Eight erudite Trailblazers arrive at Sandy’s Canyon Trailhead on a balmy summer day for their one-way hike to Lowell Observatory.

The hike begins on Sandy’s Canyon Trail, taking us by scenic rock formations in a roundabout way down into Walnut Canyon.

Wood smoke from controlled burns by the Forest Service is soon behind us. The burns are necessary to remove brush that might fuel a forest fire.

We meet other hikers on the way, some of them families with young children.

Our descent into the canyon is good test of balance on a rocky hillside, lined with poison ivy to make sure we don’t stray from the trail.

But it’s also lined with wildflowers! Summer rains have brought out the best of colorful foliage in Walnut Canyon and up on Anderson Mesa.

Photographers snap away as we approach the trail junction that takes us across the creek to begin our climb out of the canyon and up to the mesa.

“Take it at your own pace,” Ted advises.

By the time everyone is up on Anderson Mesa it’s mid-day, so we start looking for a shaded picnic area. Ajay finds a log with comfortable seating for everyone.

This is near the halfway point of our hike. From here southward, passage 31 of the Arizona Trail has some gentle ups and downs for the next few miles, then the trail is remarkably flat from Lowell Observatory to Horse Lake (a hike for another day).

The wildlife we were hoping to see must have been somewhere else, except for horned toads. We saw several of them in assorted sizes: big, little, and in between. Not bad for an endangered species.

The horned toad is a lizard, native to the western states. Despite all appearances it is harmless — unless you happen to be a tasty bug.

Marshall Lake is more marsh than lake. Everyone stops to rest at the trailhead. A rustic log fence marks the boundary of a sensitive area.

We follow a dirt road along the south side of the lake, then walk the trail on over to USGS Observatory Trailhead where two cars are waiting.

Although we had shade during part of the hike, it’s a warm day. Hikers enjoy the purified ice water Ted brought in his car.