Saturday morning began like any other on Camelback; then normal stopped. Just past the longest handrail section on Camelback Mountain’s Echo Trail, I saw a full-grown, stark naked man (no shoes, either) having a conversation with himself on his way to the summit. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” he said (switching voices from child to…
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong came, saw, and conquered the Four Peaks Brewery Urban Dirt Triathlon in Tempe on Sunday. He blew the competition out of the Town Lake water by more than four minutes.Armstrong announced his participation in the race on his Twitter feed a few days ago, but other…
If you believe in myths and superstitions, this Friday, September 23, might be a good day to try and balance an egg on its end, avoid drinking water, or celebrate Persephone’s return to the Underworld. All those myths are associated with the September Equinox, which takes place at 9:04 a.m…
After a two-day hiatus and a big scare to the local climbing community, Climbmax owner Mike Fitzgerald announced last night that the Tempe indoor climbing gym will be open again, as of this afternoon. “Our short closure has given way to negotiations to renew our lease,” Fitzgerald wrote on the Climbmax’s…
Mike Fitzgerald announced Wednesday that he was closing the doors of Climbmax, effective immediately. Word spread quickly through the climbing community, and an open letter was posted by Fitzgerald on the Climbmax website:”Due to reasons beyond our control, we have been forced to immediately close this facility,” Fitzgerald writes. “Closing the gym…
We’re not the only ones still trying to comprehend how a 31-year-old man from Missouri died after hiking for a mere four hours on Sunday morning with a friend at South Mountain Park.”It’s very unusual,” says Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Jorge Enriquez. “Maybe they underestimated the hike, coming from another…
This week’s hiking lesson: The $6 entrance fee to see the Wind Cave Trail at Usery Mountain Recreation Area is totally worth it. The 1.6-mile trail is fairly easy; it’s the most popular hike in the area. There are few rough spots where you have to navigate over some big…
The hunt is on.Last week, four Arizona State Parks posters of Kartchner Caverns, Alamo Lake, Lost Dutchman, and Slide Rock were placed at various Light Rail stations from Phoenix to Tempe. If you find all four and submit your own digital photos of the the posters at the stations (example…
The first Arizona Warrior Dash concluded on Sunday with live music, beer in plastic cups, and muddy, muddy masses. Here are a few things we learned from the 3.4-mile run. Noted for next year: 1. The obstacles are no joke. Some of the obstacles were pretty easy, but some were pretty…
On Friday night, ASU will host its last Astronomy Open House of the year with views of Saturn through rooftop telescopes. You know that means — cool, free date night. The telescopes will be set up from 8 to 10 p.m.on the Bateman Physical Sciences H-Wing on the Tempe Campus…
Phoenix’s South Mountain is known for its extensive trail system; even if you start at the same place every time you go hiking, you can end up taking five different trails to the top. The mountain’s Desert Foothills Trailhead provides an easy start — a wide, paved, flat surface. But…
The Lost Camp Loop is a hell of a hike. It’s longish (at 5 miles), climbs and descends steeply, has multiple opportunities to get lost, and is home to bees … lots of bees.The trail takes you close, but doesn’t actually lead to the ruins of Lost Camp, a mysterious…
Thrasher Magazine, a monthly eye-candy publication for professional and amateur skateboarders, published a photo essay this morning that features some of the best spots in Phoenix. The series, titled Shred Lobster, doesn’t include addresses or buildings, but local board nuts should be able to recognize a few of the rails,…
It’s hard to pay for hiking, but sometimes it’s unavoidable (and totally worth it). Such is the case with Cave Creek Recreation Area, home to a number of moderate to easy trails, picnic areas, campgrounds, a nature center, and a ton of plants and animals…
Finding Hawes Trail on Mesa’s Usery Mountain is sort of like going to a speakeasy; someone has to tell you just where to park and exactly where the entrance is because there aren’t any signs. Once you find the way (with the help of our directions after the jump), you’ll…
As spring makes a quick appearance in Arizona, the days for camping and hiking are perfect (and numbered). Luckily, there are tons of places just outside of the Valley where you can take advantage of the natural beauty, gorgeous weather, and off-the-beaten path hikes, including Oak Flats…
Pinnacle Peak trail is for tourists — the well-manicured trail is lined with an almost unnatural variety of desert plant species, which are all labeled, and is heavily traveled by people … in jeans. (Note: If you can hike in jeans, you’re not really hiking.) The trail head features a…
Want to see the Supermoon this weekend? Look up. On Saturday, March 19, the moon’s expected to be about 350,000 kilometers from the Earth, — the closest in 18 years, according to NASA. And while the moon’s distance change is marginal, a “Supermoon” falling on a full-moon night has only…
Phoenix’s Japanese Friendship Garden, at 1125 North Third Avenue, is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. Garden docents say there are no gatherings or benefits currently planned following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan this morning, but note that the public is more than welcome to stop by…
I didn’t make it to the end of South Mountain’s Alta Trail on Sunday. I wasn’t sick. I wasn’t even tired. I was bored. There’s nothing particularly wrong with Alta Trail. The 4.5-mile trail meanders along the desert floor and then up and over some of the smallish peaks of…
The McDowell Mountains may be in the middle of the city, but when you’re at the top, you can still soak in a good dose of landscape and seclusion. The mountain’s Sunrise Trail is one of the more popular trails and cuts through the south area of the range. The…
Sven Slab on the north side of the McDowell Mountains is one of the most popular granite rock climbs in Arizona. It’s also good for beginners (and good thing because while I’ve been indoor climbing for about five months, the mountains and I will agree — I’m still a newbie)…
