Spring Vacation in Arizona

We were spoiled by mid-80's temperatures during our visit to Arizona (Phoenix)! It made up for a snowy day on March 28 when we departed from Seatac Airport almost two hours late, because first our flight was delayed and then we had to wait for our plane to be de-iced!

Here are shots of some of the beautiful mountains around Phoenix:

And this is the small mountain (elevation 2,608 feet) that we hiked to the summit:

I used to hike this mountain with my parents and sister when I was little. Back then it was called Squaw Peak, but it was renamed Piestewa Peak a few years ago, after a Native American soldier who was killed in Iraq. Anyway, it was a very difficult trail: 1.2 miles each way. Going up was very steep, and the trail was much rougher (more erroded) than it seemed to be when I was a child.

For more interesting information, see website: http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikephx.html

Going up, going up, going up.....

A close-up of the steep steps (sideways):

The summit at last! Total elevation gain - 1,190 feet!