hmmmm, yeas

One of the totally awesome things about living in Arizona is that we get to play outside year round, in tee shirts. On Saturday we drove around in circles to find the entrance to Pinnacle Peak, a little pointy mountain about 15 minutes from our abode. We were greeted at the entrance with, no joke, a line of Mercedes and BMWs parked on the side of the road. I should have known then that we were not on any normal hiking exploration.

Pinnacle Peak is itself a neat little mountain. The park is about 150 acres big and is chock full of Saguaros and Cholla Cactus. The hike is short and sweet over rocky terrain. It's a great place to visit if you are a novice rock climber as there are huge boulder-like rocks at the top which look perfect for those just learning to climb with gear.

The odd thing about Pinnacle Peak is that it seems to be THE outdoor rec playground for the wealthy set of Scottsdale. No joke, every woman (and many men) we passed on the trail left a waft of perfume in their wake. Seriously, the whole little mountain was swathed in Chanel and Dior. I'm telling you it was weird.

I've also never heard so much complaining among hikers in my life. Now this is a LITTLE mountain. It took us about 15 or 20 minutes to climb to the top and then another 20 to climb down and over to it's neighboring mountain. We heard numerous women, outfitted in black spandex and jogging tops with coiffed hair, complaining about how out of shape they were. I heard one lady proclaim at the beginning of the trail that she would be lucky to make it to the top and back down without killing herself.




Another thing that was kind of odd about this park is that there are rules galore. No Smoking. Keep Voices Quiet. No Climbing. Stay on the Trail. Geez! And, there was even a police lady standing mid-point just to keep all the Richie Riches in line.

Now I don't want to come across as having a totally negative experience at Pinnacle Peak. It was nice little hike complete with views mansions and golf courses. It's a good place to get some fresh air and a little exercise. Just be sure you're not allergic to Eu de Scottsdale before you hit the trail.