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| - Cholla Trail. This is one of the two trails up Camelback mountain. Driving up to the trailhead is weird because you're in a neighborhood... a rich neighborhood and there's no parking! You're technically not supposed to be dropped off but I plead tourist ignorance. Most people that we saw were parking elsewhere and walking up the road to the trailhead... WHOOPS.
Most people that we spoke to along the trail said that this trail is the easiest of the two. Don't let the word 'easy' fool you. This trail is also 1.42 miles(2.84 round trip). Don't let that short distance fool you either.
The first 0.9-1.1 mile up the trail, you start to wonder if this is a joke. It's desert. The elevation change is gradual and suitable for even the most novice hikers. Once you get a mile in, that changes! It changes quickly. The trail quickly switches from a hike to a mountain climb. If you're footing isn't the best and you're not good at navigating rocks... you might want to turn around instead of going all the way to the top.
There are plenty of times where you're pulling yourself up over rocks. I loved this hike but it's not my favorite from the southwest. The combination of Camelback in Phoenix, Boynton Canyon in Sedona, and La Luz in Albuquerque... the southwest has won me over. The landscape is fantastic. I feel that Camelback and La Luz work together in a lot of ways. If you visit one, you have to visit the other. If you love Camelback, then La Luz is a must because it's leaps and bounds more beautiful than Camelback.
Back to the climbing. This mountain hike is a great test of endurance. The trail is marked and there are times where it might seem intimidating to you. Once you reach the top, plan to bring lunch and stay a while. There was a drone that flew up and visited us while we were there. The surrounding views consist of many neighborhoods. You can also see South Mountain in the distance.
When making your way down, you quickly realize there are multiple paths that you didn't see on the way up. The walk back down seems like it would be easier but be careful with all of the rocks. As I started to get tired, I rolled my ankle at least 3 different times.
You should absolutely do this trail while in Phoenix. You should also take plenty of water. It's bizarre how many people you see with only a small bottle of water. There are also quite a few trail runners on this mountain. I'm used to seeing everything on trails but it seems CRAZY to me to run on this trail. I'm too clumsy for that. One wrong step and you're tumbling over the side of the mountain like Homer Simpson!
This was one hike where I wish I would've had stronger shoes instead of lightweight hiking shoes. The next time I'm in Phoenix, I'll definitely go up the other side of the mountain.
Other notes:
-- Maybe if someone is asking you how you're holding up after 0.2 miles, you should stick to flatter grounds.
-- This trail is crowded. The crowd starts to thin as you start to climb but I was surprised that we still saw quite a few people.
-- It's easy to spot the locals.
-- Double check your footing so that you don't go tumbling down the mountain.
-- The trail can get strenuous but it's short enough to where you can still finish it in a couple of hours. Great workout.
-- Bring binoculars. At the top, there's plenty to look at.
-- Bring a snack to eat at the top.
-- The most important thing? Don't forget to stop and check out the views every so often.
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