My partner Lana is from the midwest and thus uses some terminology,cliches,sayings that are different than some I’ve grown up with coming from the east coast.One of my favorites is when she calmly states that this person is a pity. Please allow me to expound on this.Positive thoughts beget positive results.Negative thoughts beget negative results.I lean towards the former and so does my partner.Some people we meet and are forced to interact with are “Pities”.These are people that measure their lives by telling people about the bad stuff that happened to them or complaining and whining about their horrible lives and they basically ‘piss in your ears’ thus filling you with this negative energy.We need to no longer tolerate “pities” because they cause disharmony,unrest,stress,and depression.”Pities” are cancerous and must be shunned.I firmly believe that when a door shuts or an opportunity ends if we keep an open mind and an open heart more opportunities will appear.Yet if we are busy crying and whining about our lot in life we will miss seeing the new doors and windows opening up for us.This economic “pity” we are now embroiled in abounds with opportunities to think outside the box.I’ve already gone back to college to take courses that will further my growth and development.My partner,Lana is doing the same.Yes, people have bad days and friends let them vent infrequently but for the most part friends should be supportive and trade positive thoughts.Stop feeding the “pities”.Stop letting them bring you down to their level of unhappiness.Every day is a blessing! Get out and exercise,smile,laugh,love,do not dwell on the negatives and you might find danger lurks but happiness abounds.

                                                                                      Love,

                                                                                     Pierce

P.S. “Lose the PITIES”

When I was a child of kindergarten age through maybe 4th grade every summer after school shut down and summer vacation started, my parents sent me to the barber for a buzzcut. The barber shaved me down to maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length and used some stickem on the front. It felt great!! I was a kid and who gave a damn what you looked like. This buzzcut represented Freedom and Liberation because back then in upper state New York me and my pals would get together and roam the hills and dales through forests damn near everyday, just exploring our world.

Well, I just revisited that feeling by getting a buzzcut again and I intend to revisit those feelings and introduce you to the freedom of exploration through my newest company Arizona Custom Hikes. My partner and I are filming our adventures, hikes, and we will soon be airing our Spanky and our Gang virtual hikes online for all to enjoy for a nominal fee. This task is more expensive and time consuming than we thought possible so bear with us. The cinematography will not rival Kirosawa or Bertolucci. The scripts will not be nominated for anything. All we are trying to do is have fun outdoors and show people how much fun simple explorations can be. The most amazing thing is that as we explore our world we must reach deeper and deeper into ourselves to achieve these goals and thus we learn more about ourselves everyday. So stay tuned and prepare to laugh, love, and giggle with us in the beautiful outdoors.

Your Hosts,

Pierce and Lana

P.S. Go Take A Hike!!!!

I’ve decided to come forth to profess my admiration, respect and love of Sunrise “the hike,” not the daily event although both can be experienced simultaneously on a daily basis. The other day Lana, my partner and I decided to pound out the hike Sunrise located at 136th and Via Linda -well actually east of there. So we started out at approximately 9am from the parking lot on Monday morning – a damn fine day to hike if you don’t like crowds. The temps were border line “80’s” and it was quite breezy. Within ¼ mile we both had sand and particles in our eyes which we had to gouge out for a clearer field of vision. Lana achieved a second wind shortly thereafter, yet I felt out of sync and as far as getting in the zone with my rhythm I fought the wind even when it looked like it was at Lana’s back almost lifting and cradling her. It seemed to buffet and bitch-slap me; Maybe it was a feminine wind. Anyway, it’s straight up for 2 miles; we made it 1.8 miles when we turned back. I was hot, gritty, and thankful we turned back. On the way down it was pretty much the same except 2/3’s of the way down I almost stepped on one of the most beautiful snakes I’ve ever beheld sunning itself on the side of the trail. Lana had scampered right by it and the irony was I had warned Lana to be on the lookout for them because the temps and conditions were ripe for their appearance. Well anyway I called Lana back to behold this black snake with yellow bands as it crawled into its lair amongst some rocks. Although the hike was nothing more than arduores for me, the fact that I encountered one of the world’s most gorgeous yet frightening species and then allowed me to share this with my hiking partner made our day. We kept our eyes peeled on the rest of the way down and even encountered a chubby gecko and the wind and heat seemed to fade away. So keep your eyes open- it looks like spring is here, the snakes are warming up , coming out of hibernation and it can be a glorious beautiful time of year or frightful one depending on whether your glass is half full or empty. If you exercise it will eventually be full thanks to the endorphins!

If you’ve ever driven to Tucson from Phoenix and you glanced at that huge monolithic formation on the right side of the road as you got within 30 minutes of your destination then you’ve seen Picacho Peak. Well, since the business climate is in the dumper, my partner and I decided to explore new adventures so we planned our frontal assault on this massive formation. The temperature was in the low “60?s and thye sky was bluer than Liz Taylor’s eyes in “ National Velvet “, thus it was a perfect hiking weather.We arrived at10:15a.m. to start our trek and within the first 15 minutes we were cardio-challenged,sweat soaked, and breathing as hard as fillies in a 1.5 mile race. It’s 2.1 miles to the saddle and we were slammin. We passed several groups of people, while no one caught us. It’s pretty much straight up with short switchbacks; major maximus gluteus work, hamstrings, and quads. Once you arrive at the saddle you have to descend steep sections for 800ft using steel cables embedded in the rock to go around a large escarpment and then back up to the highest peak. Believe me when I tell you this is major adrenaline territory. So we scrabbled like monkeys dispatched by the wicked witch of the west for the first part, (total cardio and endorphins) then down on the cables which was scary causing adrenaline surges, then back up the other side on cables and even catwalks that look just a bit wider than dental floss. The summit is about 50 ft. by 50 ft. and you feel like you can touch the clouds if there were any. The only bummer was I couldn’t mark turf because too many poeple were hanging out there. We ate a couple wraps I had made, drank some water, high fived some people and started down. My soul was bursting with jubilation on the way down as I encountered Dads and daughters, complete families, couples from foreign countries,and even some Joe Pesci “Yutes” (Youths). We encouraged them all, lied about how far it was to the top and grinned from ear to ear.

It took us 3 hours round trip and it was the singular most empowering feat I’ve performed in years. It was the bomb and if you’re feeling old and you stay in shape I’d recommend it as a valid litmus test. Between my partner and myself we are a combined age of 114 years and we both glowed at the bottom. Whatever your age, if you can do Picacho via Hunter Trail in any amount of time I salute you!! It costs six dollars for a day pass and it was the best six dollars I spent this year.

Now the facts as laid out in the brochure. Picacho Peak at it’s highest is 3374 feet, the saddle is 2960 feet and going down around that escarpment to get to the highest peak is definitely worth it. So let me reiterate in the strongest terms, if you want to see what you are made of, or you want to feel alive, put down the remote, shut off the TV, taake a drive down near Tucson, pull over at Picacho State Park and live alot!! In summation, sometimes you gotta grab life by the ass in your teeth and shake it. OR like DEVO said ” Whip it, Whip it good.

Pierce and Lana

Just got back from a awe – inspiring hike in Hidden Valley. My partner, Pierce, took me on our Super Deluxe top of the mountain hike. We met at 6 am and drove for 50 minutes to hike Fat Man’s Pass. This is an enormous boulder on top of a certain mountain with a split down the middle which you have to turn sideways to squeeze through. On the other side is this incredible moon like surface with all these jumbled collections of rock formations. As you continue down the valley, it gets narrower until you actually have to slide through some caves to keep going down this primeval place.

Not a soul in sight as the dogs were having a ball running and searching for jack rabbits. As we exited through a 50 foot tunnel, we met three women with a Jack Russell Terrier . There was fear and distrust in their eyes as it is rare to run into anyone on this trail. We skirted their negative force, rejoined the National trail, and pounded our way back to the car with our happy,exercised dogs. The whole adventure took one and a half hours of hiking and about two hours of driving to and fro. It was totally exhilarating and I loved every minute of this adventure. I would recommend this great hike to everyone who loves to explore and seeks the beauty of the mountains. So call us at Arizona Custom Hikes and let’s all get ENDORPHINIZED together.Experience our excursion,

Lana and Pierce

When I became a great dog trainer it was because I made owners and their dogs face their fears until they overcame them. And that is why I started Arizona Custom Hikes. I wanted to empower women and men who were fearful and uninformed about the desert. Most people have boundaries in their lives they have created, where they feel safe but to become successful you must push those boundaries and face those fears.

When I first started hiking my dogs in the desert I thought every crooked stick was a snake, every howl or yelp was a coyote pack ready to pounce, yet by forcing myself to do this daily I soon realized my fears were unfounded and I became empowered.

That is what we at Arizona Custom Hikes are trying to achieve with our clients. There is a primal, simple, beauty in the desert if you can learn to let go of your fears. We live in the 5th largest city in the U.S.A. and have one of the premier park systems in all America, yet only a small percentage of Phoenicians avail themselves of the peace, beauty and tranquility of it because of their fears.

SO grab your dogs or friends, call me, book a hike and let me help you face your fears and become empowered.

LET’S ALL GET ENDORPHINIZED!

Arizona Custom Hikes will energize your body and stimulate your mind.
Customize your hikes with or without your canine.
Explore Arizona’s beautiful trails.
You will be inspired by your guides with the beauty of the sunrise or sunset.

Call to arrange a rewarding experience for you and your canine.
for additional information, please visit: www.AzBadDogs.com