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| Hiking | 3.52 Miles |
1,874 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.52 Miles | 4 Hrs 32 Mns | | 1.15 mph |
| 1,874 ft AEG | 1 Hour 29 Mns Break | 25 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Even though I was going to climb Peak 6940 using a western approach from FR 220, after reading the description for this hike I made sure to be prepared for the worst. I'm sure Eric's description is completely accurate for his eastern approach, but I found I was vastly over-prepared for it. Although very steep everywhere but one flat field about halfway up, there was no intensive bush-whacking. I'm sure part of it is the huge number of game trails, but I do believe a reasonable amount of traffic is from hikers because there were well-beaten tracks leading toward the summit.
I didn't get quite the early start as when we climbed Rockinstraw on Saturday but starting out with a 56 degree temp it turned out to be perfect for such a strenuous climb. From my trail-head just off Forest Road 220 I initially followed the remnants of an ancient road leading up Negro Wash eastward until it turned to the north. From there, even though all I saw above was a wall of steep cliffs, I headed straight for the most prominent peak. Once there I figured I'd follow along the base one way or the other until I found a way up. Luckily I found a path leading to a very narrow chute that brought me right up to the false-summit!  or more accurately, the first false-summit, because I would encounter another along the way. Thankfully the second was a bit easier, and once above it I encountered a wide flat grassy field which provided a nice respite to climbing 1 foot vertically for every 5 steps forward. And from that field the summit ridgeline finally reared its head. It just HAD to be the destination. Although it was, the true summit was on the far end of the ridge.
Once at the summit I searched for the benchmark that was supposedly there as well as any kind of summit log but found neither. After wandering around the summit taking photos I had a short picnic and got moving again because a second climb of Rockinstraw Mountain (this time from the west) was my plan for the afternoon.
For those who may have shied away from this hike due to the dire warnings in the description approaching from the east, I'd heartily recommend it from the west. Due to some recent maintenance on both FR219 and FR220, while I'm sure conditions could change significantly after a rain, on this day even a normal car could make it all the way to my starting point.
I posted 40 photos on HAZ with the full set of 69 photos here:
http://changephoenix.com/jpserver/web/public/album.php?id=125 |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
