GlassMountains Trip Reports

Exploring the backcountry and wilderness of the Western USA.

Trip Reports

Planet Peak, Arizona, December 2023

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I first noticed Planet Peak from the summit of Buckskin Benchmark in April 2020 and thought I should visit it some day. Planet Peak lies in the western extension of the Buckskin Mountains. It has 1541 feet of topographic prominence, making it the 141st most prominent peak in Arizona. It also has 20 miles of isolation, so it dominates the peaks around it for a radius of twenty miles.

Planet Peak distinctly rising about 22 miles west of the summit of Buckskin Benchmark in April 2020
Planet Peak distinctly rising about 22 miles west of the summit of Buckskin Benchmark in April 2020

Recently I researched access to the peak using USGS topographic maps and recorded GPS waypoints to follow the correct roads. I studied the roads using Google satellite views to verify the road conditions and open passage across the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct. I looked forward to finally visiting this remote peak.

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Pinkley Peak, Arizona, December 2023

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On Saturday morning, December 23, I left Linda and our dogs at the Twin Peaks Campground in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument for a climb of nearby Pinkley Peak. Pinkley Peak is the highpoint of the Puerto Blanco Mountains. It has 1345 feet of topographic prominence and has a rocky and complex structure that provides interesting climbing. Linda later took the dogs out to explore the monument on their own.

An afternoon view of Pinkley Peak from the Puerto Blanco Drive
An afternoon view of Pinkley Peak from the Puerto Blanco Drive

I drove past the Kris Eggle Visitor Center and north onto the Puerto Blanco Drive, admiring views of and photographing Pinkley Peak as I approached it. I parked at a picnic area immediately east of Pinkley Peak.

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Navajo Nation Peaks, Arizona, November 2023

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In November I visited the Navajo Nation in northeast Arizona to hike three prominent Navajo Nation peaks before winter settled in. My goal was to hike the highpoint of Black Mesa and the summits of Pastora Peak and Roof Butte.

On Thursday, November 9, I drove from Tucson to Chinle, Arizona. I stopped at the “Tseyi Heritage Cottonwood Campground at Canyon De Chelly” and purchased a Navajo Nation hiking permit for the next three days. During the previous phone calls and when I arrived the people there were friendly and helpful. A young woman issued my Navajo Nation hiking permit for Black Mesa, Pastora Peak, and Roof Butte and checked me in to the campground where I spent that night.

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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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