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| Peak 2980 - Tucson Mountains, AZ | |
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| | Peak 2980 - Tucson Mountains, AZ | | | |
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Peak 2980 - Tucson Mountains, AZ
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| Hiking | 2.81 Miles |
457 AEG |
| | Hiking | 2.81 Miles | 1 Hour 40 Mns | | 1.69 mph |
| 457 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
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| no partners | | **IMPORTANT**: If I had to do this over again, I would take my down route both ways!!
Note: There's a lot of private property in this area and if you decide to hike this you should be aware of that. If I had to do this over again, I would take my down route both ways. This is because coming from the East, I found myself hiking closer than my comfort level to some homes. I tried to move fast and quietly and it all worked out OK.
I parked in a pullout about 300 feet West of the Cascabel trailhead. This entry point is the far Southwest corner of Robles Pass Trails Park. Unfortunately, I wanted to go North and then West. I found a good trail that appeared to go West for quite a while and I was starting to think this was some kind of easement that I could follow all the way over to Peak 2980. Unfortunately, that well-maintained trail eventually turned and went East. This is about the point where I went off trail with my initial goal being to get to the saddle North of Peak 2980.
I saw a few homes ahead with big lots and this is where I had to thread the needle a bit. I didn't want to be within direct view of any windows or patios. I was able to stay in a small wash but the wash was so shallow it didn't provide much disguise. I just moved fast and hoped that nobody would see me. At one point I was about 120-150 feet from someone's home but it was only for a few seconds while I was passing through. Within a few more minutes I felt a lot safer because of the palo verde, saguaro cactus and different kinds of bushes blocking the direct line of sight. I found myself following the right side of a canyon but higher up. The brush seemed to be worse down in the canyon, so I stayed up high but not too high in order to not be seen. I ran into an old mining road which took me closer to the saddle I needed to go to. Eventually, I needed to get off the road and do a open Country hike to the saddle, weaving around cactus and palo verde. Before getting to the saddle, I ran into another old mining road. This road was overgrown in some places and clear in others but it was a great way to gain elevation and keep the grade down.
The old mining road headed SE then NW and pretty soon I was near a point where I could lookout to the West. I was really interested in looking West to find an alternate route down. I really did not want to get so close to the private property or someone's private space. Looking West, I saw a subdivision and a dirt road or trail running North-South. This appeared to be a much better route down. I did see some private property, but it was further away from the route going down and there was a lot of brush which would make it easy to pass by without being seen. I was relieved because this was a much better route than the route I came.
At this point, I was far away from the private property, so I could relax a bit. Next, I needed to find the best way to summit. I found an old trail that went South and gained in elevation. It looked like a human made trail that was overgrown in some places and not maintained. Probably because of the private property, few people hike this peak anymore.
I continued toward the summit. Near the end, I got to a high point, then needed to cross over that high point, then curve around a canyon area. Once I curved around the canyon area I found a path heading East for about 100 feet. I looked to my right and saw a steep rock area that was safe enough to climb up. Once I did this and turned the corner I could see I was very close to the peak. From here it was just a walk-up. At the summit, I had great views all around. Looking Northwest I could see Cat Mountain. I didn't see a registry here and I wished that I had a jar with me but did not. I stopped for a snack and drink, got my photos and a video then went hiked back down to the view point I was at earlier. From the view point, I started heading West down a gentle slope. I could see a dirt road which was only about 600 feet away. I did have to weave a lot in this area to avoid palo verde trees, some cactus, and some thorn bushes. But, it was an easy hike to get down. On the way down, I passed by a structure that looked like an old storage shed or it may have possibly been an old small home. I saw a lot of old tires, old car parts and other JUNK. Most likely it was abandoned and belonged to the lot to the South. I continued down to the dirt road. From here I hiked South. Shortly the road turned into a very good dirt trail which I followed almost all the way back to Irvington road. Before the road, the trail turned and continued following the road for a while. This was a utility easement of some kind. I took this as far as I could go, then ended up walking on the shoulder of Irvington for a while before getting back to where I parked. This was a great hike and I really enjoyed it. I believe it was a more popular hike years ago before a lot of the surrounding homes were built. Anyway, if I had to do it again, I would definitely use my "down route" for both the ascent and descent.
Note: I checked the Pima county GIS maps and this peak appears to be owned by a trust. An address was provided which does not appear to be valid. Even if a person tried to write to get permission to hike this peak, it would be a long shot.
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URL: pimamaps.pima.gov
Parcel # 11944054K
4510 S SOLEDAD AV
R &G TR
When I searched google on "4510 S Soledad Av", the following address came up, which is strange: 4510 W Oklahoma, Tucson, AZ 85746. Maybe Soledad was the old name and this street was renamed?
Stats:
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Distance (round trip): 2.81 miles
AEG: 457 feet
Strava moving time: 1 hr 22 mins
Strava elapsed time: 2 hrs 5 mins
Driving Directions:
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From anywhere in Tucson, take I-10 to I-19 South.
Continue onto I-19 S for 1.2 mi.
Use the right lane to take exit 98 for Irvington Rd, continue for 1.0 mi.
Use the right 2 lanes to turn right onto W Irvington Rd.
Continue for 3.6 mi.
Destination will be on right.
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Cascabel Trailhead
3762 W Black Hills Pl, Tucson, AZ 85746
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If you miss the trailhead or if there's no room to park, there's a larger pullout/parking area 300 feet to the West. |
| _____________________
Michael Williams
IT Professional
Rocky Point Vacation Rentals
Ocean Front Condo in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico
www.beachfrontmexico.us
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