Hiking Reports

Travel using primarily feet only. Hands might be used with hiking poles for balance or uphill travel.

Slavin Peak and China Peak, Arizona, March 2025

April 6, 2025 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Saturday, March 22, I hiked Slavin Peak (Peak 7115) and China Peak in the southern Dragoon Mountains of Southern Arizona. I had several goals in mind. First, I wanted to see how my left foot handled hiking after injuring it four weeks earlier. Second, I wanted to explore these peaks to see if I wanted to lead them for the Southern Arizona Hiking Club.

Slavin Peak rises on the left above me from its south ridge

A fellow SAHC member (who did not have a 4WD vehicle) was approaching her goal of 400 SAHC peaks. She had not yet hiked Slavin peak. I thought I could lead both Slavin Peak and China Peak on the same SAHC hike, but had not been that deep into the Southern Dragoon Mountains. I needed to see what the combination hike would require. It had a few surprises for me.

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Mescal Peak (Peak 6193), Arizona, January 2025

February 8, 2025 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, January 28, June Meyer and Bill Hiscox joined me on a climb of “Mescal Peak” in the southern Whetstone Mountains of Arizona. This peak is not officially named, and would normally just be called Peak 6193 (for its point elevation). But some local peakbaggers have given it the name “Mescal Peak”; Mescal Spring and Mescal Creek lie just north and east of it. Numbered names are boring and difficult to remember.

I wanted to climb Mescal Peak because it has 1106 feet of topographic prominence, has a classic conical shape, and foot access. June and Bill, also Southern Arizona Hiking Club members, joined me out of curiosity. The peak is local but has not been added to the nearly 500 other peaks on the club list.

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Sala Benchmark, Arizona, December 2024

December 27, 2024 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Christmas Eve I hiked to the summit of Sala Benchmark, a peak in the Southern Dragoon Mountains of Arizona. Sala Benchmark has 1264 feet of topographic prominence and rises to the east above Cochise Stronghold.

Cochise Stronghold, China Peak, and Sala Benchmark from Middlemarch Road

Several of people had visited it before me and had published helpful trip reports. This was to be a short hike, mostly on an unmaintained trail. I expected few surprises.

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Elkhorn Crest Summit Point, Oregon, October 2024

October 26, 2024 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, October 8, I returned to Western Union Basin deep in the Elkhorn Mountains of Oregon. My goal was to climb “Summit Point” a peak rising to the west of Chloride Ridge along the Elkhorn Crest. Three days earlier I had driven in to this remote location and climbed Chloride Ridge West Peak. Summit Point appeared to be quite accessible using the same approach.

Summit Point on the right from Chloride Ridge West Peak

This would be the last of four high priority Elkhorn peaks I wanted to summit this season. In early August I had tried to visit Summit Point from the North Powder River. But road debris blocked my drive in several miles short of my intended parking spot. I hiked from there, anyway, but ran out of time far from the peak. I was much more hopeful today.

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