"Summary: Echo Canyon Trail or Summit Trail also commonly referred to as simply “Echo” is one of the most intense and hardcore hiking experiences in Phoenix, Arizona. This is a trail for hiking enthusiasts, and those looking for a difficult workout. Many hike, stop, snap pictures and enjoy the challenge while others hike hard for time. Echo Canyon Trail presents a great all around adventure.
Elevation Gain: 1,264 feet
Challenge: (Extremely difficult) Very good conditioning and/or strong will required to complete this hike.
Terrain (Trail) Description: The Echo Canyon trail starts off with a pacing stair step portion leading up to a steep incline of rock faces. This levels off for a few hundred feet before leading back to steps for another few hundred feet. Then comes the first rail, which is an extremely vertical rock face sandwiched by chain link fence and the mountain edge itself. Running down the east side of this section is a man-made metal rail, installed to help people through this section. Although it can be traversed without rail assistance, many choose to utilize it especially coming down.
After this first rail is a small downward slope and a relatively flat section before entering the second rail section which is not as steep as the first one. Another flat section follows leading up to a choice of two paths. To the left is a sheer rock face, called “The Red Rock Way” and to the right is a highly inclined boulder section. The red rock section rejoins the main trail at many points and also carries all the way to an ancient Native American cave on the north side of the mountain.
Once the two paths rejoin it is a fairly inclined path for the rest of the hike. This includes boulder and gravel sections. Towards the top of the trail it loops back north before reaching the summit"
WHAT!?!?! You want me to do huh? With my 4 kids? And Mariah's friend? This is true love, I tell ya. Happy late Valentine's Day to you, Ben. So we set out at about 2:00 pm which turned out to be PERFECT. There was tons of parking, which can be a huge problem, we hiked in the shade a lot of the way, and we were hiking down during sunset, which was so, so beautiful.
Here's Chandler at about the halfway point. He kept right up with Ben at the front. He was carrying his Camelpak and a backpack full of our dinner for the summit. He did awesome! (I should mention, too, that Ben had Gabby on his back in a kiddo carrier. Whadastud.)
This is Mariah and Maddie at the summit. 360 degree views of Phoenix. Amazing, incredible views! Worth the trip up.
Jackson was THE ONLY 5 year old I saw on the trail. I saw one other little boy whose mom said he was 6. There was not a single complaint from J! He loved it, and loved the fact that he could scamper up those rocks faster than mom, who thought at times that she might pass out and roll right on back down. No, really. There were many, many of those times. 
This is a view standing near the top looking down the first big hill you go down. See the tiny guy in the white shirt? With the baby on his back? That's Ben, kicking my bum down the hill... let's just say I was humbled by Camelback. It was so fun, and so awesomely hard. I would never, ever in a million do this in the summer. There would be a word for that: suicide. But on a perfect 70 degree afternoon in February? What a way to spend the day!
(And, P.S., I'm really going to try to blog more. I really, really am. Look forward to Ben's pictures of wildflowers. How's that for incentive?)
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