Piestewa Peak

Squaw Peak (also known as Piestewa Peak), at 2608 feet (795 meters) is the second highest point in the Phoenix Mountains, after Camelback Mountain, and the third highest in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. It is located in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve. Squaw Peak was renamed in honor of Army Spc. Lori Ann Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat in the US military, [ [http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0324piestewa0325.html Arizona Republic] ] and the first woman soldier to be killed in action in the 2003 Iraq Conflict. [cite web|author =Davidson, Osha Gray|title=The Forgotten Soldier, The unsung herione of the Jessica Lynch ambush in Iraq
work=|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/6085435/the_forgotten_soldier/| date =June 3, 2004| language = English|accessdate =2008-06-07] Piestewa was born in Tuba City, Arizona on December 14, 1979. She was killed in Iraq on March 23, 2003, after the convoy in which she was driving was ambushed in Nasiriyah, Iraq after heroically making a wrong turn into enemy territory. [ [http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/6085435/the_forgotten_soldier/ "The Forgotten Soldier," Rolling Stone] ] The name change was officially approved at the federal level on April 10, 2008 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. [ [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20080410-0926-wst-mountainname.html Associated Press] ] [ [http://www.nativescene.com/detail.php?ID=49 Arizona Native Scene] ]

Squaw Peak has been designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride [cite web|url=http://phoenix.gov/ARTS/pridepts.html|title=Phoenix Points of Pride|accessdate=October 18|accessyear=2006] .

Natural history

As a landform, Squaw Peak is relatively young, formed roughly 14 million years ago. However, it is composed of much older rock, primarily a form of granite called schist. [ [http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikphfac.html Piestewa Peak Facts] ]

Flora in this area is typical of the lower Sonoran Desert and includes almost all varieties of Arizona cactus such as saguaro, barrel, hedgehog, pincushion, jumping cholla and prickly pear. Trees and colorful shrubbery include palo verde, mesquite, ironwood trees, creosote (dominate), ocotillo, brittle bush, desert lavender and giant sage shrubs. [ [http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikphfac.html Piestewa Peak Facts] ]

Wildflowers are abundant in the early spring and include Mexican gold poppies (deep yellow), brittlebush (yellow), lupine (purples), desert globemallow (orange) and scorpionweed (purple). Fiddleneck and bladderpod also are blooming in some areas. These are in addition to the many varieties of flowering cacti. [ [http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikeflow.html Wildflower Viewing Guide] ]

Reptiles and wildlife that thrive in the preserve are gila monster, horned lizard and chuckwalla. Hikers also can encounter rattlesnakes. The mammal population includes coyote, jackrabbit, cottontail rabbit, ground squirrel and kit fox. There are more than 54 species of birds from the turkey vulture to mockingbirds, cactus wrens, gamble’s quail and several species of owls and hawks. [ [http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikphfac.html Piestewa Peak Facts] ]

Hiking

It is important to remember that Squaw Peak and the area around it are open, undeveloped desert areas. Please use care when heading out as hikers routinely encounter rocky terrain, rattlesnakes and other potential hazards native to the Sonoran Desert. If you encounter a rattlesnake, allow it space and time to escape.

The Squaw Peak Summit Trail [ [http://oshadavidson.com/etc Google Earth trail map & current weather conditions] ] (elevation gain = 1,190 feet in 1.2 miles) is climbed thousands of times per week by locals and visitors seeking a cardio-vascular workout, great views, or a family outing. [ [http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikphgud.html Squaw Peak Trail Guide] ] This trail is more difficult than it looks, especially in the summer when temperatures are well over 100°F. No water is available on the trail and dehydration is a common and serious problem with hikers who come unprepared. Views from the summit include, in clear weather, Pinnacle Peak, the McDowell Mountains, Four Peaks, the Superstition Mountains, Tabletop Mountain, the Estrella Mountains, Woolsey Peak, the White Tanks Mountains, the Harquahala Mountains and the Bradshaw Mountains.

For more solitary hiking, with better odds of seeing wildlife, there are approximately fifteen miles of other interconnecting trails in the Preserve, ranging from easy to difficult. [ [http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikphgud.html Trail Guide] ] It is even easier to get disoriented and lost on these back trails, and so the same precautionary measures apply. At a minimum: carry adequate water and a first-aid kit, wear a hat for protection against the sun, and hiking boots, know where you're going (and tell someone). Although cell-phone reception can be spotty in the Preserve, it's a good idea to bring one in case you get into trouble.

References

External links

* [http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikephx.html City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation website]
* [http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=1738 Phoenix Mountains Preserve, satellite images]
* [http://www.squawpeakhiker.org Squaw Peak hiking information]
* [http://wildfiction.blogspot.com/2007/06/stars-and-stripes-on-piestewa.html Stars and Stripes flying over Piestewa Peak]
* [http://boglekevin.googlepages.com/piestewapeak,phoenixmountainpreserve Piestewa Peak pictures and hiking information]
* [http://www.womensmemorial.org/index.html Women In Military Service For America Memorial]
* [http://oshadavidson.com/etc Summit Trail map for Google Earth and current weather conditions]