Look closely and you’ll see little specks atop the peak.
I took this photo about 30 minutes after sunrise, looking up at the summit of Piestewa Peak, a rugged desert crag that stands like a sentinel 1,000 vertical feet above downtown Phoenix.
And those specks are people, basking in the morning sun — and their own glory — as they’ve bagged the summit of an iconic peak.
Piestewa, however, is a busy summit. Located in the heart of a metro area of 5 million people, the top sees hundreds, if not over a thousand visitors each day.
So is it worth braving the crowd for the view? I’m sure the answer is different for everyone. There are those that hike it every week — a few even do it every day — as their go-to spot for calf-burning and calorie-burning. Others, like me, would rather find other mountain tops near the city with less human activity.
But truth be told, climbing Piestewa at least once is a right of passage, a pilgrimage that if you’re a mountain aficionado, feels like you made it to the top of Phoenix — that you’re a champion of the greatest desert city.
It’s been a solid nine or ten years since I made the pilgrimage up there, maybe it’s time to brave the crowds once more and find myself atop that brilliant, jagged hunk of schist.
Until next time,
-Jake
Sign up to get the Daily Dose of the Southwest delivered directly to your email inbox every weekday.
