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| - Next time you're stuck in traffic on the 51 and Glendale, look just off the freeway and you'll see desert mountains flirting with your urge to get outside and spend the day exploring NATURE ... da ba dee da ba doo. (That's right, SNL Robert Goulet reference)
When the weather's nice, I spend as much of my time outdoors as I possibly can. I look at it like the camel filling himself with water for his desert hike, or the bear filling his belly with food for a long winter of hibernation because I know that when July and August hits...I'll be merely dreaming about the outdoors. So, Piestewa Peak (formerly known as Squaw Peak) is one of my favorite outdoor destinations.
Ok, so there are a couple routes you can take at Piestewa Peak and that's what I love about this area. If you're in the cardio mood, you can climb the peak and get the stair master workout. When you get to the rocky top, it's pretty awesome staring out and seeing the city on one side and a desert preserve on the other.
If you're in the mood for a flatter hike through the desert oasis itself, then park in the way back and take the path you see on the north side. Between the saguaros and the rolling peaks and valleys, it's a gorgeous hike. You could easily keep walking until the sun sets so keep an eye on the clock and remember the direction you took. As long as you do that, you're golden. There are several different paths you can take including some with lookouts, some that go deep into the valley and some that explore the ups and downs of the preserve. So be sure to do your research and figure out which path you want to take.
Hiker be warned!! You know how they also warn you to never leave the beaten path? Well... I didn't listen...and when I didn't listen, a jumping cactus decided to show me how it earned the name "jumping cactus" by jumping right onto my ankle. With nothing but water and a lone backpack, we had to improvise ways to get the needles out of my ankle. Now here's a little tid bit of knowledge about the jumping cactus...when it attaches to let's say, you're leg, it hooks in and makes it pretty darn hard to get out. Ten painful prick removals later, I was back on board and a little sore, but kept on truckin'. So be warned and keep a solid eye out for any little cacti lying around, because they are everywhere on Piestewa Peak. But don't let that scare you! It's well worth any scrapes you get along the way!
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