|
I had 4 unscheduled hours on a recent business trip to Scottsdale Arizona so of course I took that opportunity to climb the nearest mountain :)
 The summit trail to the top of Camelback Mountain is, as far as I can tell, Scottsdale's equivalent to the Grouse Grind. Lots of trail runners on the trail, trying to beat their best time. The trail was 1.2 miles to the top with an elevation gain of 1,264 feet. The summit is 2,704 feet. The trail ranges from civilized staircases to steep & slippery rock scrambling.
 I love the desert. The colors are so vibrant in contrast to the sandstone. I saw a few really neat bugs & some adorable lizards too. Apparently a group of climbers were swarmed by some particularly nasty bees not too long ago and one of them was actually killled (by falling, not by the bees). The survivors were hospitalized with up to 200 stings so if you're allergic to bees, take an epi pen.
Camelback Mountain is in Echo Canyon Park. There are a number of other, less strenuous trails. Visit The Camelback Mountain Trail Guide for more information. Apparently the parking lot is a zoo on weekends. I was there on a Thursday afternoon and it was about 2/3 full.
 The trail starts off by decending some stairs, take the left fork at the bottom & head back up another flight of stairs. The trail is pretty well marked. Follow the "summit" signs. The trail then becomes a nice wide gravel path before finally running into the side of the mountain. There is a hand rail to assist you up this steep & slippery section which is bounded on one side by the mountain itself and by a chainlink fence on the other. Once you've navigated this bit, the trail becomes more 'trail-like' and much prettier.
 It was almost 90 degrees the day I did it this trail so bring lots of water! At the 1 mile marker you'll think you can see the summit but don't get too excited. That's not it. There are a lot of beautiful flowers & a great view of Phoenix from here which was as good an excuse as any for me to stop & snap a few pics while catching my breath.
The view from the top is a beautiful 180 degree panorama including Squaw Peak, the closest mountain to Camelback.
Directions:
Sorry I can't be more helpful here. It was right behind my hotel. Here's a map:
Trip Report | Photo
Gallery
|
