Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain Summit Hike
Kimberly and I capped off a great Thanksgiving weekend with an excellent hiking day today. We got up early (as is required to make sure you get a parking spot) and hiked the two well known Phoenix Mountain skyline landmarks: Piestewa Peak (formally Squaw Peak now named for the brave young girl Lori Piestewa who was the first Native American female to die in war ) and Camelback Mountain. On both we did the Summit trails.
While each trail is only about 1.2 miles each way (2.4 up and down), what makes them is the elevation gains. Both are over 1200 feet of climb in that short distance. So each one is basically like climbing to the top of the Empire State Building, only doing so by climbing via boulders and rocks. We did the climbs of both in pretty good time and even with the wait to get into the Camelback parking lot after Piestewa, we still were home by a little after noon.
Another great weekend hike as we continue to prepare for a multi day Grand Canyon trip next Spring, and the Phoenix Seven Summit Event next year.