GlassMountains Trip Reports

Exploring the backcountry and wilderness of the Western USA.

Trip Reports

Ruby Peak, Oregon, August 2023

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On Wednesday, August 16, I climbed Ruby Peak in the Wallowa Mountains of northeast Oregon. Ruby Peak has 644 feet of topographic prominence, but with 8884 feet of elevation it is the 41st highest peak in Oregon. It lies in the Wallowa Mountains of northeast Oregon, where 37 of the 100 highest Oregon peaks reside.

Ruby Peak from Twin Peaks (2016-09-17)
Ruby Peak from Twin Peaks (2016-09-17)

The previous afternoon, I left the Baker Valley and drove to the city of Enterprise, then south into the Wallowa Mountains. On the way my Jeep temperature gauge momentarily registered 107 degrees F. I looked forward to getting into the mountains. I drove past the city of Enterprise, then up the 4WD Lime Quarry Road to an abandoned quarry. Here I camped for the night beside Murray Creek.

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Webster Mountain, Arizona, March 2023

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On Monday, March 20, I hiked to the summit of Webster Mountain, the highpoint of the Salt River Mountains, a few miles northwest of Globe, Arizona. Webster Mountain has 1519 feet of topographic prominence, making it the 150th most prominent peak in Arizona. It lies in the Arizona Transition Zone, a physiographic region of Arizona separating the Colorado Plateau to the north and east and Arizona’s Basin and Range to the south and west.

View NW from the road. I followed the road up around the hill ahead.
View NW from the road. I followed the road up around the hill ahead.

Most of the hike was on a primitive road, sometimes quite eroded, sometimes in good shape, and sometimes a rocky path.

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Kino Peak, Arizona, March 2023

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On Thursday, March 9, I met Dave Kohnke at Bates Well Ranch off of the Bates Well Road in Organ Pipe National Monument. I had spent the previous night camped nearby but Dave has started his day by driving some three hours from Tucson. Our goal this day was to climb Kino Peak, the highpoint of the Bates Mountains.

A late afternoon view of Kino Peak from the north
A late afternoon view of Kino Peak from the north

Winter of last year I viewed Kino Peak from the north along the Bates Well Road and admired its steep and prominent appearance. Kino Peak has 1537 feet of topographic prominence, making it the 143rd most prominent peak in Arizona. More significantly, it has a reputation of difficult route finding to gain the summit above impressive cliffs. Fortunately, we had found good route information online, including descriptions and photos. This gave us some confidence that we should be able to summit the peak.

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Diaz Peak, Arizona, January 2023

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On Saturday morning, January 28, I left Tucson and drove west to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. My goal was to climb Diaz Peak. Diaz Peak lies immediately south of Mount Ajo in the Ajo Range. Diaz Peak has 1501 feet of topographic prominence, making it the 153rd most prominent peak in Arizona. It also has a rocky and complex structure. I hoped the GPS track provided by Matthias would guide me as I climbed to the summit.

Diaz Peak from the crest of a ridge, the summit is left of center above a sunlit ramp
Diaz Peak from the crest of a ridge, the summit is left of center above a sunlit ramp

I drove the Ajo Mountain Drive past Mount Ajo and parked off the road at Stop #15. It was later in the morning than I had expected and Diaz Peak looked far away across the desert. So I set a tentative turnaround time for myself. It was going to be a close call as to whether I would be able to summit by then.

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