With half of our clients headed to Sedona for their three-day trip; The rest of us were on our way to the First Water Trailhead in the Superstition Wilderness near Phoenix, AZ. Although the heat increased, the decrease in elevation was evident as we began our four-mile hike mid-day Sunday towards our first night’s camp. Along the way we came across a tarantula crossing the trail, of which one of us felt inclined to pick up and snap some pictures with, and saw a Gila Monster, one of the most poisonous lizards in the Southwest, just a few hundred yards from where we set up camp. While the mosquitos were plentiful, we sat around the fire and, during our nightly AA meeting, elaborated on some of our own relapse recovery tools, relating and learning from one another’s ‘tapes.’
We set off that next morning for what was our lengthiest day of hiking; over eight miles through the labile Marsh Valley filled with all types of cacti blooming wildflowers. The trail was rough but our attitudes as a group were extremely positive as we made our way to our next evening’s camp. This group was unlike others I have been a part of, as each one of us was encouraging and really working well towards sticking with and pushing through the discomfort together. Although getting mildly off trail for a small portion, we found our way back onto the correct route with the help of our B2B guide, Zack, and by the time we reached camp were more than happy to kick back, eat some dinner, and have some more great conversations around the fireplace. Our Sharing is Caring topic for this week’s trip was ‘What is different this time? Or, if it is your first attempt at sobriety, what will be different so that there isn’t a next time?’ The detail each individual put into their sharing proved to me that the individuals in the B2B community are not only here for a reason, but that for most they are here for themselves first and foremost.
Our last day was complete after a three to four-mile trip back to the van, hiking as a group and finishing together. The morale was high and we were all happy to be back to the van, having enjoyed yet another trip and getting more from it than just the outdoor experience.
Client M
