02/08/2005
Camelback Mountain is a local favorite both because of it's close proximity rnand it's beautiful views once you reach the summit.
For those into rocks, here's a little history. The head part (where the trail starts) is 70 to 100 million years old and made of ancient brecciated sandstone.
The hump is Precambrian plutonic granite about 1.5 billion years old that has been uplifted and eroded. The fact that these two joined at the "neck" is just a coincidence.
Summit Trail is a little over 1.5 miles each way, but it's a 1300 foot gain in elevation, so it's a little steep.
Going up will give you a good aerobic workout, especially scrambling over large boulders, but the going down is when you find out what your knees are really made of.
Mine started complaining part way down, and continued to whine for days afterwards.
This is Camelback. I've drawn a red arrow pointing to the top where we went
The quiet, gentle start to the trail
The fencing is there not to protect the hikers but to protect the million dollar houses
This is looking back down part of the trail. It's like this all the way up, except for the
There is a railing installed on this section to give you something to pull yourself up on
Beautiful red sandstone formations
The last rock picture you'll have to look at on this page, I promise
Big smile! We're at the top. Little do my knees know what I'm about to do to them - well,
The view to the east from the summit
Looking west from the summit. That's the Phoenix skyline in the hazy distance