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| no partners | | Note: I did this hike in conjunction with Fissure peak which has over a 2K prominence. See my trip report for Fissure for all details and stats...
There was an old concrete monument where I parked. On the front it read 'Road constructed by prison labor 1913-14'... On the side it read 'Continental Divide Elev 6030'. There's a gravel road heading West. Take this road about 100 feet and look for a steep use trail heading up onto the ridgeline on the left side of the road. This is a very good trail and it's maintained pretty well, at least for the bottom mile. You will see a barbed wire fence on your left which continues for probably a mile. You will see manzanita, oak and pine. I saw some purple morning glory, some common horshbrush (try saying that 5 times) and some Spanish-needles which have a white flower with 5 petals and yellow center. I also saw a couple bunches of a flowered bush called hot lips.
Once after about a mile, there's more tight spaces along the trail that you will need to squeeze through. What I thought was unusual about this hike is I saw a lot of candelabrum cactus (a type of cholla) at high elevation, even as high as 7,350 feet elevation, when there should have been more oaks and pines! In a few places, I need to play the game of operation by trying to squeeze between 2 candelabrums without touches the sides. The candelabrum is a little friendlier than the teddy bear cholla. You can brush against a candelabrum lightly and sometimes nothing sticks to you, but try doing that with a teddy bear cholla and it seems to always flake apart and cling to you.
Up higher, maybe 1/2 mile from the summit I saw a huge yucca that must have been 10 feet tall or more. There are a few false summits. When you get closer to the peak you will see more brush that you need to squeeze through. Sometimes there is candelabrum cactus but it's usually only on one side or another.
The trail flattens out a bit when you get close to the summit. Near the top here is an old metal sign and a rock pile. The metal sign simply said 'I Kings 18:37'. I'm not a religious person, so I had to look it up. Here's what DuckDuckGo Search Assist said...
"1 Kings 18:37 is a verse where the prophet Elijah calls on the Lord to answer his prayer, asking God to demonstrate His power so that the people will know that He is the true God who has turned their hearts back to Him. This moment is significant as it leads to God sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, affirming His sovereignty."
I looked for a registry but did not find one. I had a few jars in my truck but didn't bring them because I never imagined that there wouldn't be a registry on Ballard peak.
After summiting Ballard, I went to Fissure peak (a P2K). The use trail heading to Fissure is not as good as the trail all the way to Ballard. There's a cairn about 150 feet from the summit marking the trail branch. See Fissure for more...
Drive
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From Tucson, take I-10 East toward Benson
When close to Benson, take exit 303 for AZ-80 and continue toward Tombstone
continue toward Bisbee.
You will be on AZ-80 for a total of about 47 miles.
when about 1/4 mile before the tunnel, turn left onto N Old Divide Rd.
continue for 1/2 mile
park at a triangular parking area on the right side of the road.
(before reaching Juniper Flats road) |
| _____________________
Michael Williams
IT Professional
Rocky Point Vacation Rentals
Ocean Front Condo in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico
www.beachfrontmexico.us
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