City of Phoenix park ranger Samantha Nickel is uniquely qualified for taking on the crowds at some of the city’s hiking hubs. Nickel draws upon her experience in corrections, caregiving and airline bag wrangling for her current position in the city’s East Park district, which includes Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak, Dreamy Draw and Papago Park. Being able to work diplomatically with diverse populations in busy, physically demanding outdoor conditions comes naturally to the native Arizonan...
When his daughter planned her June 2011 wedding to be held on the summit of Camelback Mountain, Peoria teacher Steve Horvat was devastated. Out of shape, overweight and dealing with blood pressure issues, Horvat knew he would miss the mountaintop nuptials. The couple as well as Horvat’s wife are voracious hikers, so it was no surprise that they would want to tie the knot at a place that was special to them. Yet, for Horvat,...
High temperatures are expected to exceed 110 degrees over the next week, so here are some tips for staying safe if you hit the trails.