Ahh, Camelback.  Smack dab in the middle of the city and yet in an instant, you can feel like you are in the middle of nowhere.  The views on the Fremont Saddle hike were much more lush and green, but there's something about that predictably beautiful nature of Camelback that keeps me coming back.  I started out later than intended which made for a hot climb and a little more stopping-to-hydrate-and-breathe than I would prefer.  It was a standard Echo Canyon climb – a set of stairs, two sets of poles, and a whole bunch of bouldering – not to mention the requisite “cool dude bumping loud music” and “people who don't understand right-of-way.”  I wouldn't expect anything less.  🙂  At the top, a guy had managed to catch a chuckwalla.  Probably not the smartest idea, but it made for a cool picture (from afar).  Camelback is a tough climb, especially if you are just starting out.  My advice: when you are coming down the pole sections, go down backward.  Once you get the hang of it, you can fly down without a problem.