Weather: 100ยบ, sunny
Time: 42 minutes
About this Hike: I haven't been to Camelback, Piestewa, or any other urban hiking locations since the pandemic began. Just the thought of having to distance from people, worrying about every cough and sneeze (lots of that on these dusty trails)—all on top of the parking mayhem just hasn't appealed to me.
Today was an unexpected day off from work, courtesy of my employer extending the Labor Day holiday weekend. Being a hot weekday, I thought Echo Canyon wouldn't be crowded.
Upon pulling in, the lower lot was fuller than expected. The upper lot, however, was not that full. Signs warning of limited parking, yellow tape restricting benches, and new soap dispensers in the men's room were all COVID touches that I noted at the trailhead. Regardless, there were more people hiking today than I would have liked. There were times that people didn't want to (or couldn't) maintain distance. With the amount of water I need to consume, and the fact my gloved hands were touching high-touch, dirty surfaces (i.e. railings), there was no way I was about to wear a mask.
I got started around 9:30 AM and the heat ended up being a little bit intense. Between water breaks, pulling off the trail to distance from other hikers, and just making sure I didn't overheat, I posted a lackluster time, but that's OK by me.
All that said, it's been just about a year since I visited Camelback last. If nothing else, I feel that I accomplished a good workout today.
No comments:
Post a Comment