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| Peak 3156 - Grayback Quadrangle, AZ | |
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| | Peak 3156 - Grayback Quadrangle, AZ | | | |
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Peak 3156 - Grayback Quadrangle, AZ
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| Hiking | 1.22 Miles |
670 AEG |
| | Hiking | 1.22 Miles | 1 Hour 16 Mns | | 1.18 mph |
| 670 ft AEG | 14 Mns Break | 12 LBS Pack | | |
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| no linked trail guides |
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| no partners | | Thankfully my first peak of the day was knocked out in less than 30 minutes because the drive to the second peak (this one) took over an hour more than anticipated. To my dismay I found the wash I had driven partway from north to south last year did not continue all the way through as it appeared using Route Manager in satellite view. From the south it steadily got worse until I reached a fenced-in dead-end that allowed no room to turn around, so backing up some distance in a steeply eroded wash ate up time quickly.
No matter, once I completed the detour I was ready for the next climb. Just a few hundred feet from my designated trail head I drove by what first appeared to be just a clump of debris. Upon thinking about it for a moment I realized it was a Gila Monster. Knowing how shy they are and how quickly they always hustled away from me I drove on a ways before stopping and walking back for some photos. There was little need for stealth as this one was in no hurry to go anywhere. All it did was curl it's back up and hiss, hardly moving at all. So the video I took (and will post soon) had very little action. After the video and a few photos it was time to get going on Peak 2 for the day.
At my designated trail head there were a few remnants of old structures that must have been related to mining in the area. With the temperature already at 97 I spent just a few minutes exploring before I began my climb.
My 'climb' started with a 30' slide down a soft dirt embankment before following a soft, sandy wash for a short distance when the climb began in earnest. There was some semblance of a trail winding around the base of the complex of peaks, but soon it was evident it would not bring me to the summit so I turned up-slope and began the real climb.
After reaching and climbing over a number of smaller rises on the way to the summit, I decided to try skirting around them from saddle to saddle. So much for that, as the sides were so steep and loose it was better to continue climbing straight up and over each rise along the ridge.
As steep as it was, I kept a good pace and reached the summit in just over 30 minutes. I took a short breather before heading back down by another route as I wanted to scan off to the north for a return trip to check out the remnants of the Golden Bell Mine. I found the best approach would be a completely different drainage so didn't wander too far that direction.
By time I was back at the car it was 101 degrees. With two more peaks left to attempt yet today I wasted no time, my legs could rest on the drive.
I'm posting 20 photos on HAZ, the full set of 26 is here:
http://changephoenix.c...
Gila Monster video |
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