Today I decided to test my conditioning by hiking Camelback Mountain's Echo Canyon trail. It is considered "Extremely Difficult". I am a little afraid of doing this because I am going with my camera equipment on my back and with water for the trip. Probably around 15 lbs. I get up at 4:45 am, get out of the house by 5:00 am and at the trailhead by 5:30am. When I got to Camelback, the main parking lot is 90% full. Now the sign for the trail says it is open from sunrise to sunset. I am there 15 minutes before sunrise and there is not a big line of people waiting to get on the trail. If I had known this I would have been there a whole lot earlier.
Before starting up the trail I noticed that the crescent moon was in a really cool place.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHb3hBNkIk0zArIuXJDbrEmUyXsd00A8yHO1YlHn1dyskOda-HZiGkZtrpsnYwNL5zmFVLU8WPfW5eB7BIUObTGTjrVLTSOcmhWo_HGYQqD6aMJplUzUnA5QNoEMZvP3vcyOYXAXacVIAf/s320/Camelback-3.jpg) |
Crescent moon |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68iFtreUX1Nsn9pj-07ylPu-mf8DLVDhWZriBciFAuKmHHnZWIJqx6O5RMVwHKlG1ViG40L5HEHat5XKaAQLfF-WHim5GIrLLNmrMAm6CW6EMVuCQtoyMLK5_7Vw1k3_zavwIPj3H3fdm/s320/Camelback-4.jpg) |
Crescent moon |
I start up the trail.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFmhHwwHAKqpi6CPT-hDGx610bWonUcrA40c_NkgA8BOBQzKKIaCMWKDh1L-1LLnE_tm7i6HdOhcc8IAbN4Vx27jwoxHq08XEIdrsalk6yl6AwconhauZGBpVk23PpjNG30ztQbASWjzbe/s320/Camelback-5.jpg) |
A group starting up at the same time |
I make it to the first resting area in time to see the sun just above the horizon. Really it is just a good spot to see the sun rise if you cannot make it to the top.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhC9i0CyNc38TAQONWRsJLjv9TlEY14oZ7YBd4dXq07Dj-0a5TNKWvUp7erpHCDUyzx2SJLR511Y_HX782a_rF_yO-OPuBLP_e1IykJZO1tFG0CEf4Md4-bGGArFbx7YAxNyoNV2eOtrF/s320/Camelback-6.jpg) |
Sunrise hitting the Phoenix area |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6s2Je7NJe6Um8ub3OZWqixt8hi4rN4mkTmw6clG3z2He7WPuNjGZKXUeI550UE8-MKQDyE78Ur_99l7rhsJr-CPNm-F5pOlQHSI-apL7Wc_OUOBPeuScyNJ12IAMt2kkPzPN7iRjkvHU/s320/Camelback-8.jpg) |
It looks like this lady is already heading down, but she just goes to here and then back down twice |
Views on the way up:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWqT9n1msNSns1Kq63uGFHsIVH2DKxns0nqaczT0GMxjJYwGKr3WPRZ-xSuf2-rTU67PZrNURLbjHv3BLi7CB6TuFAeKMjz02E4dC_AI2x4AO1i6IZDkmG6o7AsllEvuyvW1gUEibQz8z/s320/Camelback-17.jpg) |
View on the way up |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaRMkcGEg27kd8lLP20yo0sg3K-z0M_KKU5l5tBOnIV0Pap5qGj1W3dYcNORYYP1ABFiuHNDqLgIQE3Wmvi2zstsIlQ-a39__1tmZKlaYmEy350_YH24fXQL0Bl9VjsDya_9uFUUJ33BP/s320/Camelback-13.jpg) |
View on the way up |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQhU9pU4T9loN04mA7KfztrwWIRXNR-13L6Vt9ouJNGU9S0NIdxjDRkhSSvIZ5F3WihjUXVs4BEtC4G46JV2q_KqfTJnpzJC0NgxyzsMNRkw72HbH-4odam61WpTLGCdihmeMBVpGCrMV/s320/Camelback-10.jpg) |
Cool looking golf course. Notice the rough is native desert. |
View from the top:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HsehWoueX_hNJYPpdxVfHPyzuSVLdrKK2uccpHusyR0glqlPNrj8dgonzOWK2vi8p7prT-YIjWxu0PgpQt-dVK5xTtL2fh1YUZq9Chj-O6QGRnZE-BxFzQGZlffKkOzg8hQ38SHAoPoz/s320/Camelback-24.jpg) |
View from the top |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_D0RjD3Jwc79Zp6SHXYGUEF1b-CM0q61xWqv5GHC9lfOf40rG57ZtjCV1kWHhxoWXAMmFrnXDRtK71o0wfQojvo2y-7HuTTe6rlnVJRrIhHYC6L3uILhWby5Wo_wFRchPnkYJ7eLvzl-T/s320/Camelback-19.jpg) |
View from the top |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoSR28Iq-kJA8h4fW6yAidMR4-rHZlJJ4XRjBck7UKD1W62t7MqLiTCyv6NtK2laL_mHj3Uf_bBK7Bi1ZSFfsZBDroqQRBFbqouXrS7jyzp52jkaYZilP2_XV2afrw08NSN_lF8LIzhsT/s400/IMG_2480.JPG) |
View from top |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoF68whMZ2tfjV7fUF4wWB3s31Xwb3ukvqszJRTiXPTRdfuf60Ieyrw_5xaVsslCtPk04v5KZ98S9oYQbklJRMb464mejzWoh7KXGLsyRXrvUQBwLp7rTZ_SOFI_-9DuSyzvcBGQ9920f/s400/IMG_2483.JPG) |
View from top |
As I came down the trail to the finish line, a group that had been to the top yelled out: "Look he made it; the photographer made it." I should have gotten a picture of myself; I must have looked like I wasn't going to make it.
The Echo Canyon trail lived up to it's extreme difficult rating. There was a lot of climbing up rocks and using handrails. My legs were very tired after the trip.
Next: More rest and relaxation
Paul and Vicki Kristoff
photo@kristoffs.com
PaulKristoffPhotography.com
paulkristoff.blogspot.com/
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