| | -
-
-
-
-
-
| |  |
|
1 |
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
| | |
|
| Hiking | 3.80 Miles |
997 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.80 Miles | 2 Hrs 54 Mns | | 1.49 mph |
| 997 ft AEG | 21 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Return to the Black Hills...
As the name suggests Fortified Peak is known to have a ruin on top. I was initially disappointed because the ruins are pretty indistinct unless you look close. Most obvious is a long straight line of rocks at the edge of a shelf a little below the top of this hill. This probably is the remains of a defensive wall - the location has a good view of a big flat expanse of desert trailing off toward the Catalinas. A closer look shows the faint outline of many rooms (mainly isolated) on the shelf and a scattering of pottery sherds. I also noticed a couple grinding mortar holes on top.
Continuing along through the nearby desert and past some other likely looking high points I didn't see any other cultural signs. My guess would be that this location is too far from water to have had long lasting habitation.
Nice strong breeze blunted the heat and I noticed a human (as opposed to cow or game) footpath out there this time....must be some hiking in the Black Hills.
Oops almost forgot - highlight of the trip was seeing a cat running out of the ruin area. Just caught a few leaps as it went over the top of the peak, but my mental snapshots had it more orange than tawny, with some black. Smaller than a lion, bigger than a kitty cat.  |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
