A So Cal Girl in the Desert

I think the last time I went hiking was in Girl Scouts. And my husband remembers some bad, dirty, trail he and a couple of friends hiked a few years back. After our first hike yesterday at South Mountain, we sure do know what we've been missing.

South Mountain is a huge mountain here in the Phoenix area, and is home to a network of hiking trails that range from easy and family-friendly to extremely difficult. We've been wanting to check it out since we moved here, but it's just been too hot, even in the early morning hours. Now that the weather has started to cool off a bit, conditions are much more hiker-friendly. Instead of our usual workout, yesterday, my husband suggested that we go for a hike and check out the trails, as my step-son is out in California visiting his mom and it would give us a good chance to explore without any whining in the background.

We parked at the southernmost red dot you see on this map, and started up Telegraph Pass Trail. It was pretty easy at first, and the first half-mile was paved. It turned into a dirt trail, which gradually turned into a rocky slope. It became more and more challenging, but more and more fun, and the views of the valley, below, were well worth the effort. When we got to the top of the trail, we decided to continue because we were having so much fun. From there we took the National trail up to a lookout point that had a rock gazebo. There were benches built in, and a rock table in the center. On one side, you could see the West Valley, and on the other side, you could see downtown Phoenix. The view was breathtaking. Our hike was about five miles, round trip. We felt invigorated as we headed back down the mountain, and vowed to come back to explore more of the trails twice a week for the rest of our lives. It was way more fun than going to the gym, and a better workout, too.