Burn out. That’s what summers in the Valley of the Sun can do to one’s psyche. Sure, there are those hardy souls who hike these mountains in 100°+ heat; however, Dave and I are not in that category. Nope—not going to happen—ever.
The aftermath of a summer monsoon.
Fortunately, Summer 2021 was nowhere near as hellish as 2020. The monsoon season did not disappoint—we had record rain, creepy caterpillars, and many mosquitos. The storms were dramatic to watch—and provided welcome relief to searing sidewalks and parched lawns.
Argh! Click to see monsoon’s wrath.
By September, memories of why we live here started to surface. An unexpected early taste of Fall arrived, and once again—we pulled on our hiking boots and stepped outside for some genuine morning walks.
North Mountain Park Trail, with Pointe Tapatio to the left.
North Mountain Trail. One giant UP, but hey, it’s paved!
What was old and tired suddenly looked new again.
Phoenix Mountain Preserves
Looking north from where Dave proposed :).
Welcome Fall—what took you so long?
