GlassMountains Trip Reports

Exploring the backcountry and wilderness of the Western USA.

Trip Reports

Table Tooth, Arizona, December 2022

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On Saturday, December 31, I joined Dave Kohnke, Peyton Kohnke, and Annie Fahey for a Southern Arizona Hiking Club climb of Table Tooth above Pima Canyon, near Tucson. Table Tooth has only 280 feet of prominence, but is a rock tower requiring some exposed scrambling high above the canyon.

Table Mountain and Table Tooth across Pima Canyon to the NNW from Valentine Peak
Table Mountain and Table Tooth across Pima Canyon to the NNW from Valentine Peak

I climbed Table Tooth four years earlier, and found an alternative route gaining the exposed summit ridge that avoided the most difficult part of the climb. Dave hoped I could share that with him on this day, and I hoped I could remember how to find it.

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Valentine Peak, Arizona, December 2022

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On Monday, December 19, I joined Dave Kohnke, Thomas Holt Ward, and Tony Krystoff for a Southern Arizona Hiking Club climb of Valentine Peak above Pima Canyon, near Tucson. Valentine Peak has only 146 feet of prominence, but is a rock pillar requiring some route finding and scrambling on exposed rock high above the canyon. None of us had visited the summit before and the SAHC information on the route was vague. We were a small team of experienced desert mountaineers and were eager to solve the puzzle.

Looking up Pima Canyon, with Valentine Peak on the right
Looking up Pima Canyon, with Valentine Peak on the right

We left the Pima Canyon Trailhead in the blue light before sunrise. We soon entered the canyon and spent most of the morning in the shade cast by the high ridges above us. Following the trail up the bottom of the canyon we eventually spotted the tower of Valentine Peak ahead of us up canyon.

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Horse Peak, Arizona, December 2022

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On Saturday, December 10, Matthias Stender, Scott Peavy, Michael Vincent, and I climbed Horse Peak, the summit of Moreno Mountain. Horse Peak lies just north of the USA/Mexico Border in the Chukut Kuk District of the Tonoho O’odham Nation. Horse Peak has 4343 feet of elevation and 1407 feet of topographic prominence, making it the 178th most prominent peak in Arizona.

Our view of Morena Mountain/Horse Peak off Indian Road 19 at the Chukut Kuk District boundary.
Our view of Morena Mountain/Horse Peak off Indian Road 19 at the Chukut Kuk District boundary

We had been very fortunate to obtain permission to enter and travel through the Chukut Kuk District. Last spring I learned the District had a process for requesting entry, though I was doubtful that permission would be granted. But we were a small group of “avid hikers” and the District Vice Chairman and Chairwoman did generously grant us permission.

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Maricopa Mountains Highpoint, Arizona, December 2022

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On Friday morning, December 2, I met other Southern Arizona Hiking Club members John Ohm, Dave Kohnke, Tom Tutein, and Larry Wippman in Oro Valley. Our goal was to climb Peak 3272, the Maricopa Mountains Highpoint. Peak 3272 has 1432 feet of prominence making it the 172nd most prominent peak in Arizona. This peak is also a SAHC peak, which explained the interest the others had in joining me.

Two saguaros (one a crested saguaro) frame the Maricopa Mountains Highpoint from our drive in
Two saguaros (one a crested saguaro) frame the Maricopa Mountains Highpoint from our drive in

From Oro Valley we drove to the city of Maricopa, then further west to begin driving on primitive roads towards the Maricopa Mountains. As the roads deteriorated Tom and Larry parked their car and joined Dave in his Toyota FJ Cruiser. I drove my Jeep Rubicon with John beside me.

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