Ed and Cal in Phoenix
by Ed Miller
I arrived at PHX airport Friday eve and was met by Cal Hershberger, a friend of Dave Hershberger and mine, that had moved from Berlin, Ohio, 13 years ago. He had invited me to stay at his place for the weekend. I hadn’t seen Cal for about 10 years, so we spent some time catching up, looking at some old photos and reminiscing about the days when we both had more hair.
On Saturday morning after breakfast at a little restaurant called the “The Desert Cove”, where they serve a great western omelet, Cal gave me a driving tour of Phoenix.
Cal, the Tour Guide
He does installation for Phoenix Window & Door Co, so he knows his way around town. He’s also an avid reader, so he gave me some local history like the legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Mine, where in the late 1800s a German prospector supposedly discovered a rich vein of gold but died without telling anyone the location. Treasure hunters are still searching the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix with hopes of finding the lost mine.
Phoenix has had phenomenal growth since Cal moved out in ’92 and is now the 5th largest city in the U.S. He showed me some of the homes built on the side of the mountains and I was impressed with how some homes are made almost “invisible” by using building materials and colors that blend into the surrounding landscape.
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Houses in the Cave Creek area
When a home is built, a permit is required to move the large cacti (saguaros). Sometimes they’re taken to a nursery until the home is completed and then replanted at the homesite.
Saturday evening, we connected with another friend, Rueben Miller, who also moved from OH around ‘95. We had dinner at Rawhide Steakhouse, located in a re-created 1880s western-style town. They were having their “Heritage Days Festival” and many of the customers and “residents” were dressed in full western garb, some of whom were killing others in gunfights and enjoying it. During the meal, we were entertained by live music and “Pistol Annie”, who had a nice pair of authentic 45 Colts and claimed to be the best female gunslinger in the West. After watching her “sling” her guns, we weren’t about to argue with her.
Sunday morning, Rueben invited me to join him in a hike to the top of Squaw Peak, a 1.2 mile trail winding up a 2600 ft mountain in the center of Phoenix. It’s recently been re-named Piestewa Peak, in honor of Lori Piestewa, a local Hopi Indian girl that was killed in Iraq during the ambush that resulted in the capture of Jessica Lynch. The re-naming has stirred up quite a controversy. Even though they feel Lori should be honored in some way, some feel the government’s decision to re-name a popular landmark without a popular vote was rash and inconsiderate. Thus, many locals still refer to it as Squaw Peak. The independent spirit of the West is alive and well!
Cal was recovering from a cold and wasn’t feeling up to the hike, so he declined. I should have taken that as a hint of what was ahead. Halfway to the top, I was gasping for air, trying to keep pace with Rueben, who religiously hikes this peak 3x a week! I soon realized I’ve been spending too much time behind a desk!
Destination in sight…top of Squaw Peak
The final ascent was a very steep set of stairs cut into stone. Led Zepplin’s tune “Stairway to Heaven” came to mind. But at the top I was rewarded with a breathtaking 360-degree view of Phoenix and the surrounding mountains.
Rueben, top of Squaw Peak
Ed at the top
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Views from the top
I highly recommend this trail to anyone and will hike it again when I return…I’ll just start out an hour ahead of Rueben.
Later Sunday afternoon, after soaking in the hot tub at Cal’s condo, Cal and I drove to Mahlon Hershberger’s home in Congress, to meet Barry and Dave. Due to heavy rainfall this spring, the vegetation and wildflowers were spectacular, so I forced Cal to stop along the way so I could take (the first of many) photos of wildflowers.
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Wildflowers…
Thanks, Cal and Rueben, for your part in making my trip to Phoenix memorable…!
