Charles Hester
The SaddleBrooke Ranch Hiking Club (SBRHC) concluded a successful 2025 hiking season. The Hiking Club, numbering nearly 200 members, hosted 35 fitness walks and hikes in 2025. These events ranged from 3-mile fitness walks on flat surfaces to gnarly 10-mile hikes on some of the toughest trails in Southern Arizona. In other words, there’s a walk or hike for almost every fitness or experience level. Considering that almost no club-sanctioned hikes are scheduled during the hottest months in Southern Arizona, 35 hikes represents almost one hike or walk per week for most of the hiking season. And several weeks there were multiple hikes and walks to choose from.
In years past, the SBRHC hosted mostly tougher hikes, but recently the club started scheduling a lot more fitness walks and hikes in the 3- to 5-mile range. The goal of the hiking club is to have safe, fun, scenic hikes that just about anyone can participate in. Hikes are led by SBRHC guides, who scout trails, schedule hikes, and serve as mentors for beginning as well as experienced hikers. Carrie Gelsey, Karen Adamson, Diane Sandlin, Sharon Ringsven, Bob Page, Carmen Allen, Monica Lyster, Phill Cooper, Betsy Bayer, Jim Kolhoff, Charles Hester, Greg Kauffman, and Scott Saxon guided many of the club’s fitness walks and hikes during the season.
Even more great hikes and fitness walks will be coming in 2026. If you want more information on the club, check out the club’s website at sites.google.com/view/sbr-hiking-club. The top section of the website shows the club’s walk/hike calendar. The second section, photography, has after-hike reports describing each hike with photographs. If you are interested in getting a sense of the hikes and fitness walks the club hosts, checking out this section is the place to go. Other sections in the website include new member information as well as the club’s membership application. The website has additional information such as trail and gear reviews. So make sure to check out the club’s website to see what our club is all about.
In addition to the club’s website, the club hosts regular meetings in the La Hacienda Club, typically on the first Thursday of the month. Check out the club’s web site for meeting dates. Meetings have included guest speakers, as well as discussions regarding hiking safely, gear reviews, trail updates and club news. On a special note, the club is short of guides and is always looking for experienced hikers to lead Ranch residents on fitness walks and hikes. Being a guide is not complicated. Guides pick a hike they want to do, schedule it, and post it so others can join in. It’s a great way for a hiker to pick a hike they want to do and have company along for the trek.
The year 2025 ended on a high note for the SBRHC, and 2026 looks to be even better!
All photos by SaddleBrooke Ranch Hiking Club members.