Hiking South Mountain Solo!!!

I took this pic today coming into town from where I live (out in the booneys). This is the south view of South Mountain. That area right above that cyclists head is where I was, on the eastern side of the mountain.

Warning: There are a TON of pics in this post. Like picture palooza! This hike was so much FUN! It wasn't too hard and the weather was amazing and I enjoyed myself for 3 solid hours! So yes, I took a ton of pictures. And a lot of pics of myself, of course. Because not only do I love photography but I think it's so critical to be my own personal photojournalist on MY journey!

This is almost all of it! It's HUGE!

This is what it looks like from street view, where you go to start at the trailhead. Right in the middle of the city, in Phoenix.

Javelina Canyon Trail, trail 1 of 3 that I did.

This is what an "easy" trail looks like. This one is rated "easy to moderate".

Me starting out! **Happy**

When I reached my first small peak, my car is straight down, in the middle, where you can see that trail leading to it. Those mountains you can see in the back are Superstition Mountains.

I was posin' being goofy but check out all the neck stuff....like viens and STUFF. I don't even know what all that stuff is that holds up my huge head but seriously, I've never seen it before. It must've always been hidden by fat.

At the top of that first peak!

View from the first peak, down into the canyon. AFter this peak I went down that trail to the middle, up to the left and up that hill on the left that you can't see the top of.

This part is considered "moderate" b/c it is almost straight up. Pretty steep incline but not the worst. I actually RAN up this one, for fun. I did good!!!

Ridgeline Trail: This is once I went through the canyon and up that hill on the left, this is looking up at the 2nd highest peak on the east side of South Mountain. Way up there, is where I was headed. This is a different trail and it is rated "difficult". Which my plan was to not go on a diff one until I got hiking boots, but I could NOT resist once I saw it!

Ridgeline Trail: Part of that same trail!

Stopped to take a breather and pose with the rocks! :D

That trail straight up WAS difficult. I stopped about 3/4 of the way to stop to rest and take pics! This is one of 'em. I love how I am up close but I look so small in comparison to the world behind me! That behind me is another canyon and another peak on the other side, on the south side. (I went there later)

Restin' my tired ass before I have to make it the rest of the way to the top!

This is me looking DOWN at the Ridgeline Trail I just came halfway up.

And..... looking UP to the rest of the way to the top. Looks scary! Looks like a rocky road to Heaven! ;)

MADE IT TO THE TOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Signature pose and windblown hair!

The city from up there. That is Phoenix and straight across is Camelback Mountains. I'll do them eventually, too! I stayed up here for probably 30  minutes enjoying the hell out of myself. I stood up filming a video of myself talking and the views. Then I recorded a video of me dancing! hehe! Then I texted pics of me up there to loved ones and updated my FB page! It was great! Had some water and a cliff bar just hanging out on top of this flat rock! I loved it! Couldn't have been happier!

So then I came down the peak on the other side. This is Beverly Canyon Trial. I stopped off at this ledge to kick back on these black flat rocks and enjoy the view! Took a few pics there too, hehe. Doesn't that look comfy!

Me kicked back on the rocks! So from THERE, I could take a half a mile hike down this same trail to get to my car and be done. But I was still so high from reaching that peak that I looked down and decided to go down into the other canyon, cross it, and go to the peak on the south side of the mountain. :D So I headed that way!

This is a dried up river bed I had to cross to get to a trail I wanted to take, that I could see in the distance, and it was about a 7-8 ft. drop down w/ NO trail so I roughed it! I'm such a bad girl! ;) I had to go through a sticker bush or something, cut my arm up!

This trail, it starts at the bottom and goes to the top left side of the pic and is just a lighter shade of gray. I THOUGHT it was a "difficult" trail to the top. NOW I am aware, discovered half way up, it was not a trail at all. It was a "row" of rocks that get put them to train water from the top of the mountain down to the bottom so that they can control flow of water when we get Monsoon Floods. It was hard as hell to get up, I almost gave up, I almost killed myself. But this path went to the top of that other peak I just HAD to get to.

This is THAT "trail", you can see it's just huge rocks, no real path to follow up.

But I made it up that SOB and here's the view! When I had stopped on the black rocks to kick back and take pics, that was straight across the middle, where you see that trail going up, THAT'S where I was then.

Me up there thinkin' I'm a crazy fool for going up that. And wondering how I was going to make it back DOWN without killing myself or rolling head over feet! I was stressin'! :/ So I sat there for 20 minutes. LOL!

Me thinkin' I'm stupid. I had to capture that moment, to remember it. hehe!

This is me up there looking across that canyon. If you see that high little bump in the middle, that is the flat peak I chilled and grooved on for 30 minutes! :D Good times!

AFTER! A nature high, hot as hell, ALMOST burned, and lovin' life! So thankful I not only did it, but that I am capable, I have gotten myself to this point, and with the Grace of God, I continue on!

NEXT MISSION: Supersition Mountains!

**Love**

I hope you all are happy and feeling blessed!

XOXO,

Liz!

P.S. If you guys want or request it, I'll upload my video I filmed at the top of South Mountain!