I volunteered about three hours of my time this morning to help "trail blaze" one of the trails located at White Tank Mountain Regional Park (WTMRP). Located in Waddell, far west of my central Phoenix home, I didn't think I would ever take the time to visit this county park. But, a volunteer opportunity gave me the motivation to get out there and see it.
The trail blazing part wasn't easy work. For the most part, it involved filling wheelbarrows up with dirt and rocks, then pushing them up a slightly steep trail grade about 1/2 mile, and repairing the washed out parts of the trail. Good thing it was relatively cool out this morning!
But, after we finished for the day, I decided to hike one of the easier park trails (Black Rock Trail) and enjoy the views. I have to say, I was impressed with all WTMRP has to offer.
It's a newer park (about two years old), with a large and beautiful, high-tech, nature center and library located at it's entrance. What a great place for a library! And the park was also a lot bigger than I thought it would be. Nearly 30,000 acres makes this the largest regional park in Maricopa County.
Like many other Maricopa County Parks, WTMRP has many different trails with varying degrees of difficulty, but all with great views of the landscape and wildlife. They also have many Ramadas with picnic tables and grills throughout the park, and plenty of water stations and restrooms.. great for a family day out or picnic. There are more than enough parking spaces.
It reached 109 degrees today, and our first official Excessive Heat Warning of the year. So, if you're going to hike in the Phoenix metropolitan area during the Summer, make sure that you are well-prepared beforehand.
ReplyDeleteLet's be careful out there! Don't underestimate the heat, and don't over-estimate your ability to handle a tough hike. Hiking in the summer can be done, but take precautions.
Hiker from Flagstaff dies on White Tanks Mountain trail on Sunday.
Here's the KPHO News Channel-5 report on the story. Hiker dies in heat while hiking AZ mountain trail
ReplyDeleteStrange. Although I fully support their efforts, and even volunteered my time helping to improve one of their parks, for some reason, the Maricopa County Parks (@MCParks) Twitter account declines to interact with me or follow me, and their Facebook account doesn't seem to allow me to view what they've posted without having to join Facebook.
ReplyDeleteNot sure why? Perhaps they don't like my political views or don't like that I prefer to remain anonymous? Who knows? Regardless, I don't think it's good social media policy to alienate their supporters.