A Difficult Date Day

Recently Dave and I set off for a hike by ourselves. Usually we go as a family, but Dave wanted to explore a different trail which was rated moderate to difficult. We were not sure our kiddos would enjoy it, so they visited a bit with my parents while we hiked.

Our destination was trail 306 at Shaw Butte located in the Phoenix mountain preserve. The hike was beautiful. It started off as an easy walk from the North Mountain Visitors Center. We gradually encountered steeper inclines as we made our way to the top.  We definitely did some heavy breathing on the hills, but we were amazed by the views. I have lived most of the last 27 years in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and it has grown so much in that time. The views of the city were expansive.

Springtime in the desert finds wildflowers in bloom. They range in color from yellow to white to orange to purple. We were lucky that recent rains have left the desert wet and ready for spring. We spotted quite a few yellow brittlebush on the mountain,

as well as a green ocotillo in bloom.

We didn't encounter any wildlife as we hiked, although at times it felt like the city was miles away. We were surrounded by mountains as we made our descent. I even commented to Dave that it felt as if we were out in the middle of nowhere (except for the power lines).

In the end we hiked a little under 5 miles, and enjoyed our time together. Although it involved a bit of heavy breathing, we managed to talk without interruption and revel in each other's undivided attention. We have plans to do it again soon.