Mesa, AZ - Sunrise Peak

'Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.' Greg Child

Another day, another hike, although that’s not how it’s turning out this time in Mesa. We’ve been spending time on some remodeling in the RV. But today, it’s for fun, hiking. Although there might be some who would question my sanity when I say ‘fun’ and ‘hiking’ in the same sentence. And, I’ll admit, there are times when I’m plodding upwards when I question my sanity also. In truth, I don’t always like the upward plod, and my use of the word ‘plod’ is a good clue to my state of mind itself. Would I rather be sitting outside my RV, in a lounge chair, reading a good book? Well, sure, who wouldn’t? But, then, why do I hike up those darn hills?

Lots of reasons: I like the fresh air, I like the beautiful scenery and the views you get only when you get to the top, I like the exercise and the thought that I might be able to have a dish of ice cream every once in a while because I’ve gotten such good exercise. I like the silence and solitude that comes with climbing on a weekday or on a relatively remote trail, or when we hike further along a popular trail than most others do. I like the challenge of climbing higher and further than we have before although ‘always’ climbing higher and further than before is an impossible spiral. I like the simplicity of hiking: all I have to do is put one foot in front of the other and then repeat that.

And, because of this physical simplicity, my mind can rove where ever it wishes. I can plan out the next week’s activities, I can think about renovations in our RV, I can think about what I want to do with the rest of my life - I can think about what I'm cooking for dinner tonight. The possibilities are endless. Of course, sometimes I’m thinking too much and I lose the trail. Oops, I think the trail is over there.

In the, end, I’ll have to admit that, sometimes, I like to summit more than I like to climb.  But, at the summit, when I'm looking out at the world, I know the climb was all worth it. So, I sit and enjoy.

So, given that background, why not hike today? And, we’re off, to a new area where we have never hiked before, and we’ve chosen the Sunrise Peak hike. Sure enough, as you can guess, it goes up, but I’ve read that the views are spectacular at the top.

Did we enjoy the hike? You betcha - look at those views. And, we’re still smiling at the top.

6.89 1690’