Desert Adventures

This is my friend Sam.

He is riding a Monster cruiser with 36inch wheels.

Sam and His girlfriend, Emily, came down from Utah to visitme and one of Emily's friends. We had alot of fun. The last 3 days consisted of a hunt for an AK-47, a fun mountain bike ride,and a very difficult but rewarding hike. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do.

The hike was a climb over 2000 feet in elevation change. The last mile to the top is not travel by many due to the difficulty of climbing, not just hiking. It was hard, but worth it. It took about 2 1/2 or 3 hours to get up with 3 or 4 breaks along the way. Coming down took about 2 hours. We were told that it is the most difficult hike in the Phoenix area.

The view was beyond description. If it weren't for the smog we would have been able to see all the way to Phoenix (about 30 miles away).
It was almost more impressive than the Grand Canyon and I think it was because I scaled the mountain on my own two feet and the view was breath taking. I now know for myself why temples are compared to Mountains, for I truly drew nearer to God upon the rocky cliffs there.
It was windy up there so we built a fire, had lunch, and even ate cooked cactus as shown here with Sam and Emily. It tasted like aloevera, (now I know that if I am stranded in the desert I can servive on something). Though it was very slimmy, it was eatable and I am sure it can keep someone alive.
I love this picture because it shows the highest point we climbed to from the trailhead. The peak that is furthest off in the distance is where we had lunch. It was probably twice as high as the cliffs on the left side of the photo.

I am grateful that the friendship Sam and I created years ago is still being strengthed by the fun things we are able to do together, even when we live far from each other. Thanks Sam.