What started as a friendly holiday tradition became quite the polarizing topic this year in the Valley. For the past few years, a group of hikers have carried a Christmas tree to the summit of Camelback Mountain just in time for the holidays and this year was no different, except that someone had chopped off the top half of the tree shortly after it had been placed at the summit. The Christmas hikers chose a huge 15 feet tall tree that weighed 300 pounds. Thereafter the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, who manage Camelback Mountain, hauled away the bottom half of the tree and announced that no more trees could be placed on the mountain.
Public outcry quickly followed after the Parks and Recreation announcement with “Camelback Santa,” the local who dresses up each year and greets hikers at the summit on the weekends, and many others protested and signed a Change.org petition to have the city change their position on the Christmas tree. The city then suspended their “leave no trace” policy on the mountain for the month of December and shortly after the hikers joyfully hauled up the second tree which is 9 feet tall.
There are many Phoenicians with strong opinions on both sides of the aisle about the Camelback Christmas tree, but in the end the holiday tree will look out over the Valley for another December.
For those looking to get some holiday exercise feel free to visit “Camelback Santa” who is at the summit every weekend in December as well as December 21st to the 25th where he will be handing out candy canes and taking photos of people with the tree from 8 a.m. to 2.pm.
