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| Granite Mountain Dripping Springs (4052), AZ | |
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| | Granite Mountain Dripping Springs (4052), AZ | | | |
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Granite Mountain Dripping Springs (4052), AZ
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| Hiking | 3.82 Miles |
1,420 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.82 Miles | 3 Hrs 26 Mns | | 1.57 mph |
| 1,420 ft AEG | 1 Hour Break | | | |
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| no partners | | This is Granite Mountain (4052), the 1K prominence peak, near Ray, AZ, South of Superior, AZ.
It was a cold rainy day in Tucson. We decided to drive North to escape the rain. The forecast for Superior, AZ said only 2% chance of rain but the high was only something in the low 50s. This would be our very first hike of the 'winter' where we needed to wear a jacket for part of the hike.
We arrived around 11 am and started the hike around 11.15 am. There were a lot of UTV riders with trucks and trailers who parked in the larger OHV parking lot. There must be some good trails and places to ride around here, but we came here for exercise and some good hiking.
We found an old road up the hill from the OHV parking area. We took this old road for roughly 1/4 quarter mile. After that the road turned into a trail which we followed along the ridgeline and up. There were a few spots where the trail split and branched off into different directions. We saw evidence that cattle were here and all over this area. There were some steep areas but nothing above a class 2. There were also a few false summits along the way. Eventually we reached the summit. We found a rock pile with a registry and some kind of pole or antenna laying on the ground. From the summit we could see into the Ray mine to the East. We saw Teapot mountain across the highway but it didn't look like a teapot from this angle, but instead looked like a butte. Looking to the Northwest, a few miles in the distance we could see Picketpost mountain, and looking to the West we could see Copper Butte and Battle Axe Butte. It was a bit tricky to tell which one was which, so we needed to guess. Maybe someday we will explore that area, but there's so many amazing places to hike throughout the entire state!
We had a late lunch, signed the registry, got our photos and decided to head down. On the way down we followed many of the same cattle trails with a few small variations where it made sense. When we got to the end of the old road, we saw a few cattle hanging out there. These cattle didn't move away until we were right on top of them. There was some wind on the way down from the higher elevations which made the hike feel colder than it already was. All in all it was a great hike with what felt like a decent 'unmaintained' trail the entire way.
Stats:
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Distance (round trip): 3.82 miles
AEG: 1,420 feet
Strava moving time: 2 hrs 8 mins
Strava elapsed time: 3 hrs 26 mins
Driving Directions:
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From the Tucson area, take AZ-77 N / Historic U.S. 80 / N Oracle Rd
Continue past the town of Catalina, Oracle, Mammoth, Dudleyville, etc.
When you get to Winkelman, AZ, you will need to make a left on AZ-177 N.
Continue for 25 min (22.0 mi)
Turn left onto N Battle Axe Rd
continue for 400 to 800 ft and park anywhere off the road.
There were a lot of off road riders here when we went who parked in the larger lot.
N Battle Axe Rd
Arizona 85137 |
| _____________________
Michael Williams
IT Professional
Rocky Point Vacation Rentals
Ocean Front Condo in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico
www.beachfrontmexico.us
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