Camelback Mt.                                    

Camelback Mountain  is north and east of Phoenix.  Actually lies in an area called Pleasant Valley.  Minutes away from Scottsdale.   The mountain is rated as difficult and strenuous.  It has an elevation gain of 1,264 feet.  The summit is 2,704 feet high.  The round trip is 2.3 miles.   There is no cost for this pain.  A large parking lot with port-a-johns is available at the trail head.  I suggest you get there early.  The lot fills up fast.  This is a climb that you want to start early in the morning, and try to be off the mountain by 10:30 AM.  Heat.  Take plenty of water, and a pair of old gloves.

The trail to the summit has been well maintained.  Don't let the nice steps in the beginning fool you.  You are going to run out of those very soon.   You will travel across a sheer path guarded by a high chain fence.  Why? Because there is a sheer drop.  Using the photos above, you are going to be going along the back of the camels head.  This is the sheer path and drop.  They also installed a hand rail for you to use as you try to negotiate about 75 feet of smooth rock pitched at about 45 to 50 degrees.  You are now on the neck of the camel heading to the top of its hump.   Here is where you are going to need that old pair of gloves.  You are going to be using the rocks to hoist yourself up.  They can be sharp.  Make sure that in your pack you have a little first aid kit.  Nice to have along. 

From the neck of the camel you can get your first good look at the surrounding territory.  Downtown Phoenix lies in the background of this picture, and some of the rock formations you will be a part of begin to show up.  Bring a camera.  Stop and enjoy the vista, and don't worry that you are breathing about 50 time a minute, because remember that the day before you were at sea level.  It is about this spot where I met the Lady in Yellow.  She made the Lady in Red look like chump change.  Dressed in trail running shoes, yellow running shorts and tank top, she came running down the mountain armed with a water bottle.  "You're looking good." she informs me.   And disappears down the trail.  I continued my assault to the summit.  Twenty to thirty minutes later I hear a,  "Still looking good, keep it up, you're almost there, as the lady in yellow goes bounding past me up the trail.   As I hit the summit, I see her taking on some water, jogging in place, and heading back down the mountain.  Me, I picked out the nearest rock, took off my back pack, took on water, and enjoyed the view from the summit.

        As you can see these are pictures from the summit.  The first is looking back towards Phoenix, and the next is looking north towards Mummy Mountain.  Your view from the summit is 360 degrees, so you are also able to see Scottsdale, Tempe, and Mesa Arizona.

Time to head down, and hit the pool at the Camelback Inn.  Great Margaritas'  Here's some pictures from the trip down.

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