The Praying Monk on Camelback Mountain

Camelback Mountain

One of my earliest memories as a child is when I first saw Camelback mountain, a very prominent landmark in Phoenix, Arizona.  The mountain is reddish, rocky and looks like a camel keeling, hence its name. Can you see its hump and its head?

At age fifteen I ventured to climb it for the first time.   It was intense, parts of it are fairly steep.  That was a long time ago.  Since then I have climbed it many times...but not lately.

The Praying Monk

The Praying Monk is one of the the most prominent features on the mountain.  It is a rock formation on the camel's "head", and it actually looks like he is walking up (or kneeling) on the mountain to pray.

Interestingly, there is a small cave about midway up the mountain.  

This was a very holy site to the ancient native people, the Hohokam who lived in the area we now know as Phoenix and other parts of Arizona before the 1400ds. 

It is easy to see why.

Perhaps it is time, once the weather cools to hike to this ancient holy place of quiet, beauty and solitude that is now surrounded by a large, busy metropolitan city. 

And pray.