The annual Mesquite City Heart Walk may have been cancelled, but the beat went on for five Desert Dames hikers who reprised the yearly walk from downtown Mesquite to Mesa View Hospital. The annual community walk was organized by the City and the Hospital a number of years back to shine light on good health and love of life as everyone celebrates Valentine’s Day.
On a similar path, the Desert Dames hiking group has forged trails for the women of Mesquite since 2005, introducing women to wonderful sights of southern Nevada that many folks might never see. Back then, expecting to start their monthly hikes with a simple introduction to Cedar Pockets area off I-15, the Dames set out to check out the campground overlooking the Virgin River. Instead, because of a road paving closure that shut the entrance to the camping area, the intrepid hikers walked uphill instead, finding a herd of “wild” horses and beautiful spring flowers on the dirt road leading over Beaver Dam Mountains.
This thrilling detour sparked a real sense of adventure in the group that has gone on to hike trails from Pahranagat Lake to Boulder Railway Tunnels to Kolob Canyon. One winter, looking for a place to stay out of the weather, the group tramped around the tony halls of World Market Center in Las Vegas before lunching at Bellagio on the Strip.
Every year their February hike would collide with the Heart Walk, so rather than fight it, the Dames joined the crowd walking from the Mesquite Recreation Center to Mesa View Hospital and back. Being a part of a bigger group added new dimension to the Dames hike. Receiving a T-shirt and goodie bag for their accomplishment helped drive home importance of staying active and healthy. While the original purposes of adventure and exploration remain key, many Dames hikers who are now in the “senior set” take seriously the maintenance of their health.
This year Dames hike coordinator, Linda Adams, expected her hikers would again join the community walk. The COVID-19 virus pandemic had other ideas though, and the Rec Center and hospital cancelled the community event.
Since it is quite easy for a smaller group to social distance in Mesquite, the Dames moved forward with their plan to meet up at the Megaplex parking lot on Feb. 12 and walk to Mesa View Hospital. A group of five ladies set out as cloudy skies turned to sunshine, providing a glorious day to be on the move.
The tiny group size gave a chance for everyone to exchange stories and learn more about their hiking friends. No matter the path, every Desert Dames hike is a trail of discovery of one’s own inner strengths and the beauty that lies in the hearts of friends who walk the same trail.
Before returning back to their starting point, the five Dames made their plan to hike the original Cedar Pockets trail next month in commemoration of that day back in 2005 when the Dames of Mesquite first took a “walk on the wild side.” Any woman who would like to join in the diverse activities of Desert Dames should contact Dames membership chair Sherry Gosdis at 801-633-3430. Dames members who want to hike the Cedar Pocket road on March 12, please contact Linda Adams at 307-631-7632 or Linda Faas at 702-346-1299.
Gretchen W Gabbert says
Wish I could have been there. Love the DD Hiking Club! Thank you to all.