SCOTTSDALE, AZ…Nov. 15, 1998…Want to experience the glorious Grand Canyon this summer, but refuse to deal with the crowds and the heat?

High Sonoran Adventures – the first tour leader approved by the National Park Service to take mountain bikers on the South Rim – has the answer: Its two- to four-day Grand Canyon "Sampler Tours" scheduled from May to October offer a unique opportunity to connect with this Wonder of the World on a personal level.

"Summer below the rim is crowded and hot – temperatures can soar into the 100’s," says High Sonoran’s Denny Carr. "Our Sampler Tours offer South Rim hiking and biking where it’s cooler and completely remote, with guaranteed peace and quiet, for a Grand Canyon experience that is truly compelling."

With no more than 12 to a group, High Sonoran keeps its Sampler Tours small and customized. The family-oriented outings cater to novice hikers and bikers of all ages and include both ecological and historical interpretive components. At their comfortable base camp, tour participants are treated to hearty, catered meals and other amenities, such as solar-heated showers.

Then, daily, each participant has a choice of several activities -- for example:

• Observing elk, wild turkeys and coyotes come to a tranquil pond at sunset
• Relaxing at a remote base camp right on the edge of the South Rim
• Enjoying mountain biking on thrilling single-track trails or peaceful back roads
• Viewing and photographing private Grand Canyon panoramas
• Hiking ancient Indian trails below the Canyon rim
• Learning the intricacies of photography, natural sciences and human history in this amazing outdoor classroom

Each Sampler Tour is themed and accompanied by an expert on a given topic, such as cowboy poetry/singing, archeology, photography, geology, and so on. But the tour will not focus on that subject exclusively, Carr adds.

"We will offer the same variety of activities on every Sampler Tour," he explains, "and people can plug-in wherever they choose. The particular theme is simply an opportunity for those interested to explore in-depth a particular aspect of the Grand Canyon experience.

"The one exception is our women-only tour that focuses on teaching the basics of backpacking and biking to an all-female group," he says.

In addition, High Sonoran leads day hikes and multi-day backpacking trips into the Grand Canyon during fall, winter and spring months. Multi-day outings are prearranged customized tours; make reservations early due to extremely limited permits.

Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., High Sonoran Adventures leads interesting, reliable and enjoyable custom hiking and biking tours throughout Arizona, including the Grand Canyon. During its six-year history, it has developed a solid reputation as a corporate group specialist with an expanding base of leisure customers garnered primarily from its Internet web site, word-of-mouth and repeat clientele.

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