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| Hiking | 4.20 Miles |
1,242 AEG |
| | Hiking | 4.20 Miles | 5 Hrs 57 Mns | | 1.75 mph |
| 1,242 ft AEG | 3 Hrs 33 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Antelope Peak is in the Table Top Wilderness.
I had two reasons to hike up Antelope Peak.
1. Last month I hiked up a no name mountain nearby to locate Bench Benchmark. The top of Antelope Pk was used as Bench BM's Azimuth mark. No disk was set on the peak but, the Bench datasheet states,
"A TARGET WAS SET IN A CAIRN ON THE HIGHEST PT OF ANTELOPE PEAK".
2. The second reason to climb Antelope Pk was due to it's unique shape from the south. It's definitely a bizarre looking mountain. That, in itself, is reason to get up there.
My trailhead was an arbitrary spot just off a road about 2 miles south of the peak.
When parking off a road, I always first get out of my car, and visually inspect the ground I'll park on, especially when it's still before sunrise..
When doing my inspection this time, I felt like I had a "stalker".
I looked back about 60 feet further in the desert, from my car, and saw a cairn - After an inspection, I noticed a "survey disk" sticking out of the cairn.
YIKES - Those things are starting to stalk ME. HA.
Back to the hike.
Getting to the base of Antelope Pk entailed going up and down a few rolling hills and navigating some drainages. Once close to the mountain, I had to decide the best way up - As no trails exist.
On the way up, all my friends were waiting for me, including dense cholla patches and lotsa scree. Throw in loose 'bowling ball' size boulders and the navigating became challenging.
Also, the last part of the "up the mountain" - The part that also gives Antelope Pk its bizarre look, was very steep.
The actual top of Antelope Pk is very small - Maybe 50 Ft wide and 60 Ft long, and all very flat.
I located the cairn that the surveyors used to "set a target", for use as the Bench BM azimuth mark, but no target was found.
My final surprise on this hike was seeing an American Flag (and its pole) laying on the ground, part way down the north side of the peak. (I hiked up from the south).
I retrieved the flag, inspected it and then went to work reattaching it to the pole, and installing it in the cairn.
HA - Doesn't everyone on HAZ carry cable-ties in their backpack ????
After taking in the great views, taking tons of photos, repairing and reestablishing our American Flag, I left the peak.
After getting off the very steep, first portion down, I took a different track to the desert floor, in the hopes the travel would be easier. It was not better or worse - Just slow on the scree, and slow while dodging cholla. All normal stuff.
Demystifying Antelope Peak was alot of fun.
Plus I even got the opportunity to salute our American Flag. |
| _____________________
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
J.R.R.TOLKIEN |
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