Excessive heat proves dangerous for hikers across the Valley

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Phoenix's high temperatures reached 117 degrees on Saturday , so the city closed down popular hiking trails to protect people from the heat.

An excessive heat warning has been in effect for the past few days, and it is expected to last through Tuesday night. Russell Ryan, who lives in the Valley for school, is no stranger to the desert weather, but even he felt Saturday's heat.

"I can handle the heat and sit out in the sun, so I have water and the standard precautions to protect from the sun," said Ryan. "Getting into October and whatnot, it would have cooled off by now. I guess it is pretty hot today for sure."

Ryan was out at Piestewa Peak taking pictures for his business, Rockin' RC's, but just up the road past a barricade, a mountain rescue happened hours earlier .

Phoenix Fire Captain Shaun DuBois says firefighters and technical rescue members were called to Piestewa Peak around 12:45 p.m. after someone reportedly found a woman on the ground of the trail about 200 yards from the parking lot. The woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

"The parking lots were locked and closed, so she would have had to access from a different location or a parking lot pretty far away to be able to access that trail," said DuBois.

The City of Phoenix closes Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak Trail from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days when there are excessive heat warnings and strongly discourages hiking at all other city trails.

"We always preach the same messages, and that's stay hydrated and avoid the excessive heat, especially in the middle of the day," said DuBois.

The city says more than 200 hikers are rescued yearly from desert and mountain parks and preserves, including those rescued for heat-related issues. That's why city officials ask people to do a hike right, which means watching the weather, staying hydrated and not hiking alone.

For more tips on how to safely hike when temps start to spike, click/tap here .