Customers at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Ariz., are heading for the hills. This weekend the store launches Changing Hands Outdoors, a series of hiking events centered on themes such as photography, drawing and creative writing.

Tomorrow Michael Lundgren, a photographer and the author of Michael Lundgren: Transfigurations, will lead a hike and photography session in the Superstition Mountains. Subsequent outings include bird watching with Jim Burns (Jim Burns' Arizona Birds) and a family hike with conservationist Robert Mesta (Condor: Spirit of the Canyon) aimed at introducing kids to the outdoors.

Hikes cost from $30-35 per person--each of whom is required to sign a liability form created by the store--and are limited to 30 participants. Along with a sack lunch, a copy of the featured book is typically included in the fee, and the store offers a discounted rate for couples.

The inspiration for the series came from a "Hike and Write" event the store had last April that paired Charles Liu, author of 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Phoenix, with a creative writing teacher. The outdoor excursion was so successful that a second one was staged in October, and that, too, sold out. "That's when I had the idea to come up with the whole series," general manager Cindy Dach told Shelf Awareness. "What people love most about Changing Hands is community and so the concept behind this was how to take that community beyond the store." In addition to being able to charge fees for the series, an added benefit is that it doesn't tie up in-store event space, noted Dach, who has already received inquiries from fellow booksellers interested in launching similar programs.

At least one staff member will go along on each hike to help facilitate the event and distribute or sell books. Their presence also reinforces the connection to the store. During the initial hikes last year, participants conversed with staffers about books and about Changing Hands and its history.

The hiking events will take place through April and, after a hiatus during the scorching summer months, resume in October. Plans for the fall include a hike and book talk, as well as partnering with the University of Arizona Press--which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year--to involve its authors in the program.

As long as customers are looking to keep on trekking, Dach will continue the series. "I think there are a lot of people who want to go hiking, who want to do things like draw and hike, but they want to be around like-minded people," she said. "That's one of the services we offer. When you hike with a Changing Hands group, you know you have something in common with them."--Shannon McKenna Schmidt