Hiking > Work

I can’t think of a better reason to leave work early!  Piestewa is just down the street from my office, so I packed my hiking gear and hit the trail just before quitting time.  There was quite a bit of construction at the trailhead which meant I had to find parking a little farther down the road than usual.  It was a hot day and the trail offered very little shade.  Piestewa has an interesting feel.  You’re on a mountain, but you can see the freeway, the downtown skyline, and all of the surrounding neighborhoods.  A sweet marriage of nature and city life.  I was hoping to bag Camelback the same day, but the heat made for a slow ascent and by the time I was down I only had an hour left before sunset (you can’t be on Camelback after sunset without getting slapped with a BIG fine!)  Piestewa reminds me of a Stairmaster – steps on steps; I can’t imagine anyone summits without feeling the glute burn!  Nonetheless, I would rank this as being among the bottom three in terms of difficulty (Fremont as easiest, Wasson as second easiest, Piestewa third).