Since I'm still prepping for our 5 night backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon I figured today was another great day to take advantage of the beautiful weather (can't beat 80s in May in Arizona!) and hike up Camelback.
I first stopped at the trailhead at Echo Canyon but realized I wasn't the only one trying to hike. The parking lot was full. The rangers were out again just like they were last week, several service vehicles were up there, making me think they're taking extra precautions to monitor the area since a fatality occured a few weeks ago.
Instead of wrangling with the parking situation at Echo Canyon I buzzed over to Invergordon to see what the other side of the mountain had going on. I was in luck, I parked just a couple blocks from the Cholla trailhead and got my hiking groove on.
I find it interesting that there are no rangers or service people on this side of the mountain. Does that mean it's safer? Less popular? Harder to access?
Anyway, up and up I climbed, passing a few people and getting passed by others. For some reason I think this trail is easier than Echo Canyon because I didn't stop at all on my way to the top today. Last week, I rested several times on the other side. I think Cholla provides some breaks in the intense steepness of the trail that Echo Canyon does not, because in actuality my heart rate monitor told me that it took me just as long to hike the Cholla trail, my average heart rate was equal to that of the other trail, and my max heart rate of 188 was actually higher (by two points) than it was on Echo Canyon. So I think, in reality, they're about equal in difficulty. I do think you're more exposed on the Cholla Trail for longer periods of time than on Echo Canyon. Echo Canyon is pretty much a boulder scramble but for the most part you are secure within the canyon walls and not exposed on both sides at any given time.
On the way up Cholla trail today, when the trail gives way to its own boulder scramble, navigating your way can be a little difficult, especially if you're new to the trail. A couple with British accents (I think) were ahead of me for some time and had several doubtful moments where they doubled back and lost the trail. Once I helped them realize the blue dots were there to help them find their way they were back on track and made it to the top after negotiating away from a rock wall in favor of a hidden dirt path to the south. Good for them!
At the top I was greeted by more than a dozen others. Someday I hope to get the Cheers! treatment when I get to the top of a mountain, where everybody up there knows my name and recognizes that it's my bar stool on top of the mountain!
I barely rested before heading back down, because I was hoping to get back down quickly since I had had to pee since I got to the trailhead. FYI- there are no bathrooms on the Cholla side and I was unable to find a secluded place where I felt comfortable dropping my drawers, so I sucked it up and hoped the pee would evaporate in my bladder. That didn't happen.
On the way down, I nearly stepped on Rico the chuckwalla when I side-stepped on a rock to give the right of way to the uphill hikers. They stopped with me to take some photos (and name him) before heading off to the top.
Farther down, below the saddle, I ran into a pair of hikers in distress. Two girls in their 20s, who had probably hiked the trail many times before, were stopped because one of them tripped. Her knee was torn open and bleeding quite a bit. I didn't see the fall and she had just poured water over the wound but the blood flow was pretty strong. It was a perfect time for my first aid kit to make an appearance. I have never had to use my first aid kid outside of blister therapy on backpacking trips, but today, it had its first shining moment. Neosporin, Gauze, tape, and whatever else they dug out of there to stop the bleeding. The girls were just below the saddle and the bleeding one hoped she could make it there before heading back down. I didn't wait around but I certainly hope they made it back okay.
To find out what's in my first aid kit, check out What's in your first aid kit?
To read more about the Cholla trail check out my info blog at: Cholla Trail
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