Camelback - Cholla Trail

After last week's climb and the resulting sore thigh muscles, which took a few days to recover, Papa and I were a little concerned about doing another "strenuous" trail again. Camelback, the Cholla Trail, is about 1.4 miles and 1,280 ft. one way. The first part of the hike isn't too bad. The second part has climbing involved but not as vertical as Flat Iron.

Star went with us on this hike. This is the most challenging hike that she'll probably do. She did great on the way up but had a couple stumbles on steep sections going down. As a result, our normally black dog was very brown by the time we got home requiring an immediate bath. Today, she's a very mellow dog, resting from her adventure.

First, some observations:

• The Cholla Trail is extremely popular. Since we stop with the dog whenever we meet people (as a courtesy since some people aren't real dog friendly), we made very frequent stops, so hiking was slow. 
• It was also pretty windy in sections which provided nice relief from the heat. 
• We were very amazed at how many people we saw with ONE bottle of water for the hike. The more we hike, the more we understand the rescue stories in the news; people do not respect the mountains/desert.

The first part of the hike is relatively easy. This would be rated a "moderate" hike up to the saddle. There are steps but they can be handled without hiking poles or scrambling. From the trail the Phoenician Resort is visible on the south side.  (remember, click on any picture to see larger view/more detail)

The open area at the saddle provided views of ASU, Papago Buttes, downtown Phoenix to the south and Paradise Valley and mountain ranges to the north. The views are really spectacular.

As we looked up the trail, the grade appeared to increase but it didn't look far to the crest so we continued. What we didn't realize, since this was our first attempt at Camelback, is that there is a ridge that hides the final crest.  The ascent between this ridge and the top is the steepest ascent with a couple short, 2-3 feet, vertical climbs.

We did it. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the top and soaked in the views. Star was very happy to share a little of our sandwiches (we'll remember to bring her treats in the future) and just relax. This was a perfect outing for her.  (yellow area in the back of the picture points to the Superstition Mountains and where we were last week)

One of the best things about hiking is the people. We met people from all over the country and shared wonderful stories. Our round trip took us nearly five hours but we probably had an hour at the top and spent a lot of time talking with people whom we knew or just met along the way. What fun!

The people, being outdoors and getting exercise are what Papa and I enjoy about hiking together. The reward, however, are the views. This is a composite picture of the view to the west/southwest from the top of Camelback.

Click here for this week's video of our hike. Remember to change to 720p in the lower right section of the You Tube screen, for a better quality video.

Today, the day after the hike, Papa and I are not feeling any discomfort. That is encouraging. We still have 10 weeks...or ONLY 10 weeks...until the Grand Canyon R2R hike. We are confident we will be able to do the hike. We've researched the corridor trails and confirmed they do not involve any vertical climbs, just challenging grades/switchbacks. All we need to do now is increase our aerobic capacity and keep up the training. We will continue to hike each week and, as we have last week and this, will carry the full packs we will use in the Canyon to get accustomed to the extra weight.

Next week we relive the greatest hiking challenge of our lives. Four years ago on Palm Sunday, Papa and I set out to do a loop hike in the back country of Superstition Mountains. Star was a pup and went with us. We ran out of water, Star refused to continue and we had to carry her, and we got lost. We finally got back to our car with just a sliver of daylight on the horizon and no flashlight with us. It was as close as we ever want to come to a hiking disaster. Next week, we will retrace our steps...without Star, with much more water, better map/compass, and starting earlier in the day with our headlamps. We will conquer our greatest challenge to date. Check back next week!