Camelback Prep Via Climbing Mount Wichita

In Texas in one week I experience what used to be an entire year's worth of Washington weather.

As in a few days ago my North Texas location was cold, cloudy, wet, foggy, icy.

In other words, a typical Western Washington winter day.

Then yesterday the sky turned blue and the temperature neared 80.

In other words, a typical Western Washington summer day.

And now, one day later, the outer world is being fall or spring like, if one were in Western Washington, with the temperature closer to freezing than 80.

Next month I am scheduled to hike with Spencer Jack and his dad to the summit of Camelback Mountain. I do not know if Camelback Mountain is in Phoenix or Scottsdale. Or if both towns share a piece of the mountain.

The hike to the summit of Camelback is not an easy hike. Many fail to make it to the top. Helicopter rescues frequently occur.

Such as what happened when some of Spencer Jack's aunts and his grandpa attempted to conquer Camelback.

So, in order to stack fate in my favor, today I decided I probably should amp up my mountain climbing readiness. And so I rolled my mechanized wheels to the base of my closest mountain and hiked, twice, to the summit of Mount Wichita.

The halfway to the Mount Wichita summit view is what you see above.

I was joined by a couple other mountain climbers. None of us came even remotely close to needing a helicopter rescue...

Final Wichita Falls Bike Ride Before Arizona Mountain Climbing

On this first Saturday of the 2018 version of October the outer world at my current location is a bit dark and cloudy.

With about an hour to go before noon I opted to exit my abode so as to roll my bike wheels one more time before exiting Texas tomorrow.

In the photo documentation we are on the Circle Trail looking south over my handlebars.

Rain and thunderstorms are in today's forecast. So far I have felt no drippage, nor heard any booms.

Last night I came to my final decision as to the route for the roadtrip to Arizona. A short distance on 287 to 70, then 60 all the way to the Phoenix zone.

When I was younger I greatly enjoyed long roadtrips. Thousands of miles never vexed me. I remember the first time I saw Texas was part of a month long multi-thousand mile roadtrip. That was the summer the whole world was worried regarding who shot J.R. I did not visit Southfork at that point in time.

Now that I am semi-elderly I am not as fond of the roadtrip concept. I am sort of looking forward to doing some actual mountain type hiking in Arizona. Maybe Camelback Mountain. Maybe Piestewa Peak. Maybe South Mountain.

Or it may be too HOT with a lot of pool time being more appealing than mountain hiking.

Nurse Canecracker, aka Lil' Miss Linda, will be arriving on the 16th.

We ordered a new transport chair for my mom. Nurse Canecracker is not yet fully recovered from getting badly injured from an encounter with a car on the streets of Mount Vernon. Big Ed may come in handy if Nurse Canecracker wants to avail herself of using one of the transport chairs.

If I remember right the trail up Piestewa Peak is paved. Maybe we will be able to push both mom and Nurse Canecracker to the Piestewa Peak summit....

Is Hippie Spencer Jack Climbing Camelback Mountain With Me?

What you see here I found whilst checking email this morning, on this, my last day in Texas, for about a month.

A photo and a message from Spencer Jack's dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason, aka FNJ.

FUD-

Spencer Jack fashioned 1960s progressive America at school today.  

Thought you would enjoy seeing the soon to be 11 year old liberal Jones nephew’s cute photo.

Hope all is well,
FNJ

P.S. - Perhaps we can connect sometime soon in AZ. Perhaps we can hike Camelback Mountain together?

__________________

The 1960s? A time of rapid change, riots, assassinations, raging wars in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones.

And Hippies.

I wonder if Spencer Jack's grandma Cindy, she being my favorite ex-sister-in-law, helped turn Spencer into a Hippie.

Spencer Jack and his dad are probably not aware of what a Flower Child their grandma and mom was back in those long ago days of peace, love and freedom.

Peace, love and freedom? Am I remembering right? That that was/is the Hippie Credo?

Am I to insinuate from Spencer Jack's dad's message that the boys will be in Arizona at some point in time this month?

I don't know about hiking up Camelback Mountain. That is in Scottsdale, where Spencer Jack's dad, my little brother, Jake, lives. There is a Camelback Mountain website devoted to climbing this mountain.

Wikipedia's description of hiking Camelback Mountain...

Two hiking trails ascend 1,280 feet (390 m) to the peak of Camelback Mountain. The Echo Canyon Trail is 1.14 miles (1900 m) and the Cholla Trail is 1.4 mi (2300 m). Both trails are considered strenuous with steep grades. The hiking path has dirt, gravel, boulders, and some handrail-assisted sections. The average hike requires a round trip time of 1.5 to 3 hours.

Closer to Jake than Camelback Mountain is Papago Park. There are a lot of fun things to hike to in Papago Park. Such as the Hole in the Rock.

The second highest mountain in the Phoenix mountain range is known as Piestewa Peak, formerly Squaw Peak. Spencer Jack's aunt Jackie, she being my sister, and I hiked Piestewa Peak back in March of 2012. We did not make it to the summit.

We could also go hiking on South Mountain. South Mountain Park is the biggest city park in America and one of the biggest urban parks in the world. A Republican president of the decent sort, who helped make parks, not destroy them, or open them to drilling, Calvin Coolidge, helped Phoenix acquire the South Mountain parkland.

The first time I drove the road to the top of South Mountain I saw bikers mountain biking on trails which I would not be comfortable riding. Treacherous.

A bike has been delivered to where I will be staying in Arizona. It is not a mountain bike, and so its wheels will not be seeing mountain bike trails. Those wheels will likely be seeing a lot of miles of paved trails trailing all over this location with multiple lakes, appropriately called Sun Lakes.

This is likely going to be my last blog posting for awhile. I am not bring a laptop with me. My only internet connection will be via my phone. Or when I am at my sister's in Chandler. I may be using this break from the Internet World, and my computer, to break my blogging addiction.

It is said it takes 21 days to break a bad habit, or start a new good habit...

Will Camelback Helicopter Rescue Be Needed For Clancy, Fancy, Jackie & Jake?

I will get to the explanation as to who you are seeing in this photo in a moment.

But first I have to explain  that this afternoon I got a cautionary email  from Spencer Jack's dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason.

I will copy that email in its entirety so as to convey what is being cautioned...

FUD-

I have just been informed by your brother that he, your two eldest sisters and one of their wives are going to attempt to hike Camelback Mountain tomorrow morning, via the Echo Canyon Summit Trail.

This is the same 'extremely difficult' trail that I traversed last week.

I don't see this outing going well. I know that one member of the hiking party has severe lower back issues which may prevent him from reaching the summit.

To reach the summit, one climbs on large boulders, often on all fours, for a gain of 1700+ feet in about a mile.

Many rescues are made on this trail via helicopter. Local authorities use a helicopter to rescue hikers, as the pathway to the summit ends after a few hundred yards, leaving few other options.

I advised your brother that someone ought to make sure that the helicopter has a full tank of gas.

- FNJ

_________________

I can understand Jason's concern. The main objects of concern would be Jason's eldest aunt, who also is my eldest sister, Clancy. That would be the most recent  photo of Clancy. that I could find, which you see above. You can sort of intuit from the photo why Jason has some concerns about Clancy getting on a Camelback.

The brother to whom Jason refers is my little brother Jake, who also is Jason's dad. Hiking with a bad back over treacherous terrain is a recipe for pain.

Now, the other two hikers, those being my second eldest sister, Jackie, and my ex-wife, Fancy, well, I don't think those two present as big a concern as the other two.

On my last visit to Arizona I went hiking with my second eldest sister, Jackie, who also happens to be the mother of my Favorite Nephews Christopher and Jeremy. We hiked up Piestewa Peak. Jackie wore me out on that hike. At one point she somehow went straight up the peak, bypassing a pair of switchbacks. Suddenly I had no clue where Jackie was. Eventually, after she watched me spend a couple minutes being perplexed, hollered from above, letting me know where she was.

Now, Jason and I may be totally wrong in our danger assessment regarding this Camelback Mountain climbing expedition. All four of these hikers have been regularly playing something called Pickelball. Maybe all that Pickelballing has gotten the quartet in excellent shape.

I expect I will be getting a report about this expedition tomorrow. I will be in Dallas for most  of the day. I likely won't  know if a helicopter rescue was needed until I get back to being connected to my computer. Unless I get a text message...

Happy Valentine's Day Hike To The Summit Of Arizona's Camelback Mountain

No, that is not Mount Wichita you are looking at here, though the resemblance is uncanny.

Currently, on this Valentine's Day of 2017, Mount Wichita is shrouded in clouds with those clouds dripping on the mountain and its surrounding area.

That would be Camelback Mountain we are looking at here, not Mount Wichita. Mount Wichita is in Texas.

Camelback Mountain is located two states to the west, in Arizona, in what is known as the Valley of the Sun, which is the location of towns such as Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler  and Sun Lakes.

A few minutes ago my phone made  its incoming text message noise. Soon upon checking on the source of that noise I saw a message with a photo.

The message was "Valentine's morning  hike to the top of Camelback. Heading south  to Sun Lakes later today."

You can see who sent this message from Camelback below, but before we get to that let's take a closer look at the south side of Camelback Mountain.

It was my Favorite Nephews, Chris and Jeremy, whose mom, my Favorite Sister, Jackie, took me on a tour of Camelback Mountain during my most recent visit to Arizona. The homes built on to the side of Camelback are impressive. I really liked the one above which looked like a fortified castle with a cactus making what looked like an obscene gesture in the foreground.

Prior to touring Camelback, Jackie and I had hiked up the former Squaw Peak, now known as Piestewa Peak. This was a brutal hike in blazing sun, with the trail shared with dozens of tourists from all over America, in town to watch baseball players play some training games.

No, what we are looking at here is not the well designed trail to the summit of Camelback Mountain. I believe that summit trail is accessed from the north side of the mountain. What we are looking at here is on the south side, with that stairway leading to yet one more impressive home built into the side of the mountain.

And now we get to the mountaineer who sent the below photo this Valentine's morning from high atop Camelback Mountain.

That would be Spencer Jack's Favorite Dad, my Favorite Nephew, Jason, currently in the Scottsdale zone to see his dad and to surprise his Grandma, in the aforementioned town of Sun Lakes, with appropriate Valentine's Day surprises. I assume such would be a box of chocolates and maybe some sort of fragrant flower.

Anyway, Happy Valentine's Day from the summit of  Camelback Mountain....

My Final Friday In Arizona With An Extra Exhausting Schedule Plus Sweet Tomatoes

Lounging Pool-Side With The Esther Williams Wannabes

Today is my last full day in Arizona. It is only 3 in the afternoon and I've already had me a day.

I was going to break today, so far, up in to separate bloggings, but, I decided, instead, to just write one long-winded blogging, of today, so far.

With pictures.

My sister was scheduled to pick me up at 9. So, at 8 I decided to go swimming, again, with the well-seasoned ladies of Sun Lakes.

The swimming and early morning pool lounging went well with the warm temperature, which has now risen to 82 degrees by mid-afternoon.

Palm Tree Surveillance

I was enjoying lounging in the sun when I looked up at the palm trees to see one that did not look right.

Can you spot the odd palm tree in the picture?

Near as I can tell, Sun Lakes security feels the need to keep an eye on the well-seasoned ladies in the pool and so they've mounted high-tech security devices, disguised as a palm tree.

Sneaky.

As I walked back to my mom and dad's I saw my sister had already arrived. We all discussed the later today plan to go to Sweet Tomatoes, and then my sister and I were on our way to Piestewa Peak, among other things.

Piestewa Peak used to be called Squaw Peak. Squaw Peak was renamed to honor Spc. Lori Ann Piestewa, who was the first American Indian woman killed in combat and the first female soldier killed in action, in the Iraq War, way back in 2003.

Piestewa Peak aka Squaw Mountain In The Distance

Piestewa Peak, at 2,608 feet, is the second tallest peak in the Camelback Mountains.

Since around 1910 the name Squaw was used to reference this peak. It was also called Squaw Tit Mountain. Some considered the name Squaw to be derogatory.

I can't imagine why.

Over the years efforts were made to change the name from something other than Squaw or Squaw Tit. A Native Navajo State Representative, Jack Jackson, in 1992, began submitting bills to change the name.

Changing the name of Squaw Mountain generated a lot of squawking. Eventually the American Indian Movement got involved, wanting to change the name to Iron Mountain. Finally, on April 17, 2003, within a month of Lori Piestewa's death, the name was changed.

Busy Parking Lot With A Lot Of People
With The Air Let Out Of Them

I am drawing a blank as to how it was we left the freeway and were suddenly at a parking lot at the base of Piestewa Peak. I was surprised at the large number of cars parked.

I am used to going to parking lots for hikes in Texas and finding few cars.

My sister has hiked on Piestewa Peak previously, with my other sisters, and others. My sister indicated she'd never made it to the summit. The summit is reached with an elevation gain of 1,190 feet in 1.2 miles, so it was easy to believe my sister had never made it to the summit.

My Sister Way Ahead Of Me On Way
 To Piestewa Peak Summit

But, just like how my sister tricked me into a bad bet regarding Susan Lucci and Dancing With The Stars, I was suckered into a bad bet again, betting my sister she could not make it to the summit.

In the picture can you find my sister way ahead of me, past the Saguaro?

My sister hiking at such a fast pace should have clued me to the fact that she is in way better shape than I was led to believe.

We ran into many bikers, hikers and joggers on the Piestewa Peak Trail who looked like they'd had the air let out of them. Everywhere I go in Arizona I see people who appear to have been deflated.

The Piestewa Peak Summit Trail sees thousands of hikers a week. Quite a few of those hikers do not make it all the way to the summit. But, even though the trail is much more difficult than it looks, many hikers do make it to the summit.

Heading Toward Camelback Mountain

Including my sister and me.

Unfortunately without photo documentation due to my camera battery going dead, with the backup battery back in the vehicle.

From the top of Piestewa Peak we could see the McDowell Mountains, the Superstition Mountains, Tabletop Mountain, the Harquahala Mountains, the Papago Mountains, Pinnacle Peak and Four Peaks. Plus other Peaks and Mountains the names of which I have forgotten.

The hike down Piestewa Peak was much easier than the hike up. This is often the case with these type things.

Soon we were back on the road again, with my sister taking me on a driving tour of Old Phoenix, north of downtown. Very cool mansions. Then it was on to the Arizona Biltmore where we wanted to have lunch. But we could not find the Biltmore In-N-Out Burger.

We left the Biltmore and drove on to the Phoenician in Scottsdale. Still no In-N-Out Burger.

Camelback Mansions

Eventually we reached the base of Camelback Mountain. Some call this Sugarloaf. I have no idea why because the mountain clearly looks like a camel with a hump.

We drove up towards the top of the hump, towards huge mansions built into the side of the mountain. The only thing I've ever seen remotely like this is on the Hollywood Hills.

We left Camelback Mountain to drive through downtown Scottsdale. It was a hopping busy place on a Friday afternoon. I was impressed with all the restaurants, galleries, patios and the over all look of downtown Scottsdale.

I forgot to mention that before we drove through downtown Scottsdale we drove by my step-niece's house, which is very close to downtown Scottsdale.

We did not go into my step-niece's house, because my sister has no key, unlike the situation which got us into trouble with my nephew and our unscheduled inspection of his house.

In The Picture I Am Not Feeding The In-N-Out Birds

We left Scottsdale and headed to Tempe where we finally found an In-N-Out. It was very busy, but there was no line to order my Combo #1, which is a Double-Double with fries and a drink.

We found outdoor seating where I was warned not to feed the birds.

Tempe is a college town and this In-N-Out is near ASU. So, the place was packed with college kids. Most of whom appeared to have had the air let out of them.

Post-burgers we headed south, passing wrecked giant windmills and watched a dustdevil do a tornado like spin above the desert. Eventually we made it back to my mom and dad's, where mom brought me celery stuffed with something made with jalapenos and asked me if I could find the nearest Midas Muffler location.

I found the nearest Midas Muffler. Mom and dad have been gone well over an hour, to get their oil changed at Midas Muffler.

Tonight we are off to Sweet Tomatoes. I think I already mentioned that. Have I also mentioned I usually don't eat dinner? I guess not....