Susie Griffin, Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer 

& Wellness Coach 

Griffin Wellness Solutions, LLC

In my lifetime I’ve lived in six different states across this beautiful country. Life opportunities blended with my innate curiosity helped fuel my decision to transition. In each of those new locations, my human resources were few. Sometimes I only knew one person in my new area, either family, friend, or partner, sometimes I knew no one. However, despite the lack of initial human resource contacts, I was still able to find other community resources that informed and supported my desire to explore and play outside.

This past July, Arizona filled that sixth state residence slot. My husband and I moved here for several reasons, one with which most White Mountain residents can relate: access to and an abundance of recreational areas year-round. As was the case in my previous moves, I only knew one person in the immediate area. That friend provided vital insight into local trail systems, community social media pages, and other important insider information that helped get us started in our recreational pursuits.  

As we went about exploring our new home area, we met like-minded people, businesses, and resources that further expanded our awareness of recreational areas, outdoor events, and trail options. As an example, we met a very friendly fellow mountain biker at a White Mountains TRACKS trailhead. They shared knowledge of little-known trails, a local non-profit organization that builds and maintains those trails, and of group rides coordinated by the local bike shop, Cycle Mania. Connecting with the bike shop owners and the non-profit organization lead to the discovery of other little-known trails in the Taylor/Snowflake area. Through Cycle Mania, we also learned of cycling competitions in the area and beyond.

Upon recommendation from a friend, we visited the local used bookstore, White Mountain Books. We purchased several guidebooks on outdoor activities in both local and extended Arizona areas and procured map books that illuminated more areas to explore. Additional recommendations led to me joining several different local Facebook activity groups related to my love of running, hiking, biking, and horseback riding. These social media activity pages keep me posted on group hikes and rides. They also improve my social connection and introduce me to new areas throughout the White Mountains. 

In our previous location, my husband and I often used the TrailForks app to find and navigate mountain biking trails. Since moving to Arizona, we have leaned toward the more popular app, Strava. In addition to tracking and measuring progress in over thirty different outdoor activities, we can connect with friends and compare their results in similar outdoor pursuits. If we are traveling and need trail suggestions, we can search the area on Strava and download the route to our phones.  

Whether you are new to the area and are seeking a connection to the outdoors or have been here forever and want to rediscover your abundant backyard, below are additional resource options to consider. Tally ho and outside you go to play! 

Local

Outdoor Store: www.sportsmans.com

Bike Shop: www.cyclemaniaaz.com

Bookstore: www.whitemountainbooks.com

Save the Buena vista Foundation: www.stbvf.org

City

Show Low: www.showlowaz.gov

Pinetop-Lakeside: ww.pinetoplakesideaz.gov

Snowflake: www.snowflakeaz.gov

Taylor: www.tayloraz.gov

Federal

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest: 

www.fs.usda.gov/asnf

Online

Social Media Groups: Facebook

www.REI.com

www.hikingproject.com

www.meetup.com

Apps: 

Strava 

TrailForks

Alltrails