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(upbeat rock music) Across the Arizona landscape, there are thousands of hiking trails to choose from.

While some hikers love to spend hours on distant trails that require trekking just to arrive at the trail head, others require something simpler and closer to home.

For the millions who live in Phoenix, there are plenty of trails to choose from right here inside the city.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator 1] "Trail Mix'd" is made possible in part through support from Sue and Bill Ahearn.

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(birds chirping) (dramatic music) - One of the most hike trails in Phoenix is Piestewa Peak, and it's easy to see why.

(dramatic music) With dozens of multi-use trails covering the mountain, it's one of the easiest gateways into the desert from the city.

Plus the trails stay open deep into the evening.

So even if you're working past sunset, you still have a chance to get out into nature.

(dramatic music) Hey, Chirag.

Good to see you again.

- Nice to see you again, Kristen.

- We have done this hike together before.

Let's do it again.

- Let's do it again.

- [Kristen] The Piestewa Peak Summit Trail is a 2.1 mile out and back trail that rewards hikers with a 360 degree view of the Phoenix metropolitan area.

While the trail is relatively short, it is steep and rocky with 1,145 feet of elevation.

So it is not for the faint hearted.

You're a pharmacist by day.

And then you have this beautiful talent for photography.

How did living in this city where trails are so accessible help you make time for this passion?

- Well, we live in a very wonderful city that's surrounded by mountains in every corner you look around, so it's just a matter of which mountain you want to climb and go out photographing.

There's ones right by my house.

There's ones... Several of them within 20, 30 minutes of driving, so you don't have to take a whole day off.

- I think that the last time we took photos together, you came right from work and met us- - Yes.

- In the Phoenix Mountains Preserve here.

- It's right on the way home.

(mellow music) - [Kristen] How did you discover your passion for night photography?

- It started with really admiring the light, the soft light that you get.

Whenever daylight and night blend together, you get a blend of red and blue together.

It gives a serene feel and a very colorful, saturated view of the city.

- When you're up here at night, what do you feel?

- Feel calm, peaceful, refreshed and clearing out your mind really well.

- I always find it amazing too that when I'm in the city it feels so crazy, so chaotic and then from up here, it's so peaceful.

Do you feel that way?

- Very much.

And you don't have to go far from the city, just a little climb, and you get a bird's eye view of the city.

- Given that this is a pretty intense hike and we're doing it at night, what have you learned about night hiking?

- Obviously you have much lower visibility, and so you have to use flashlights, headlamps to really see what's coming across your way.

I'm watching the rocks, watching any critters.

You just have to be a little mindful to them.

- One of the things that I love so much about your photography is that I think so often people think going outdoors has to be going to the middle of nowhere, and you have been able to find such beauty in the middle of a huge city, the city of Phoenix.

How does it make you feel when you look at your own photos?

- So I love going out in the middle of nowhere, but I don't always have time to go in the middle of nowhere.

So after work, I can come over to any of the mountains in the city and just get away quickly up above the city and enjoy the serene quiet moments.

- [Kristen] How long have you been doing photography?

- [Chirag] I've been doing photography for over 25 years.

- What would you say to someone who's thought, "Man, I'd love to be able to take great photos, but I just don't know if I want to try something new, invest in the equipment."

What advice do you have?

- Start with an iPhone or a Samsung phone or a smartphone.

Any of the phones that's in your hand.

It's a good camera.

Start with that.

Smartphones take great photos these days, and I don't think you need to invest in a big camera.

You already have a phone.

Use the phone to take great photos.

- I love how beautiful it looks right now.

The sun has just set.

Let's go make it to the top.

- Let's go.

(mellow music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - The sun has completely set, and the city lights are stunning, but it's pretty dark on the trail.

I think it's time for our lights.

I brought a headlamp.

- And I brought a flashlight.

Choose whatever you're comfortable with.

- Okay.

- Some like to have a headlamp and have the hands free.

I like to have a flashlight and move my light around to light up any of the hazards like rocks, snakes.

- The key thing when you're wearing a headlamp is try not to blind your hiking buddy or the other hikers.

- I'm ready for safety here.

(upbeat music) - Oh, that looks so cool.

(upbeat music) (mellow music) Another reason we love to be up here on the top of Piestewa Peak at night is because of who sometimes joins us up here, and that is the ringtails.

(mellow music) There's a ringtail that came up to... We'd like to think he said hello to us, but he's just doing his thing.

This is the ringtail's home, and we get to come visit it when we're at the top of Piestewa Peak.

I actually see these every time I hike at this time.

You see 'em often too?

- Right around sunset.

- At this time of day, right as the sun drops, they come, out and they are just the cutest thing.

- They're adorable.

- I hear him right now.

There he is making some noise.

I just think that they are so adorable, but it's a really good reason for people to be picking up after themselves.

And one of the disheartening things up here is that there's always trash.

I see pistachio shells and Saran wrap from here.

- Orange peels.

- Orange peels.

Yeah, there's a banana peel up there.

And it's just a really good reminder when you see the creatures that we're sharing these places with to pick up after yourself.

- [Chirag] Leave no trace.

(mellow music) - We learned more about these adorable animals and got to see one up close at Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center.

(mellow music) (upbeat music) So this is Kim Carr, who is the animal care manager here at SWCC.

As hikers sometimes we are fortunate enough to witness these animals in the wild while we're on the trail.

And one of those circumstances is hiking to the top of Piestewa Peak right as the sun drops, the ringtails come out.

And Kim, I've seen these ringtails up close.

They seem way too comfortable with humans.

So what do you ask of people when they run into these animals in the wild, especially those ringtails at the top of Piestewa?

- I understand people get very excited, especially to see a ringtail because they're very elusive and we should never feed wild animals.

It's always a bad idea because then they're gonna lose that natural fear of people and you're giving food to an animal that it's not its natural diet.

I can just only imagine what people are feeding it thinking, "Oh, my granola bar, my trail mix.” That's not stuff that a ringtail is supposed to eat, so it's probably very unhealthy.

I say take a picture of it.

I mean, that you've got a lasting memory.

You don't need to hand feed it.

- You get to interact with a ringtail every day here.

What are their personalities like?

What can you tell us about this animal that happens to be the state mammal?

That's pretty cool.

- [Kim] It is pretty neat to be this up close with a ringtail, but normally they're so elusive and shy, you just would not see one anywhere out in the wild.

- So these little guys like the sweet stuff?

- [Kim] They do, they're omnivores.

So they'll eat a little bit of everything, but Miko has his favorites, and he loves blueberries and raspberries.

He's gonna take it and eat it in - I can see now what you're saying about them being so elusive.

Like he really grabs and goes.

- Yeah, he doesn't wanna be out in the open, you know, 'cause then you're afraid of predators and you're at a disadvantage, but- - And seeing him interact this way where he's grabbing and going, it really tells me just how much human interaction those ringtails at the top of Piestewa had because they aren't skittish like this.

They actually kind of hang around.

- When you know, you're a wild animal, it takes a lot to try to find food.

So when you have people coming and bringing you food, you don't have to work for it, you know.

They're smart and that's why, you know, those animals have become so habituated now.

- Do you think they should be the state mammal?

What's your opinion on that?

- I mean, I love them.

They are adorable.

I thought it was an odd choice just because most people do not know what a ringtail is.

You know, when you say that's our state mammal, everyone's like, "What is it?"

So, and people will call them a lemur, they'll call them a cat, and they're actually related to raccoons.

- You taught us so much about the ringtails.

Kim, thank you.

- Thanks for having me on.

(upbeat music) - We are at the start of Mormon Trail, which is gonna lead us to Fat Man's Pass.

Now you may be wondering why Fat Man's Pass?

Well, apparently we're gonna have to make ourselves pretty tiny and squeeze through an area between two rocks that's about 12 inches wide.

I'm super excited for this hike because I have heard so many other people say that they absolutely love the challenge that comes on this trail.

So let's see if we can get it done.

(upbeat music) Sprawling across more than 16,000 acres of desert, South Mountain is one of the largest municipally managed parks in the United States.

Right on the edge of the city, it offers a vast network of trails for hikers of all abilities to explore.

(upbeat music) We are only 250 feet into this trail, and we already see amazing views.

When I look out, I see Four Peaks, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Camelback, Piestewa and Downtown It's already stunning.

(upbeat music) Mormon Trail, the trail to Fat Man's Pass is a three-and-a-half-mile loop with 900 feet of elevation.

But if that's not enough of a challenge, there are a hundred more miles of other trails you can explore in the preserve.

(upbeat music) I hear the beeping of some sort of construction vehicle.

We've been hearing sirens, just the sounds of the cities.

That's what you get when you're this close to Downtown.

But you know what?

At least we are out in nature.

And one of the most beautiful things you'll find really on any desert hike in Arizona is our beautiful saguaro cactus.

And while they may not be as beautiful when they're dead, they don't remove these from the trail side because they're still providing a really important habitat to the critters out here.

And sometimes when they die, and you are seeing this hardened internal part of the saguaro, you might even spot a cactus boot.

That is a hardened piece inside of the cactus that animals have actually carved out so that they can live inside where they can be safe and protected.

Isn't that amazing?

(upbeat music) Throughout the Sonoran desert landscape and along this hike, we are spotting lots of creosote bushes.

And something interesting about creosote bushes is that they can actually reproduce in two different ways.

Sexually by way of the seeds that come from those tiny little flowers they produce in the spring and summer.

Or they can actually clone themselves.

And the creosote bushes that are cloned are believed to have more resilience in our harsh desert climate and live longer than those that are sexually reproduced.

Another thing to know about these guys is that they grow extremely slowly and for good reason, they only grow a few centimeters every single year.

That helps them conserve their energy and water to survive in our desert.

Plus they smell amazing, especially after it rains.

(upbeat music) Look at this.

This is a sphinx moss caterpillar, and these come right across the trail a lot in fall and spring.

So you wanna make sure that you're watching out for these.

They are not poisonous or anything like that, but they are really important.

They are nighttime pollinators, so they're just as important as the bees and the butterflies.

You shouldn't pick them up, you shouldn't pick up any critters.

But to discourage you a little bit, I will let you know if you do, they might take a little nibble outta your hand.

Isn't he cool?

Hey, be careful.

Don't cross the trail.

Don't get stepped on.

(upbeat music) Good morning.

(upbeat music) It is starting to get warm out here, but when we started this morning, it was quite chilly, and it's important to keep in mind just how much the temperatures can change out here, and it can get extremely hot.

In fact, if the National Weather Service issues an extreme heat warning, the park system will actually decide to shut down numerous trails throughout the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, including the trail that we're on right now, between 8:00 a.m.

and 5:00 p.m.

They'll put out signs, and it's important that you don't go around them.

(upbeat music) (camera clicks) (upbeat music) Ooh, there's lots of foliage over here.

A drastic change.

And then look at this, there's the tunnel.

I feel like all the hype was about this squeeze.

We also get this bonus of walking through a tunnel.

This is so cool.

And literally, I mean, this is cool.

The rock is so nice and cold.

I feel like I just stepped into a refrigerator.

Beautiful views surrounding us.

And up here, look at this, there's like a little window framing a bright blue sky.

Getting to experience this, plus knowing we still get to do the squeeze is just such a reminder of all the preserve has to offer right in the middle of our city.

(upbeat music) Okay, this looks tricky.

I would not wanna do this in tennis shoes.

(upbeat music) There's slippery rock, there's sand.

It's treacherous up here.

(upbeat music) Okay, they're making us work for the squeeze, but I think we're getting close.

This isn't technically the squeeze, but it's definitely going to be a squeeze.

I have to get through here.

I don't think there's really any right way to do this.

We're just gonna slide on through.

Luckily the slippery rock really works with you here.

Okay.

(Breathing) Easy.

Let's find the real one.

(upbeat music) Okay, I think it's here.

Oh boy, here it is.

You guys, that looks tiny.

Can I do this?

Can I fit through there?

When I say can I do this, I mean, physically and mentally.

Okay, I definitely can't.

I'm gonna bring my pack, but I can't wear it, so I'm just gonna try to like drag it behind me.

Okay.

Oh, that's tight.

It's tight on the knee.

Oh my goodness.

As I am about to put my head through this space, I just wanna remind myself and all of you that you don't have to be a hero.

If you get to a point in a hike where it's gonna compromise your safety, you can turn around because we do know that they rescue people here who attempt to make it through, and they get stuck.

Can you imagine?

I'm gonna try not to get rescued today.

Okay, can't turn my head with the hat on.

Okay, it's opening up a little right here.

It opens up.

Oh, okay, we're getting close.

Woo, okay, we did it.

We conquered Fat Man's Pass.

And I'm gonna be honest, at first that squeeze seemed too tiny, but then it started to open up and now I feel really proud of this accomplishment.

From the highest peaks to now the tightest squeezes, I think we've made the most of what our urban trails have to offer.

Thank you for joining us, and we'll see you when our paths cross again on "Trail Mix'd."

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(upbeat music)