A Mountain

The Tempe Butte, or 'A mountain' is a flat topped hill that's near ASU. Interestingly, the big gold A on the mountain didn't always used to be an A. Initially it was a N, and the "N" became a "T," as Tempe Normal School changed its name to Tempe State Teachers College. Finally it was changed to "A" to represent the current name, Arizona state university.

The hike starts off near the light rail station, which is quite empty. This photo was taken around 3 am in the night. We can see the very base of the trail and the stuff surrounding it. We can see that everything is very brightly lit up despite it not being in use. The stadium’s light is shining down brightly on the empty field inside it. Same goes for the light rail, which makes its last trip at 11pm. Let us start the climb.

There is a resting spot so the people who are hiking can catch their breath before continuing. There are also trash cans along the path so people don't throw their trash on the ground. Despite this, some trash can still be seen along the path! The lower sections of this trail do not have a lot of safety measures, so if someone is not careful, they might end up getting stabbed by cactuses!

I was always reluctant to come here earlier, because I had heard that it was a very short hike, and I didn’t think it was worth it. But one night I was bored and decided to go for a hike, and I’m really glad I made that choice. I saw a rough path to go higher than the normal trail would allow, and I decided to follow it. I found a really nice spot, with an amazing view. Since then, this space has become a place for me to wind down after a stressful day. It is a very calming experience to just sit there and listen to music while also cooling off after the hike. It has become my comfort place.

Surprisingly, this hike is a very social spot. I am surprised by the amount of people who are also here, often hanging out with friends or family. I've noticed this at a lot of varying times! From sunset all the way till 3 am, I always find some people still up here, some taking in the view, while some chatting with their friends. On the right hand side someone is on their phone, with such a beautiful view right in front of them. If you click on the zoom icon on the photo on the right, you can see a baby on a stroller-type mechanism, and their family standing near the edge, talking to people. This shows how people use this spot very differently. Some of them are using it to hang out with their friends, some of them are here for the hike, some of them are here for the amazing view, while some of them are here to spend some alone time.

Finally, this is the view from the top. There is intense lighting all over the city and it is very bright, even though it is 3 am. Even though the streets are pretty empty, and a lot of people are in their homes sleeping, from the top it looks like the city is bustling because of all the lights! The view is absolutely stunning, which is definitely a part of the reason people visit! On the other side, Tempe town lake is also visible which is a popular hangout spot for students. In conclusion, a mountain acts like an all in one spot where people come to escape the city and be alone, enjoy the view with their friends, or maybe just doing their own thing!