Starting the New Year by spending a few days in the desert surrounded by mountains and cacti is always one of my favorite ways to kick off the year.
For more years than I can recall, I have visited Arizona during the holidays to visit my friends from college and their family.
In fact, last year is the first time in almost two decades that I didn’t make a quick winter trip to Arizona. I had planned to visit in February 2021 but an unexpected case of COVID-19 two days before I was to depart canceled that trip and kept me in bed for the better part of a week.
This year, however, I spent three days in the Grand Canyon State during the first week of January — a trip in which we biked through mountains, hiked through the desert to see seven powerful waterfalls full of recently melted snow from the mountains, and attended a home game to watch the Arizona Wildcats take on the Washington Huskies.
Most of my trips to Arizona include a few days of hiking, as it’s one of the most beautiful places to explore the outdoors. This year, however, we spent about as much time biking trails as we did hiking them.
The Desert Classic Trail in Phoenix’s South Mountains is the ideal spot to bike because of its numerous ups, downs and wash crossings. Those steep wash crossings through the stunning desert landscape make it one of my favorite routes to bike in the Phoenix area.
This time was a bit more memorable, as we saw a few coyotes a few feet off the trail as we rounded a turn.
The following day, we made the 90-minute drive to Tucson to spend part of the day hiking through Sabino Canyon along the Seven Falls Trail. This hike is one of my favorites in Arizona, as the 8.3-mile out-and-back trail is lined with saguaro and prickly pear cacti as you trek through the rocky canyon.
You cross a creek seven times before the trail to seven waterfalls goes up the south canyon wall via a few switchbacks. A short distance later, you’re treated to incredible views of seven waterfalls.
The hike back to the trailhead follows the same route, and the desert scenery never gets old as your eyes take in all there is to see in the canyon — cacti, rocks, birds, water and more.
That night, we were back on The University of Arizona’s campus to watch the Wildcats play the Washington Huskies — a game that was much too close but ended the way we hoped with Arizona winning by three points. And for my IU fans reading this column today, we won’t talk about that Dec. 10 game in Las Vegas in today’s space.
By the end of three days, we had hiked and biked enough to make my legs ache for a few days — but it was a rejuvenating pain that only a trip to the southwest can cause.
I fell in love with Arizona when I lived there for a semester in college in 2003 and took classes at The University of Arizona in Tucson. Arizona’s mountains, canyons, deserts — including painted deserts and petrified forests — still fascinate me today as much as they did when I saw them for the first time 20 years ago.
It was a fantastic three-day trip to a place that feels like my second home each time I visit.
If you’re looking for a winter getaway, consider a trip to Arizona. You can fly there directly from Fort Wayne, and you’ll be there in less than four hours.
And if you’re looking for an adventure, pack your hiking shoes to enjoy the trails … or rent a bike to experience what it’s like to truly go mountain biking.
jdpeeper2@hotmail.com
