Pilgrim Hike

2008-11-30T22:34:00.000-08:00

We were visited by family and friends this long Thanksgiving weekend. It was wonderful! Besides a night of big eating and another night of big drinking, our outdoor adventures were minimal—as in one. But that seems to be our running average for a weekend.

Allison, John, Maya, Adam and I got a late start on Saturday, as a result from a late night at the Coach House the night before. We arrived at Pinnacle Peak Park in Northeast Scottsdale around 4PM. It was a beautiful day—nice and cool after a few rainy days. The only thing missing was the company of Dixie and Buddy… no dogs allowed on this sometimes narrow and always busy trail.

So a little about the trail: It is rated moderate with an elevation gain of approx. 1300 feet. It's a smooth, extremely well-maintained trail with a few ups and downs and small switchbacks over the course of the 3.5 miles (trailhead and back). The views are spectacular, of both the valley and the nearby multi-million dollar homes on Troon golf course.

It was a clear, sunny day, although the ominous brown cloud was lingering over downtown Phoenix. We didn't see much wildlife but did hear some cactus wrens. John was fascinated with the Sonoran Desert plants—saguaros, jumping cholla, etc. The rest of us were fascinated by the crazy homes at the base of the mountain—negative edge pools, private guest houses, 5 car garages, etc. It was busy on the trail, with wandering tourists and typical Scottsdale health nuts running the trail. In fact, we almost got ran off the trail a few times by unannounced runners! We were close to the end of the trail when we got caught up in the sweep, as the park was closes at 5:30PM. So we had to turn around and make the hike back up and over to the trailhead.

After our hike, a park volunteer shared photos of wildlife taken at the park. It seems Pinnacle Peak must be a very diverse mountain with large populations of animals—bobcats to snakes, lizards to owls. On our way to the car, we noticed someone or thing up on the top of the Peak. Turns out some rock climbers were up there, and the park volunteers were worried they were stuck! We watched for about 10 mins and the climbers eventually started repelling down. Although we were glad they got down safely, we were kind of disappointed we didn't get to watch a rescue! ;)

At home, we were welcomed by warm showers and a hot turkey quesadilla casserole. We finished off the day stuffing our faces and watching movies. Perfect Saturday.

-em

Explore. Dream. Discover. —Mark Twain

2008-11-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

Day after day, we sit at our computers, allowing them suck the life out of us. We get crabby if we don't go outside—breathe the fresh air, move our stiff bodies and open our eyes to the world around us. Ironic we are blogging about it, no?

We yearn to explore new places. We dream of wild trips, like cross-country bike rides or a year of snowboarding in Europe. We'll be sharing our discoveries along the way…adventures in the mountains, on the water, in the snow or on our bikes.

Great things are done when men and mountains meet;
This is not done by jostling in the street.
—William Blake, Notebooks (1793)

Lifecycle Built for Two

Pilgrim Hike

Explore. Dream. Discover. —Mark Twain