In this exclusive excerpt from his new adventure memoir Rim to River: Looking into the Heart of Arizona, longtime Valley journalist Tom Zoellner paints an evocative portrait of the Arizona Trail as it wends from the Grand Canyon across the Mogollon Rim.

The route is part of the Blue Hills Trail System at the east boundary of Prescott National Forest and provides access to the mountainous backcountry adjacent to the communities of Dewey-Humboldt.

The path moves through beautiful woodlands overlooking the city of Williams.

O’Leary Peak is a 250,000-year-old lava dome volcano that rises to 8,916 feet at the northwest edge of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.

Anchoring the heart of the 200+-mile White Mountains Trail System, the Timber Mesa and Panorama loop trails offer easy access, moderate workouts and abundant scenic beauty.

One of the best long-distance hikes on the Mogollon Rim is the Cabin Loop System.

More a stroll than a hike, the trail that circles amenity-rich Woods Canyon Lake hugs the water’s edge passing through deep woods, swampy finger coves and rocky dells.

Topping out at just under 10,900-feet of elevation, Escudilla Mountain Trail is Arizona’s third highest path.

Raised as an active Midwestern farm boy, Jim Jensen didn’t let the challenges of a demanding job and a health scare derail his love of the outdoors. “I accepted a job promotion with my company and moved to Arizona in 2006,” says the co-founder of the San Tan Shredders mountain bike club. “As a ‘traveling salesman,’ my job created a perfect storm of bad eating habits, and almost no opportunity to exercise. It took a...