Sun Devil Peak and F-84 Plane Crash Dewey AZ
Posted: Jan 19 2016 9:49 am
This is a plane wreckage visit of a 1957 plane crash of an F-84 (the pilot ejected safely). The wreckage is situated on the left flanks of the middle fork ridgeline of Sun Devil Peak (6903'). Crash site GPS: 34°31'12.00"N, 112°20'5.01"
There are no triplogs and this peak was not officially named on the USGS. I named it Sun Devil Peak, because it has the appearance of a pitch fork with its east-west summit ridge had one ridge running south from center and three north fork ridgelines. Hopefully my name will catch on.
From Highway 69, after Mile Post 281, you pass the light for Highway 169, another 0.69 miles to a street light for Kachina Place (Blue Ridge Market/Gas Station on NWC). West on Kachina Place to Pony Place, south to Henderson Road, right on Henderson which turns into Newton Avenue, pavement ends 3 miles from Pony Place. Another Quarter Mile west to a smallish parking lot on the right. This location is noted as the official HAZ bot TH for Charcoal Gulch Trail #9419 (GPS: 34.5307972°, -112.3090111°).
From the TH, we will take the Charcoal Gulch Trail for 1.36 miles then bank right (southwest) off the trail and shoot for the right inner canyon. Satellite imagery shows a fork at this location either a trail into the canyon or wildlife path. Google Earth measurement shows it is 0.48 miles to the crash site. It will be a bushwack with probably lots of thorny chaparral and manzanita. Machete recommended. Long pants highly suggested, shorts for the memories. After a visit of the crash site, we will continue south and up the center north ridgeline to the summit of Sun Devil Peak. This appears to have some non-technical class 3 rock climb with some interesting bushwack to negotiate. It is 0.24 miles with just under 525' in elevation gain. On the return flight from summit, we will venture east along the summit east-west ridge to the northeast fork and descend down and recapture the Charcoal Gulch Trail.
TH Elevation: 5325'
Plane Wreckage Elevation: 6379'
Sun Devil Peak Elevation: 6903'
Estimated AEG: 1650'
There are no triplogs and this peak was not officially named on the USGS. I named it Sun Devil Peak, because it has the appearance of a pitch fork with its east-west summit ridge had one ridge running south from center and three north fork ridgelines. Hopefully my name will catch on.
From Highway 69, after Mile Post 281, you pass the light for Highway 169, another 0.69 miles to a street light for Kachina Place (Blue Ridge Market/Gas Station on NWC). West on Kachina Place to Pony Place, south to Henderson Road, right on Henderson which turns into Newton Avenue, pavement ends 3 miles from Pony Place. Another Quarter Mile west to a smallish parking lot on the right. This location is noted as the official HAZ bot TH for Charcoal Gulch Trail #9419 (GPS: 34.5307972°, -112.3090111°).
From the TH, we will take the Charcoal Gulch Trail for 1.36 miles then bank right (southwest) off the trail and shoot for the right inner canyon. Satellite imagery shows a fork at this location either a trail into the canyon or wildlife path. Google Earth measurement shows it is 0.48 miles to the crash site. It will be a bushwack with probably lots of thorny chaparral and manzanita. Machete recommended. Long pants highly suggested, shorts for the memories. After a visit of the crash site, we will continue south and up the center north ridgeline to the summit of Sun Devil Peak. This appears to have some non-technical class 3 rock climb with some interesting bushwack to negotiate. It is 0.24 miles with just under 525' in elevation gain. On the return flight from summit, we will venture east along the summit east-west ridge to the northeast fork and descend down and recapture the Charcoal Gulch Trail.
TH Elevation: 5325'
Plane Wreckage Elevation: 6379'
Sun Devil Peak Elevation: 6903'
Estimated AEG: 1650'
