Pinnacle Peak; No Walk in the Park

Growing up, "Pinnacle Peak" was synonymous with "Steak House." It was a western-style restaurant, complete with sawdust on the floor, and a place we took our visiting East Coast relatives. For fun, if they ordered their steak well-done they were served an old leather boot. If they showed up in a tie the waitress promptly cut it off and hung it with hundreds of others from the ceiling rafters.

Hmm? Perhaps that's why the family stopped visiting.


Pinnacle Peak Patio Steakhouse is still there, and so is its namesake -- Pinnacle Peak, which I came to conquer.

Joining me on the hike were friends, Tory and Lynne. And what a beautiful day it was for a hike, sunny but not too hot -- a good thing, since the hike is no walk in the park. The trail is classified as a moderate hike, with plenty of hills and valleys along the nearly 2 mile trek, one way. When you reach the end, don't expect to find a courtesy shuttle to take you back to the start. You need to come back over the same trail.

I consider myself in fairly good shape, in fact I ran 5 miles the day before, but that was on flat ground. Hills are a whole other form of exercise and the elevation gain on the trail reaches nearly 1,300 feet. Needless to say, I was not the fastest hiker in the group, but I wasn't there to win any race. I was there to enjoy the beautiful views of the Valley.

After the hike, we headed over to Greasewood Flat for our reward -- burgers and beer. It's not on my list, but should be on yours if you're heading to Pinnacle Peak. It's the perfect post-hike stop.

Nothing beats a big ol' chili, bacon, cheese burger after a hike. And you'll earn every calorie on your hike up (and down) Pinnacle Peak. Enjoy!