Areas close until June to help bald eagles get their groove on
Each year the famous bald eagle has a friend in the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The bald eagle is the official bird of the United States and is most recognizable by its white head and tail standing out from its otherwise brown body. Interestingly, the females are larger than males and both have an average wingspan near seven feet.
Although they are no longer listed as an endangered species, the eagles still have help from the state to manage their breeding season, which begins in December and ends in June. Like human snowbirds, bald eagles typically are found in the NW and migrate to Arizona in the winter.
Some areas that are affected by closures include Alamo Lake, Lake Pleasant,Verde River, Tonto Creek, Salt River, Becker Lake, Crescent Lake, Luna Lake, Lynx Lake, Lower Lake Mary, Greer Lakes, Woods Canyon Lake.
For detail on exactly what parts of those areas should be avoided please visit the full listing on AZ Game and Fish Department's website.
There are 52 breeding pairs of eagles in Arizona (more than 7,000 in the U.S as a whole) that get jiggy with it near trails and other recreation areas. In 2009, a record 77 eggs were laid and 67 hatched successfully. Because their nests and roosts are very sensitive habitats -- their eggs can fail if uncovered for just 30 minutes --it's important for hikers and other outdoorsfolk to keep their distance for a few reasons.
One good reason to respect these rules is that you probably don't want an angry eagle defending its nest swooping down on you. And the other very good reason is to keep this regal species thriving in Arizona.
If you're interested in watching bald eagles without disturbing them, the site says the best places for viewing are Lake Mary, Mormon Lake, and from the Verde River Canyon Train.
Some other good links to learn about bald eagles and their behaviors:
Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee
Eagle Facts
Camelback & Piestewa Peak: Be careful where you step
Every year there are numerous rescues of hikers stranded, fallen, or otherwise in over their heads on the two most traveled and most popular Phoenix peaks: Piestewa & Camelback (more than 400,000 visit these two recreation areas each year). But just because these are city hikes does not mean you can be lax in your preparations. I found stats that say across six mountains in Phoenix there were 135 rescues in 2008. That's less than 1% of hikers, but still worth taking notice so that you can be the most informed and prepared and stay out of those tallies.
Here's some of what I found about rescues in 2010:
January 2010, Camelback & Piestewa: Four hikers rescued, 1 on Piestewa and 3 on Camelback. Three had ankle injuries. One of the rescued, a 48-year-old man, broke his ankle 40 yards from the summit of Camelback and had to be helicoptered out.
January 2010, Camelback: 26-year-old rock climber fell 25 feet off Praying Monk while free climbing and suffered serious fractures to both legs.
April 2010, Camelback: 62-year-old man fell 20 feet into boulders causing head and back injuries. The 96-degree, near-record heat led a firefighter assisting in the rescue to become dehydrated and need assistance himself.
May 2010, Piestewa: 42-year-old woman from out of town became fatigued and over-heated about a quarter mile up the trail.
June 2010, Camelback: 51-year-old hiker injured knee while being attacked by bees on Cholla side of mountain
July 2010, Camelback: two women, ages 53 and 73, visiting from Wisconsin were overcome by heat early in the day on Cholla Trail.
July 2010, Piestewa: 16-year-old female hiker slipped and sprained her ankle. Temperatures reached 112 degrees, excessive heat warning was in effect.
July 2010, Camelback: 39-year-old women, husband and friend rescued after running out of water on Echo Canyon trail. During this rescue, crews ran into a family of five from Missouri who also ran out of water, causing heat related issues -- a 13-year-old boy suffered cramps and was helicoptered down while his sister vomited all the way down the mountain. The boy was in serious condition, unresponsive to hydration IVs and not perspiring in the triple digit heat.
September 2010, Piestewa: Rescue of a suicidal person with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the mountain
September 2010, Camelback: 55-year-old hurt his knee at the top and had to be air-lifted off the mountain
October 2010, Piestewa: 11-year-old girl had a severe asthma attack near the top of the mountain and could not get down
October 2010, Camelback: 43-year-old woman broke ankle halfway up Echo Canyon Trail and had to be helicoptered out in windy conditions
November 2010, Camelback: adult male body found by hiker, suspected suicide.
November 2010, Camelback: two out-of-state climbers attacked by bees while rock climbing Hart Route. See earlier blog for more on this: Camelback: Rock Climbers & Killer Bees Don't Mix
December 2010, Piestewa: 52-year-old man fell three-quarters of the way up the trail, cutting his head and suffering neck and back pain. The trail was wet and slippery after a series of storms hit the valley.
Firefighters and rescue crews regularly are called to help stranded hikers, many of which are stranded in the summer months when the heat quickly overwhelms a typical person. One firefighter was quoted by KTAR.com in September of this year: "I think when people get started, they forget that it's an hour to an hour and a-half hike for most people. They start out when it's somewhat mild and think they're going to come down without much water... Now, just on my daily hikes, I tend to give my water away almost every hike to somebody needing help."
For more information about these hikes see my other posts:
Camelback posts
Piestewa post
Here's some of what I found about rescues in 2010:
January 2010, Camelback & Piestewa: Four hikers rescued, 1 on Piestewa and 3 on Camelback. Three had ankle injuries. One of the rescued, a 48-year-old man, broke his ankle 40 yards from the summit of Camelback and had to be helicoptered out.
January 2010, Camelback: 26-year-old rock climber fell 25 feet off Praying Monk while free climbing and suffered serious fractures to both legs.
April 2010, Camelback: 62-year-old man fell 20 feet into boulders causing head and back injuries. The 96-degree, near-record heat led a firefighter assisting in the rescue to become dehydrated and need assistance himself.
May 2010, Piestewa: 42-year-old woman from out of town became fatigued and over-heated about a quarter mile up the trail.
June 2010, Camelback: 51-year-old hiker injured knee while being attacked by bees on Cholla side of mountain
July 2010, Camelback: two women, ages 53 and 73, visiting from Wisconsin were overcome by heat early in the day on Cholla Trail.
July 2010, Piestewa: 16-year-old female hiker slipped and sprained her ankle. Temperatures reached 112 degrees, excessive heat warning was in effect.
July 2010, Camelback: 39-year-old women, husband and friend rescued after running out of water on Echo Canyon trail. During this rescue, crews ran into a family of five from Missouri who also ran out of water, causing heat related issues -- a 13-year-old boy suffered cramps and was helicoptered down while his sister vomited all the way down the mountain. The boy was in serious condition, unresponsive to hydration IVs and not perspiring in the triple digit heat.
September 2010, Piestewa: Rescue of a suicidal person with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the mountain
September 2010, Camelback: 55-year-old hurt his knee at the top and had to be air-lifted off the mountain
October 2010, Piestewa: 11-year-old girl had a severe asthma attack near the top of the mountain and could not get down
October 2010, Camelback: 43-year-old woman broke ankle halfway up Echo Canyon Trail and had to be helicoptered out in windy conditions
November 2010, Camelback: adult male body found by hiker, suspected suicide.
November 2010, Camelback: two out-of-state climbers attacked by bees while rock climbing Hart Route. See earlier blog for more on this: Camelback: Rock Climbers & Killer Bees Don't Mix
December 2010, Piestewa: 52-year-old man fell three-quarters of the way up the trail, cutting his head and suffering neck and back pain. The trail was wet and slippery after a series of storms hit the valley.
Firefighters and rescue crews regularly are called to help stranded hikers, many of which are stranded in the summer months when the heat quickly overwhelms a typical person. One firefighter was quoted by KTAR.com in September of this year: "I think when people get started, they forget that it's an hour to an hour and a-half hike for most people. They start out when it's somewhat mild and think they're going to come down without much water... Now, just on my daily hikes, I tend to give my water away almost every hike to somebody needing help."
For more information about these hikes see my other posts:
Camelback posts
Piestewa post
Squaw Peak aka Piestewa
SQUAW PEAK (PIESTEWA PEAK) SUMMIT TRAIL #300
This peak is the 2nd highest point in the Phoenix Mountains. Only Camelback surpasses it in height and difficultly. These two mountains are the major hiking tourist attractions for visitors. Many hiking clubs also use these two peaks as weekday workouts to practice and train for weekend getaways. They are also peaks included in the annual Phoenix Summit Challenge.
One-Way Mileage: 1.2 miles
Elevation gain: ~1,190 feet
Top Elevation: 2,608 feet
Experience Needed: This is not a beginner hike. Although it is in the “must-do” category for tourists you should have some experience hiking before planning to conquer this one.
Difficulty: Strenuous and Difficult. If you are not used to hiking, you will suffer from a pounding heart and you may want to take breaks. There are benches placed along the trail, use them when needed.
Parking: The parking for this trail and others within the park is off Lincoln and 24th Street, just east of the 51, 2701 E Squaw Peak Drive. The Summit Trailhead has a limited parking lot right at the start of the trail, but it fills up fast. You may have to park farther east in the Park and walk a bit more if you want to hike at a popular time. Restrooms and ramadas are also available in the parking areas.
Pets: No pets are allowed on the summit trail. But don’t fret; there are other trails in this park system that allow dogs.
People Meter: Heavily traveled year-round. Many hiking clubs use this trail as a warm-up for harder hikes, many tourists also visit this trail as directed by friends or guidebooks.
Safety: Although this is a city hike you need to take just as many precautions as you would otherwise. Bring your cell phone, bring water, and wear the right shoes (ones that you can trample over uneven rocks in); bring a headlamp or flashlight just in case you get caught after dark. It’s a difficult rocky path in the dark. The trail is exposed in places, so be sure you take into account any fear of heights as you hike. Bring a granola bar or other snack in case you need a boost.
My experiences: I first hiked to the summit in October of 2006. My neighbors took me up just as it was getting dark. I remember thinking my heart was going to burst during the first ¼ mile. I had to rest and pull my mental state into balance to determine if I was going to chicken out or meet the challenge in front of me. I continued on, pulled forward by singing with Marie the song When You Were Young by The Killers, repeating the lyrics “Can we climb this mountain / I don’t know/ Higher now than ever before/ I know we can make it if we take it slow” And we did take it slow. When we finally hit the summit we were proud, exhausted and a little giddy. It was one of those moments in my life that helped me when I needed it most.
After that first summit, I knew I had a friend in the Phoenix Parks and I continued to go back week after week, summiting the peak some weeks and exploring other trails in the system other weeks.
Here is a sample of those experiences along the summit trail from 2008 – present time.
February 2008:
May 2008:
January 2009:
November 2009:
December 2010:
For more information, maps and guides, check out these sites:
Wikipedia
City of Phoenix park map
hikearizona.com
This peak is the 2nd highest point in the Phoenix Mountains. Only Camelback surpasses it in height and difficultly. These two mountains are the major hiking tourist attractions for visitors. Many hiking clubs also use these two peaks as weekday workouts to practice and train for weekend getaways. They are also peaks included in the annual Phoenix Summit Challenge.
One-Way Mileage: 1.2 miles
Elevation gain: ~1,190 feet
Top Elevation: 2,608 feet
Experience Needed: This is not a beginner hike. Although it is in the “must-do” category for tourists you should have some experience hiking before planning to conquer this one.
Difficulty: Strenuous and Difficult. If you are not used to hiking, you will suffer from a pounding heart and you may want to take breaks. There are benches placed along the trail, use them when needed.
Parking: The parking for this trail and others within the park is off Lincoln and 24th Street, just east of the 51, 2701 E Squaw Peak Drive. The Summit Trailhead has a limited parking lot right at the start of the trail, but it fills up fast. You may have to park farther east in the Park and walk a bit more if you want to hike at a popular time. Restrooms and ramadas are also available in the parking areas.
Pets: No pets are allowed on the summit trail. But don’t fret; there are other trails in this park system that allow dogs.
People Meter: Heavily traveled year-round. Many hiking clubs use this trail as a warm-up for harder hikes, many tourists also visit this trail as directed by friends or guidebooks.
Safety: Although this is a city hike you need to take just as many precautions as you would otherwise. Bring your cell phone, bring water, and wear the right shoes (ones that you can trample over uneven rocks in); bring a headlamp or flashlight just in case you get caught after dark. It’s a difficult rocky path in the dark. The trail is exposed in places, so be sure you take into account any fear of heights as you hike. Bring a granola bar or other snack in case you need a boost.
My experiences: I first hiked to the summit in October of 2006. My neighbors took me up just as it was getting dark. I remember thinking my heart was going to burst during the first ¼ mile. I had to rest and pull my mental state into balance to determine if I was going to chicken out or meet the challenge in front of me. I continued on, pulled forward by singing with Marie the song When You Were Young by The Killers, repeating the lyrics “Can we climb this mountain / I don’t know/ Higher now than ever before/ I know we can make it if we take it slow” And we did take it slow. When we finally hit the summit we were proud, exhausted and a little giddy. It was one of those moments in my life that helped me when I needed it most.
After that first summit, I knew I had a friend in the Phoenix Parks and I continued to go back week after week, summiting the peak some weeks and exploring other trails in the system other weeks.
Here is a sample of those experiences along the summit trail from 2008 – present time.
February 2008:
May 2008:
January 2009:
November 2009:
December 2010:
For more information, maps and guides, check out these sites:
Wikipedia
City of Phoenix park map
hikearizona.com
Squaw (Piestewa) Peak: An urban oasis?
A few years ago, I used to hike at Phoenix Mountain Park 2-3 times a month. That was before I found some lesser traveled, closer trails to my home that offered more ample parking options.
But to me, Squaw is one of the first places that I encountered the feeling of accomplishment by meeting a challenge head-on and not giving up. I saw a huge lizard (chuckwalla I think), I braved wind storms and desert rains, I took on the world as a young strong single woman. So it's with fondness, appreciation, and a certain expectation that I went back to Squaw on a Monday morning in December.
I was greeted with a parking space directly in front of the summit trail, which is a rare occurrence. I plugged myself in to my heart rate monitor to hear my body's signals more clearly and I started up the trail that I had not conquered in at least a year.
The first moment I knew things had changed was when I looked up and noticed the view of downtown Phoenix was marred by a tan wispy blanket of smog, noticeably thicker than my prior visits.
Then I started to also notice that extra paths had been worn in on the trail, where hikers take shortcuts around bends or to avoid traffic jams. The trail's edges seemed to be artificially wider than normal, showing heavy wear from its users.
Farther up, as the trail became steeper, my heart rate topped at 184 but my heart and head sunk when I glanced up from huffing and puffing to see the mark's of blatant human disrespect. Graffiti. With a sunken spirit I snapped the photo and continued on my way, probably 1/4 of the trail left to summit.
At the summit I was sad to see more graffiti, more bold statements of human conquer.
And, graffiti of an ornamental kind. I'm sure the intent was to be humorous and filled with good cheer; but this type of ornament, although making a pretty picture, is harmful to the animals and birds who should own this summit more than we do. The bow may very well break the bough and choke the sparrow.
I believe that we need more people to know our land and experience wildlife and nature. We need more people, most importantly our young people to connect with these things if we have any hope of proving its value and protecting its future.
But I wish more people would learn, teach, and embrace the principles of Leave No Trace.
But to me, Squaw is one of the first places that I encountered the feeling of accomplishment by meeting a challenge head-on and not giving up. I saw a huge lizard (chuckwalla I think), I braved wind storms and desert rains, I took on the world as a young strong single woman. So it's with fondness, appreciation, and a certain expectation that I went back to Squaw on a Monday morning in December.
I was greeted with a parking space directly in front of the summit trail, which is a rare occurrence. I plugged myself in to my heart rate monitor to hear my body's signals more clearly and I started up the trail that I had not conquered in at least a year.
The first moment I knew things had changed was when I looked up and noticed the view of downtown Phoenix was marred by a tan wispy blanket of smog, noticeably thicker than my prior visits.
Then I started to also notice that extra paths had been worn in on the trail, where hikers take shortcuts around bends or to avoid traffic jams. The trail's edges seemed to be artificially wider than normal, showing heavy wear from its users.
Farther up, as the trail became steeper, my heart rate topped at 184 but my heart and head sunk when I glanced up from huffing and puffing to see the mark's of blatant human disrespect. Graffiti. With a sunken spirit I snapped the photo and continued on my way, probably 1/4 of the trail left to summit.
At the summit I was sad to see more graffiti, more bold statements of human conquer.
And, graffiti of an ornamental kind. I'm sure the intent was to be humorous and filled with good cheer; but this type of ornament, although making a pretty picture, is harmful to the animals and birds who should own this summit more than we do. The bow may very well break the bough and choke the sparrow.
I believe that we need more people to know our land and experience wildlife and nature. We need more people, most importantly our young people to connect with these things if we have any hope of proving its value and protecting its future.
But I wish more people would learn, teach, and embrace the principles of Leave No Trace.
- Plan ahead and prepare
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Coming Soon: a real Tom's Thumb trailhead
Word has it that Tom's Thumb will be easier to access soon. This is one hike that I've always wanted to do but have not gotten past the unpaved roads Blue (my car) needs to travel on to get there.
The new trailhead will provide parking for 120 cars in addition to restrooms, ramadas, and horse access/amenities. The City of Scottsdale and McDowell Sonoran Conservancy will be the main players in making this come to life within the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Work on the Tom's Thumb Trailhead is expected to begin in 2011 and take 9 months to complete. So by this time next year we may be headed that way to check it out!
City of Scottsdale Project Overview
Article from The Arizona Republic
One hiker's account
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