GlassMountains Trip Reports

Mount Ballard and Fissure Peak, Mule Mountains, Arizona

November 12, 2015 by Paul McClellan 6 Comments

On November 10 I hiked Mount Ballard and Fissure Peak in the Mule Mountains above Bisbee, Arizona. Fissure Peak, with an elevation about 7375 feet, is considered a few feet higher than Mount Ballard. So peakbaggers credit Fissure Peak with approximately 2675 feet of prominence. This makes Fissure Peak one of the 73 Arizona peaks with at least 2000 feet of prominence, and thereby a target of people who care about such things.

Mount Ballard (on left) and Fissure Peak (just right of center) from just above Mule Pass near Bisbee, Arizona.

That morning I left the Ramsay Vista Campground high in the Carr Canyon above Sierra Vista, and drove by Bisbee north to Mule Pass. Here I found the trail leading west and upwards towards Mount Ballard. Mount Ballard and Fissure Peak to its right were soon visible from the trail. The trail crossed a fence a few times and the brush increased as I climbed.

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Carr Peak and Miller Peak, Huachuca Mountains, Arizona

November 11, 2015 by Paul McClellan 1 Comment

On November 9 I hiked Carr Peak and Miller Peak in the Huachuca Mountains above Sierra Vista, Arizona. Miller Peak at 9466 feet is the highest peak in the Huachuca Mountains and the third highest peak in Southern Arizona. Miller Peak is also an “ultra prominence” peak with 5006 feet of prominence. Carr Peak is the second highest peak in the Huachuca Mountains. Both peaks are accessible from the Carr Peak Trailhead at the Ramsay Vista Campground at the end of Carr Canyon Road.

Carr Peak from the Carr Canyon Road just below Ramsay Vista Campground

The previous late afternoon I drove from Tucson through Sierra Vista and up the Carr Canyon Road to Ramsay Vista Campground. Although I met several cars coming down the road I found the campground empty. After circling the canyon I selected site #1 for the evening. Here I set up my tent and cooked dinner by headlamp, noticing a visitor’s eyes shining in my headlamp light. I did not approach the animal, but I suspect it was a ringtail.

Before retiring to the tent I spent time scanning the starry sky. I enjoyed viewing the Milky Way and identifying constellations, and viewed the Pleiades and the Andromeda Galaxy with my binoculars. The evening was breezy as expected from the forecast.

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Deseret Peak, Utah, September 2015

September 24, 2015 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

In early September I spent a week hiking several Utah prominence peaks and sampling Utah mountain ranges I had not yet visited. After climbing Mount Nebo I had planned to visit Mount Timpanogos also in the Wasatch. But Labor Day crowds would give me little chance to find a campsite near the trailhead I planned to use. Instead, I headed west for Deseret Peak in the Stansbury Mountains south of the Great Salt Lake. Deseret Peak is an “ultra prominence peak” with 5812 feet of prominence. With 11031 feet of elevation it the highest peak in the Stansbury Mountains.

The Stansbury Mountains from near Grantsville, Utah. Deseret Peak is left of center on the horizon.

On September 7 I drove southwest up the South Willow Canyon to the road’s end at the Loop Campground. I was fortunate to find a parking spot near the trailhead.

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Mount Nebo, Utah, September 2015

September 24, 2015 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

In early September I spent a week hiking several Utah prominence peaks and sampling Utah mountain ranges I had not yet visited. After hiking Mount Ellen I headed for Mount Nebo in the Wasatch Range of Utah. Mount Nebo is an “ultra prominence peak” with 5488 feet of prominence. With 11,928 feet of elevation it is the highest peak in the Wasatch Range of Utah.

Mount Nebo from the Nebo Scenic Byway. Mount Nebo is just left of center in sunlight.

On September 5 I drove into the Wasatch Range along the Nebo Scenic Byway from the south. There were many campers in campgrounds. Dispersed campsites along the Byway and the Nebo Bench Trailhead parking lot was nearly full. It was a windy afternoon and evening with forecasts of stronger winds overnight. I eventually found a primitive but scenic campsite on a ridge about two miles from the Nebo Bench Trailhead. Here I spent the afternoon relaxing in the shelter of my jeep.

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