Nine hearty hikers met at the trailhead at 7 AM on a beautiful Saturday morning with temps in the low 70s. After a brief introduction, we were on our way by 7:05 AM. It’s all uphill from there (until you get to the top), and two of our hikers had decided ahead of time to turn around before the top and head back to their cars.

Due to fires last summer, charred remains greeted us for the first few miles. As we got closer the top; however, we were surprised by the greenery. All along the way there were beautiful wildflowers, even among the blackened landscape.

By eleven, all of us who were headed to the top had reached our destination, where we took our time enjoying snacks, re-hydrating, and taking photos.

An interesting side note: A couple we encountered on the way up were photographing birds and, much to their surprise, encountered a bear! The bear headed off, minding his own business, but we were fascinated by the story!

The last of our group, now numbering seven, returned to our cars at approximately 2:45 PM. Total time, according to our statistician Tom, was 7 hours 46 minutes, with an accumulated gain of 3,970 feet and 16.3 miles.

Four of us decided to break bread together at the American Grill in Fountain Hills afterwards.

It was a beautiful day all around!