I've lost track of how many times I've climbed Camelback, but it never gets old. As busy as it can be, I still love it!
As a child, whenever we visited my grandparents in Arizona, my Nana would point out Camelback to us whenever it was in view – starting with the car ride from the airport shortly after arriving in Phoenix. At times when the view was just right, she'd also have us look for the praying monk. I don't remember an age where I didn't know about this mountain. That said, my family didn't do a lot of hiking. It's something I've grown a passion for later in life.

When my grandparents stopped going to Scottsdale during the winters, there were several years we didn't go. In 2011, my boyfriend and I were planning a trip to Phoenix and I was researching things to do. Climbing Camelback came up on the the websites I visited. What? I can climb Camelback?! I can climb to the top of this iconic mountain that I've been looking at my whole life! Like I said, I wasn't a hiker at the time – I didn't know these things.

On October 14, 2011, my boyfriend (now husband) and I climbed Camelback for the first time. That was also the first time I've really liked since I climbed Piestewa Peak as a child. While we were athletic and in good shape, we knew the mountain was rated hard. Not knowing what to expect, and what our skill level was, we did opted for Cholla Trail because it was said to be slightly easier. I will never forget my first views of the surrounding area from that first time up Camelback – the camel had stolen my heart forever.

Now that I'm a much more experienced hiker, I actually don't like hikes like Camelback because the trail is much too busy; however, I still love climbing the Camel (even visiting Camelback Santa at Christmas). It is a rule, that we climb Camelback any time we are in Phoenix – we just start earlier in the morning now. I love hiking with the morning crew. Everyone is friendly, they know what they're doing, and they respect the trails and the mountain. It's very enjoyable and seeing a sunrise over Four Peaks from there is incredible!

We didn't quite make for sunrise this morning but we still beat the crowds. Today is a Friday, we we're literally getting on the plane to fly home later in the afternoon. Having done Camelback many times now, we knew we could fit it in on our last day if we started early. That said, the mornings are still cool and I know that wind can really rip on that summit so we didn't start too early. This hike was also important as it was hike #52 of the 52 Hike Challenge 2019 for my husband and myself (we're actually on a January-January cycle). So, along with my brother, the three of us celebrated that and the end of another awesome trip to Arizona. We'll be back in March to complete our six peaks.

As for the trail itself, it's in fine condition. I always recommend going early and during the week to avoid crowds – and to get a parking spot of you're doing Echo Canyon. As with Flatiron, I like to wear weight-lifting gloves for scrambling over boulders. It protects my hands, and is nice on the railings, while exposing my fingers to grip and feel the rock.  Always bring water on this hike as it is a hard hike and you will sweat! Like any of these, be careful when your legs are tired on the way down. There are plenty of opportunities for people to roll ankles and injure themselves, especially coming down Echo Canyon. Rescuers pull people off of Camelback all of the time for injuries or not being prepared so be smart about it!