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| - North Mountain has a lot to do with why I live where I live. Moving to Phoenix from a much more urban environment (DC area), I wanted to live some place I could walk a lot. Of course, it had been a while since I had been to Phoenix in the summer - and forgot I would NOT want to have to walk in the heat of most months! Phoenix isn't especially pedestrian, probably mostly because of that heat.
North Mountain is where I walk.
It's centrally located and the North Mountain National Trail 44 is a short, steep, paved hike, excellent for daily exercise. (There's a little shade in the mornings and late afternoons, if only I could wake up early enough to make it up there before work during the summer!)
The trail, which begins at the Maricopa picnic area, is 1.6 miles round trip and while most of it is paved, the part that isn't is challenging enough to keep it interesting. Along the way, you'll gain 650 feet in elevation, giving you plenty of time to get your heart rate up, depending on how hard you exert yourself. Walking still does it for me. Some people go up and down several times. The folks who run it amaze me. I don't even hope to ever be that fit! :)
Along the way, you can catch a glimpse of the Cardinal's stadium waaaay out in the West Valley and at the summit (2,104 feet), you can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire Valley.
Most people hike to the summit and return the way they came; however, the trail is actually a loop and there is much less traffic and a more rugged hiking experience if you continue south and complete the loop.
I can't wait for it to cool off so I can get back at it! Maybe I'll try to set the alarm a little earlier and see if I can pull it off... Maybe.
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