinners, 2 breakfasts, and lunch fixings at the campground. Optional side trip to Antelope Canyon on Sunday. Contact Pete Weinelt at 623-388-2209 or vitalpaw@ yahoo.com. Phoenix

JUN 7 (SAT) “B” Bear Siding to Perkinsville Bridge (7 mi., 100’ EC). After shuttling ve-hicles (2WD, 12 mi.), we’ll bushwhack down the Verde River through a very pretty and wild part. There is no trail; be prepared to push through brush and wade the river. This

The Sierra Club is a nationwide organization with active local outings for members and non-members. Please join us as we make friends and explore life-enriching interests. Simply find an outing by date and contact the leader for directions, reservations, time, and additional information. RESTRICTIONS: NO FIREARMS, RADIOS, OR PETS (unless noted otherwise). Outings are by reservation. Call early (group limit 20). Each hike is rated for degree of difficulty and risk by the leader.

“A” >16 miles or > 3,000 ft. elevation change (EC)“B” 8–16 miles and 1,500–3,000 ft. EC“C” 3–8 miles, 500–1,500 ft. EC RT Round Trip“D” <3 miles and 500 ft. EC OW One Way

The trip leader has absolute authority to question trip participants as to their equipment, conditioning, and experience before and during the trip. All participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard liability waiver. If you would like to read the liability waiver before you choose to participate in an outing, please go to http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms or contact the National Out-ings Dept. at 415-977-5528 for a printed version. Sierra Club liability covers leaders only. Each person is responsible for his/her own first aid equipment. If you are injured, notify the leader immediately. If you leave the trip, with our without the leader’s permission, you are considered to be on your own until you rejoin the group. Hikers are encouraged to carpool and share the driver’s fuel expense. Donations are ac-cepted from all participants at $1 (member) and $3 (nonmember). Money is collected by the leader and deposited with the group treasurer. For more information, contact Jim Vaaler at 602-553-8208. Hikes and outings are also listed online and in the Sierra Singles newsletters. CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.

Hiking Guidelines









Outings continued from pg. 15.

Sierra Service OpportunitiesGet involved and make a difference! Join us for these exciting service outings!

Water Sentinels Monitoring San Pedro River: Thursday, April 10, May 22, June 12

Verde River: Saturday, May 17 and June 14 Contact: Steve Pawlowski, 602-254-9330, [email protected]

Get your feet muddy and your hands wet with the Arizona Water Sentinels! These are great opportunities to help protect our important rivers. Volunteers are needed to take water samples and to make field observations. A group also monitors shallow groundwater levels in wells in the Murray Springs Clovis Site near Sierra Vista. These data help track impacts to the rivers and to advocate for their protection. What could be better than spending a day in gorgeous scenery while working to make a difference?

Counting Ferrets Friday–Saturday, April 18–19 and/or Saturday–Sunday, April 19–20

Contact: Carole Piszczek-Sheffield, [email protected] us as we help the Arizona Game and Fish Department monitor endangered black-footed ferrets! The black-footed ferret is the only ferret native to North America. After facing near-extinction, this species has been reintroduced in many areas through its historical range, including in Arizona. Volunteers are needed to help spotlight from dusk until dawn (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) in the relocation site just west of Seligman.

Granite Creek Clean-Up Saturday, April 19

Contact: Steve Pawlowski, 602-254-9330, [email protected] will be teaming up with Prescott Creeks for the annual Granite Creek Clean-Up. This annual event has removed 36 tons of trash from area creeks, lakes, and trails since 2007. This year, we expect to cover more miles and to pull out even more trash, making the Prescott area a more beautiful and safe place for everyone to enjoy. T-shirt and refreshments provided.

Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Sunday, April 27, May 25, June 15

Contact: Steve Pawlowski, 602-254-9330, [email protected] us restore habitat! Join us for an invasive weed pull and clean-up at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, just south of downtown Phoenix. Once a dump site, the area is now a lush riparian corridor that supports a variety of wildlife and recreation opportunities. We need help removing trash and buffelgrass, a non-native, invasive species that alters habitat and increases fire risk. Snacks, drinks, gloves, and tools provided.

Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Project Saturday, May 3

Contact: Doug Murphy, 602-569-6078, [email protected] Cross Ranch Conservation Area is a popular county park north of Phoenix. Join us to help remove barbed wire fencing and to conduct basic trail maintenance. The plan is to meet at the park at 8 a.m. and tackle the jobs before it gets too hot. Carpooling is strongly encouraged – please contact Doug for more information. Snacks provided, courtesy of the Saguaro Group.

Sierra Ancha Trail Maintenance Saturday, May 17

Contact: Jim Vaaler, 602-553-8208, [email protected] will continue our work on Rim Trail #139. Starting at 7200’ elevation, we will walk in about three miles to the 6600’ level. This trail is level and has great views

off to the south and east. The leader will talk about the recent fire history of this area as well as the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. The work will consist of sawing and removing dead trees from the trail as well as clearing brush as necessary. Participants need to bring their own gloves. Tools provided.

will be a long day, but there is outstanding scenery, photography, and other remarkable features. Frequent shallow wading required. Bring your camera. We’ll learn about the natural history of and conservation issues surrounding the Verde River. Reservation re-quired; 12-hiker limit. Contact Chuck Dorsey at [email protected] (preferred) or 503-686-4274. Prescott

JUN 14 (SAT) “C” Woodchute Wil-derness Father’s Day Hike (4 mi. OW, 600’ EC). Bring your kids (we’ll have some learning activities for them). And Mom! We will walk a

good trail into Woodchute Wilderness to the top of Woodchute Mountain for views of the entire Verde Valley, Sycamore Canyon, San Francisco Peaks, and Bill Williams Mt. Reser-vation required; 15-hiker limit. Contact Gary

Beverly at [email protected] (preferred) or 928-636-2638. Prescott

JUN 14 (SAT) “B” Miller Peak Wilderness: Ramsey Vista Camp to Miller Peak (10 mi. RT, 2400’ EC). Our route includes a section of the Arizona Trail and some ups and

downs along the way. During a lunch break, we’ll discuss fire management in wilderness. Limit 12. Contact Meg Weesner at 520-290-1723 or [email protected]. Tucson

JUN 18 (WED) “C” Kendrick Mountain Wilderness (5 mi., 1000’ EC). Carpool 21 mi. NW of Flagstaff to Kendrick Mt. Trailhead for this hike. Contact Bev Full at

480 221 2554 or [email protected]. Phoenix

JUN 21 (SAT) “A” Sundance Canyon – West Clear Creek Wilderness (5 mi. RT).

Technical canyoneering through a wet canyon on the Mogollon Rim. Sundance Canyon is a tributary of West Clear Creek, a red rock gem. This technical hike is for ad-

vanced canyoneering enthusiasts. There is a considerable amount of wading and swim-ming; the crux is a 180’ rappel into a gor-

geous amphitheatre. All participants must be strong swimmers, experienced in rappel-ling and ascending, and provide their own gear including harness, descending device, ascenders, carabineers, helmet, and sling. Contact Mitch Stevens at 520-991-1199 or [email protected]. Tucson

An endangered black-footed ferret in the spotlight. Photo courtesy of USFWS Mountain Prairie.

wilderness: celebrate arizona's wild places

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