I’d hiked off and on while living in the northern parts of the Valley, not sure I could call myself a ‘hiker’ though.

I’ve lived in Arrowhead Ranch since 2009 but prior to 2022, I had only done a few hikes in Thunderbird Conservation Park despite it being just minutes away. We moved into a neighborhood near 59th Ave & Deer Valley and it was close enough to walk to the park from home.

Still, most of my hikes were about exercise and were the same route most times. I enjoyed the time in the park and knew there were many more trails to explore.

One day in late November 2024, I had to be in the Norterra area and decided I would try a new trail after my appointment and enjoy a a beautiful fall day out in the desert.

While hiking the Dixie Summit Trail, I was thinking through some things on my business newsletter (Everything Arrowhead, which focuses on the community of Arrowhead Ranch) and it occurred to me that it could be fun to publish a hiking newsletter & blog where I shared the trails I was hiking and news & info on the hiking scene in the Valley.

I figured I can’t be the only novice hiker looking to spend more time on trails and in the desert.

So, HikePhoenix was born and I spent a lot of time hiking this past winter & spring.

I’m sure you’re thinking, why is it July 4th weekend and you’re just posting this now? Yeah, me too, lol. Life gets busy and HikePhoenix remained a someday project for several months.

I think the heat of summer and not being able to hike as much has peaked my interest again, so we’re off and running…