The other grad students always take the first years on a hike toward the beginning of the semester.  I had a great time and didn't get too terribly tired, which was surprising since my previous hiking experience involved small tree-encrusted hills in Indiana.

We started our hike at the very end of the road (past Summerhaven).  I was amazed at how the top of the mountain looked more like the Pacific Northwest than southern Arizona.  Then again, we were also at 8000 ft.

The first part of the trail was along a small slope.

Left view of the above picture.  At this point I was toward the back of the group, hoping to not get left behind as I fearfully made my way along.  (I'm severely acrophobic.)

A quaint little pool along the way.  We followed a small stream for a while.  It was...calming, I think.

All around us was evidence of the fire that ravaged the area two and three years ago.  The most recent fire almost completely obliterated Summerhaven (all except the pie place).  It has since been rebuilt.

Yet, there were some places that seemed relatively untouched...and very bright shades of green!  I'd never been out in nature like this before.  It seemed almost out-of-this-world....  (This is Jared, by the way.  I was second in line at this point.  Who put the acrophobe in the front, anyway?!)

A cute little toad that blends almost perfectly with the rocks it was sitting on (before we scared it under the rock).

We stopped to eat lunch shortly after noon at this neat little rock outcropping.  The wind had rounded most of the big boulders we saw up there.

Sebastian (orange shirt) introduces feather football to Shane and Stefane.

The contorted remains of a blackened tree frame our lunch spot.

Behind our lunch lookout was a half-burnt forest with a soft pine-needle ground.  And a random rock.

The bark on some of the trees was rather weird...but in a beautiful way.  I don't know if it burnt and then shed pieces or if this is the way it normally looks.

We saw a few tiny horned toads along the way.  They were so cute!  I wanted to keep one as a pet, but I really didn't have anything to put him in.  Bummer.

Here we stopped at another nice scenic view.  Looks like Shane had the same idea I did.

Summerhaven houses across the valley.

The group, still gawking at the pretty mountain.  (Shane, Nick, Stephanie, Jared, Aleks?, Sebastian, Kevin)

The twisty branches from this fallen tree caught my eye for some reason.  I guess it just looked spiffy.  *shrug*