Arizona bares the name of its most famous asset as the "Grand Canyon State." Over 4,000,000 people visit the Grand Canyon annually. Two excellent ways to explore the Grand Canyon is to hike from the South Rim to the North Rim, or to raft the entire Colorado River over the course of a few days. Previous to living in Arizona, I assumed the pictures I had seen of Grand Canyon landscapes, desert mountains, and cactus were a complete representation of what the state had to offer.

Surprisingly, Arizona has a number of areas in high elevation, with a highpoint of 12,633 feet on the summit of Humphreys Peak. These mountain areas include ski resorts and true alpine climates. Although the desert has its own beauty, enormous aspen trees, thick pine trees, chilly summer evenings, and fall colors are a tremendous respite from the desert heat.

Arizona climbers have also put a spin on the “climb the highest point in each county” idea, by creating a list called the 20/20. The goal is to climb the twenty highest peaks, and then descend the twenty deepest canyons.