"Jeep Club" Trip to Four Peaks
October 4, Sunday Morning

      Photographers, birders and nature lovers: have you wanted to explore Four Peaks and the Mazatzal Mountain Range -- but you don't drive a Jeep or truck, or don't have a friend with a FourRunner, RAV, or other high clearance vehicle suitable to tame a rutted, washboard road? Spaces are limited, there's a $25 donation per person and the date is October 4, Sunday, for Arboretum annual members who would like to participate with our next "Jeep Club" day-trip excursion. Plan for an early morning - we will meet somewhere in the East Valley around 8:00 a.m. -- complete details will be provided to participants who sign-up.

      Jeep Club outings have been popular fundraisers since this past June when Arboretum volunteers and staff began teaming up to offer monthly day-trips to great places nearby -- a collaboration to help raise money for the Arboretum -- while giving us all a chance to make some new friends and explore great places within an hour or two's drive of the Arboretum! These informal road trips are only open to "Friends of the Arboretum" Annual Members -- sign up by calling Membership Coordinator Lorrie Polley at 520-689-2723 during daytime business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Email Lorrie at members@ag.arizona.edu

      In exchange for a minimum donation of $25 per person, we'll arrange the cars, drivers and some great "color commentary" about the plants, birds and landmarks we find along our trip. Bring your own lunch and snacks -- these trips are limited to about 12 participants, pre-payment is required, and we also require that participants each sign an insurance liability waiver.

     Feel free to donate more, if you wish -- and please offer your driver some gas money in appreciation for sharing the time, fuel and wear-and-tear on their vehicles. October 4 (Sunday) we will meet at 8:00 a.m. in order to get started before the day heats up too much. Plan to bring your own lunch and snacks, we'll provide coolers and will also have water. What else should you bring? A camera, binoculars, wide-brimmed hat and plenty of sunscreen!


What can you expect on this scenic day trip?
For examples, highlights of our July trip to Workman Creek included:

      - Roadside scenery along Highway 60 through Devil's Canyon, "Top of the World," the Pinto Valley Bridge and the town of Miami, then along highway 188 towards Roosevelt Lake and Young.
      - A chance to learn about the plants and critters of the Sierra Ancha foothills once we hit the graded dirt of Forest Roads which ascend along Workman Creek towards the Aztec Peak fire lookout tower.
      - Chapparal communities including manzanita, ceanothus and higher elevation summertime wildflowers on the way up. Watch for flowers on the blackberry thickets!
      - Towering Ponderosa Pine trees as we approach the Rose Creek campground
      - Breathtaking 360-degree views from the Aztec Peak fire lookout tower
      - Butterflies, birds, lizards -- and possible sightings of larger species such as Coues whitetail deer, coatimundi, Merriam's Turkey. The road up to Aztec Peak climbs to nearly 8,000 feet -- lots of great scenery to enjoy and photograph!

      These trips are limited to Boyce Thompson Arboretum annual members - and we require pre-payment of $25 per person. In June we visited the Pinals, July we explored the Workman Creek road up to Aztec Peak in the Sierra Anchas -- and future trips we're considering include a drive and hike into Box Canyon to see the historic Coke Ovens... the rugged roads up around Montana Mountain (across from Oak Flats Campground above the town of Superior), and perhaps once when the weather cools off next Fall or Winter, a day-trip around to the South side of Picketpost Mountain, with short hikes into Telegraph Canyon or Arnett Creek. Join us for a chance to raise some money for BTA -- and to explore a few nearby places you may have heard about, but never thought you'd have the opportunity to see!

Boyce Thompson Arboretum is located at highway 60 milepost 223, a drive of about one hour due east of Phoenix. To learn more about annual membership benefits CLICK HERE