2 years ago, my friend, Sandy, and I did this hike during the first week in June. We'd hoped to hike 3 summits in 1 day – the Triple Crown – but sunset came too soon. This year, I wasn't quite as ambitious. One Mountain was enough.

We drove up from Phoenix, and by the time we started hiking at 9:40am, it was 82 degrees. Still cooler than the expected 109 in Phoenix.

The first part of the hike was warm and the climb was steady, but not steep. By the time we got to the switchbacks, there was a cool breeze, and I was grateful whenever the sun hid behind the clouds.

We only saw about 5 other hikers. It was blissfully quiet with an occasional bird call in the distance. We made our way to the top just about 12 noon. We paused for the views and some photos and a snack. I was worried about not having enough water, which was already too warm in my Camelback, but I made it down ok.

I'm still nursing an ankle injury, which I suffered last year. My calves went numb and I was a little dizzy, so I probably was dehydrated. My 2 friends were patient and waited for me. I'll rest up before next month's hike.