When Gary Dickey and Elizabeth Biaett moved to Vi at Silverstone in 2018, they joined Trekkers, the community’s hiking group, during their very first week. At the time, they saw it as an opportunity to meet other active residents with similar interests. They had no idea the hikes would become such a meaningful part of their daily lives.
“Those hikes became the center of our friendships here,” said Elizabeth.
What began as weekly organized hikes through Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve led to morning neighborhood walks, coffee outings and a growing circle of friends that extends far beyond the trail.
That sense of camaraderie is part of what has made Trekkers one of the most beloved resident activities at Vi at Silverstone.
Whether they’re experienced hikers or stepping onto the trail for the first time, residents hike together to stay active, explore the one-of-a-kind desert landscape and build lasting connections.
The first step
The group began more than a decade ago, shortly after Ashley Giraud, now the senior lifestyle manager, joined the community as fitness coordinator. During a conversation with resident Sylvia Mountz, the two discovered they both shared an avid love of the trails.
“She said, ‘Let’s start a hiking group,’” said Sylvia. “That was the beginning.”
Today, the program includes beginner, intermediate and advanced hikes, making it approachable for residents of all experience levels. That welcoming structure is what drew in Jane Odom, who had never hiked before moving to Vi at Silverstone.
Shortly after moving to the community, Jane completed a fitness consultation with Ashley—something Ashley does with every new resident. During the conversation, she suggested Jane try a beginner hike.
The joy of the journey
“It slows me down because I talk,” said Sylvia with a laugh. “Although I love it, because I love all the people.”
“We’re just friends out there, trying to age the best we can,” added Jane.
For her, being out on the trail is as much about exercising her brain as her body.
“It's important to exercise the mind, the body and the soul,” she continued. “You expand your mind to consider other things that, if you were just by yourself, you wouldn’t.”
“It was really Ashley’s encouragement, and the personal interest she takes in every resident, that got me going,” said Jane. “And I’ve never looked back.”
Now, Jane identifies as an intermediate hiker.
For Ashley, that progression was always the point. She says the goal is to make the outdoors feel accessible to everyone, regardless of experience or physical ability.
“If you love the outdoors and you don't really want to hike much at all, come….Get some fresh air,” Ashley said. “It really is open to everyone.”
Walking through life together
Outside of organized hikes, the connections formed on the trails continue throughout daily life at the community. Several residents who met through the hiking group now gather almost every morning for neighborhood walks together.
“Now we have a group of five or six people that walk almost every morning and do our four miles,” Elizabeth said.
Saturday mornings have become reserved for another meaningful ritual: a shorter group walk followed by coffee and conversation for residents navigating major life changes.
“There were a couple of people in the process of losing their spouses, or their spouse had advanced dementia,” Elizabeth said. “We said, why don't we, on Saturday mornings, just take the short way and walk? That group of two or three has grown to 12.”
“It's incredibly inspiring and beautiful how they will rally around each other,” added Ashley.
Beyond companionship, the hikes also give residents an opportunity to experience the majesty of the Arizona desert together, from towering saguaros and scenic overlooks to wildlife sightings along the trail.
“The saguaros are almost as moving to me as the Sequoia redwoods,” said Gary. “You just feel like you're in with something that's interacting with you.”
Wide-open horizons
The hiking group is just one of many ways residents continue pursuing new experiences, friendships and adventures at Vi at Silverstone.
“Living at Vi makes it easier to get out and do anything,” said Gary. “It's very freeing.”
For Jane, who moved to Silverstone not knowing a single person, saying yes to a beginner hike changed everything. Today she's an intermediate hiker with a full circle of friends and, as she puts it, an expanded interest in the world around her.
“If you can walk, you can do a beginner hike. You might find that it opens up some ways of looking at things you hadn't thought about,” said Jane. “Not to even mention all the new friends you're going to make.”
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