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| | Sikort Chuapo Mountains, AZ | | | |
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Sikort Chuapo Mountains, AZ
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| Hiking | 14.00 Miles |
3,600 AEG |
| | Hiking | 14.00 Miles | 12 Hrs | | 1.40 mph |
| 3,600 ft AEG | 2 Hrs Break | | | |
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| no linked trail guides |
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| no partners | | The mission was to do a recon hike within the Batamote Empty Sector, hoping to reach 5280 feet of elevation gain by the end of the day.
With morning temps in the 30's, I ventured off into the Sikort Chuapo Mountains for a day filled with surprises, both good and bad. By far, the best part of the hike was the abundance of organ pipe cacti, with many specimens rivaling the giants of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. In my opinion, the west end of the Chuapos is a safe location to view these interesting plants, allowing you to bring along the family for a picnic without the least bit of apprehension.
The Border Patrol built a surveillance/ground radar tower on top of the Sikort Chaupo Mountains, which is like kryptonite to the masses heading north, diverting them a couple miles over. The BLM takes its stewardship of the public lands seriously, and has recently come into the area to clean up all the trash and garbage, returning it to a near pristine state, perfect for photographers and nature enthusiasts alike.
However.....Should you hike into the Saucedas, or go further north around Coffeepot Mountain, expect trouble. Be warned that you are entering an area unique to Arizona, a place where sovereignty is ambiguous, a Mad Max world where organized crime rules the wasteland:
"In the roar of an engine he lost everything, and became a shell of a man, a burnt out desolate man, a man haunted by the demons of his past. A man who wandered out into the wasteland...and it was here, in this blighted place, that he learned to live again"
intro, Road Warrior
All went according to plan until I bagged peak Sauceda 4118, the highest point for miles around. No sooner had I taken a picture of the benchmark, when I noticed fresh footprints on the ground, and then saw a frying pan with an onion on it.... Cripes! I had stumbled into a spotter's camp. I have found several of these in the past, but this was the first one that was in operation...and occupied. It is built more like a fortress than a camp: the hillside is a warren of dugouts and stash houses, rock walls with gun ports; all skillfully constructed in such a way as to be nearly invisible from the air.
Cigarette butts littered the ground, especially near his observation post, where he sits hour after hour, relaying the position of BP assets. Premium cigarettes no less! Marlboro Reds in the hard pack, a luxury that few Americans can afford in the new normal.
At times like these, your eyes never seem to work adequately, as you strain to locate a unseen danger amidst the shadows and gloom. With the spotter's whereabouts unknown, I deemed it too risky to investigate the site any further. After all, if one becomes a corpse, there is no story to tell, only the promise of a shallow grave, never to be seen or heard from again.
I snapped a couple of pictures and made a hasty retreat, leaving Hill 4118 in the possession of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel. Notified the BP of my discovery, but they did not seem very interested, as is often the case. Perhaps someday the DEA will chopper in there to smash the place up, and retake Hill 4118 for the good ole' USA. Until then, peak baggers beware. |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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