Harquar Benchmark, AZ

Overview
This outing will send you West regardless of what part of town you live. Worthwhile excursion. No trails, no signs, no people. Let the fun begin!


Hike
The hike starts from where Hovatter Road meets the mine track which heads toward the base of the mountain. A short and easy road walk is an adequate warm-up before the climb grows more intense. Veering to the right will help you locate an easier path forward. Bout an hour and a half in we spotted cairns from mining claims. We then veered left for a more reasonable approach toward the ridgeline. When reached, massive views opened up and the wind began to kick up. After a pause, we then pushed to the summit. Found a game trail which made it a bit easier.Survey marker, witness marker, and registry dating back to 1989 are all up there. Our ascent path would have been dangerous downward so we followed the ridge back. This reduced the road walk but provided safe passage down. There was still one section with slippery gravel. This is a rewarding outing that is not as extreme as some of the other off-trail peaks out there. Happy (off) trails.

2022-03-09 ScaredyCat