Hiking in Phoenix

Visit: August 2020

2.6 miles

Elevation Gain: 1,204 ft

Phoenix, Arizona

Heat Wave

There were a handful of hikes we considered a must on our Arizona road trip. Seven Falls Trail in Sabino Canyon was first on our list. As we started down the road towards the mountain, we were greeted by a park ranger who informed us that the trails have been closed due to forest fire. Her look of devastation showed her passion for the park. We asked about other hikes in the area and she suggested we move onto our next destination, Camelback Mountain.

From the flight attendant to the park ranger we were continuously warned of the current heat wave going on. Clearly they didn't realize we were well-seasoned hikers (foreshadowing in process).

The Trail

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/440bc7_dd965a69a8134321b901724832c186ad/480p/mp4/file.mp4

We finally reached the first hike of the trip around 1pm, tossed some electrolytes into our water packs, and headed out into 106° heat. The trail was steep from the beginning with incline increasing the further we got. This trail was way harder than it looked! We started to doubt if we'd make it all the way to the top but seeing hikers varying in ages and fitness levels, we figured we fell somewhere in the middle so we'd be ok (hiking rule #5: don't compare yourself on the trail).

We were anticipating stunning views overlooking the city on the way up but being city dwellers already, we weren't too impressed. The greenery was limited and overall the scene displayed more of a gray palette. The mountain itself was a mix of rocks, dirt and browning dry plants. The path also offered no rest from the sun.

Even with my super stylish gardening visor (yes, visor) the sun was relentless. Every few feet felt like an undertaking at only half a mile in. At one point I remember a group of 20-something year-old boys leaping down the trail full of energy, somehow immune to the brutality of the heat. Eventually, dizziness and nauseous set in but with bouts of Vertigo being common, I assumed it was normal and washed away any lingering fears with more water. A quarter mile left, I started feeling really confused. I remember fearing my Jell-O-like leg muscles would eventually give out and my head suddenly felt like it was 100 pounds. I honestly believed that if I could just lay down for a short nap we could easily finish this hike- it was only our first mile out of the 40 we had planned for this trip, after all.

I told Brent I needed to sit down. We found a large rock mocking us with 10 inches of shade where I finished my water and electrolytes. Every time Brent turned his head was an opportunity to shut my eyes. If he knew how dizzy I was he would have ended the hike early. I was startled when he shook me awake. Looking up I noticed a fit woman in a sports bra resting her hands on her knees. She didn't look good. When I asked her if she was OK, she replied, "I think I have heat stroke." HEAT STROKE! That was it! I had heat stroke, too!

Oddly enough, I was so excited that poor conditioning wasn't the reason for our failed hike. I was actually excited to have heat stroke! But now we had to hurry up and leave! We wobbled our way back down towards our mini white-semi, where air conditioning and water waited for us.

It didn't take long to start feeling better. Brent suggested we head to camp and turn in early for the day but we had better plans. We drove to Sedona for our next hiking adventure.