Climb Every Mountain... ...Till You Find Your Dream

The night before I hiked Camelback mountain I watched the Sound of Music on TV. I found a bit of irony in this. If you remember the end of the movie, you recall that the von Trapp family climbs the Swiss alps to escape pursuing Nazi solders. Motivation like that might have helped me climb Camelback -- a helping hand from a young Christopher Plummer would have helped too.




If you've never hiked Camelback, let me warn you, the Summit Trail out of Echo Canyon is know to be strenuous and difficult. The elevation gain is 1,264 feet (the summit is 2,704 feet) and the trail is 1.2 miles -- one way. This, however, didn't deter me.

I had originally planned this hike for New Years Day, but some wise friends warned me against this. The trail is quite popular on weekends and holidays, and if you don't like to have another hiker on your heals -- literally -- it's best to pick another day. I did and was off to a good start. I had a hiking stick to help me up the stair-like trail and to steady my steps in the rocky areas. There were quite a few other hikers on the trail, but no one was in a rush and there was plenty of time to stop and check out the spectacular view of the Valley.

I had gone 3/4 of a mile up the trail and was feeling really good. All was going well -- until I found this. A steep rock incline that you literally had to pull yourself up, hand-over-hand, along a guide rail.

Here's something you may not know about me. I have a fear of heights. Well, more like a fear of falling hundred of feet to my death. While I considered going up the rock wall, I was sure there was no way I would make it back down without help from the Phoenix Fire Department's Urban Search and Rescue Team. Although it's not a bad way to meet a cute fireman, I decided it was better to turn around and find a new trail.

Luckily there are a few other hiking options at Camelback and my trip was not a total loss. For less adventurous types there are the Ramada and Bobby's Rock trails, the latter of which takes you towards the camel's head. Both offer the opportunity to explore the urban mountain park -- without scaling a sheer rock wall.

Since my visit to Camelback didn't quite turn out as planned, I'm not ready to cross this one off my list. I'm willing to give the trip to the top one more try, but I'll take a different path -- the Cholla Trail. It starts at the back side (butt end) of Camelback. It's a little bit longer -- 1.5 miles each way -- and is still recommenced only for experienced hikers. As long as it doesn't require ropes, a harness, anchor chains and rappelling rings I might be able to make it.

This isn't the last time you'll see me at Camelback mountain. Stay tuned for "Camelback -- Take Two."

To Celebrate Christmas I Killed a Tree

I did have reservations about putting this trip on my list. Sure, I've purchased fresh-cut Christmas trees before, but I've never severed one from its roots. It's like having steak -- I eat beef but I've never killed a cow.




So here we go. Rob and I got a late start on our trip to the Mogollon Rim, leaving Phoenix close to 1 p.m. Rob was a good sport. He was drafted into this adventure because he had a truck and the tools (axe and saw) I needed to accomplish my mission -- killing a tree.


We pulled off the highway at Woods Canyon lake and were greeted by a parade of trucks and SUVs, all with trees tied on top. There were so many of them that I thought finding a tree would be easy. Wrong. This is the forest not a tree farm. True, there are plenty of pine trees in the Apache-Stigreaves forest, but most are Poderosa Pines, which are beautiful when they are mature and over 30 feet tall. However, under 10 feet they are like awkward adolescents, having thin, wobbly branches with tufts of long pine needles at the end. I truly believe they were the inspiration for Charles Shultz's for Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.

So we began our search but what we found instead of a Christmas tree was a family who had lost their way in the woods. They, too, were looking for a Christmas tree but found themselves lost, instead. We found them after they had wandered for an hour and a half, in the cold. Call it Karma, but if my being there was to help this family, adding this to my list was worth it. So we escorted them to the road and Rob gave them a ride back to their truck, which was another mile away.

Apparently, there are hazards in cutting down your Christmas tree. In fact, the U.S. Forest Service provides you with a long list of things you should bring along - food, water, blankets, warm clothes, matches, a flashlight, etc. However, none of these are much help to you when you are lost in the woods and they are in your car. Also, if you bring your dog, keep it on a leash. Another group we met had lost their dogs in the woods -- a black lab and a shitzu -- I hope they found them.

By our third stop, the sun was low in the sky and I had given up on finding an acceptable Christmas tree. I wasn't going to chop one down just to cross it off my list. As I stomped back to the truck in defeat, Rob called me over to a group of fir trees. There it was -- a (near) perfect Christmas tree. So I cut it down.

Like a hunter who had successfully bagged her prey, I felt triumphant as we dragged the tree back to the truck. But my glee was short-lived. Despite the bright lights and fancy ornaments that now decorate the tree in my home, I still can't help but feel a little bit guilty about cutting it down. Would I do this again? Probably not. I'll stick with my plastic, pre-lit Christmas tree next year.

Merry Christmas, everyone!