Hike #8
Date: December 25, 2013
Location: Phoenix AZ
Hikers: Megan, Ricky, Linda & Stroodel
Directions: North Phoenix. 16th Street South of Greenway. Road dead ends into trailhead. Water Fountain only. No Restrooms available.
http://phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/lookout/hiking/
This was a spur of the moment hike. I can't really call it a new trail because I have done Lookout hundreds of times over the years. This is home to me and Tina. At times we would do it every day of the week. So, why am I including it. Well I will call it (hopefully) a "new tradition".
Last year 2012 after Thanksgiving Michelle and I decided to start a new Christmas tree on Lookout. Shaw Butte has a huge tree that year after year people put ornaments and bird feeders on one tree during the holidays. It is so cool and a tradition. During a visit Michelle and I hiked up and started a tree in the middle of the saddle between the main Summit and the three smaller mountains. Tina then hiked and added more ornaments. Over the holiday season the tree slowly had more ornaments. Nothing like Shaw Buttes but it caught on. This year I did not hike Lookout during the holidays. With my quest for new I left out my good hiking mountain for others. On Christmas day after everyone left the kids and I decided to go check it out. It was 5:00 pm and we were playing beat the sun clock.
This is not my typical blog. I forgot everything!! No Map my Hike. No trailhead picture. This is the picture of the parking lot looking North. Lookout is a great area to hike. SOOOO many options. Circumference, Summit, over the blooops (which are the smaller mountains). Tina and I have busted up every way you can go and never been bored. You can head up the Summit and then take the trail on the right to go to the Saddle between the Summit and the Smaller mountains.
The sun was dropping quickly and after a big Christmas lunch we were moving as fast as we good. There were a few people on the trail. The sunset was beautiful and you could see the whole valley. We hiked to the fork and took a right. That is a flat trail to the saddle. As we rounded the corner we could see "our" tree. There were ornaments!! (Tina told me she saw some so not a huge surprise) but I needed to see it for myself.
Here is our tree. Hard to see in the lighting on a iPhone. There are ornaments. So the tradition of the Lookout Christmas tree stuck without any intervention on my part. "Plant a seed and watch it grow!"
This is not my typical blog. I forgot everything!! No Map my Hike. No trailhead picture. This is the picture of the parking lot looking North. Lookout is a great area to hike. SOOOO many options. Circumference, Summit, over the blooops (which are the smaller mountains). Tina and I have busted up every way you can go and never been bored. You can head up the Summit and then take the trail on the right to go to the Saddle between the Summit and the Smaller mountains.
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| Heading up towards the Summit Meg, Me & Stroodel |
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| Lookout Christmas Tree |
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| Stroodel & Me and the Christmas Tree |
The Sunset was pretty on Christmas Day. Megan, Ricky and I stopped for a photo op and off we went back down before the light disappeared.
Of Course we have to take a nice picture (selfie) and the a goofy one. I love these kids! I hope to make this a Christmas Tradition. Put something GOOD out in the Universe because you never know what impact you may have. Peace Out. #8 Done!
Of Course we have to take a nice picture (selfie) and the a goofy one. I love these kids! I hope to make this a Christmas Tradition. Put something GOOD out in the Universe because you never know what impact you may have. Peace Out. #8 Done!
Merry Christmas 2013
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