I’m back in Tempe, and apart from the heat, this place rocks! I thought I had grown used to the heat, but the valley heat has a way of making you almost swear that you hate the place. I have already burnt my hands on the hot steering wheel a few times after parking my (rental) car in the sun all day.
All that was forgotten this weekend when I went hiking in the White Mountains (near Alpine) which is around 4 hours from Phoenix. It’s at an altitude of over 8000 Ft, so the place looks and feels like some European countryside. We even saw snow during our hike up Mt. Baldy! (I have pictures to prove it, but I don’t have access to a computer where I can upload them) The 8 mile hike we took through the wilderness was the best hike I have ever done in my life and even though my sore butt and itchy arms and feet are cursing me, I’m happy. Now that’s the great thing about Arizona – all you need to do is drive a few hours and you go from the hot desert to a cool pine country!
It feels strange not to have access to a computer after being glued to one for four months, but rest assured that I will put up some great pictures as soon as I get a computer to upload them to!