Military Officer - April 2007 - (Page 63) G R E AT G E TA W AY S sun already had set. I rushed back to our room, feeling refreshed and relaxed — but also slightly guilty for having taken so long. I imagined Damon pacing, awaiting my return. But when I flung the door open, our room was empty. Several hours later, he burst through the door, his hair still damp and aromatic. “I’m a new man,” he announced, grinning. He had spent the entire day enjoying a massage and wandering from the steam room to the sauna to the Jacuzzi to the warm pool to the swimming pool until the staff finally informed him that it was closing for the evening. Choose your adventure After two days, we left the Fairmont and headed north. In just a few miles, the suburban landscape turned into rolling, rocky terrain. Our destination was the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, nestled in the pristine desert landscape. As Damon and I wandered around the peaceful resort, we spotted cottontail bunnies, tassel-headed quail, and crimson-colored cardinals. We had chosen Four Seasons for its “Hike & Bike” package, which includes adventures with different degrees of challenge in nearby preserves. We arose from bed early the next morning, grabbed breakfast, and met Brian Jump, our guide from Arizona Outback Adventures, the hotel’s partner. Deciding that we seemed fairly fit, Jump chose an intermediate hike (he ranked it 3.5 on a oneto-five scale) to Tom’s Thumb, one of the highest peaks in the nearby McDowell Mountains. The three of us ambled uphill, past towering saguaros, prickly pear, scruffy mesquite, and stout barrel cacti with pink-tinged needles. A green-trunked palo verde tree was dotted with a flock of mountain bluebirds that were so brilliant they looked like cobalt-colored ornaments on a spindly Christmas tree. PHOTOS: COURTESY FOUR SEASONS RESORT SCOTTSDALE Hike or bike through the desert landscape at Four Seasons. Unwind with a spa treatment. Jump pointed out a cute cholla cactus called “Teddy Bear.” Despite its harmless name and fuzzy appearance, Jump warned, the Teddy Bear’s spines are hypodermic-needle sharp, and the cactus breaks off in balls that pierce whatever comes near, whether hapless rodent or hiker’s shoe. I spotted the nest of a clever cactus wren in a cholla’s prickly branches, safe from predators. Jump casually commented that this first bit of the walk was a “warm up” for what would follow. And sure enough, the sloping sandy trail soon disappeared into a maze of boulders and steep inclines with deep drops. We scrambled up rocks, skidded down loose gravel, and dodged dagger-sharp plants. I have a slight fear of heights and a bad sense of balance, so I spent most of the hike feeling emotions that ranged from nervous to terrified. As I continually grabbed Jump’s hand for support, I wondered aloud how he so nimbly scampered along. “I used to be a gymnast,” he explained. He was so agile that I almost expected him to offhandedly start doing cartwheels, while I got down on my rear and ungracefully “crab walked.” But when we reached the top, I was glad I had met the challenge. Exhilarating 80-mile views of the Superstition Mountains, Pinnacle Peak, Camelback Mountain, the Mazatzal Mountains, Horseshoe Dam on the Verde River, and Phoenix were before us. After a gourmet box lunch, we spent the afternoon bicycling on a gentle single-track trail. (When Jump saw what a wimp I proved to be on the hike, he thoughtfully downgraded the bike ride to the easiest one he could find.) We returned to the Four Seasons for a massage, which was included in the package. That night, we splurged for a starlit dinner on the terrace of the hotel’s APRIL 2007 MILITARY OFFICER 63
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