Young Bicyclists Ride Arizona Trail as Part of Education Program

During five days in early June, a group of eight students from middle and high schools, accompanied by four adults, made an 85-mile bicycle trip along the Arizona Trail from the Snowbowl Ski Resort near Flagstaff to Grand Canyon National Park. The “Peaks to Park” ride, coordinated by the Arizona Trail Association, had the goal of ensuring the future of the Arizona Trail by allowing young people to develop a personal connection to it.

The bicycle expedition this year was the second such trip organized by the Northern Arizona Youth Outreach and Education office of the Arizona Trail Association. Five students made the trip in 2015. Four of them returned for the trip in 2016. Sabrina Carlson, the program’s coordinator and one of the adult chaperones on the ride, noted:

“It’s a lot of fun to see the kids who came on the trip last year and see how much they had grown. The kids go through these transformative moments on the ride and they walk away with so much confidence.”

The students taking part in the five-day biking and camping journey ranged in age from 13 to 17 and came from families living in different cities throughout Arizona, including Flagstaff, Payson, and Mesa. Some of the students had previous extensive experience with mountain biking, as used on the trip, but others did not. Those with limited experience learned from those with greater experience.

The students also learned some basic trail maintenance skills as they had to remove logs and sticks from downed trees that were blocking parts of the trail. That work added to the physical challenges of the lengthy journey.

One of the students making the trip for the second time was Alana Minkler, an incoming senior at Northland Preparatory. She noted how the long bicycle ride and camping trip was a welcomed change of pace after her hectic week of final examinations at school.

“It was amazing. I feel like I accomplished so much during the ride,” she said. “After just getting out of school, it’s fun to go all out at the beginning of summer and do something that seems hardcore.”

Minkler added that the course followed this year was a little easier and less muddy than that followed in 2015. She also noted that the weather was better this year. Nevertheless, one of her friends who went on the ride with her this year sustained a twisted ankle. Despite the injury, both she and her friend were glad they made the trip—partly because of the new friends they made.

“I learned about how much I appreciate spending quality time outside with people who I wouldn’t usually have a chance to spend time with,” she said.

For Minkler and the other cyclists, the greatest sense of accomplishment came when the group reached the South Rim and realized just how far they had traveled and how well they had fought through their struggles. Minkler experienced a profound sense of mental clarity at that point:

“After the trip it really cleared my mind. I left feeling really focused and feeling like I had really accomplished a lot.”

The group boarded a bus for Flagstaff—and home—following a hike along the South Rim’s Bright Angel Trail.