We have been in Mesa for a week now and are getting anxious to get out and hike in the mountains that surround the city. One of our favourite hikes is in South Mountain Park. We have invited Keith and Nancy Goudy to come with us. We met them 2 years ago when we were in neighboring sites. They are full time RVers and are work camping at Mesa Regal. That means that they work 12 hours a week each in the park and get a campsite for free.
The skies are wonderfully clear and blue as we begin our hike. Typical of Arizona mornings, it is a cool 55F but it will be up to 85F by this afternoon. The hike begins in the shadow of a hillside as we wind our way further into the mountains. Some rock formations are quite interesting!
After a turn onto the Hidden Valley trail we come to the "Fat Man Pass". It's a huge rock that has split with a narrow opening - only 9 inches wide - where you have to slither through to the other side. The rock has been worn smooth because of so many bodies pushing into the narrow opening. It was not hard for any of us but you have to remove your backpack! You can also go on top of the rock and watch people going through.
Further on the trail, we come to another challenge - you have to lie on your back and slide down the rock to a lower area through an opening that is about 2 feet high. It was fun! We also go through a tunnel of jumbled rocks - but this is high enough to walk through
After the Hidden Valley loop, we rejoin the other trail and return to the carpark. It was a 5.5 mile hike with only about 350 feet of elevation but a good one to begin the hiking season. We are proud of ourselves!
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