Take A Hike!

My newest form of entertainment is hiking in the mountains. Those of you who know me have undoubtedly passed out from shock. For those who don’t, my idea of the outdoor life is sitting on the porch of a 5 star hotel over looking the water and drinking a glass of champagne. The prospect of encountering dirt, snakes, bugs, poisonous plants, having no cell phone reception and, God forbid, sweating has never been my idea of fun. Let alone getting up at some unnaturally early hour of the morning to set out on this smorgasbord of horrors.
But yet there I was, driving out to the White Tank Mountains for my first hiking adventure.

While civilization is rapidly encroaching the foothills, the drive to the White Tanks still offers acres of rose farms, fields of cotton, soaring hawks and a perplexed looking coyote or two. A local stable allows you to explore the area on horseback. The trail I chose was not overly long but it did involve some climbing if I intended to make it to the waterfall. Bringing along my best friends – Liz, Calvin and Louis V. – I was overdressed as usual but thankfully I wore comfortable shoes. Greyhound Studies backpack over my shoulder, camera in hand, I began my journey. About a minute into the trail I passed a sign warning about rattlesnakes. Everything I thought about hiking in the middle of nowhere was apparently coming true.

The crisp air, white puffy clouds on a picture perfect blue sky and amazing scenery more than made up for the excessive dust and lack of Starbucks. Since arriving in Arizona, I have a growing fondness for the Saguaro cactus. Cacti in Arizona are like cows in Wisconsin – they’re everywhere! And on my hike I was able to get up close and personal with several varieties.

I never imagined that Saguaros were that big!!!

The benefits of an early morning hike become clear as you discover how relaxing it is enjoying the surroundings without hordes of people. This was extremely welcome while viewing the many petroglyphs on this trail. While some are trail markers, others serve as magical ways to control nature or as religious symbols. Viewing them as ancient graffiti is total misconception even though I am sure one looked like a drunken cartoon turkey.

The closer I got to the waterfall, the more difficult the trial became. And it was all uphill. Now the fact that I’m a whoosie may have played into my judgment of trail difficulty but an escalator would be a nice option to the area. In the end it was worth all my complaining as the waterfall was nestled in a cave like surrounding, flowing slowly as there had not been an excessive amount of rain. Several bird stood on the rocks at the base of the pool that lead out to the wash.

The walk back was a bit easier as it was all downhill. The trail was beginning to fill up and I was happy to be leaving. Several dogs were out for an adventure filled walk that morning with their owners and I couldn’t help but wonder which one of the pups would have enjoyed coming along for my first hike. Most likely Bobo, as he is the most wiry, flexible greyhound I have ever seen and would have been able to navigate the rocks with the confidence of a mountain goat though I’m not sure how he would have taken to the necessary walking booties. I may look for a greyhound-friendly trail on my next outing. For now, I’ve got to look for a pair of Manolo Blahnik hiking boots.

Kathy