Piestewa's Open Again...

Weather:  83º, sunny

Time:  26.5 minutes

About this Hike:  It's official now. The media have gotten the press releases and everyone knows—Piestewa Peak is open for business.  While the temperatures are cooling down, it was still warm in the sun this morning.

The crowds are definitely returning to Piestewa.  There were plenty of parking spaces in the main preserve, but I opted for the sure-thing and parked on a residential street. 

Amateur hikers are back out from hiding, and there was lots of getting in each other's way, taking selfies, talking into wrists (Apple Watch?), etc. 

Admittedly my attitude soured as I continued dodging slow hikers and having people cross into my path.  I took the main trail up, but opted for the alternate summit side trail on the descent. Those ten or so minutes until the alternate trail dumped me back on Squaw Peak Drive were possibly the most blissful of this hike.  

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.

Attitude Adjustment on Piestewa

Weather:  77º, overcast, some humidity

Time:  27 minutes

About this Hike:  I went into today almost loathing this hike.  Like, let's check this one off the to-do list.  That's never a very good hike-a-tude.  The crowds of people are really starting to get to me as Phoenix trails become America's best-kept secret.

Parking was anything but abundant today.  I was lucky to catch a guy leaving and parallel park in his space. It was tight, and I don't know how I did park jobs like this in the days before back up cams.

I utilized the Alternate Summit Trail, which is pretty much standard procedure for me now.  The crowds were heavy, but manageable.  There weren't any bottlenecks on the ascent. 

Phoenix PD gave us a show in the chopper, and then a vintage airplane was doing dives and scary maneuvers around the mountain.

Otherwise this was an enjoyable, uneventful hike. 

Warming Up Piestewa

Weather:  47º, sunny, breezy

Time:  27 minutes

About this Hike:  When I first flipped the TV on this morning the little weather thing in the corner read 37º.  And this was after sleeping in (by my standards) on a Saturday morning.  I was nervous this would be a chilly hike and dug out one of my thermal hiking shirts.  I also swapped hiking shorts for pants.

Once at the trail, both myself and the desert sun climbed higher.  I quickly felt myself growing warm—perhaps even a few degrees warmer than I would have liked.  Then the chilly wind blew again...

The much-delayed winter that The Valley is finally enjoying may have kept some hikers away.  The residential street parking was fairly open this morning.  I chose this over going into the preserve and driving around to see if a spot was open in any of the main lots.  Besides, parking in the neighborhood gives me easier access to the Alternate Summit Trail. 

As I hooked onto the Piestewa Summit Trail, I spied the main parking area and quite a few open spots down below.  Despite a lighter parking load, the trail was very crowded.  Judging from conversations I overheard, there were a lot of tourists (Spring Training fans?) on the mountain. 

I will admit that this hike has lost some of it's luster. I guess several hundred times will do that to you... More than anything the weekend crowds just get to me anymore.

Upon reaching the summit I thought seriously about turning right around.  I chose to force my way on top, if for nothing else then to look northeast toward the Mazatzals for snow after this week's cold and precip.  Four Peaks stood bare.  Regardless, this was a routine Saturday morning workout.

Heart Stress Test on Piestewa

Weather:  85º, sunny

Time:  26.5 minutes

About this Hike:  This past weekend I had an incident. The dawning hours of Superbowl Sunday found me in the ER with an uncontrollably racing heart.  Assured that my vitals were good and that my heart wasn't beating fast enough to cause any damage, I was discharged and on my way.

However, after that scary episode I've been concerned about my ticker.  While my heart rate and my daily routines have returned to normal, my Samsung Galaxy S-Health heart monitor has been getting more use lately.

I've been doing my usual workouts no problem.  Today I wanted to stress test my heart.  Anyone that knows me knows what I think of running on Phoenix (or any for that matter) mountain trails.  I didn't run up, but I did push hard.  I got my heart rate into 'Vigorous' territory according to S-Health.  No chest pain was felt. 

I did begin to tire as I reached the top.  This winter's unseasonable heat and sunshine may have had something to do with that though.  I didn't quite go to the summit, but pulled time early as a handicap.  The mountain wasn't busy today, but I did stop my hike to put my finger on the S-Health sensor quite a bit.  Being in a bit of a hurry, my feet didn't quite the touch the summit before I pivoted to head back down. 

Overall an enjoyable hike.  Glad I'm still tickin' and able to do hikes like this.

First Piestewa of 2018

Weather: 72º, sunny

Time:  27 minutes

About this Hike:  The construction on Squaw Peak Drive (I'm still calling it that despite Mayor Stanton's efforts...) is done and the main road is repaved which is a nice reprieve from mud and messes.  Parking was still a beast today.  I was lucky to nab a spot on the residential streets.

Tis the season. Piestewa is going from winter crowds to late winter / spring crowds, tourists, and snow birds.  It was definitely far more crowded than I prefer today.  These types of hikes can be frustrating because you're constantly in other hiker's way and they let you know it. 

Regardless, the far-less-traveled Alternate Summit trail gives a little reprieve before you join the mass of humanity on the main trail.  After a day of feasting yesterday, it was good to get up to the mountain and hike off some calories.

Sunny at Piestewa

Weather: 74º, clouds giving way to sunny

Time:  26.5 minutes

About this Hike:  This day started out gorgeously overcast. We live in the Valley of the Sun for a reason. However, a change of scenery is nice.  I've enjoyed this week's clouds, even if we aren't going to get cooler temperatures this winter.  A cool down is always in the forecast, but it keeps getting pushed back another day, every day.  I'll believe it when I see it at this point.

I used the alternate summit trail ascending and descending today.  Shortly after beginning my hike the sun started to pierce through.  There was some humidity in the air.  It actually left me feeling a little fatigued for some reason.  Regardless, I reached the summit in an average amount of time.  It was nice being able to get to the summit again.  Last week's bottlenecks were more than I could take and I usually turned back just before the final push to the top. 

By the time I was descending the sun was in full force and I deeply regretted not bringing a hat with me.  Thankfully I don't think I've burned my scalp (my head is freshly buzzed). 

Overall, a routine, enjoyable Piestewa workout.

Piestewa Alternate Ascent

Weather: 69º, sunny

Time:  27 minutes

About this Hike:  Another day, same weather, same hike...

Today I tried going up the alternate summit trail now that I'm confident in where it starts and ends.  I'm convinced this trail shaves quite a bit of distance off versus starting at the main trailhead. The difference is that the alternate seems steeper, so elevation gains happen quicker.

Regardless, I posted a 27 minute time to the summit today.  That was with a handicap, albeit not a generous one.  Maybe I was closer to my usual 26 minutes—I had to make a lot of stops for bottlenecks in the trail.  However, there were periods where I sprinted along like a mountain goat. 

I didn't quite touch the summit again today because the congestion at that narrow final push was just too much.  The summit is beautiful, but also something I've seen many times before.

On the descent I used the alternate trail again.  I think I'm really going to like the alternate trail...

Alternate Piestewa Hike & Thanks-Guilt

Weather: 69º, sunny

Time:  26.5 minutes

About this Hike:  Admittedly I expected big crowds at Piestewa today as people hike off their Thanks-guilt.  There were plenty of out-of-towners and I overheard conversations such as, "I can't wait to get back to the hotel hot tub!"  The crowds ebbed and flowed, with bottlenecks alternating with empty trail. 

Reaching the summit became another issue as the backup was significant.  I decided to turn around without quite reaching the summit rather than fight the crowd. 

On the descent I noted the trail marker for the alternate summit trail.  Alternate is a spur that splits from the main trail and goes down the north/west slope of the mountain. I've looked for this on past hikes but had looked in the wrong area.  The alternate trail was a lot less crowded and heavily shaded early in the morning.  It was quiet and wonderful.  However, there are a lot of large, loose rocks and it's definitely steeper, so an abundance of caution is needed.  The alternate trail deposits you right on Squaw Peak Drive near the residential areas that I like to park in, so that was also a plus. 

Phoenix Summit Challenge - Crowding Piestewa

Weather: 79º, sunny

Time:  25.5 minutes

About this Hike:  Due to the on-going construction, I parked in the usual residential neighborhood outside the Phoenix Mountain Preserve.  Upon arriving at the trailhead, there were signs advising that today is Phoenix Summit Challenge and apologizing for crowds—and of course—any inconvenience.

Hikers everywhere we wearing PSC t-shirts.  The gist of this event is to hit a set number of major summits around Phoenix within a limited time frame.  I guess Phoenix needs to compete with Tempe's ongoing Ironman this weekend...

Due to the PSC crowd, my feet never touched the summit. I got to the final 'staircase' and the bottleneck was so severe I just paused, enjoyed the views, and headed back down.

PSC hikers seemed a little amateur-ish/out of their element.  Some were a bit entitled and didn't observe the best trail etiquette—I imagine because they consider today their event.  A Phoenix PD chopper began to hover at one point.  "Return to the trail; you will fall!," boomed the voice over the loud speaker.  It was quite amusing.  I'm guessing some PSC hikers either got lost or felt the need to blaze a new trail.

Regardless, I enjoyed a nice hike overall. I wish we had the same heavy cloud cover of yesterday, but today was brilliant sunshine. It was warm, but not overly so.  Just like those off-kilter summers where highs seldom reached 70º when I was growing up in the northeast, so is this winter to Phoenix.  I'm fearful it's going to be warm all winter with little relief from the heat.  Here's hoping I'm wrong and this will be a winter filled with low-desert Arizona hikes.

 

Fall-Like on Piestewa

Weather: 76º, overcast, breezy, spotty showers

Time:  26 minutes

About this Hike:  It only has taken until November to finally see some fall-like weather in Phoenix.  I don't recall rain being in the forecast, but for a brief time on my drive up to Piestewa it was coming down pretty good.  By the time I reached the trailhead everything was dry.

The views were spectacular today.... The clouds cast shadows and made for a unique lighting effect on the mountains and buildings around the Valley.  Rain shafts could be seen coming from the surrounding clouds. 

As I was descending, showers set in.  They didn't last long, but it was cool and refreshing.  While I'd love a good downpour, I'd rather NOT be on a trail when it occurs.  Those rocks become awful slick making an already tricky hike even more dangerous. 

Four Peaks framed by rain shafts

Much Nicer Piestewa Hike

Weather: 82º, sunny

Time:  26 minutes

About this Hike:  What an improvement over last Saturday!  A little haze on the mountains around Phoenix is not unusual.  From Uptown to Downtown and beyond, the Valley was clearly visible today. I also left my mask (respiratory, not to be confused with Halloween) home today.

Despite a full parking lot there were gaps on the trail where I was mostly alone. It was wonderful and all the things a hike should be—relaxation, challenging yourself, getting alone with your thoughts for a while.

The parking area is getting increasingly gross due to construction.  A sign with the world 'Dust' slashed out is posted on the main road.  The roadways themselves (or what's left of them) are covered in slurry mud which I can only think is being pumped in to honor that 'No Dust' sign.  The main lots are open, but I avoid driving my car thru this disgusting mess and just favor the residential streets outside the preserve.

Otherwise a great hike and big improvement over last Saturday. Now if we could only get those temps down a bit lower...

Masked Hike - Piestewa

Weather: 78º, sunny, high pollution

Time:  26 minutes

About this Hike:  I'm not sure how I did this in 26 minutes.  I planned on giving myself a handicap of at least two minutes once I stopped the timer at the summit.

In just over six years in the Phoenix area, I've never seen air quality like today.  The local news says a dust storm from California blew into our area and lingered for two days.  Unlike the massive haboob dust walls we see in Monsoon Season, this was just two days of fine grit creating haze in the atmosphere around The Valley.  From Piestewa's summit the skyscrapers of uptown Phoenix barely pierced the haze.  Views of downtown, much less Sky Harbor Airport, were a loss.

Today is my first day home after nearly a week hiking in the Arizona High Country.  I should be unpacking and doing other after-vacation tasks.  But a cool front had blown in, and I selfishly wanted to take advantage of the temps. 

I donned a respiratory mask and made the hike up Piestewa.  Other hikers shot curious and judgmental stares.  This made water breaks a challenge, hence why I planned to give myself a generous a handicap.  When I arrived near the summit and stopped the S Health timer, I couldn't believe I was only at 26 minutes.  Imagine if this had been a normal day and my nose and mouth weren't covered...

I never actually touched the summit but stopped at the final push where you have to scramble a bit onto the summit.  I was done with this hike—Disgusted by air quality.  Disgusted with the fact I had bruised my forearm on a rock facing.  Disgusted with a mom who was carrying her coughing child while he spewed germs all over other hikers (or was sickened by the air). 

Upon descent, I met a friendly guy from Oregon.  He saw my mask, but he totally got it....  We talked about the poor air quality, and how this bad of air isn't normal, even for Phoenix.   

This is one hike I regret going on.  Upon return to my car, I was grateful to have survived this dusty, smoggy Saturday.

End of the World at Piestewa

Weather: 80º, sunny, breezy

Time:  27 minutes

About this Hike:  Enroute to Piestewa I passed the Circle K at E. McDowell & 24th St.  The sign read $4.44 for regular unleaded.  What happened that gas nearly doubled overnight!?  Did conflict with N. Korea escalate?  Did another hurricane or earthquake severe vital pipelines?

I hadn't watched the morning news or checked Facebook prior to leaving for my hike. Was I out of the loop on some major occurrence?  We live in scary times, after all.

The main road to Piestewa is tore up with construction, but parking was abundant at the trailhead upon my 11 AM arrival.  I whipped out my phone and tried to get news feeds.  My phone wasn't connecting to a Verizon tower.  Instead I received a 'No Service' warning. 'Great...whatever happened last night severed telecommunications too,' I thought.  

So I began my hike.  I used the Samsung Fitness app to record my time to the top, as I always do.  It argued and protested since there wasn't a reliable cellular/data connection, but it still allowed me to record my time—a run-of-the-mill 27 minutes.

The empty parking lot did not betray how crowded the summit was today.  Up at ~2600 feet, my ancient Galaxy S5 had regained service.  I checked news feeds.  I checked Google for current gas prices.  All seemed stable.  While some were predicting the world was going to end today, it apparently hadn't.  My nerves were beginning to calm down.

As I headed back to the trailhead, everyone else at the summit decided to depart at the same time.  It made for a difficult bottleneck getting down.  One ascending hiker comment, 'Was there a fire drill at the top?'  Eventually I broke free of the crowd.  I reset my fitness tracker app not because I'm trying to break any records in the descent, but simply so it records my activity and calorie burn more accurately.  It said I descended in 27 minutes...surprising since this descent usually takes me closer to 40 minutes.  I don't run like some people...I've seen too much fresh blood on our Phoenix Mountains.

So the world didn't end today. I enjoyed cooler fall temps (finally!) and easy parking.  Gas at the Chevron near Piestewa was $2.49.  I can only think Circle K had a glitch or error in their sign...

Cheers to another day and another hike!

Piestewa Under Construction

Weather: 97º, partly cloudy, humid

Time:  27 minutes

About this Hike:  Got a bit of a later start today, closer to 11am. The mountain and the parking lot were a ghosttown. Actually, I expected a bigger crowd today, what with temps just under the century mark and a constant nonsoon errr monsoon tease.

This blog is not for my political opinions, but today I may make an exception. Our wonderful liberal mayor of Phoenix has long crusaded that Squaw Peak Drive and other roads he deems offensive are going to be renamed.  Well, Squaw Peak Drive hasn't been renamed...yet. But the big, overhead sign at the traffic light just says 'Piestewa Peak' with an arrow toward the mountain. A small, unlit sign denotes the name of the street now. Way to go Mayor Stanton....  Granted, I think the story of Lori Piestewa is fascinating and a worthy person to name this iconic peak after.  

In addition to street renaming, there's some construction taking place on the main road. Despite warnings, it didn't seem to impact traffic too much.

Piestewa and Humidity

Weather:  90º, sunny, humid

Time:  27 minutes

About this Hike:  Monsoon 2017 has been a huge tease.  Every day a storm builds in from the north/east.  Then it falls apart and/or rains everywhere but at my home in Central Phoenix. Regardless, during today's hike I felt the high humidity that these monsoon storms bring.

The trail at Piestewa was fairly uncrowded early on this Sunday morning.  There were a few other hikers and interesting characters along the way, but I largely had the trail to myself.  That's the silver lining in these higher temps and monsoon humidity.  I could have parked in the main lot no problem. However, I chose the sure option and parked on the residential streets and hoofed it into the preserve.

All around an enjoyable summertime morning hike.  

Back to Piestewa

Weather:  84º, sunny

Time:  25 minutes

About this Hike:  Warmer weather may have skimmed off the weakest of Saturday hikers... While crowded, I've seen much worse at Piestewa.

Despite the heat I still posted a reputable time.  At the summit there were large wasps (possibly male velvet ants?) that seemed to like buzzing around me.  Concerned for my safety, I descended from the summit after only a short stay.

Overall a nice, uneventful hike as we quickly say goodbye to tolerable temps in The Valley.

Quick Piestewa Visit

Weather:  68º, heavy clouds, windy

Time:  24 minutes

About this Hike:  Cloudy skies, breezy conditions, and a not-too-hot air temp all spurred me to the summit quicker than my most recent hikes. Although the mountain was crowded, I managed to find moments of respite from the crowds.

Overall a quick, routine hike on a beautiful late winter day.

Presidental Piestewa

Weather:  62º, sunny

Time:  26 minutes

About this Hike:  This has been a rainy, cool weekend.  The past few years February's arrival has brought with it highs in the 90's. The fact our short Phoenix winter is hanging on in 2017 is nothing I'll complain about.

Despite some lingering clouds, this morning the sun was shining through. Lower temps were all but cancelled out by the notable higher humidity.  I believe this is the reason for a 26 minute time to the summit.

This is the first year I've had President's Day as a paid company holiday—as did the rest of the Valley, it seems.  The crowding on the mountain was bad at times today.. On the ascent there were periods of peace and respite. However, on the descent I couldn't get into a good cadence. I had other hikers constantly nipping at my heels, while less experienced hikers on their way up would stop and block the trail in front of me.  Needless to say, I was grouchy by the time this one was finished.

BUT, I had to put on a happy face... Walking back to my car I ran into one of my neighbors who happened to be searching for a parking spot to do her own hike.  She graciously drove me back to the residential area where I was parked.  I suggested she park there as well, considering the number of cars circling the main lots....

Open House at Piestewa

Weather:  68º, partly cloudy

Time:  25 minutes

About this Hike:  Not a bad time posted considering the mountain was very crowded.  Pretty typical for a Saturday morning in February.  This was a rough week filled with mass layoffs at work (I'm spared, for now) and some other unsettling job-related news.  To say I had some anger and frustration spurring me on would be an understatement...

Otherwise the hike was very uneventful.  A bottleneck always forms right as the trail gives way to the summit.  This is due to some light scrambling that's required onto the summit.  Rather than fight through this, I chose to just pivot and head back down.  

After the hike I returned to my car which was parked on one of the surrounding residential streets.  I've had my eye on a home that for sale in that neighborhood.  Imagine city views and hike-out access to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve.  While the $619k asking price may be just a bit out of my price range (by about half-a-million—plus I may be out of a job soon), I noticed an 'Open House' sign.  Right after the hike I was far from presentable compared to the suit-and-tie clad Realtor, but I invited myself in.  So anyway, peeping at an open house, and daring to dream, were definitely the highlights of this hike.