May 30 - Piestwa Peak (aka Squaw Peak ) - Summit Trail (2.5 miles RT, 1200 ft elevation gain)
Squaw peak is one of the popular urban hiking park in phoenix. It offers multiple trails for hikers with differents levels of dififculty. I chose to do the most difficult one to get some good workout.
I started the hike at 5.50 AM. It was still nice and cool, though the bright sun was out. I think there are two advantages of starting early, you have nice weather and you get to find parking easily on these super popular hikes.
I would say the Summit trail is like a stairmaster from the first step. You just keep climbing steps paved in rocks with few flat areas here and there. The trail was already very busy with lot of solo hikers. At places it felt like we were all soldiers marching up a fort with a mission :)
I am mostly huffing and puffing on my climb up on any hike of this difficulty but I have to say I saw lot of fellow hikers huffing and puffing on this trail than in any other hike (of course other than camel back mountain, none of the other trails are this crowded too).
Since the sun was already out, it was getting warm but still very well manageable. The gentle breeze now and then was heavenly :).
I reached the top in 50 min. You get views of the peaks surrounding phoenix (south mountain etc). I took my time to enjoy the sounds of nature (birdings chirping) and meditated for few minutes :).
The way down is always a piece of cake for me. I was back in the parking lot in 40 min.
It was a good satisfying workout in a decent time :). I was happy to give my parking spot to the car waiting in line for a parking spot. Its interesting to see that there are enough people who dare to do the hike in the sun.
I was home by 8 AM. Good timing :)
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Picacho Peak - Hunter's Trail
May 22, Saturday - Hiked Picacho peak - Hunter's trail with Rekha.
Picacho peak is an hour drive from chandler, AZ. Its in between Tuscon and Phoenix on I-10. Its also a diffficult hike with 4 miles RT and ~1700 elevation gain. The hike has lot of steep sections where you have to take support of chains to climb. Apart from the difficulty of the hike, I had another challenge on the hike, my friend Rekha is scared of heights while coming down, so I was responsible for helping her out. Given all this, we estimated that it would take 3 hrs for us to complete the hike. The plan was to get started by 4.30 so that we can start the hike before 6 AM.
5 AM - My husband, Pramod wakes me up asking that I havent left yet. I am lost in deep sleep (since we did not have good sleep the previous 2 nights because our son was sick). I had my alarm set for 4 AM, so what happpened?. I had it programmed for 4 AM but it was for sunday instead of saturday :(.
I picked up Rekha at 5.30 and we started moving on I-10. The sun was gradually coming up and by 6 AM I felt that it was rising too fast and it might be just over our head in another half hour.
We reached Picacho State Park by 6.30 and started the hike at 6.45. We started gaining elevation from the begining of the hike. There were some small steep sections while going up where the chains helped. The bright sun was definitely making the hike more difficult. After hiking for a mile we reached the saddle area.
This is where the fun begins. You have to climb down around 350 ft to get to the other side of the mountain and start hiking up to get to the peak. This downward descend was the most challenging part for Rekha. She freaked out a bit but then she came down gradually. I think after this she got over her fear and handled the remaining parts of the hike very well.
To get to the peak we had to climb up 3 really steep sections with the support of chains. The 2nd half of the hike offers a lot of fun :). It also offered a lot of shade through out, heat was not a problem in this part of the hike.
The view from the top is nice, mountains spanning all around. When we started the hike there were only 4 cars in the parking lot. But as we started coming down, we started seeing more and more hikers on the trail. It was interesting to see a family with 3 small kids doing the hike. Rekha and I were very totally impressed with them :).
While coming down we took our time, taking pics and enjoying the trail. It took us 3hr 45min to complete the hike, which seems like a long time. Rekha and I are good hiking buddies but we offer a bad combination in terms of speed because we slow each other down. I am very slow while going up and she is slow while coming down.
We were very thrilled to complete the hike, despite our late start and the worry about sun wearing us down. Finally I reached home at 11.30, it was a long day :).
Picacho peak is an hour drive from chandler, AZ. Its in between Tuscon and Phoenix on I-10. Its also a diffficult hike with 4 miles RT and ~1700 elevation gain. The hike has lot of steep sections where you have to take support of chains to climb. Apart from the difficulty of the hike, I had another challenge on the hike, my friend Rekha is scared of heights while coming down, so I was responsible for helping her out. Given all this, we estimated that it would take 3 hrs for us to complete the hike. The plan was to get started by 4.30 so that we can start the hike before 6 AM.
5 AM - My husband, Pramod wakes me up asking that I havent left yet. I am lost in deep sleep (since we did not have good sleep the previous 2 nights because our son was sick). I had my alarm set for 4 AM, so what happpened?. I had it programmed for 4 AM but it was for sunday instead of saturday :(.
I picked up Rekha at 5.30 and we started moving on I-10. The sun was gradually coming up and by 6 AM I felt that it was rising too fast and it might be just over our head in another half hour.
We reached Picacho State Park by 6.30 and started the hike at 6.45. We started gaining elevation from the begining of the hike. There were some small steep sections while going up where the chains helped. The bright sun was definitely making the hike more difficult. After hiking for a mile we reached the saddle area.
This is where the fun begins. You have to climb down around 350 ft to get to the other side of the mountain and start hiking up to get to the peak. This downward descend was the most challenging part for Rekha. She freaked out a bit but then she came down gradually. I think after this she got over her fear and handled the remaining parts of the hike very well.
To get to the peak we had to climb up 3 really steep sections with the support of chains. The 2nd half of the hike offers a lot of fun :). It also offered a lot of shade through out, heat was not a problem in this part of the hike.
The view from the top is nice, mountains spanning all around. When we started the hike there were only 4 cars in the parking lot. But as we started coming down, we started seeing more and more hikers on the trail. It was interesting to see a family with 3 small kids doing the hike. Rekha and I were very totally impressed with them :).
While coming down we took our time, taking pics and enjoying the trail. It took us 3hr 45min to complete the hike, which seems like a long time. Rekha and I are good hiking buddies but we offer a bad combination in terms of speed because we slow each other down. I am very slow while going up and she is slow while coming down.
We were very thrilled to complete the hike, despite our late start and the worry about sun wearing us down. Finally I reached home at 11.30, it was a long day :).
Monday, May 17, 2010
Hidden Valley via Mormon trail
This week I hiked the hidden valley via mormon trail with one of my hiking enthusiast friend, Rekha. This was a good change from the last 2 weeks of urban hiking.
This trail is part of the south mountain park. The trail gradually ascends into a flat mesa. Fatman's pass stands as an entrance to the hidden valley. Once in the valley you can immerse yourself in desert wilderness away from city's skyline. The hidden valley has a lot of boulders which provide some cool spots with lots of shade. There was a pleasant aroma of flowers in a small stretch of the hidden valley. We could smell jasmine also :)
We got to speak to an old gentleman who is a regular hiker of this trail - does this trail 4 times a week. I got an interesting perspective from him. He said it would be much difficult for women to hike that often because we tend to do more at home and have more responsibilities. Well being a mom of a toddler boy I will totally agree with that :).
This trail is part of the south mountain park. The trail gradually ascends into a flat mesa. Fatman's pass stands as an entrance to the hidden valley. Once in the valley you can immerse yourself in desert wilderness away from city's skyline. The hidden valley has a lot of boulders which provide some cool spots with lots of shade. There was a pleasant aroma of flowers in a small stretch of the hidden valley. We could smell jasmine also :)
We got to speak to an old gentleman who is a regular hiker of this trail - does this trail 4 times a week. I got an interesting perspective from him. He said it would be much difficult for women to hike that often because we tend to do more at home and have more responsibilities. Well being a mom of a toddler boy I will totally agree with that :).
Camelback mountain - Summit vs Cholla trail
Camel back is one of the most popular hike in phoenix. I think its because of its easy access and the challenge it offers. Even though its a short hike it still gives you a good workout. It also provides good scrambling opportunities.
Parking is very limited for these trails and beware when parking in non-designated areas. I ended up getting a 85$ parking ticket for parking in no-parking area along with lot of other cars.
| Summit Trail | Cholla Trail | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 2.5 miles RT | 3 miles RT |
| Elevation gain | ~1300 ft | ~1200 ft |
| Usage | Very very popular trail. | Less crowded than summit trail. |
| Parking | Very limited parking at the trailhead. Parking would be difficult to find. | No parking near trailhead. Limited parking available on west side of Invergordon between Cholla Lane and Chaparral. Its about.5 mile to the trailhead. |
Parking is very limited for these trails and beware when parking in non-designated areas. I ended up getting a 85$ parking ticket for parking in no-parking area along with lot of other cars.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Camelback mountain hike
Week 3 - I hiked the Cholla trail of the camelback mountain.
5 AM - Beep Beep...the alarm rings....time to get up, but I snooze for few minutes. In those few minutes, my brain is thinking, you are crazy to come up with a such a hiking project etc. I fight all those thoughts and hit the road by 5.15. During my 25 minute drive to the mountain the lazy me is trying to convince me that this was such a bad idea.
I started my hike at 5.45 and was happily cruising along the mountain enjoying the early morning weather with gentle breeze. After some time I realized I saw only 2 people going up the trail with me and there were more people coming back from the hike at 6 in the morning :). It took me 1 hr 15 min to get to the tip. First half of the trail is a decently paved trail and 2nd half of the hike is mostly scrambling.
I got to hear some interesting stories during the hike - A 77 year old man hikes the mountain everyday throughout the year. A 70 year old lady hikes another mountain with similar difficult 3 times a week and apparently she started this when she was 65. There are experts who hike up the camelback mountain in 20 min :).
When I got up in the morning I had mixed feelings about my hiking project and it felt so big but after hearing all the interesting stories it felt very miniscule. I am sure the lazy me will always surface me with questions about my project but I am going to stay motivated.
The camelback mountain is located in the heart of Phoenix. The mountain is surrounded by beautiful residential neighborhood. In terms of view, I like the 360 degree views of mountains around the valley. Other than that all you can see is the concrete jungle with some nice golf courses.
After a good 2.5 hr workout I was home by 8.45, just in time for Rishi's breakfast :).
Thinking where to go next!!!
5 AM - Beep Beep...the alarm rings....time to get up, but I snooze for few minutes. In those few minutes, my brain is thinking, you are crazy to come up with a such a hiking project etc. I fight all those thoughts and hit the road by 5.15. During my 25 minute drive to the mountain the lazy me is trying to convince me that this was such a bad idea.
I started my hike at 5.45 and was happily cruising along the mountain enjoying the early morning weather with gentle breeze. After some time I realized I saw only 2 people going up the trail with me and there were more people coming back from the hike at 6 in the morning :). It took me 1 hr 15 min to get to the tip. First half of the trail is a decently paved trail and 2nd half of the hike is mostly scrambling.
I got to hear some interesting stories during the hike - A 77 year old man hikes the mountain everyday throughout the year. A 70 year old lady hikes another mountain with similar difficult 3 times a week and apparently she started this when she was 65. There are experts who hike up the camelback mountain in 20 min :).
When I got up in the morning I had mixed feelings about my hiking project and it felt so big but after hearing all the interesting stories it felt very miniscule. I am sure the lazy me will always surface me with questions about my project but I am going to stay motivated.
The camelback mountain is located in the heart of Phoenix. The mountain is surrounded by beautiful residential neighborhood. In terms of view, I like the 360 degree views of mountains around the valley. Other than that all you can see is the concrete jungle with some nice golf courses.
After a good 2.5 hr workout I was home by 8.45, just in time for Rishi's breakfast :).
Thinking where to go next!!!
Friday, May 7, 2010
2010-2011 Hiking Project
The hiking project seed started growing in my head. Though I liked the idea of hiking for a year, I had to come up with something feasible and challenging enough for me.
My 2010-2011 hiking project - Do 52 hikes in 52 weeks
Rules of the project
My 2010-2011 hiking project - Do 52 hikes in 52 weeks
Rules of the project
- Do 1 hike every week
- Do atleast 30 different hikes
- Do 2 long hikes (e.g Mt Humpreys, Havasu falls etc). Pramod thinks that the long hikes I have listed might be difficult to schedule in with rishi. I agree with him but I just want to believe "Where there is will there is a way". The other alternative we have come up with is do long trails in phoenix e.g national trail (14 miles).
- If I miss a hike then I will have to make up
- The hiking schedule should have minimal impact on rishi's schedule, that means hiking early in the morning as much as possible. This actually is going to be challenge for me, because I am not an early riser :).
Will I be able to do it rain or shine - well being in AZ rain should not be a problem at all :). Its the scorching heat of AZ in summer that I would have to fight with. Lets see....I will keep you posted as things progress.
I have already done 2 hikes in the past 2 weekends, so only 50 more weeks to go.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Origin of Hiking Project
Motivation
On May 1st 2010, I took a old Virginia Tech friend-Bindu who was visiting us to hike camel back mountain. I was doing this hike after nearly more than 4 years and given my current state of irregular workouts, 1.2 miles up the mountain felt like a neverending journey. It definitely shows that I am not in great shape, the reason I am not saying I am in bad shape because though I was tired all through out the weekend, atleast I did not have stiff muscles next day.
It is after the camel back hike, I realized that how much I like hiking and and have missed it. I was telling Bindu a person from intel who summitted Mt. Everest used to train on camel back mountain. I also shared my interest that one day I want to go to atleast to the base camp. For that I need to keep myself in good shape :)
Inspiration
Anyways after having read Eat, Pray, Love (I could not make myself read the whole book) and currently reading Happiness Project, these books have the concept of experimenting something for a year. Julie and Julia also has the similar idea.
While reading these books I would question myself occasionally - If there is anything I can do for a year?. I think to do something for a year, you have to be really passionate and motivated about it.
The answer came to me after the camel back hike. I realized that I would love to hike for a year, you can tell that I am definitely inspired or getting carried away by the books :). Hence the seed of a defining a hiking project was sown in my head.
On May 1st 2010, I took a old Virginia Tech friend-Bindu who was visiting us to hike camel back mountain. I was doing this hike after nearly more than 4 years and given my current state of irregular workouts, 1.2 miles up the mountain felt like a neverending journey. It definitely shows that I am not in great shape, the reason I am not saying I am in bad shape because though I was tired all through out the weekend, atleast I did not have stiff muscles next day.
It is after the camel back hike, I realized that how much I like hiking and and have missed it. I was telling Bindu a person from intel who summitted Mt. Everest used to train on camel back mountain. I also shared my interest that one day I want to go to atleast to the base camp. For that I need to keep myself in good shape :)
Inspiration
Anyways after having read Eat, Pray, Love (I could not make myself read the whole book) and currently reading Happiness Project, these books have the concept of experimenting something for a year. Julie and Julia also has the similar idea.
While reading these books I would question myself occasionally - If there is anything I can do for a year?. I think to do something for a year, you have to be really passionate and motivated about it.
The answer came to me after the camel back hike. I realized that I would love to hike for a year, you can tell that I am definitely inspired or getting carried away by the books :). Hence the seed of a defining a hiking project was sown in my head.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Passion for hiking
I have always been a outdoor person and enjoy all types of outdoor activities. One of the outdoor activities which I especially enjoy is hiking. Over the last 10 years I have got an opportunity to hike in different places in Virginia, Washington, Arizona, Hawaii, California, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Alaska.
My passion for hiking grew during my stay in Seattle from 2001-2004. I could never get enough of the beautiful state of Washington, the views were amazing, the destinations were beautiful lakes, falls, coastline, mountain tops.
My passion for hiking grew during my stay in Seattle from 2001-2004. I could never get enough of the beautiful state of Washington, the views were amazing, the destinations were beautiful lakes, falls, coastline, mountain tops.
Moving from Washington to Arizona in 2005, I tried to continue with my hiking passion but the lack of greenery demotivated me quite a bit. Living in Chandler, AZ I did not have access to the beautiful destinations I was used to in Seattle. Anyways I continued to pursue my interest with occasional hikes to South Mountain, Lost Dutchman state park, Sedona, Payson etc.
Some of my memorable hiking experiences have been - hiking down the grand canyon, scaling the half dome, landing on angel's landing,wading through narrows, walking down the bryce canyon, hiking up the delicate arch, hiking in volcano national park. My hubby - Pramod has accompanied me in all these special hikes and he has always pushed me towards my passion.
After we had our son Rishi in 2007 the hiking kind of became very sporadic, more like 1-2 hikes in 2008, 2009. Due to constraints from work, kid I was not thinking about hiking anymore.
Beginning of 2010, Rishi started saying that he wants to go on a hike, and he was very persistent about it whenever he saw a mountain. Finally one day we took him to telegraph pass in south mountain and he totally surprised us by hiking all the way to the top (~1.5 miles) on his own. We were really really proud of our little one :)
Rishi still continues to have his interest of hiking and we have hiked telegraph pass few more times with him. After a hiatus of 3 years I feel I have reconnected to my passion because of my little angel. I am really glad that he shares my passion and hope that will continue to :).
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