Climbing Camelback

Today was a bonus "day off", although I was really still on call for births. Well, Julie and I decided it would be fun to go for a hike up the local Camelback "mountain", and apparently many others thought that would be a great way to start off their Memorial day celebrations. Well, let me assure you, climbing Camelback with the summer desert sun beating down on you is not for the fainthearted, although it sure attracts many a climber. It is only a 5/4 mile hike to the top, but most of that is on a steep incline. Stairs, boulder climbing and rock face are all part of the hiking terrain.

Julie, the Arizona native, probably could have made it to the top in half the time it took me, but like a good friend she patiently waited for me to catch my breath every fifty feet or so. Of course I didn't feel better when people would race by me to the top and then pass me again on their way back down before I'd made it to the mile marker. :-)

And then there were the little kids. One boy, about 7 perhaps, was climbing down with his mom as we climbed up. It was at this one point where you were literally pulling yourself up the boulders with the help of the metal railing some kind park rangers had probably installed. I smiled at him, and told him what a good job he was doing. (Of course, he probably already knew that). Then I asked him if he'd been to the top and he said yes, and then I asked if he thought I could make it, and he said yes quite reassuringly. I said, well, I guess if he had made it, I could make it, and he proudly informed me he had just done this hike yesterday. Twice in 2 days! And here I was thinking if I ever suggest doing this again, somebody please give me a good shaking!

Thankfully there were also those like the girl we saw on our way down...at the same metal railing where I had met the little boy...who was frozen there, unable to continue up despite encouragement, challenges and pleas from her boyfriend waiting above. Finally someone came down and led her step by step up the boulders...I let her know I knew how she felt, but I had made it to the top and lived to prove it could be done. :-)