Route Editor
Route Scout
The joker really is wild by Vaporman NOTICE It's impossible to do this hike legally under current conditions. No trespassing signs line the property. One sunny winter Saturday I felt like hiking the Santan Mts to the south of Gilbert. Not the ones near Johnson Ranch with a regional park, but the taller peaks that are actually into the Gila River Indian Reservation. There are no established trails, some old jeeps roads, so bring pants to counter all the cactus. The route I took was from the north near Hunt Highway and Recker Rd. I headed southeast around the base then up to that northern peak of the cluster. As I suspected, the peak to the south of it is even higher. So after a light rest and snack, I headed along the ridgeline to the southern peak. There's an awesome view of the southeastern part of the valley that really can't be found on any other peak because there aren't very many peaks down here. This is a great place to have lunch where you can enjoy the views of Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, South Mountain, and the Estrellas to name a few. Now you can brag to your friends that you've been up a very seldom hiked peak. The best route I'd recommend if you wanted to go straight to the highest peak is to continue SE around the base of the northern peak until you reach a large canyon that opens up. Head back in there towards the southern peak until you hit the rock slide and hike up that. This way you avoid most of the cactus that I was dodging most of the way in. This also ended up being the way I exited, having seen it from above. Call the Gila River Indian Reservation beforehand to get permission to hike here. If you get caught and arrested, don't say I didn't warn you. Check out the Triplogs. Note This is a moderately difficult hike. 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 Review
Santan Mts (Gila) Peak 3104
Peak 3104 via 3010
Snowy roads up north canceled my previous plans for the day, but there was no reason to sit inside on this fantastic day. With no real plan in mind, I headed for San Tan Regional Park. With my desire to avoid as many people as possible, I decided to access it from the west side, but when I got there, I was more intrigued by what I saw in the other direction. So off I went.
Peak 3010 has a summit register with about one visitor per year since 2006. One guy seems to do it a lot. But otherwise, not much. Apparently I'm not the first person to think this is the highest peak! Oh well.
I climbed down to the saddle and up to the real high-point. This mountain is very steep. The rain made it pretty soft, and not slippery scree, which was nice. 3104 has only a tiny pill bottle for a register but obviously had some attempted flagpole setup along with some geotrash. There was a single reference mark, but no benchmark, and no other reference mark. Somebody is on the hook for $250.
Upon returning and looking this up on haz, it seems pretty clear that this peak is off limits. I crossed a handful of cattle fences along the way, but never saw any signs posted. But in retrospect, it seems like a good idea to get some kind of official permission before doing this.
Peak 3010 has a summit register with about one visitor per year since 2006. One guy seems to do it a lot. But otherwise, not much. Apparently I'm not the first person to think this is the highest peak! Oh well.
I climbed down to the saddle and up to the real high-point. This mountain is very steep. The rain made it pretty soft, and not slippery scree, which was nice. 3104 has only a tiny pill bottle for a register but obviously had some attempted flagpole setup along with some geotrash. There was a single reference mark, but no benchmark, and no other reference mark. Somebody is on the hook for $250.
Upon returning and looking this up on haz, it seems pretty clear that this peak is off limits. I crossed a handful of cattle fences along the way, but never saw any signs posted. But in retrospect, it seems like a good idea to get some kind of official permission before doing this.
2013-11-23 chumley
