Two Hikes in One Weekend!

Weather:  90º, sunny

Time:  35 minutes

About this Hike:  What have I done to deserve being so lucky as to hike both days this weekend?!  This is a great time of year for Sunday afternoon hikes because football season helps to clear out the trails. 

Parking was no problem this afternoon at Camelback.  The demographic on the mountain was a lot of older people and families with kids.  Some ASU students were thrown in the mix as well. 

It led to a lot of waiting for people to clear the trail or people generally nipping at my heels and making me uncomfortable.  I 'pulled over' many times to let other hikers pass.

My complaining aside, it was otherwise a nice hike today.  At the summit what appeared to be a gnat bit me, leaving a welt and considerable stinging.  It was almost like getting stung by a bee....very odd.

Still Some Construction, but Piestewa's Open!

Weather:  85º, sunny.  Humidity from rain earlier this week made this hike feel a lot hotter!

Time:  30 minutes

About this Hike:  It has been a long time since I've visited Piestewa.  About a year ago, the city decided to shut down the main parking areas just ahead of prime hiking season.  Once I got word of this, I was scared to even approach the area.  Apparently trails themselves stayed open, but parking was sparse.  I figured the residential streets in the area (which I typically favor for parking) would go the way of those around Camelback—No Parking signs everywhere.  (Honestly, if I lived in one of those big, beautiful homes around Piestewa, I probably wouldn't want hikers parking on my street either!) 

Since the closure and redevelopment of the parking lots, I've seen photos online of the final repaving projects.  Is it possible the city is preparing to re-open Piestewa?  I had to find out today...

It turns out most of the construction is done, although a barricade here and a digger over there aren't unheard of.  Some of the parking lots are open.  Some are still closed off.  Parking on the residential streets was easy—there were few other cars.  I could have actually parked in one of the main lots had I bothered to try.

I took the Alternate Summit trail both ways, hiking thru the less-busy saddle and eventually linking onto the main trail. 

For the most part the trail wasn't overcrowded.  I was surprised to be honest.  Maybe it's still a little too hot?  Or perhaps all the construction has scared other would-be hikers away? 

The only place the trail bottle-necked was the last half-mile or so prior to the summit. 

It was definitely amateur day out there, and here's just a sampling of what I encountered:

• I began to pass a slower girl in front of me.  As I approached she screamed, 'I don't wanna die!!!!' scaring the hell out of me.  I think a bug landed on her?  
• Speaking of bugs, as I started down the mountain something absolutely humongous, black, and buzzing loudly kept swarming around my head.  I freaked out and took a swipe with my baseball cap, connecting solidly with said insect.  It was no home run though; that only infuriated it, and it kept swarming.  I didn't scream quite as loud as the aforementioned girl

Anyway, I'm glad construction's finally wrapping up.  Diehards may remember two years ago that the Piestewa area was tore up for what I believe was waterline reconstruction?  It's about time to have a new and improved, functional Piestewa trailhead again.

Camel's Back in Season

Weather:  100º, sunny

Time:  34 minutes

About this Hike:  Now that Labor Day is past and summer is unoffically over (although Phoenix temperatures haven't gotten the memo yet), I wasn't sure what to expect at Camelback today.

Parking wasn't a problem.  Trails were a bit busy with what I believe were predominately tourists doing touristy things—complaining about how hard the hike is, cutting switchbacks and creating erosion, stopping at the railing to chat, and of course taking plenty of selfies. 

I took numerous water breaks.  While I was never overly hot (read my last post from July), my face often felt flushed.  I still managed an actual time of 36 minutes.  I rounded down by two minutes to account for water breaks, tourist delays, etc.

Four bottles of water proved to be just enough.  I like to always have at least one extra bottle on board in case I find someone in need.  One time a member of my hiking party (not myself) had failed to bring enough water, and a so-called water angel bailed us out.  I want to be prepared to pay it forward should the opportunity arise.

Speaking of water angels, I saw one in person today.  He had 'Need Water' written across his chest and I saw him help out a group of girls. 

Otherwise, this was a great 'shoulder season' hike.  It's still too hot for a lot of people, meaning you can get a decent parking space at Echo Canyon.  Soon the droves of tourists, ASU students, and fair-weather friends will descend on Camelback, making anything beyond a mid-week hike nearly impossible.