AZ Trailblazers Hiking Club, P. O. Box 3678, Gilbert, AZ (2026)

09/04/2026

Fall Color Trip report on Nov 2022, by leader Li L.

Bassett Peak is located within the Galiuro Mountains of Coronado National Forest. With an elevation of 7663 feet, it is the highest peak in the Galiuro Mountains. This place provides wonderful fall foliage in fantastic autumnal colors every year and is our annual must-do hike.

I summited the peak 2020, so when Lin asked for a leader for the long hike, I volunteered, since I might be one of the few people who knew the route.

The weather was beautiful on November 12, although it was slightly chilly in the morning. Eight Trailblazers opted to do the longer hike to the peak. Due to the short daylight in the fall months, I suggested hiking earlier and turning around before 1:30 PM, since driving out from a rough bouldery road would prove to be very very tough, even with 4 wheel drive. Deirdre, Carl, and Lin did a short hike to enjoy the fall colors, take pictures and get their legs exercised while eight of us went ahead for the longer hike.

We started hiking at 8:30 AM. The trail started on the wide dirt road. After a mile of walking we passed a gate, where the official trailhead started. Up the canyon we went, winding up along Ash Creek, where there were many trees with slightly changing leaves, but not much. After a mile and a half, the color of the trees started showing red, orange, yellow, pink, and peach-colored foliage.

I was excited since this was my first fall color viewing this year. Normally we would do the Inner Basin but it was closed this year due to fire damage. The first part of this trail was smooth and gradual without a lot of elevation. The maple, sycamore, ash, and oaks on the sides of the trail provided colorfully scenic views making the hike so pleasant.

Terry, Joyce, and I were in the front, followed by Ken and Greg. After about 3 miles up and down hills, we crossed the streams a few times before reaching the concrete water tank area. From here we made a sharp right turn to the west and started to ascend. This part was rocky and steep, and our speed started to slow down.

I shed a layer since the elevation gain made me sweat. After another mile uphill, we reached the first summit. From here it started to become gradually uphill again. Soon we reached the East Divide Trail junction. The views from the top were marvelous and magnificent! We could see many mountain ranges far away.

Terry pointed to me Mount Wrightson, and we also spotted the white dome top of an observatory in the mountain ranges near there. Passing the interesting third summit with a window on the top, we started a few switchbacks and continued to go up. Lin, Heather, Anna, and Ron radioed us that they had all returned to the trailhead from the concrete water tank mark.

After a few more shaded switchbacks from the south side of the mountain, we reached the summit area. There were a few tricky sand slopes on this part of the trail due to severe erosion and landslides. We carefully steered our bodies to different angles to make sure that we could maintain balance and not slide downhill.

Some of these slopes were so narrow and unstable that it worried people, so last year many hikers returned from this point. Terry, Joyce, and I determined that we would summit so we kept going. After making a turn toward the north sun-facing side I know that we reached the base of the summit. There was no trail in the last ¼ mile to the summit. Tom and I bushwhacked to the summit two years ago so I tried my best to find a better route going up. The manzanita bushes in this area were so dense it was hard to find a walkable path. After several left and right steering, smacking bushes uphill we finally got to the top.

Terry found the best spot for group pictures so we took many, and ate our lunch at the top. Greg and Ken radioed us that they would return from the trail junction on the second summit, and not go any farther, since they had to drive back to Phoenix that day and needed to go back before dark.

I signed the log book and found my signature from 2020 year. Since my cell had signal, I texted Tom, since I was excited to see the log again but I forgot to bring a good jar to put the log in as I had intended in 2020. If I am going there next year I will need to bring one so the log book would be protected.

Returning to the trailhead was smooth and easier, although some descending parts were tricky and slippery due to loose rocks. We saw a few people on the trail. Two of them were with dogs on our way down, and it seemed like we were the first group that day to go to the top. To my surprise, I did not see anyone camping this year on our way back. When we got back to the trailhead it was about 16:30. It was perfect timing before sunset and the road getting dark. We had an excellent hike up to Basset Peak.

Our total time was 6 hours 15 minutes with 13.5 miles and 2959 feet of elevation change. I was satisfied with our accomplishment and we celebrated at La Unica Mexican restaurant in Willcox.

09/03/2026

AZ Fall Color is short but it is beautiful. Are you ready for the Fall color yet? Here is the trip report from 2021, our Inner Basin hike on Oct 8.

Inner Basin at Lockett Meadows, is one of the most colorful fall color locations in northern AZ. The Aspen trees are Mature, Tall, and Handsome. On Oct 8, 2021, we got up in the early morning and met at the McDonald’s on Hwy 89 in Flagstaff at 8:00 am and carpooled to Lockett Meadows campground.

Thirteen of us met at the Trailhead: Arman, Tamar, Jim, Tom, Li, Ken, Terry L, Terry K, Chris A, Les, Lin, Laura and Gail, after group pictures, we were ready to hit the trail. The Temperature was cool at 50 F.

We split into two groups: Li led the longer and fast-paced hike to Snowslide Spring - Li, Tom, Ken, Les, Terry K, Chris A and Les. Lin led the shorter hike - Jim, Tamar, Arman, Terry L, Gail, Laura, and Lin.
The Fall colors were beautiful, we stopped many places to take pictures and enjoyed the view. We stopped at our usual spot for a snack.

At the beginning of the hike, it was cool and sunny. As we made our return, the weather started changing, with thick and dark clouds moving in, the air temperature dropped, and we could smell the snowstorm coming.

As we returned to the trailhead, we felt a few drops of rain. We reorganized the carpools at the trailhead and drove safely back to McDonalds. After less than 10 minutes, Li’s group was back to the McDonalds too. It was a great day and an easy hike with beautiful fall colors. We did about 7.8 miles.

Lockett Meadow to Snowslide Spring 10/08/21, by Tom Simonick

Li Li was in charge of the hikers taking a longer hike beyond the Inner Basin. Originally we were hiking up to the junction of the Inner Basin and Weatherford trails, however, Les Cherow proposed that we go to Snowslide Spring, one of the few year round springs in the Inner Basin. In our group we had Li, Les, Tom, Terry, Ken, and Chris. After leaving the trailhead, we enjoyed walking through the yellow aspen and taking a lot of pictures. The temperature was comfortable and the sun was out. After reaching the Inner Basin pump house and what Les calls the “bus stop” shelter, we walked a little farther and then made a right turn on a primitive road. We followed the “road” steadily upward until it stopped, but we continued onward. The aspen were gold or in the midst of changing. As we climber the aspen gave way to conifers and the route became steeper. About 1.5 miles from the bus stop and 1000 feet higher we were at the spring. Actually, we were at a grating from which the spring water emerges. According to Les, the actual spring was a little farther and higher from our location. The temperature had dropped significantly and rain clouds had been building for a while. Our elevation was approximately 10,700 feet. We decided to turn around and start down to avoid the potential for a freezing rain or possibly snow. We hiked out of the Basin and decided to take the old trail (road) back to the trailhead rather than the trail. The route had the advantage of being a little shorter and not crowded. In fact we only saw six or seven other hikers. While the colors are not as spectacular, there is plenty of color close to the ground. We enjoyed the hike and not getting wet from rain. We hiked 8.8 miles and had accumulated elevation gain of 2800 feet.

09/02/2026

THE SKY IS UNLIMITED!

The fun starts in Arizona, takes us to our national parks, and now… all the way around the world!

We are so excited to announce that TWO amazing international hiking adventures are already planned for 2027 — ICELAND 🇮🇸 and FRANCE 🇫🇷!

Behind every one of these trips are weeks and months of hard work by our amazing hike leaders — researching trails, studying maps, contacting tour companies, negotiating hotels, working out transportation, and taking care of countless details that most of us never see.

Over the years, our AZTHC adventures have taken us to some incredible places:

🥾Dolomites — spectacular mountain trails
🇮🇹 Sardinia 2024 — beautiful trails and rich culture (and yes, one of our leader lives there!)
🇬🇷 Greece 2025 — the unforgettable blue-and-white beauty
🇭🇷 Croatia 2026 — an absolutely EPIC adventure
🇮🇸 Iceland 2027
🇫🇷 France 2027

And it’s never just about hiking.

We hike the trails, but we also explore the culture, history, architecture, churches, cathedrals, castles on the hills, monasteries on cliffs, charming villages, food, and spectacular scenery.

Sometimes the best memories aren't even on the trail — they are watching the sunset from a mountain peak, sharing a laugh with friends, or enjoying a glass of wine while thinking, “Wow… we are really here!”
There are so many places waiting for us.
So many trails to walk.
So many memories still to make.

And a HUGE THANK YOU to every one of our leaders who gives so much of their time, energy, and heart to make these adventures happen.

You are the heart and soul of AZTHC.

You plan it.
You lead it.
We will follow. And we will come!
The sky is unlimited… and our trails have no borders!

09/01/2026

A Trip Report for the Woods Canyon Lake trip

The time is approaching 8:45 a.m. as I turn off onto FR300—the Rim Road--to Woods Canyon Lake, and it’s already beginning to rain pretty steadily. Today’s area forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of light showers by early afternoon. Is it 30 percenting already? I put a little too much pedal to the metal trying to make up lost time from a big traffic backup earlier on Hgwy. 260 east of the Star Valley area. And I still have five miles to drive before reaching the lake. Windshield wipers are slapping time as I continue driving through the rain. I finally reach the turnoff onto FR105, and it’s still raining, although lighter. I eventually reach the upper parking lot, and it’s almost empty! Did everyone already decide to go back home? Then I spot several people huddled together in colorful raingear near the launch ramp below in the lower parking lot.

Big relief! It’s the rest of our group of nine kayakers, the largest group of kayakers since January’s Canyon Lake kayaking trip. But, what to do now? GO or NO GO? The rain has almost stopped, but it’s still heavy overcast with some threatening dark storm clouds looming on the southern horizon. Then our newest kayaker, Michelle, approaches me with a look of concern on her face, informing me that she’s probably going to have to cancel because of a problem with her foldable Oru kayak. We all gather around, listening to Michelle explain the problem, looking for solutions and appearing to know what we’re doing. Then one of our kayakers, Lee, seems to have the answer, and before long Michelle is able to finish assembling her kayak. Problem solved with a committee solution. It’s a GO kayakers!

We line up in front of the lake for a quick group picture, and by about 10:15 we’re all on the water and paddling toward the earthen Spillway Dam, completed in 1956 and impounding both Woods Canyon Creek and Chevelon Creek. At 7,500 feet in elevation and with overcast skies, it’s a wonderful and refreshing feeling being out of the oppressive and seemingly endless heat of the Arizona desert. We breathe in the cool, damp, and clean pine-scented air of the Mogollon Rim, and it’s almost intoxicating. After paddling by the 410-foot-long Spillway Dam and all around the east end of the lake, we start back toward the marina and launch ramp. The sun is trying its best to punch through the cloud cover, so we begin paddling up the long western arm of the lake to get in more miles.

But after about 15 minutes the gray skies suddenly erupt and unleash a soaking rain shower across the lake, as we scramble to get our raingear on, not an easy task in a kayak. That 30% chance of rain is catching up with us once again as we try to make it to the end of this long, narrow arm of the lake before the weather decides to get really serious. Wait! Was that thunder? We continue onward, paddling in a northwest direction as the rain gradually lets up. Another clap of thunder but it’s still pretty far away, and we see no signs of lightening. We always see a few ospreys on the lake and a bald eagle or two, but today we’re seeing more ospreys than usual. At times, we spot 5 or 6 at a time circling overhead, carefully watching the lake surface for signs of fish below and occasionally diving sharply downward to the surface and snatching a small fish in their razor-sharp talons. Most of these dives are misses, but occasionally an osprey connects with its target and once in the firm grasp of those talons, a fish has virtually no chance of escape. Game over and it’s mealtime.

We finally spot a large adult bald eagle high in the top of a dead tree. Suddenly, it takes flight, circles around the lake in a wide arc, and lands high in another dead tree further down the lake shore. We also see a couple of juvenile bald eagles high up in another tree. There’s certainly lots of raptor activity on the lake today. Apparently, they’re spreading the word among all their friends that the fishing is great on Woods Canyon Lake. Eventually, we see what we think is the same adult eagle standing on a big tree stump right at water’s edge and eating a large fish. Highly unusual behavior, since eagles and ospreys typically take their prey high into a tree branch to consume it. Unfortunately, we get a little too close, and the eagle suddenly takes flight, surprisingly leaving its half-eaten lunch behind. But a nearby great blue heron soon takes notice of the situation and quickly moves in to finish off the back half of a large trout. It tosses the fish into the air to properly orient it to its large beak, and down the hatch it goes.

As we near the end of this long western arm of the lake, we begin looking for a good takeout point where we can safely exit our kayaks for a quick snack and rest break. Before long, however, we hear the sharp crack of another even louder thunderclap. We quickly change our minds about beaching the kayaks and decide to make haste for the marina and launch ramp instead, just as a safety precaution. But the skies are beginning to clear up a little, as we approach the marina and opposite end of the lake. So, we slowly paddle all around the dam area of the lake once again, before finally deciding to call it a day. By about 1:30 in the afternoon we’re all back at the launch ramp, exiting our kayaks and loading up kayaking gear for the long drive back home.

Despite some initial dire looking weather and eventual rainfall on the lake, overall, it’s been yet another great kayaking adventure on the Rim Lakes of Arizona’s spectacular Mogollon Rim. But none of us are any too anxious to leave this cool, refreshing weather behind and return to the blazing heat of the desert. But eventually most do just that, while several of us opt to stop for a relaxing lunch at El Rancho in Payson, Ted Tenny’s favorite restaurant after many a long summer hike on the Rim. Here’s to you, our dear friend Ted, the Arizona Trailblazers #1 hiker and published author. Your many years of steady leadership as both a hike leader and as club webmaster have played a major role in the continued growth and prosperity of the Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club. You’re the best Ted! We all love you.

By Leader Chuck P.

08/24/2026

Too hot to hike? No problem!

AZTHC members always find a way to stay cool while still enjoying the sunshine! Instead of hitting the trails, we gathered at Vicky’s house for a wonderful afternoon of painting, tea, snacks, and good company.

It was such a fun and creative way to spend time together. We got to slow down, enjoy some art, share lots of laughs, and let our creative sides shine.

Thank you, Vicky, for opening your home and creating such a warm and welcoming space for everyone!

Too hot for hiking, but never too hot for AZTHC fun!

08/10/2026

The fun, the adventure, the lake, the trails, and kayaking on the Colorado River - The Lake Powell Trip in 2021.

Didn’t we promise we’d come back every five years? I think we did!
Ooooh… October is only a few months away, so we’d better start planning soon!

Chuck, Mimi, Norma — what do you say? Can we go back again?

08/07/2026

Love the Outdoors? Come Explore with the Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club!

* If you love hiking scenic trails... you belong with us.
* If you enjoy camping under the stars at the Mogollon Rim, the Grand Canyon, or the White Mountains... you belong with us.
* If paddling across beautiful lakes like Woods Canyon Lake, Apache Lake, Watson Lake, or Lake Powell sounds like your perfect weekend... you belong with us.
* If you dream of traveling the world—to places like Croatia, Greece, France, Sardinia, Iceland, Africa, and beyond... you belong with us.

Every year, the Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club travels thousands of miles on foot, exploring some of the most incredible places on Earth. We've hiked through amazing public lands including Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, Zion National Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Yosemite National Park, Death Valley National Park, Saguaro National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Grand Tetons National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and many more.

For us, walking this Earth isn't just a hobby—it's part of who we are.

🥾 Every step tells a story.
🌲 Breathing fresh mountain air is in our DNA.
🏕️ Sharing adventures with friends fills our hearts.
📸 Chasing sunrises, waterfalls, wildflowers, wildlife, and breathtaking landscapes fuels our souls.

Whether you're an experienced hiker or just beginning your outdoor journey, you'll find friendly people, unforgettable adventures, and a welcoming community.

Life is too short to stay indoors.

Come hike with us. Camp with us. Paddle with us. Travel with us. Discover the world with us.

Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club
Adventure begins with the first step.

https://www.azhikers.org/Club_Stuff/apply.html

08/07/2026

Trip Report by leader G - Pass Mountain Loop Trail @ Usery Mtn Reg. Pk on March 5, 2026

4️⃣ enthusiastic hikers (3 members - G, Michael H.,& Gail G. + 1️⃣ guest, Nick K.) navigated the Pass Mtn Loop Trail clockwise on a beautiful day. [I] Pre-hiked the trail 1/2-way w/ Yu-Ling (out & back on Feb. 6th), which afforded us incredible scenery — rock formations & an array of flora. While the scenery yesterday was tremendous, the flora wasn’t quite as prominent as on Feb. 6th due to the very dry conditions we’ve experienced in The Valley since.

*Credit Michael H. w/ recommending that we do the full Loop Trail. … Had planned on simply doing just the out & back. Originally, this hike was scheduled to be a joint activity on Feb. 19th w/ NMVC Thursday Group & AZ Trailblazers, but had to reschedule for Trailblazers due to a personal priority.

I was unaware of the immense BEEHIVE🐝 tucked away in the rock formation on the mountain (~ 1/2 way point (see attached photo). (Credit Michael again for his extensive knowledge/familiarity w/ this trail.)

In short, a gratifying day out on the trail w/ good company.

08/07/2026

Trip Report by Chuck P - May 18 Watson Lake Kayaking

For part of the drive north on I-17 and the entire drive on Highway 69 into the Prescott Valley area the skies are surprisingly hazy this morning and even more so once we’re kayaking on the lake. Normally bright deep blue skies, with white clouds in stark contrast with the blue are now a hazy pale blue, with the fluffy white clouds washed out and offering little contrast against these skies. Although we’re not sure of the cause, we suspect forest fires and smoke as the primary culprit—either fires here in Arizona or perhaps even some of the larger forest fires currently raging in our larger neighbor to the west, southern California. In recent years, the wildfire season, especially in California, is no longer seasonal, but instead year around.

Four Arizona Trailblazers are on the water by 9:15 and paddling northeast towards the scenic Granite Dells area of the lake at the far north end, where we’ll spend the majority of our time on the lake today. Geologists date these large granite boulders in the Dells area at 1.4 billion years old. We continue leisurely paddling up the west side of the lake and reach the Granite Dells area in about 20 minutes. The Granite Dells consists of huge granite boulders, some the size of a large truck or even as big as a house. After the dam was built and the lake filled with water, many of these large boulders became partially or even fully submerged. The end result is a vast collection of massive granite boulders, promontories, hoodoos, and small islands on the lake.

This is truly a kayaker’s paradise, with a labyrinth of passageways to explore, weaving among the many boulders and promontories. And today we plan on spending more time than usual exploring the many small coves, passageways, and hidden areas of the lake we sometimes miss altogether. In addition, the north end of the Watson Lake Loop Trail threads its way among many of these granite boulders that still sit high and dry above the waterline. By foot or by kayak, this area of the lake is definitely the most scenic and picturesque part of Watson Lake. We slowly paddle our way through this granite wonderland of jumbled rocks and winding passageways for over two hours, soaking in the breathtaking scenery and taking numerous pictures along the way.

I was asked today about the history of this area and its two lakes, so this bears repeating from one of my previous trip reports. Watson Lake and neighboring Willow Lake, located on the west side of Highway 89, were both created in 1915 when the Chino Valley Irrigation District built Granite Creek Dam (now called Watson Lake Dam) on Granite Creek and Willow Creek Dam on Willow Creek. In April of that year the creation of these two lakes would justify one of the biggest celebrations in Prescott’s history, with speakers, free barbecue, local bands, and even a special event train to transport people to the lake. The City of Prescott eventually purchased both reservoirs and surrounding land in 1997 to preserve as recreational land and later created Watson Lake Park.

The Santa Fe, Prescott, and Phoenix Railway ran through the Prescott area for over ninety years and was referred to locally as the "Peavine" due to its winding, serpentine route and many trestles along its path. The eventual decline of the railroad industry led to thousands of miles of abandoned rail lines across the country, including the old Peavine line in Prescott, abandoned in 1984.Tracing its beginnings to the 1960s in the Midwest, the rails-to-trails movement started transforming these abandoned railroad corridors into multiuse paths for walking and bicycling. In 1994 the City of Prescott acquired the abandoned Peavine rail line and begin its rail-to-trail conversion, creating the 6.7-mile-long Prescott Peavine National Recreation Trail, one of 2,390 rails-to-trails in the United States. When a planned connector trail is completed, linking the 5.3 miles of the Peavine Trail in nearby Chino Valley, the Peavine Trail will grow to 18.5 miles in length. In 1986, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy was founded, and to date over 22,000 miles of rails-to-trails have been completed nationwide. In 2019, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy launched the Great American Rail-Trail, a multi-use route spanning over 3,000 miles across eleven states, from Washington State in the Pacific Northwest to Maryland on the east coast.

With that, we conclude City of Prescott/Watson Lake History 101. Although the day starts out with only light breezes and calm lake waters, by 11:30 wind speeds have increasing significantly, with gusts peaking around 15 to 20 mph and making it harder and harder to paddle. And if we stop paddling, the winds simply begin pushing us backwards. I had hoped we could paddle among the thick grove of partially submerged cottonwood and willow trees at the far south end of the lake to seek shelter from the winds, but the area is still closed to all activities due to nesting bald eagles. So, by 12:15 we decide to head back to the South Ramp area and call it a day. After loading up our kayaks and packing all gear away, the four of us caravan together to Rosa’s Pizzeria in Prescott Valley for lunch.

08/07/2026

Trip Report by Norma - Apache Lake Kayak Campout
April 6-10 th , 2026

Eleven AZ Trailblazers enjoyed our third kayak campout on the shores of Apache Lake. Skies were
clear, temperatures were moderate, with only annoying winds late afternoon. The group decided to
make this an annual spring trip in April.
Highlights:
 Kayaked Crabtree Cove to Horse Mesa Dam, our first foray into west end of the lake.
 Shady waterside lunches at Long Canyon and 3 Mile Wash.
 Hiked Reevis Falls Trail with stunning views.
 Kayaked Burnt Corral to Roosevelt Dam at fareast end of the lake.
 Fished the day away after a fishing clinic given by Wayne and Chuck.
 Cookout style potluck including Scott cooking over open fire.
 Co****le, famous Applesauce Cake, Campfires and S’mores.
 Nature show with huge carp spawning in the shallows.
 Javalina couple grazing through campground each evening.
 John played guitar around the campfire one night and brought ice refill for our coolers.
 Mimi enjoyed her new paddleboard for the afternoon.
 F35 Fighter and Osprey jets flying fast and low over the lake.
 Fighter Helicopters buzzing the cliffsides.
 Vermillion Flycatcher posing for portraits at our campsite daily.
 Turkey Vultures riding the currents just above the shoreline.
 Pelicans, Bald Eagles, Blue Herons, squirrels, American Coots among the wildlife seen.
 Apache Trail road closure was cancelled, allowing access to Crabtree and Reevis.
 Norma practiced her kayak skills after breaking camp.
 And best for last, had the lake almost to ourselves the entire week!

AZ Trailblazers Hiking Club

09/04/2026

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