North Mountain

Back in April, before the 100-degree weather set up residence for the summer, I visited North Mountain in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve.  Just as I'd done one week earlier for my Shaw Butte hike, I parked at the North Mountain Visitor Center and headed west on Trail 100.  At 0.7 miles the 101 joins with the 100, which leads to Trail 44 and North Mountain.  So this would be my route.  Though a fairly short 4.2 round trip hike, it still proved to be a fairly good workout.

View from North Mountain

Ascending North Mountain from the north was easy enough.  The south side would be a more strenuous hike.  You realize this right away on the descent, which is rather steep and rocky.  I followed Trail 44 down the mountain to its southern terminus inside North Mountain Park.  Here I rested at a pavilion for a few minutes while snacking on a box of raisins and a granola bar.

Southern Terminus of Trail 44

My second climb to the North Mountain peak did, in fact, require significantly more effort than the first.  Not coincidentally, the hiking population on this side of the mountain was nearly non-existent.  Because of this, I made good time.  I was breathing heavy by time I reached the summit, but it was, as they say, all downhill from here.

The South Side of North Mountain

The hike down the north slope to Trail 101 was swift and easy.  I was moving fast when I saw a couple of kids were stopped and looking over to the right.  They had spotted a rattlesnake just off the side of the trail.  It was stretched out with its head facing away from us and motionless. That is, until we got a little too close for its comfort.  It slithered away just a tad before neatly coiling itself and squaring up in a defensive posture to meet us head-on.  Our curiosity was satisfied.  Nice snake.  Bye snake.

Later, Big Guy

After that encounter, the remainder of the hike felt as if I was just playing out the string, much as a 20-game below .500, cellar-dwelling baseball team must feel like come September.  But I added North Mountain to my ever-growing list of places to visit again.  Once the summer heat subsides, or about the same time those players on that last-place team scatter in 40 different directions, I'll be ready to trek back up North Mountain.