Phoenix Parks and Recreation removed the 2016 tree and issued the following explanation:
"We deal with these kinds of things throughout the year: Christmas trees, flags, religious symbols. Our concern is these can present a safety hazard bringing them up the trail. They could easily fall down off the trail and hurt someone. We must protect the natural state of the mountain preserves in desert parks."
Over the years what was once a small understated recognition of the season has now gotten out of hand and become a source of trash that is a burden to many more than just those few who carry the tree up there.
If you want to carry a tree up there to take a picture -- that's cool. Just carry it down with you on the same trip. Simple outdoor ethics: pack-it-in-pack-it-out, LNT, etc.
I'm on the tree's side. Everyone seemed cheerful when I was up there from trees past. If you want to take down something offensive, how about the guy that wears the banana hammock... Just my two cents....
Don't know about Camelback Mt, but the last few years a Palo Verde tree has been decorated near the top of the Ridgeline Trail in Deem Hills Park. I don't mind that except that glass ball ornaments seem to be used a lot and inevitably, there's a storm and the balls break. Now there's lots of colored glass shards on the ground below the tree. Hopefully no glass ball ornaments will be used this year. If there are, I may just end up a new collection...
Oh, I've seen the rangers cleaning up the ornaments after Christmas too. Wouldn't it be nice if the decorators cleaned it up instead.
I found the tree an interesting find when I saw it a few years ago, pleasant surprise to come up top and see. I could certainly see there being issues hauling a tree up that way, and mess would certainly be an issue if the folks that brought it up did not take care of it. There are some folks that always decorate a Palo Verde on the east side of Shaw Butte every year too, seems like they are almost all wood and plastic ornaments, that seems to make more sense to me. SO I guess I am of the philosophy that this is OK as long as whoever carts it up cleans up after themselves, but that can be hard to follow up on, kind of like political signs that are still hanging around a month after the election...
I saw footage on Fox 10 News on Monday that showed a group of 20ish people carrying the 10 ft tree up the Cholla Trail. It looked obnoxious and is clearly a safety hazard. Both trails are too narrow & rugged for this kind of activity and I applaud the park service for putting an end to this. While the tree looks pretty and is fun for people to see when they reach the summit, it's ultimately trash that gets spread around the summit after the holiday (https://hikearizona.com/trip=97962). And it’s only a matter of time until someone hurts themselves when transporting the tree.
I find it interesting that this "tradition" of having a Christmas tree on Camelback came about at the same time as the "wild" horses at the Salt/Verde rivers.
I'm going to go up there and remove it. Xmas trees belong in the home. Then I'm going to remove that mailbox on Picketpost Mtn so we can finally enjoy the summit.
Dragging a tree up there and not coming back to clean it up is super lame. Though I'd rather let them do it there so they don't go find somewhere that's actually cool to leave their trash.
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