Nature in the City

I go home to Phoenix somewhat often to visit my parents and even though I grew up there, I forget sometimes that there are a lot of pockets of nature right in the middle of the city. North Mountain is one of those pockets.

My Mom and I are planning to hike the Grand Canyon ....sometime in the next year or so. Hiking the local spots is one way that my Mom is trying to get ready for the big hike, so we hiked to the top of North Mountain this past Saturday and Sunday. For those of you who have done this hike, you know that the main path is paved with asphalt.....not exactly a natural trail. However, there is a back way up the mountain that is definitely more challenging (lots of loose dirt and rock) and worth the views. This first shot was taken near the beginning of the hike - this is a neighborhood that backs right into the base of North Mountain.

The trails offers many views of Phoenix...mostly looking south until you get to the top of the mountain. Here are more photos:








This is my Mom on the trail - the Nordic walking poles are very handy for hiking!! Especially on a trail like this where you have so much loose rock and dirt with steep climbs.







This landscape shot shows an eastern view from the side of the mountain with a couple sunspots on the side. We started our hike early in the morning, so the sun was rising as we continued up the trail.








This shot just shows how steep the trail is in some parts and how much loose rock there is. My Mom is just getting to the top of this steep part!





This next photo shows me (or at least my shoes) hanging off the edge of the trail with more of North Mountain park below me. Yes, I had my hiking stick too!
















This photo is looking down Central Avenue which is lined with trees (as it gets closer to downtown). During this hike I made the comment that it's amazing how many trees and greenery you can see. It makes you forget that you are in the middle of the desert.




We did get to see a few cacti that were in bloom. This cholla has a couple purple flowers that were opening up and the Ocotillo was showing signs of blooming as well.





This is a closer shot of downtown with Central Avenue bisecting the shot diagonally.

If you get a chance you should check out the North Mountain hike next time you are in the Phoenix area! Springtime is the best - it's not too warm yet. Make sure you bring your water!!