AJ, AZ - The flatiron

I’m not a naturally patient person, waiting is not easy for me. But hiking has taught me that putting one hiking boot in front of the other, one pole in front of the other will get you there. You can achieve almost anything if you just keep moving forward, no matter how slowly, as long as you keep the goal in mind and just keep moving towards it. I realize that this is an age-old adage but it does keep me going on long climbs and long hikes.

Sometimes I look up at the mountain top, or down at the trailhead, and I think that it is no closer than the last time I looked. But the goal comes imperceptibly closer into view with each step. I’m not sure that the lesson in patience extends into my every day life but it certainly pays dividends on the trails.

As we hike, both Gary and I have songs in our minds.

Several days ago, Gary was singing ‘Old Man River.’ Somehow the words to that song:

        Ah gets weary an’ sick of trying

        Ah’m tired of livin’ and sceered of dyin’

        but ol’ man river, he jes keeps rolling along.

are not the words I want in my mind guiding my steps as I’m struggling up a mountain. But, isn’t is amazing how you can hear a song, not be aware that you are hearing it and all of a sudden you’re humming it. Soon, I was humming this same song. Then something triggered this song for me:

        I can see clearly now,

        The rain is gone.

        I can see all obstacles in my way.

        Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.

        It’s gonna be a bright, bright sun shiny day

        It’s gonna be a bright, bright sun shiny day

        I think I can make it now

        The pain is gone

        All of the bad feelings have disappeared

        here is the rainbow I’ve been praying for

        it’s gonna be a bright, bright sun shiny day

        Look all around, there’s nothing but blue skies

        Look straight ahead, nothing but blue skies.

So, that’s the background, the foreground was a trail called the Flatiron, one of the more challenging trails in the Superstitions. And, as soon as we hear the word: challenge, we put it on our lists. It is only 3 1/2 miles to the top: the first two are steadily uphill but the last 1 1/2 go straight up the narrow canyon over boulders. It is not so much a trail as it was a scramble over the boulders that seemed never-ending and insurmountable at times. But, again, one hiking boot in front of the other and hum the song about seeing all obstacles in your way. In the picture above it is the triangular peak over my left shoulder that looks like the prow of a boat.

Before we started the climb, I realized that I had left our new camera, the one with the 35X zoom at home in the RV on the sofa. All we had with us was our old camera with the 10X zoom and we were climbing a mountain with a view of Phoenix. Big mistake. Or was it? As we climbed up the cliff, I realized that I was pretty happy carrying the small camera instead of the larger camera. I had enough trouble climbing this trail without having to deal with the larger camera.

We started up the hill about 10:00. I doubt that we would have started this late in the morning had we really known how challenging it really was. The first two miles had us huffing and puffing and then we started the last 1 1/2 miles. Of course, there was the couple who passed us on the trail as if we were sitting on a bench looking at the scenery. I consoled myself by telling myself that they were only in their 40’s and had done this trail before.

As we climbed, did the peak get any closer, did the trailhead get any further away? Nope. Seems as we were still standing still. Here are some pictures of the trail and the bounders and rocks which formed it. With a trail like this, there was no walking, it was all boulder scrambling.

Since the trail goes over boulders and rocks, it is difficult to see where it goes. And, in truth, many previous hikers had made up their own trails to get to the top. However some kind hiker had put some trail signs on the way up and down for others to follow. Should they have painted on the rocks? Absolutely not. Was I glad that they had? Yep. Here’s Gary by one of the trail signs. We’re learning how to read trail signs out here in the desert.

At 30’ from the top was a 10’ boulder wedged into the other rocks leaving a narrow crevice through which to climb. Very few hand holds and very few foot rests. Obviously I had to get over it but I didn’t know how. As I was looking at it, the other couple, having reached the top some time ago, came down the trail. Gary found his way up over the boulder and gave me some pointers. The other couple did also. They encouraged me telling me that I was so close that I had to make it now. I followed Gary, he gave me a hand and I was over the spot and onto the final stretch.

And, there we were, on top of the Flatiron. Great views towards Phoenix except that it seems to be a bit hazy - dare I say smoggy? and we felt as if we were on top of the world. We could look down on the resort where we are staying and the surrounding desert. We’ve been looking up at this peak from our RV for the last week and - here we were.

We sat there for a while, eating lunch and relaxing. But, finally it was time to start down. Back down and over those same boulders but this direction we had the help of gravity.

Towards the bottom, at 3:30, we met an older woman, a bit off the trail, wending her way up. We cautioned her that it was a bit late to start this particular trail, that we had started at 10:00 and were just getting down. Maybe tomorrow she could try it. She said she’d climb until 4:00 and evaluate than. Now, I realize that Gary and I are not always the brightest bulbs in the chandelier, but we don’t start up a trail at 3:30 nor do we travel alone. I hope she made it down.

7.4 2780’