Santa Teresa Mountains Archives – GlassMountains Trip Reports

Pinnacle Ridge, Arizona, March 2017

April 17, 2017 by Paul McClellan 1 Comment

On Saturday morning, March 25, Eric Kassan, Adam Humphreys, and I met at a dispersed campsite just south of Pinnacle Ridge in the Santa Teresa Mountains. Eric and Adam had arrived late Friday and I only noticed they were parked nearby when I got up in the dark to start my breakfast. After breakfast we drove north to Trail 66 near Sand Tank. The goal was to climb the high point of Pinnacle Ridge.

Pinnacle Ridge from the road leading to Sand Tank/Trail 66

Pinnacle Ridge is the 40th most prominent peak in Arizona, with 2470 feet of prominence and 7550 feet of elevation. Eric and I attempted Pinnacle Ridge last April. The climb statistics are quite modest, but the mixed forest surrounding rock pinnacles reduces visibility and the thick brush on steep slopes obstructs progress. On the previous occasion we ran out of time but this time we started soon after sunrise and had the entire day if necessary to complete the climb. We knew we had a long day ahead of us.

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Pinnacle Ridge Attempt, Arizona, April 2016

April 8, 2016 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On April 3 several friends and I attempted to climb Pinnacle Ridge in the Santa Teresa Mountains of Arizona. Pinnacle Ridge is rarely visible for those who stick to highway travel across Arizona. But Pinnacle Ridge has 2470 feet of prominence, making it the 40th most prominent peak in Arizona. We encountered much more brush than we had expected which slowed our progress considerably. With member time constraints we eventually had to turn around well short of the summit.

Pinnacle Ridge from the summit of Mount Turnbull

My first view of Pinnacle Ridge was on the previous day from the summit of Mount Turnbull. Pinnacle Ridge is hidden from highway views except for possibly a short section of US 70 west of Safford, AZ. From Mount Turnbull it appears to be a remote, compact, and rocky mountain range to the south.

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Mount Turnbull, Arizona, April 2016

April 5, 2016 by Paul McClellan 1 Comment

On April 2 several friends and I climbed Mount Turnbull, the highpoint of the Santa Teresa Mountains of Southeast Arizona. Mount Turnbull has 8282 feet of elevation and 3562 feet of prominence, the 15th most prominent peak in Arizona.

Mount Turnbull from US 70 north of Peridot, Arizona

That morning I met Eric Kassan, Richard Hensley, Kay Komuro, Maymay Au, and Fan in Peridot. Here we purchased San Carlos Apache Tribal Recreation Permits for our visit.

This was the fourth weekend I had joined Eric in his explorations of Arizona prominence peaks. This was an unexpected and fortuitous opportunity this winter season. This day’s adventure included long drives on primitive roads, climbing across and up steep, brushy, and rocky slopes, and climbing exposed rock slabs to reach a very scenic summit.

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