Camelback Vortex

The Polar Vortex is back ... for the third time. As I write this the temperature is -3°F with a windchill of (feels like) -22°F.

I can't believe I left this to come back to the arctic!

I was in Scottsdale, Arizona for a work conference earlier this week. It was also a mini getaway ... beautiful resort and awesome food. I went with a work colleague and she convinced me to hike up Camelback Mountain the first day we were there. Holy moly rocky is that climb a beast and going down isn't any easier! The view was beautiful when I was able to catch my breath long enough to look at it (the following photo is my coworker Jen, not me).

I made it half way up ... someone  told me I was 3/4 up but I finally saw the markers and was pretty pleased that 1) I made it up as far as I did and B) I hadn't seen the markers before I did or would have stopped sooner. Jen made it all the way to the top and said it was really hard as you had to climb jagged rocks with your hands. Maybe I'll go back some day and make it up even higher. For now I will let the memories of a warm beautiful sunny day climbing a mountain carry me through the latest vortex.