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Not Spooky at All! by chumley Just because it's on the internet does not make it true! Facts and Truth Despite what popular online sources might say, this is NOT Spook Hill. It is NOT Spook Hill Mountain Preserve. In fact, the City of Mesa has confirmed to me that there is no such thing as Spook Hill Mountain Preserve! According to the most recent information from the Maricopa County Assessor's office (the people who collect taxes and therefore have every reason to know the truth) this mountain is divided into numerous parcels of PRIVATE LAND. It is NOT public land. It is NOT a park. It is NOT a preserve! (The actual "Spook Hill" is a prominent hill located in the middle of the Las Sendas neighborhood just east of the intersection of Power and Thomas Roads, about 3 miles NE of Brown Peak.) With all those facts out there, I'm still posting this because it is used frequently by local residents for a quick hike, workout, or just a nice place to get good views of northeast Mesa. Please obey any posted signs. The current landowners either allow public use, or are "turning a blind eye" to it. Landowners can change at any time. If new signage prohibits use, please obey the signage, and please post a comment on this page to alert other users of the change. The Name This peak does not have an official name that I can find in any historical record. It seems strange that a prominent bump in the desert like this would be nameless when surrounded by other similarly prominent bumps that do have names, including Double Knolls, Spook Hill, Raven's Roost, Thunder Mountain and Stone Mountain. History This mountain was once the home to a microwave tower of some kind. There is an old foundation for a tower at the top, and there are three portions of the mountain that have been graded to a perfectly flat surface devoid of vegetation. I have been unable to determine when the towers were removed, or what purpose they served when they stood. But it was the microwave tower that facilitated the building of the dirt road that serves as the hiking trail to the top (closed to vehicles). When the microwave tower stood, it was called the Spook Hill Microwave Tower ... but not because it was actually ON Spook Hill, just because it covered the Spook Hill region of northeast Mesa. Because the microwave tower was registered with the FCC, the evil Google extracted the name from official government publications and incorrectly assigned the name to the hill rather than recognizing that the tower was not named for the hill it stood on but for the region its transmissions covered. So now that that's all cleared up... The Hike The road is short and steep. It is washed out and rutted. Local residents might want to hike or run this 2 or 3 times for a proper workout because it is less than half a mile to the summit, and should take 10-15 minutes at most. But it does climb 300 feet in that distance, so you will get your heart pumping if you want to! The main views are from the southwest corner of the peak, though there is a slightly lower view point in the southeast corner. A very overgrown and eroded road leads down to an even lower area on the northwest corner. If you are doing a repetitive workout, just head up and back, but if this is a once in a while exploration with kids or visitors, you may want to explore all three view spots (as shown in the official GPS track). I wouldn't recommend this as a destination hike. Head for the nearby Usery Mountains or the Superstitions for that. I would think that only somebody who lives nearby would consider this climb. Or perhaps somebody who has driven by it so many times that the curiosity of bagging this peak could no longer be ignored. Check out the Official Route and Triplogs. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
Most recent Triplog Reviews
Brown Road Butte
With cheap peak bagging and stat chasing the order of the week I felt I had no choice to secure my position in something or another place way down the list by adding this outstanding wonder to my 2017 repertoire. I was pleased to have the company of its namesake join me. Apparently the property owners and their lawyers got together and decided to put up some new signs indicating that it’s private property and they aren’t responsible for your stupidity.
2017-12-28 chumley
Brown Road Butte
Silly 9L
I decided to get BobP off the disabled list or out of retirement or wherever he's been by enticing him with a pair of peaks he hasn't previously climbed! Claire and Kyle decided to join us. 
Storms made for dramatic views from the Silly summit, and there are enough trails to link here that I'm surprised that Mazatzal and The Eagle haven't been out here yet.
Once we finished a quick summit loop Claire really wanted to do 9L so we headed over that way. We spent some time playing around the base, but it started to spit and we decided it wasn't worth trying to finish. Things got a little wet and we had to abort. We may be the first to attempt 9L and not make it.](./dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
We cleaned up and headed for BRI. Nice day out there. Good to see Bob back in the game!
Storms made for dramatic views from the Silly summit, and there are enough trails to link here that I'm surprised that Mazatzal and The Eagle haven't been out here yet.
Once we finished a quick summit loop Claire really wanted to do 9L so we headed over that way. We spent some time playing around the base, but it started to spit and we decided it wasn't worth trying to finish. Things got a little wet and we had to abort. We may be the first to attempt 9L and not make it.
We cleaned up and headed for BRI. Nice day out there. Good to see Bob back in the game!
2015-10-17 chumley
Brown Road Butte
A Spooky 9L Thanksgiving
I started to feel a little sickness coming on yesterday at work, which totally destroyed all my grandiose plans for this holiday weekend. 
Feeling no better (but no worse) today, I decided that rather than spend 10 hours on the couch watching commercials interspersed with 37 minutes of actual football action I should do something outside, without over-exerting myself and exacerbating my illness. I might be old-skool, but I think that light activity and fresh outdoor air is a key ingredient in fighting the cold or flu. 
So I decided to play on a couple of the bumps in northeast Mesa. There were quite a few cars in the parking lot at 9L Peak, and waaaaaaaay more people on the mountain than would fit in those cars! I stopped counting after I had passed 60 people 
on my way up. Apparently people from the local neighborhood walk from their homes and bring kids, dogs, and out-of-town relatives on this popular little hike. It's actually ideal for that.
Next, I headed over to visit some friends who live in Las Sendas. After half a cheese-log and a box of crackers, a couple of us decided to get spooked on the big hill. We took the adventurous way up ... the south side is a boulder field, and took the well-used route down the north side back down again. Nice little workout in the middle of a day of eating. The residents there are lucky to have a fun hill in their back yards!
Feeling no better (but no worse) today, I decided that rather than spend 10 hours on the couch watching commercials interspersed with 37 minutes of actual football action I should do something outside, without over-exerting myself and exacerbating my illness. I might be old-skool, but I think that light activity and fresh outdoor air is a key ingredient in fighting the cold or flu.
So I decided to play on a couple of the bumps in northeast Mesa.
There were quite a few cars in the parking lot at 9L Peak, and waaaaaaaay more people on the mountain than would fit in those cars! I stopped counting after I had passed 60 people on my way up. Apparently people from the local neighborhood walk from their homes and bring kids, dogs, and out-of-town relatives on this popular little hike. It's actually ideal for that.
Next, I headed over to visit some friends who live in Las Sendas. After half a cheese-log and a box of crackers, a couple of us decided to get spooked on the big hill. We took the adventurous way up ... the south side is a boulder field, and took the well-used route down the north side back down again. Nice little workout in the middle of a day of eating. The residents there are lucky to have a fun hill in their back yards!
2013-11-28 chumley
Brown Road Butte
The HAZ description for 9L Peak didn't have any photos, so Hippy and I decided to stop on the way back and add some photos to the database. Lots of cars in the parking lot, and the associated people along the way. Nice view of northeast Mesa with sunset colors on the Usery Mountains, Goldfields, and Superstitions. Crystal clear skies with great view of downtown Phoenix all the way to the White Tanks.
2013-03-13 chumley
Brown Road Butte
It was dark. We hadn't had enough fun. Decided to bag this bump in the desert. I'm still waiting to hear back from the city on this for some of the details on it's history and then I'll get a hike description posted. It's a short, steep, workout-worthy hike if you happen to live nearby. Nice views of northeast Mesa if you think that's worth looking at from an elevated spot.
2013-01-04 chumley
