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| Fissure peak 7375 - Bisbee, AZ | |
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| | Fissure peak 7375 - Bisbee, AZ | | | |
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Fissure peak 7375 - Bisbee, AZ
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| Hiking | 5.33 Miles |
2,038 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.33 Miles | 5 Hrs 58 Mns | | 1.19 mph |
| 2,038 ft AEG | 1 Hour 30 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | After camping the night before on BLM land about 5 miles East of Bisbee, I drove into town a stopped at a Circle K. I bought 2 breakfast sandwiches for $7. I remember not too long ago they used to be 2 for $5. After having a quick breakfast, I did a walking tour of Old Bisbee. I believe it's been a long time since I walked through the area. After that, I drove to the trailhead.
Right near where I parked a found a monument about the continental divide. I didn't know it passed through this area.
I followed a narrow gravel trail for a few hundred feet. There was a partially hidden trail on the left which went up the ridgeline, fairly steeply I might add. I followed this trail and noticed that it was very well maintained.
First, see my trip report for Ballard... Then, this trip report will cover the hike to Fissure. It's kind of a waste to go to Fissure without first going to Ballard since Ballard is only an additional 150 feet on a mostly flat trail.
After summiting Ballard, I headed about 150 back down the trail and saw a cairn on the West side of trail. Somehow I didn't notice this cairn on the way up. I turned here and followed the trail for about 200 feet. This trail was not as good as the main trail. It was a bit more overgrown and after hiking only about 200 feet I seemed to reach a dead end. I seemed to be blocked in all directions. I figured that the trail was just very overgrown here and hadn't been maintained in years. I ended up plowing through some brush, staying away from the candelabrum cactus and finding other pieces of trail up ahead. After a few minutes of confusion, I saw a cairn and the trail got clearer, but the ridgeline looked rocky and rugged. I saw a few more cairns and followed it. There were a few areas where I needed to use my hands on the rocks, so I would rate it class 2+.
You will drop down to a low saddle and continue toward Fissure peak. From pretty far away you will see the fissure on the left side of the mountain. There's a lot of brush growing above and inside the fissure, so I suspect this fissure is quite old. When you get closer to fissure peak you will see a trail leading up. There are a few places where the trail weaves around brush and it seemed like there were multiple branches in some places where either trail could be used. There will be a fence to your left. It's OK to follow the fenceline if it's clear. When I got higher up, I remember crossing the fenceline at least 3 to 4 times. The fenceline is easy to cross. It's low to the ground and sometimes on the ground. Maybe 3/4 of the way to the top, I looked left and saw the fissure. It was less impressive than I expected. To me, it looked no different than a canyon with a lot of rocks inside it. I could have walked about 20 feet to get down inside the fissure but I didn't for safety reason. It LOOKED safe because all I saw were rocks but I had no idea how deep or unstable the fissure was. Then, I wondered if I walked across or along fissures in the past without even knowing it!
I continued to the summit and found a huge rockpile with a registry. From the summit you cannot see the fissure. There were registry entries going back to around the year 2000. The registry was not in great shape but I was able to take photos of many of the pages. I took some photos and videos at the summit, then headed back down the trail. I stopped in a few places to hack away at some candelabrum cactus pieces that were hanging over the trail. The trail is definitely better now than the way I found it. I continued back the same way I came. When I got within 1,000 feet of the Ballard trail junction I ran into some confusion and got off the trail a bit. Then I found some cairns and got back on. Then, I reached that same area of confusion and walked all around looking for pieces of trails. I could not find anything useful in terms of trails so I had to squeeze through an area of dense brush and then go around a candelabrum cactus that was leaning way over the trail. After getting beyond that leaning candelabrum, I knew I was near the final 200 feet of trail and it was clear all the way to the junction. When I got to the Ballard trail junction, I turned left and headed back down the same way I came.
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)
Stats
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5.33 miles RT
2038 feet AEG
strava moving time 3 hrs 15 mins
strava elapsed time 5 hrs 58 mins
*Note: times include trip to Ballard and Fissure |
| _____________________
Michael Williams
IT Professional
Rocky Point Vacation Rentals
Ocean Front Condo in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico
www.beachfrontmexico.us
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