A hike to the top of the very distinctive peak northeast of Deming in the fall of 2004. Proper spelling is Cookes Peak. Summit elevation is 8408 feet. We camped at Cookes Spring and the site of old Fort Cummings the night before the hike. The fort was established in 1863 and manned by Buffalo Soldiers to protect wagon trains traveling between Old Mesilla and Tucson from Indian attacks.

This is a fairly tough hike with some scrambling and minor exposure. We followed an old mining road and bushwhacked on the way up, but were able to find an old trail on the way down, which got us back to the vehicles via another canyon.