Squaw Peak Trail

This weekend my wife and I hiked to the top of Squaw Peak, also called Piestewa Peak. It was recently renamed after a Hopi soldier, Lorie Piestewa, who was killed in Iraq, although most people still call it by its old, and less PC name, Squaw Peak.

Its a sharp peak within a wilderness reserve right in the middle of Phoenix. Its one of the few places you can go in the city and actually feel like you are in nature. It was a pretty difficult hike, I thought anyway, and took us from about 1400 feet above sea level to about 26oo ft asl in a little over a mile (e.g. straight up with many switchbacks).

It was a pretty hard hike but we were rewarded with great views of the city and surrounding mountain ranges at the top. We even got to see a rather rare lizard for this area, a Common Chuckwalla. Below are some pics from the hike.

A view of downtown Phoenix from the Summit Trail trailhead.

View of the ridge next to Squaw Peak and red rocks
of Camelback Mountain in the background.

View of Phoenix from near the top.

View from top of Squaw Peak (aka Piestewa Peak).

Becky at the top of Squaw Peak with Phoenix in the background.

Me at the top of Squaw Peak.

A Common Chuckwalla lizard we saw on the way up to the top.

View of the Chuckwalla from the back, he was big!

View of daytime moon between two saguaro cactus.