Summer in Phoenix is not a joke. It is “normal” to have temperatures of 95F (35C) by 7am. But “normal” does not mean “enjoyable.” The heat gets oppressive, which means Phoenicians have to find places to escape to, if only for a few hours. That’s what we did today–we drove up to Pine (about 1 hr 45 minutes’ drive from home) to hike the Pine Canyon Trail, with our friend, Ian. Best part of the day? Hiking in the morning without the danger of heatstroke. Second best part of the day? Drinking my can of ginger ale (I didn’t have any baby Cokes!).
The Pine Canyon Trail starts at the aptly-named Pine Canyon trailhead, just outside of Pine, AZ. Ok, so the names aren’t the most original, but they work! Some online hike descriptions say that the distance end-to-end is 8 miles, while other descriptions say 12 miles. If one were to hike the trail “out and back,” that would have been a minimum of 16 miles, a distance none of us were ready to do today. So, we decided to hike about half of the trail, then turn around and hike back to the trailhead, for a total of 10+ miles. The trail is well-marked, easy to follow, and features a gradual (i.e. gentle) incline (at least, the first 4-5 miles we did were gentle).
It was a lovely day, with lots of pine trees, some manzanita trees, and lots of greenery due to the recent rains. Also, Pine is a lot closer to us than Flagstaff, which is the more popular escape option for Phoenicians in the summer. I can’t wait for the fall…!
reluctantroadie 