Yesterday we packed up camp and drove to the west side of Phoenix where we set up camp in the White Tank Mountains Regional Park. We are about 22 miles west of Phoenix and 16 miles from the nearest hospital near Goodyear with the White Tank Mountains just a walk away from us in the west. When we look east we can see almost the whole of the Phoenix environs nestled in the valley with the haze of smog and smoke masking the lights and the view of the distant Superstition Mountains.
We took a short 3 mile walk through the desert shortly after we got here but today we decided to tackle a canyon trail. The Ford Canyon trail starts just a mile from our campsite and is fairly flat and easy for the next mile and then it gets HARD! We climbed up almost 2000 feet scrambling over large rocks and boulders while staying on the narrow trail that climbs up into the mountains. Just as we got to the ‘dam’ it started raining lightly but we found a great overhang to protect us while we ate lunch. The dam is really just boulders and huge rocks that have blocked the upper end of the canyon, forming depressions where water can pool. After a short walk pass the dam area we had a choice to either continue on the canyon trail and add 6.5 miles to our hike or turn around and take the 3.5 mile walk back to camp. Even though we felt it was going to be a treacherous walk back down due to the slightly wet conditions we didn’t really want to walk 9 miles.
I did a lot of butt slides down large rocks as we descended! But it was not nearly as difficult as my imagination led me to think it would be. An interesting phenomenon happened as we made a turn and the Phoenix valley came into view. Both of us noticed a low, thrumming sound coming up the canyon. We determined that it was the noise of the city. Having been where it was totally silent, the sound was very noticeable.
Tonights campfire did a lot to ease the stiff and sore muscles in my legs as did a nice glass of water ( you thought I was going to say wine, didn’t you?)!
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