Arn and I traveled to Scottsdale this past week(3/31-4/5). We were able to spend some time with our good friends Ron and Merry Sassano and Lynn and Steve Dodd. The weather was great, sunny and warm. We hiked Black Mountain (3398 ft., 1000 ft. elevation gain, 2.2 mi.) with Ron and Merry. It was a good workout and had great views. Arn, Merry, and I golfed at Dove Valley Golf Course one morning. On Saturday we took a hike with Lynn and Steve. Steve is a Master Steward for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and leads hikes on the weekend. He knows so much about cactus and things in the desert. The 5.2 mile loop (Gateway Pass Loop) was great and we even saw some pottery shards at the top. I think our next purchase needs to be a GPS! We hit a little snow on the drive back and generally had a wonderful time.