Heading South Seeking Warmth

This morning Derek, the boys, and I drove to Phoenix for the day to warm up and escape the cold and snow in Flagstaff (more snow expected over the next 48 hours!). We spent the morning hiking at Piestewa Peak Park. Piestewa Peak is the second highest point in the Phoenix Mountains after Camelback Mountain, which we submitted in January 2021. So we have now crossed both Phoenix bucket list hikes off of our list!  Piestewa Peak is named in honor of Army Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa, the first known Native American woman to die in combat in the US military and the first female soldier to be killed in action in the 2003 Iraq War.

It was so great to get outside, get away from weekly stressors, and have a warm change of scenery. During our hike, the temperatures started in the 50s and climbed to the mid 60s with all sun. Wonderful!!!  We hiked part of the Freedom Trail and up the Summit Trail to the top of Piestewa Peak with an elevation gain of ~1,200 ft.  It was intense, but the views of the Phoenix metro area skyline were worth it! The desert was also very green indicating the extra precipitation that AZ has received this year. 

Below are the guys at the beginning of the trail with Piestewa Peak in the background. 

My favorite Ocotillo with very green leaves. 



Barrel cacti (reddish hue) alongside “baby” saguaros. 





I did not get pictures if the ascent as it was tons of climbing- focused on my footing. However here are pictures from the top! 

Derek heading back down from the summit through the crack. 



The boys are in the picture below with Piestewa Peak in the background. During our picnic lunch we were treated to the wonderfully happy song and sighting of a curved bill thrasher as well as the antics of the tiny antelope squirrels and much larger prairie dogs. 

Piestewa Peak. You can see the trail and switchbacks on the right side heading up to the summit. 

Snoozing on the return drive to Flagstaff! 

Now we are back in Flag warming up with tea and chocolate chip cookies made by Ashton! 

Other items of note: 

I made homemade chicken noodle soup and homemade bread yesterday per Ashton’s request. Warm and satisfying! 

Derek and I found a Hefeweizen variety pack of beer from one of the brewers that we enjoyed last weekend. These will be excellent to enjoy in the summer while grilling. Meanwhile, we will enjoy them while shoveling snow. Haha!!! The blood orange is the best!  



Ashton and Derek built Ashton’s new computer together. What a great way to learn about computer components and inner workings! 



A view of our snowy mountains from my friend’s house in Doney Park on the east side of Flagstaff. I was at her house to practice flute/oboe/clarinet trios.