Arizona Archives – Page 24 of 32 – GlassMountains Trip Reports

White Mountains, Arizona, October 2017

October 31, 2017 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On October 26 and 27 I hiked Mount Baldy and Escudilla Mountain in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona. These two peaks had been on my want list for several years. I wanted to hike them in the autumn before snowfall covered the White Mountains.

Thick smoke filled the air as I drove in towards Mount Baldy on October 25. I hoped for better weather the next day and continued towards the Winn Campground beyond the trailhead. The campground was closed so instead I found a dispersed campsite nearby.

After a pleasant dinner I discovered parts of an elk carcass nearby. It was a breezy and cool evening and after sunset I heard coyotes howling and elk bugling. After the moon set the sky filled with many stars. The White Mountains are far from population centers and the high open country makes for excellent night sky watching.

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Silver Peak, Southeast Arizona, April 2017

April 29, 2017 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Saturday morning, April 23, I left my dispersed campsite along Pinery Creek to hike Silver Peak on the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains. As I crested Onion Saddle and began my descent to the east I observed the steep peaks and ridges and deep valleys below me in the morning light. This view curiously reminded me strongly of the North Cascades of Washington State. I descended into Cave Creek Canyon near Portal, Arizona, and parked at the Silver Peak Trailhead.

The east face of Silver Peak from low on the Silver Peak Trail

The Silver Peak Trail leads from the floor of Cave Creek Canyon to the summit of Silver Peak, the site of a former lookout. Silver Peak is the 72nd most prominent peak in Arizona with 2008 feet of prominence and 8008 feet of elevation.

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Cochise Head, Arizona, April 2017

April 29, 2017 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Saturday morning, April 22, I met Michael Berry at the entrance to the Chiricahua National Monument. From there we drove into the Monument and spent the rest of the day hiking and climbing Cochise Head in the northern Chiricahua Mountains.

Cochise Head from Massai Point, Chiricahua National Monument

Cochise Head is the 83rd most prominent peak in Arizona with 1913 feet of prominence and 8113 feet of elevation. It is located just north of the Chiricahua National Monument. I visited the monument the previous afternoon and observed Cochise Head from Massai Point.

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Apache Peaks, Arizona, March 2017

April 17, 2017 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Sunday, March 26, I joined Eric Kassan, Michael Berry, and Adam Humphreys in a quite pleasant climb of Apache Peaks in the Tonto National Forest north of Globe, Arizona. Apache Peaks is the highest point of the Blackjack Mountains. It is the 36th most prominent peak in Arizona with 2580 feet of prominence and 6940 feet of elevation. Last April I hiked Aztec Peak and on the drive home I explored the driving access to Apache Peaks. I found the access roads to be in good condition and looked forward to returning again for a summit attempt.

A white gate provides access to the roads leading into Apache Peaks. Eric, Adam, and I camped Saturday night just inside public land beyond the gate. Eric had a quick dinner and we visited in the darkness under the stars as I made dinner for myself. We felt celebratory after climbing Pinnacle Ridge earlier that day. We had a new peak to climb the next morning.

After breakfast on Sunday Michael joined us at the gate. We drove in and parked off Forest Road 220 where our climbing route began. The Apache Peaks summit appears as a the forested ridge above the cliff band on the right in the above photo. We climbed up the prominent ridge in front of us and through the cliff band on the left.

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