Originally published Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 1:06 AM

Increase in foot traffic on Phoenix area's hiking trail likely leading to hike in rescue calls

An apparent increase of foot traffic on the Phoenix metropolitan area's hiking trails has led to an increase in rescue calls.

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PHOENIX —

An apparent increase of foot traffic on the Phoenix metropolitan area's hiking trails has led to an increase in rescue calls.

There were 43 calls for mountain rescues in Phoenix between the start of this year and Monday, up from 30 during the same period last year.

Last year's total of 125 was the highest over the previous 10 years.

Hikers and experts speculate that people are looking for inexpensive activities to save money, and hiking fits the bill. There's also good weather and accessibility.

The Phoenix area has several rugged parks that are near big city streets with Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak, South Mountain Park being popular destinations.

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Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com

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