DOLAN SPRINGS TRAILS NEWSLETTER – HOLIDAYS 2015
www.dolanspringstrails.com

President: Sue Baughman, Vice President: Gary Wilson, Treasurer: Marie Hedrick,
Secretary: Lynn Rosati, Directors: Jeffrey Weinberg & Ian Greenberg

A BYLINE FROM ITCHYFOOT:

As we close the year out, it is time to reflect on our many accomplishments and successes. First of all, we got our grant from Mohave County parks with the help of Shawn Blackburn. In April, the Kingman Backcountry Horsemen assisted our members in placing four benches on the trails. A big thank you goes out to Jeffrey Weinberg and Denver Steinmetz for carrying and installing benches on the T & C Loop, Christopher Hentzner and Henry Iracheta for installing one bench on the Sue B. Loop and the backcountry horsemen for the other one. Thanks to Bob Whaley and Mark and his wife Rivor for their assistance and most of all to Gloria Stein for fixing a delicious lunch and to Tom Love for delivering it. Also, thanks to Ian & Lynn for taking pictures.

Our next project was the 15^th annual National Trails day with the 6^th grade Mt. Tipton class. This was followed up later with a hike on the Sue B for our members and friends. The big event was on May 11^th with the installation of our vault toilet, which was quite an operation to watch. This is a big asset to our trail system. We now have excellent road signs starting right after the turn onto Pierce Ferry from I-93 directing people to the 14^th street ramada. This also includes a sign directing tourists to a scenic overlook at the 15th street ramada.  We have beautiful new trail maps drawn by Jeffrey Weinberg with GPS locations measured by Denver Steinmetz.

We expanded the 13^th street parking lot and created a new parking lot at the end of 14^th street for access into Antelope Canyon. We are grateful to the BLM who provided the manpower and machinery to make this possible. A special thanks to Gloria Stein for the wonderful cookbook that she created with the help of Marie Hedrick and Lynn Rosati. This undertaking was a commercial success, returning a profit with pre-orders even before it hit the shelves. It is now available at Rocks to Riches and other locations.

The Mt. Tipton 6^th graders have adopted the Sue B trail from 13^th street to the guest register and started by planting some cacti. Several groups have adopted the 14^th steet ramada as a regular meeting place. The downside this year was the new stickers on the trail signs that succumbed to wear and tear and need to be replaced. We are working on this as well as the significant erosion that the fall storms caused throughout our trail system.

Thanks to Lynn for organizing Dolan Daze and the raffle sales, for heading up the Adopt a Mile trash pickup and for our Facebook page, thanks to Ian for writing this newsletter and for being our webmaster. Also, A special thank you to our members who volunteered at the benefit dinner. Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday and Happy Trails in the new year.

The Dolan Springs Trail System, with 8.5 miles of trails, offers something for everyone, from a leisurely stroll to a more strenuous hike. Here is a summary of our trails:

The T&C Loop: At a little less than a mile, the T&C is a favorite of many. It offers an uphill climb looking down on a beautiful canyon, going around the mountain and offering great views everywhere with two lovely benches where you can rest while enjoying the scenery.

The Sue B Loop: Named for our fearless leader, the Sue B is the type of trail where you can flex your hiking muscles over 2 miles of gradually rising and sometimes rocky terrain, with interesting vantage points offering great views of both Dolan Springs and the mountains. This trail connects the 14^th street and 13^th street ramadas.

The Lost Mine Trail: This straight, gentle trail connects the 15^th street with the 13^th street ramadas and runs about 1.2 miles. That's only one way, so you can hike back to your starting point, hitch a ride with one of the locals that pass by or come back via the Sue B/Mitten loops.

The Mitten Loop: Not really a loop, so you have to return the way you came for about a mile round trip or make your way back via the Lost Mine trail South to the Sue B West. Trail head is at the 14th street ramada. It is named after the lovely views that it offers of Mt. Mitten.

The Cholla Loop: Named after the abundance of cholla cactus on this trail, look but don't touch! At 2.5 miles, this is our longest trail and starts across from the 15th street ramada, offering some diverse scenery with interesting landscapes.

The Meditation Circle: Not a trail, but the center of our trail system. It is a beautifully landscaped area with a Native American Medicine Wheel, offering a place for meditation and reflection. It is wheelchair accessible and offers a place of solitute when the stress and strain of daily life gets you down. Several groups use it as a meeting spot and we use it to celebrate the Solstice or Equinox that marks the change of each season.

Scenic Overlook: A spot at the 15^th street ramada for tourists to pull off the highway, taking a break from their long journey to the Grand Canyon with a great view of our mountains.

For more information, you can obtain a trails map at the Chamber of Commerce or online at http://www.dolanspringstrails.com/maps.htm. Happy trails!

EQUINOX & SOLSTICE CELEBRATIONS:

On June 20^th & September 22^nd , Gloria Stein led us in heartwarming ceremonies at the meditation circle to celebrate the coming of summer and fall. Both were festive, everyone choosing a musical instrument and sharing insights and stories about their lives and the change of seasons.

After the ceremonies, everybody sat at the picnic table under the ramada and shared some delicious food and drink while enjoying some beautiful weather.

15 EASY WAYS TO SAVE THE EARTH 

As Kermit the Frog says, "It's easy being green". Besides protecting our precious resources, it can be fun and save you money. Here are some easy ways to make a big difference:

1. Make sure to use your clothes washer and dryer when you have a full load. You could save up to 1,000 gallons/month!

2. Pick up some reusable earth-bags at your local grocery store. Say no to both, “paper” and “plastic!”

3. Try shortening your shower by just a minute. You could save 150 gallons/month!

4. Set your fridge to be between 36-38 F degrees and freezer to be between 0-5 F degrees.

5. UNPLUG unused appliances. Even when powered off, plugged-in appliances use electricity.

6. Close vents and doors in unused rooms.

7. Turn your computer off when you go to sleep.

8. Make sure to inflate your tires properly. This preserves the life of the tires, creates a safer ride, and saves gas.

9. Turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth.

10. Eat vegeterian at least once a week. This saves a lot of resources and can also be delicious.

11. Drink your water from refillable countainers.

12. Pay your bills online and stop paper statements. This will save a huge amount of trees and other resources.

13. Use rechargeable batteries. They will also pay off financially in the long run.

14. Avoid using new wrapping paper for gifts, get creative using newspapers, magazine pages or re-usable bags.

15. Recycle plastic, paper and glass. There are 3 locations in Kingman to do this.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF HIKING:

Dolan Springs has some of the best trails in the country, so why aren't you out hiking? Need some motivation to get those boots on? According to the American Hiking Society here are a few ways that hiking can reduce the risk of various health issues:

• Heart Disease: A CDC study shows that people who do not exercise are twice as likely to have coronary heart disease.

• Hypertension: Nearly one third of American adults have high blood pressure which can lead to heart attack, stroke, and other serious problems. Physical activity such as hiking lowers blood pressure.

• Diabetes: The number of Americans with diabetes is up almost 50 percent from 1983. This increase is caused by, among other things, increased rates of obesity and a lack of physical activity.

• Obesity: Like all forms of exercise, hiking is one of the best ways to lose weight. On average, you burn 100 calories for every mile you walk. People who lose weight through hiking or walking maintain the loss and continue to lose while those who lose through dieting tend to gain weight again quickly.

• Anxiety: If adrenaline, which is produced by the body to cope with real or perceived danger, isn’t released from the body, it accumulates, causing muscle tension and feelings of anxiety. Walking releases this adrenaline. Results showed immediate decreases in tension and anxiety after walking, regardless of how fast or slow the participants walked.

• Osteoporosis and Arthritis: Hiking and walking help reverse the negative effects of osteoporosis by increasing bone density and slowing the rate of calcium loss, thus strengthening the bones and decreasing their susceptibility to break.

1. Visit our website at www.dolanspringstrails.com

2. Like us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dolanspringstrails

3. Join our google group to get regular email updates of our activities by going to https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/dstrails and clicking on the "join group" button.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

December 3^rd - 5^th – Christmas Arts & Crafts fair at the Chamber of Commerce
December 9^th – Monthly Trails Meeting
December 21st - Winter Solstice Celebration, 2pm at the Meditation Circle.
December 25^th – Christmas lunch at the Community Center
January 13^th – Monthly meeting and installation of officers for the 2016 season

Cartoon by Boots McFarland, www.bootsmcfarland.com

POETRY:

Previous Newsletters:
Spring 2015