Calendar of Events
for Winter 2009

STOP - HALT - WAIT - FREEZE - DISCONTINUE
If you are NEW, please review the Participation Disclaimer (located below) and the section titled "FAQ's and Club Rules" BEFORE you consider attending any CHCoA outings.

Participation Disclaimer

The Canine Hiking Club of AZ is an unofficial, not for profit networking group. Each person is participating of their own will, you and you alone are responsible for your safety and that of your dog(s). Please act accordingly to ensure all outings are safe and fun for everyone. Additionally, neither Jamie DeBenedetto nor ANY person that has planned, offered, organized or invited others to join them for an outing assumes any responsibility for human or dog injury or death, loss of gear, or damage to vehicles at any time before, during, or after events. Participation in events is voluntary and you do so at your own risk. Outdoor activities can be dangerous, your participation in an event posted on the Canine Hiking Club of AZ website or Yahoo Group is acknowledgment that you have read, understand and agree to the above. (You may be asked to sign off on this disclaimer at each event before participating.)

New outings and updated information about posted events will be added to this calendar throughout the month. While functions are rarely cancelled, we highly recommend contacting the event organizer directly before attending just to make sure it is in fact still going as scheduled and none of the posted information has changed.

Any person involved with the Canine Hiking Club of AZ is welcome to have their outing posted on the calendar. Simply email Jamie D.[Jdeben (AT) hotmail.com] with the details and she will add it to the calendar as soon as possible. We encourage posting your event on the club's Yahoo Group as well.

The CHCoA Event Rating Scale is located at the bottom of this page or by clicking on Level in each hike description.
Suggestions from club members regarding day hiking and backpacking gear can be found on the Dottie's Corner page.

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest
of the world. ~John Muir

On-Going Weekday AM or PM Walks

Tuesday Nights - On hold for now.

Monday or Wednesday Mornings - Trails in the Phoenix Mtns. Preserve or Thunderbird Park. Meet up with Jamie D. and at least 2 dogs for 1.5 to 2 hrs. of moderately paced hiking. We can do flat or hills, I'm open. If you want to join me email (jdeben@hotmail.com) no later than 4pm on the day before. I usually start between 8:45 and 9:30am.

Feb. 2010 (Updated 9 Feb)

Thursday, Feb. 11th - Join Gary and Archie for a hike on the Dixie Mine Trail north of Fountain Hills.
Meeting Time & Place: 8:30AM at the TH parking area. To get there, go on Shea Blvd, turn north on Palisades Blvd. Go to bottom of hill to 4 way stop sign. Turn left onto Golden Eagle Blvd, go up hill to gate. Parking lot is on left.
Contact: Gary G. - garrfish_archie@yahoo.com or 480-225-5276
Vehicle Info.: Paved road, fine for passenger cars. $2 per person fee.
Length: 4.4 RT miles - Level: Easy + - Elevation: around 1,900'
Facilities: Yes - Water on Trail: No
Leash Etiquette: ON LEASH - This trail is part of a larger trail system, assume the countywide 6' leash law applies. Please respect all other users by curbing your dog so they will always be welcome on this trail.
Trail Info.: Located on the north side of the McDowell Mountains this trail typifies Sonoran desert beauty. Nice wide trails, and excellent desert views. Great hike for beginners.
Other stuff: Please contact Gary G. at least 2 days in advance if you are planning to attend or have questions. Please bring plenty of water for you and your dog and wear clothing appropriate to the weather. We also advise carrying the 10 Essentials along with whatever other gear you feel you and your dog need for a safe outing. Beginners welcome

Sun. Feb. 21st - Join James A. for a beginner friendly morning hike along Bumble Bee wash north of Phoenix.
Meeting Time & Place: Park and Ride located on the SW corner of I-17 and Bell Rd.
Contact: James A. 602-216-6214 or cell: 602-361-2445
Vehicle Info: Passenger cars are fine - No parking fee
Length: 3 to 4 miles RT - Level: Easy + - Elevation: N/A
Facilities: No - Water on Trail: Very likely
Leash Etiquette: OWNER DISCRETION - Bumble Bee wash is located on BLM land and therefore the dog leashing law is a bit more relaxed. Please keep your dog leashed at the trailhead(TH) and during all group stops, as per CHCoA rule #2.
Trail Info: This hike is almost exclusively in the creekbed of Bumble Bee Creek near the little hamlet of Bumble Bee (don't blink you'll miss it). Expect a sandy path with some rock hopping. There will also most likely be pools left behind from our recent rains.
Other stuff: Please contact James A. at 602-216-6214 at least 2 day in advance if you are planning to attend or have questions. Bring plenty of water for you and your dog and wear clothing appropriate to the weather. We also advise carrying the 10 Essentials along with whatever other gear you feel you and your dog need for a safe outing. ADULTS ONLY PLEASE. Beginners welcome

Tue. Feb. 23rd - Join Gary and Archie for a hike on the Gateway Trail in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Meeting Time & Place: 8:30AM at the TH parking area. To get there from Shea, go north on 92nd st., 92nd turns into 94th st., 94th turns into Thomson Peak. You have to cross Cactus rd., Frank Lloyd Blvd, McDowell Mountain Rd., and old Bell Road. About 1/2 mile after you cross the Old Bell Rd you will see the trail head sign on your right.
Contact: Gary G. - garrfish_archie@yahoo.com or 480-225-5276
Vehicle Info.: Paved and dirt roads, fine for passenger cars. No fee.
Length: 3.6 mile loop - Level: Moderate - TH Elevation : around 2,100'
Facilities: Yes - Water on Trail: No
Leash Etiquette: ON LEASH - This trail is part of a larger trail system, assume the countywide 6' leash law applies. Please respect all other users by curbing your dog so they will always be welcome on this trail.
Trail Info.: Located in the fairly new McDowell Sonoran Preserve this trail typifies Sonoran desert beauty and should be fantastically green this time of year. Watch for wildflowers sprouting up!
Other stuff: Please contact Gary G. at least 2 days in advance if you are planning to attend or have questions. Please bring plenty of water for you and your dog and wear clothing appropriate to the weather. We also advise carrying the 10 Essentials along with whatever other gear you feel you and your dog need for a safe outing. Beginners welcome

Sat. Feb 27th - Join Gary G. and Archie for a moonlight hike on the Bulldog Trail located in East Mesa near the Lower Salt River.
Meeting Time & Place: 7 PM at the Bulldog Trail TH. To get there, take US 60 to Ellsworth,go north for about 11 miles. Ellsworth turns into Usery Pass road. At the bottom of the long hill is a 4-way stop sign, turn right on Bush Hwy, go about 1.7 miles, on the right side of the road is a large parking lot is the trail head for the Bull Dog trail. It is hard to see, if you get to Blue Point bridge you have gone to far.
Contact: Gary G. - garrfish_archie@yahoo.com or 480-225-5276
Vehicle Info.: Paved and dirt road, fine for passenger cars. No fee.
Length: 2.5 miles - Level: Easy + - Elevation: around 1,900'
Facilities: N/A - Water on Trail: No
Leash Etiquette: OWNER DISCRETION - For safety reasons please keep your dog leashed at the trailhead(TH) and during all group stops, as per CHCoA rule #2.
Trail Info.: Discover the beauty of the Sonoran Desert at night as we hike under the light from the stars and moon. The Bulldog trail is a wide old dirt road, easy walking, slight up hill. Should not be anyone on the trail so the dogs may go off leash. After the hike, we can have a fire, roast marshmellows and have hot coco.
Other stuff: Please contact Gary G. at least 2 days in advance if you are planning to attend or have questions. Please bring plenty of water for you and your dog, a flashlight, and wear clothing appropriate to the weather. If you are staying for the fireside fun please also bring your own chair, what you want to drink. Gary will be bringing the fixin's for the S'mores. We also advise carrying the 10 Essentials along with whatever other gear you feel you and your dog need for a safe outing. Beginners welcome

Sat. Feb 27th - Join Jamie D. for a day hike on the 78 mile long Black Canyon Trail north of Phx.
Meeting Time & Place: 9am at the Emery Henderson TH located off the I-17 near New River. From the I-17 take exit 232, turn west on New River Road, drive approximately 3.3 miles, look for sign on the right, turn right into Emery Henderson driveway.
Contact: Jamie D - 623-516-9422 or jdeben@hotmail.com at least 2 days in advance if you are interested.
Vehicle Info.: Free parking; paved roads
Length: 5 to 7 miles RT(whatever we feel like) - Level: Easy + to Moderate - Elevation: 1,900 up to 2,200'
Facilities: Yes - Water on Trail: Maybe, there are a few wash crossings
Leash Etiquette: OWNER Discretion - As far as I know off leash would be fine as long as your dog is well trained. This trail is popular with horse riders so if we find off-leash is not a good plan then we'll go with leashing. For safety reasons please keep your dog leashed at the trailhead(TH) and during all group stops, as per CHCoA rule #2.
Trail Info.: We'll be hiking north from the TH toward the Boy Scout Loop then back. Definitely a desert trail, expect some cholla sections. a few ups and downs and not much shade. If we want we can leave a car shuttle and hike it one way. More details about this trail here - http://www.bctaz.com/index.html
Other Stuff: Bring plenty of water for you and your dog, a snack or lunch is a good idea, and wear clothing appropriate to the weather. We absolutely recommend all hikers carry the 10 Essentials along with whatever other gear you feel you and your dog need for a safe outing.

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Event Rating Scale

Effortless - No experience or fitness ability needed. Usually denotes a non-exercise event.

Easy - Beginner level, low fitness ability okay. Denotes day-hikes less than 4 miles per day with very little elevation change or terrain difficulty (primarily flat terrain on an easy walking surface).

Easy + - Beginner level, low fitness ability okay. Denotes hikes less than 6 miles per day with very little elevation change or terrain difficulty.

Moderate - Novice level, some fitness ability needed. Denotes hikes less than 10 miles per day with some increase in elevation and/or terrain difficulty (some up and down and more challenging walking surface) and/or weather conditions.

Moderate + - Novice level, some fitness ability needed. Denotes hikes less than 12 miles per day with a definite increase in elevation and/or terrain difficulty and/or weather conditions.

Advanced - Suitable for those with advanced skills and a strong level of fitness. Usually denotes hikes over 12 miles per day with increased terrain difficulty, elevation change and/or intense weather conditions.

Whoa Nellie! - This level is reserved for experienced and well conditioned hikers only. Treks in this category are either long (over 16 miles in a single day) and/or have extreme terrain and elevation challenges along with possible adverse weather conditions.

**Please Note: The rating scale is only a "general" guide as to the level of the event given from the perspective of the person who organized the function. It is based on the info. they have gathered or their personal experience with the area. This person assumes no responsibility for changes or inaccurate info. Hiking can be a dangerous activity, please read the club's disclaimer located at the top of this page before joining us for an event. If you have questions about the difficulty of a function please contact the person who planned the event directly before you attend.

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