Climbing Camelback

Echo Canyon Park marks the starting point of the Summit Trail up Camelback.

"So, who are you working for?" the man asked, noting my large camera, inquisitive attitude, and frequent stops. I quickly debated whether or not my own blog counted as work.

"No one really, just out for a hike," I replied, keeping things as vague as possible.

"That's good," he smiled, "Because this trail is the best in Arizona and it's already to busy. Don't want the word to get out more than it is!"

At this I chuckled, introducing myself to a man who called himself "Claud the Water Guy." A shade over 60 but fit as any park ranger, he makes the 1.2 mile journey up Phoenix's Camelback mountain "every other day of the year." I decided on the spot that you don't meet characters like this everyday, so I joined him on my ascent up Phoenix's most popular peak.

Claud the Water Guy, shown as how I would shoot him in a fashion magazine.

Camelback mountain and its distinctive hump sits just west of downtown Phoenix and over the top of Scottsdale. It's convenient location makes it instantly accessible for Phoenicians, attracting over 300,000 visitors annually. Most, if not all, have probably met friendly Claud, who makes it a point to carry extra water and offer it generously to everyone he meets. "It's a dangerous hill," he reasons, "These city-slickers city-slickers> forget how hot it is. People die here... in the summer it will get to one-sixteen and they don't even bring water!"

Lucky for us, the temperate on this day was in the low 70s, making the ascent a comfortable and utterly enjoyable experience. There were a few steep parts that required using cables, but overall I didn't feel the need to bust out my iPhone and google, "death on Camelback." Claud did fill me in on other local legends and gave me a five minute lesson on proper foot placement. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I had just hiked 750km across Spain, but it was fun nonetheless. "Well," Claud ended fatherly, "You're gonna need this technique if you ever go for the record time up the mountain - 15 minutes and 36 seconds! Don't forget the 36, that's important!"

Tie-die and a little time for reflection

The path winds around large boulders and tall cacti.

My time was a little slower; I reached the summit in one-hour. The views were spectacular to the north overlooking Paradise Valley, and I could almost make out Picacho Peak in the distance. There were a number of dogs on the trail, both large and small, along with hikers of all shapes & sizes. I even ran into an old college friend of mine - baseball player Shelley Duncan who is a member of the New York Yankees organization (currently in AAA.)

I bid farewell to Claud and headed down the "Cholla Trail" to the north that comes out next to the Phoenician resort. Although I promised him I wouldn't do it, I must HIGHLY RECOMMEND this hike to anyone in the Phoenix area, whether a visitor or a long-time resident!

Chelsea, back on top of the world!

~ J. Twice