Mount Graham 10,720 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Guides 4
Photos 4,732
Triplogs 2,607

55 male

Joined Sep 29 2004
Small Town USA

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 22 2024
		SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607

Hiking	10.50 Miles	1,650 AEG

Hiking	10.50 Miles
	1,650 ft AEG

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AddSanz

We took a new friend up who just moved here to the Gila Valley.
Thought a good one to show her would be to the top to look down on her new home!
Aspens were poppin' all the way to the top.
Saw a few familiar HAZ names in the register.
Clear blue sky, a gentle breeze with perfect temps ... love this time of the year!
Up top we talked with the Fort Grant fire crew who were there planting new seedlings (Douglas firs).
The last 2 attempts have failed, hopefully this is the year they take hold

Our new partner was awesome, we had a great time, thank you Graham!

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate

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Sep 27 2024

The_Eagle

Guides 41
Routes 1,626
Photos 14,983
Triplogs 2,762

69 male

Joined Jan 20 2009
Far NE Phoenix,

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 27 2024
		The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,762

Hiking	10.05 Miles	1,619 AEG

Hiking	10.05 Miles	3 Hrs 40 Mns		2.91 mph
	1,619 ft AEG	13 Mns Break	12 LBS Pack

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johnlp

trekkin_gecko

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

After a close encounter driving to the Pinalenos, with a horse meandering across the road in front of us on the Rez and a bear jumping across in front of us on the Swift Trail, we made it to our campsite at Soldier Creek Campground.

With the furnace set to high in the valley, we expected a full house, but we were pleasantly surprised to find only one other site occupied for both nights we were there.

We also made two other stops prior to camp: one to pick a few apples at the orchard and another so John could check in with his girlfriend Denise at the Visitors Center and get their schedules in sync.

Once we had camp set up, it was off to High Peak Road to start our hike.

Averaging a bit over 300 feet of elevation gain per mile, it was a pleasant stroll. Evidence of the 2017 Frye Fire was apparent but did not distract from the distant views and colors of early fall.

The peak view itself is okay, but the view walking a couple of hundred yards to the north, back to the two-track, was much better. Close to the top: [ youtube video ]

We found the register and added our names. We located one of the reference marks but were unable to find the peak marker. Finally, we reached the top of another one of the 27 peaks in Arizona above 10,000 feet.

Pleasant temperatures in the 60s for the hike! (or about half what it was in the valley)

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5 archives

Sep 27 2024

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 673
Photos 7,281
Triplogs 4,660

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 27 2024
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,660

Hiking	9.70 Miles	1,647 AEG

Hiking	9.70 Miles	3 Hrs 40 Mns	2.81 mph
	1,647 ft AEG	13 Mns Break

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johnlp

The_Eagle

mount graham has been on all of our wish lists for years
this trip was a reschedule from june
given the recent heat wave, temps were fine and it was a nice break
drove up to soldier creek and set up camp
bruce successfully dodged a horse on the rez and a bear on the swift trail on the way
parked off high peak road and headed up
a road walk the entire hike except for the summit
good views of heliograph peak and the surrounding area, in part due to a significant burn from the frye fire
spent a few minutes at the summit, headed back down and returned to camp
we all thought there would be more people up on the mountain, but only one other party in soldier creek campground
nice to have a fire
temps dropped to maybe 50 at 9400 feet
no red squirrels were harmed
*using john's stats

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Autumn - Color Foliage

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hazhole

1 archive

Sep 27 2024

johnlp

Guides 1
Routes 14
Photos 7,202
Triplogs 5,208

68 male

Joined Mar 16 2008
chandler,az

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 27 2024
		johnlp • Triplogs 5,208

Hiking	9.70 Miles	1,647 AEG

Hiking	9.70 Miles	3 Hrs 40 Mns	2.81 mph
	1,647 ft AEG	13 Mns Break

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The_Eagle

trekkin_gecko

Day one of our three days hiking in the Pinalenos. Mount Graham was the target for our first hike. Not a difficult hike but the altitude had me slowed considerably. Felt better the next two days. Nice scenery even though there was a good amount of burned area from the Frye fire seven years ago.
We scored one of the best campsites on the mountain and were pretty much alone for the two nights we spent at Soldier Creek. Good first day.

Wildflowers Observation Light

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“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson

Apr 24 2024

PatrickL

Guides 7
Routes 79
Photos 2,440
Triplogs 652

34 male

Joined Jan 10 2010
Pomona, CA

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Apr 24 2024
		PatrickL • Triplogs 652

Hiking	17.10 Miles	5,477 AEG

Hiking	17.10 Miles	9 Hrs 17 Mns		1.84 mph
	5,477 ft AEG		18 LBS Pack

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Grant Creek Trail #305

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Drew this one up years ago and finally took a crack at it. It's a very aesthetically pleasing route on paper. I parked around 5460ft on FR157, it's high-clearance w/one water crossing through Grant Creek - not bad overall. Sure beats going near the prison.

The trail from the trailhead to the base of the switchbacks is pretty evident. It has that Lord of the Rings vibe and tons of shade. There are three creek crossings and steps were few and far between on 1 and 3. The second uses a narrow log - it's pretty bomber but I could still see myself going into the drink. I tossed rocks into the water at the last one to get a viable way across. The current effortlessly washed away my first attempts. The trail is a mess shortly after that - it turns into a roller coaster on the slippery slope, while simultaneously negotiating downed trees. Very nice to have trekking poles!

So begins section two, the switchbacks, which are pretty pumpkin'd! Lots of deadfall, overgrowth, and thorns consistently until you get within 1-2 miles of Swift Trail/Cunningham Campground. I considered turning around halfway up but couldn't bring myself to do it. The views of the canyon and the valley below are excellent motivation, even caught a glimpse of what I believe is Moonshine Falls high up on the cliffs. The Pinalenos are exceptional.

The final section is the off-trail ridgeline (10,027) from Swift Trail to FR669, and the last push to Graham. I foolishly took part of Cunningham Loop on the way up and hit snow which hindered progress, so I veered back up the slope to a saddle. From there, I followed the crest of the ridge as planned. The first half of the ridge has been cleaned up and put into slash piles, making it the easiest part of the whole day. There are more downed trees and brush around and above Point 10027, but nothing bad - honestly a lot easier than I was expecting. I built a cairn (and later toppled it) at FR669 and continued east across the snowy roadbed.

I went cross-country rather than sticking to the roads the whole way. Post-holing was 50/50 depending on how many downed trees were underneath. Snow baskets on my poles helped distribute some of the weight. Without a doubt, the unsung heroes of the day are my gaiters.

Mount Graham is okay as expected (I walked over what appeared to be the highpoint), but the real-deal views are further north at a small ridge overlooking the Gila Valley, nearly 8,000ft below - Arizona's San Jacinto. I didn't stay long as I had reached my turnaround time and still had a long descent ahead of me. Saw a couple deer back on the ridge, and one down low on the switchbacks. Descending Grant Creek Trail didn't feel nearly as hellish, must've been riding the high of the completed mission. Made it back to the car by 6pm and was treated to an absolutely insane sunset on the drive out - best way to wrap up a solid day.

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Oct 07 2023

PrestonSands

Guides 170
Routes 148
Photos 5,914
Triplogs 2,097

48 male

Joined Apr 12 2004
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 07 2023
		PrestonSands • Triplogs 2,097

Hiking	9.60 Miles	1,600 AEG

Hiking	9.60 Miles
	1,600 ft AEG

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Jim

Day trip to the Pinalenos with Jim. First stop was Angle Orchard where we picked a ton of apples. Lots of other folks out picking too. Second stop was near the end of the pavement, where we started our hike up High Peak Road. Beautiful cool, fall weather and a gentle breeze. Lots of aspen color, near peak I’d say. Nice to see all the new aspen growth amidst the dead coniferous trees from the 2017 Frye Fire. In time Graham could be another Escudilla if the aspens survive. The wind picked near the summit and out came warm gear. Big thunderstorms over the White Mountains, didn’t expect to see that. Searched around and located the benchmark and register, saw several HAZ names in there. Headed back down around 5 pm in the cold wind. Amazing sunset with deep orange glow on the western horizon. Made for nice backlighting among the aspens. Got down after dark and then hopped in the 4Runner for the trip down the Swift Trail. Stopped at the Willcox truck stop on Fort Grant Road for dinner at Subway. Made it back to Tucson a little before 11pm, a 15 hour trip in total. Great day and fun adventure!

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

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"…you never know when a hike might break out" -Jim Gaffigan

Oct 07 2023

Guides 73
Routes 176
Photos 10,174
Triplogs 2,324

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 07 2023
		Jim • Triplogs 2,324

Hiking	9.60 Miles	1,600 AEG

Hiking	9.60 Miles
	1,600 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

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PrestonSands

Preston drove (which was awesome!) for an Angle Orchard trip with a Mount Graham hike after. I picked 32 lbs and I believe he got 30 lbs. My haul was mostly Arkansas Black (perhaps 75%) and some Winesap, along with a few Fuji, blushing golden, and even a couple of Red Delicious, just because. I am most excited about those Arkansas Blacks as they store well, but also taste great. However, everything I sampled was actually really good, including those Red Delicious, which was why I bought them. Perhaps the dry summer and fall brought out some flavor? Very nice conditions in the orchard, too.

After apple picking, we went up the Swift Trail and started the hike. Fall color is visible from US 191, and will soon be near peak up top, perhaps later this week or next weekend. It was very colorful for the hike yesterday. The road has recently been driven by someone with a gate key, and the area closure sign is gone. As always, excellent views the entire hike, and the summit was nice. No flying snakes, this time, though. A few birds near the top, but with the wide open expanse up there, little wildlife is present. Preston found our 2022 summit register entries, along with 4 other HAZ members.

It was chilly for this hike, with summit temperatures probably in the mid to high 40s while we were up there. It was also windy at times, which made it colder, but the wind wasn't really that bad. We both found it comfortable hiking up, but after the summit coming down was a bit cold. We just needed a hat to help with the chill. Summer is over! Really, I think temps like that are a shock to me because I was walking around in 102 degrees on Friday and it felt more or less okay so long as I was in the shade.

Mount Graham ended up being my high point for 2023. My first year since 2006 where I didn't get up over 11,000', and specifically to or over 11,916' which was my yearly high when I hiked Mount Charleston in 2021. Every other year since 2006 I hiked Humphrey or better, up to Mount Whitney. So, while this is a new low high for me, I still managed to summit the high-point of SE Arizona, which is good.

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial

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Jul 16 2023

00blackout

Routes 31
Photos 4,724
Triplogs 187

50 male

Joined Mar 14 2016
Gold Canyon, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jul 16 2023
		00blackout • Triplogs 187

Hiking	11.00 Miles	2,100 AEG

Hiking	11.00 Miles	4 Hrs 36 Mns	2.39 mph
	2,100 ft AEG

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With being over in Chicago the past week, not being able to hike and the disgusting heat here I headed over to the Pinalenos. My original plan was to hike High Peak Road to the top, head over on the connector road and take Big Creek Trail back down for a nice loop. Started up High Peak Road, which is in good shape pretty much the entire way to the top but does have a good amount of 4-5 foot tall Aspens growing on it. Made it up to the top and started making my way over to the Big Creek Trail but took a break in the shade first. As I was getting ready to head down, I noticed that I was only a couple miles from the top of Mt. Graham (elevation 10,720 feet) and the threat of thunderstorms was pretty low, so I decided to continue up the mountain. The last half mile up was a slog, the continuous up and higher humidity killed my energy so I took a nice break once on top before heading back down. On the way down I was torn on taking the Big Creek Trail back down or staying on the High Peak road since I already knew it's condition. I choose to head down the Big Creek Trail which unfortunately was the wrong decision. There was an initial trail that turned into a Aspen, deadfall mess. I fought my way through the mess for a good mile before I came to a small switchback and the trail cleared up (too bad it was only for a minute). As I came to Big Creek there was a pretty good sized wash out where the trail would be. I 'slid' down into the wash out and took a quick break to study my route. I hiked a little ways down the wash out and climbed back out. Still not finding the trail and with the route I had downloaded a bit confusing at this spot I continued down the side of a large drainage, only to come to another large washout, which I had to climb down and back out of again. Covered in dirt I was finally able to find a small resemblance of a trail and hike it back down to the Swift Trail (it took me 3 hours to hike this 3 mile section). It was roughly a half mile walk on the dirt road but it felt like a lot more then that as I was covered in dirt and exhausted. Made it back to my truck and enjoyed the drive back down the mountain. Temps were a perfect 68 degrees to start my hike and the temp gauge was showing 79 as I was driving down. Came across two mountain bikers on High Peak Road and two hikers up near High Peak Cienega and a ton of deer all day.

*Disclaimer - because a portion of this hike is in the Red Squirrel Refugium area which is a closed area, this hike was just a dream that I had as I would never enter the illegal area. The pics are what I dreamt of.

Wildflowers Observation Moderate

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Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee.

Sep 17 2022

Guides 73
Routes 176
Photos 10,174
Triplogs 2,324

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 17 2022
		Jim • Triplogs 2,324

Hiking	9.60 Miles	1,600 AEG

Hiking	9.60 Miles	5 Hrs 25 Mns		1.77 mph
	1,600 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

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PrestonSands

Apple picking and hike in the Pinalenos. Preston and I both picked 30 lbs, and then hiked to High Peak. Really excellent air quality and visibility. 4 Peaks, Ord, Mazatzal Peak, the Mogollon Rim, Nantac Rim, Baldy, and the Mogollon Mts were all clear. The valley looked good, too.

Despite finding several boxes of never planted and long dead seedlings, perhaps hundreds of them, there are some half decent spruce and firs slowly establishing near the top. Maybe in 20 years a return to see the emerging forest. There are a few douglas firs mixing in naturally, and even a ponderosa. It was a little chilly and windy, but I think it was better than the Canyon wind forecast.

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Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Twin Spotted Rattlesnake

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Sep 04 2022

BiFrost

Guides 4
Routes 491
Photos 10,890
Triplogs 1,257

55 male

Joined Nov 20 2012
Phoenix, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 04 2022
		BiFrost • Triplogs 1,257

Hiking	9.95 Miles	1,665 AEG

Hiking	9.95 Miles	4 Hrs 24 Mns	2.54 mph
	1,665 ft AEG	29 Mns Break

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chumley

John9L

Nice road walk with fast moving clouds especially in the morning. Made for some interesting photo light and cool hiking temps. Starting from the locked gate we hiked up the road. Of course the area has seen significant burn so it was a mix of returning aspens and thick grass along the road.

We talked about the fact that the road must be somewhat maintained because with all the burned trees there were very few across the road. We also had fair amount of raspberry bushes with berries ready for consumption. Eventually the clouds started to burn off in the afternoon as we returned the same way back to the vehicle.

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Sep 04 2022

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Sep 04 2022
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	9.95 Miles	1,665 AEG

Hiking	9.95 Miles	4 Hrs 24 Mns	2.54 mph
	1,665 ft AEG	29 Mns Break

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BiFrost

John9L

After yesterday's great hike on the west side of the range, we decided to take the more leisurely road hike today. The weather was the real treat as once again clouds enveloped the top of the range for most of the morning and our views were accentuated by the drama.

Last time I was here there were thousands of newly planted trees, none of which appear to have survived. It seems a large effort was put into helping reforest the summit area but it looks to have largely failed.

Apparently the bears don't head up into the exposed grassy highlands because the raspberry bushes were plentiful and full of fruit, making for a delicious and ongoing snack all day.

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I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

Jul 07 2022

Mike_W

Guides 104
Routes 256
Photos 16,118
Triplogs 528

53 male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jul 07 2022
		Mike_W • Triplogs 528

Hiking	10.50 Miles	1,659 AEG

Hiking	10.50 Miles	3 Hrs 50 Mns	2.74 mph
	1,659 ft AEG

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Decided to finally hike this one which has been in queue for years. My friend Tim decided to hike this on the same day but planned on leaving Tucson at 4 AM, which was too early for me. I also decided to drive separately to camp there for 2 nights and hike a bunch of other hikes & peaks. I passed Tim at the halfway point. He was going down and I was going up.

Although the peak was very nice, there were a lot of burned trees all over this mountain and many downed trees at the peak. On the way down I saw on bobcat cross the trail in front of me. About 1/8 mile from the bottom of the trail on the way down I saw a cub about 100 feet down below me, all by itself. I looked around for the mama bear but nowhere to be found. I was able to get some photos and a video. Once the cub saw me it took off down the canyon. It was my first time seeing a bear up close in the wild in Arizona! Exciting.

My GPS recorded a high point of 10,668. I signed the registry and was sure I had the correct location for the peak. I'm starting to wonder if my GPS device is recording the wrong elevation. Damn frustrating!

AEG was reported as 1659.

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Michael Williams
IT Professional
Rocky Point Vacation Rentals
Ocean Front Condo in Rocky Point, Sonora, Mexico
www.beachfrontmexico.us

Oct 09 2021

Guides 73
Routes 176
Photos 10,174
Triplogs 2,324

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 09 2021
		Jim • Triplogs 2,324

Hiking	9.40 Miles	1,540 AEG

Hiking	9.40 Miles	3 Hrs 45 Mns		2.51 mph
	1,540 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

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The Angle Orchard has a a couple more weeks left and I wanted to pick a few more apples. It was also a pretty good day to hike this. Lots of yellow on the mountain while driving up. Very windy, however, and rather chilly with a cold front coming through.

After Heliograph from Arcadia in June, I pretty much came to the range to pick fruit every time I was here this summer. While I only did shorter hikes after my orchard visit, I still feel I got a good feel for the range. Perhaps, in the future I should try Lady Bug Peak from the Lady Bug trail, but that isn't really a summer hike in my opinion. After hiking this road to the top today, I have come to the conclusion that Heliograph Peak from Shannon Camp, loop or not, is probably the best hike or summit in the range for summer.

Views were nice today, but that wind was fierce. It still managed to be humid, too.

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Lenticular Cloud

Autumn Foliage Observation Substantial
Aspen in the Pinalenos are going to peak in the next week, if they aren't blown off the trees.

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Jul 17 2021

Guides 73
Routes 176
Photos 10,174
Triplogs 2,324

46 male

Joined Sep 08 2006

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jul 17 2021
		Jim • Triplogs 2,324

Hiking	9.50 Miles	1,775 AEG

Hiking	9.50 Miles	3 Hrs 30 Mns		2.71 mph
	1,775 ft AEG		10 LBS Pack

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I came mostly for peaches, and picked 29 pounds worth at Angle Orchard. The red haven peaches are in, and they are excellent. I probably over picked, but I can freeze them. Clouds were building on the drive over, and I considered just driving the mountain, but I opted to hike this anyway. I am glad that I did, as this was worth it, or it fit into my time slot very nicely. Lots of Hermit Thrushes in the forested sections, which was very enjoyable. Lots of Hermit Thrushes at the trailhead for Lady Bug Peak, too, where there was also a rain gauge with 1 and 3/4 inches of water in it.

This ended up being smaller than expected, which was fine. Everything was wet from heavy rain that must have fallen while I was picking peaches. I had only brief passing showers and no lightning. I have previously thought this area reminds me of Pennsylvania, and with the moisture it does, more so. The exception is the summit which reminded me of Navajo Mountain, but only a little. I was underneath of Hawk Mountain before I realized that I was losing altitude, and thinking that the GPS routes don't show this, I turned back to head to whatever summit was behind me, which ended up being Graham. This was easy to recognize from Todd's photos when he poached it.

There is some decent conifer reproduction up here, so in 50 years a nice forest will have returned, maybe. The views from an outcropping near the summit were interesting, and I wouldn't mind returning on a dry day, probably in Autumn, to enjoy it. An active monsoon season is not one that produces enjoyable hikes or views.

Overall, this hike is kind of underwhelming. I expected more, and it to be bigger. I guess Heliograph feels bigger because you start lower. Wide open burned areas are the exact opposite of squirrel habitat, and I didn't see any squirrels at all, so why this is restricted is just pure regulatory nonsense. Welcome to the United States of Bureaucratic Overreach. I modified the existing GPS route to gain my stats.

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Aug 25 2020

Guides 4
Photos 4,732
Triplogs 2,607

55 male

Joined Sep 29 2004
Small Town USA

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Aug 25 2020
		SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607

Hiking	11.25 Miles	1,125 AEG

Hiking	11.25 Miles
	1,125 ft AEG

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I got the green light to go to the top.
Took High Peak Road up and back down.
Got a bit sun burned, the upper half is not shade friendly anymore.
Great views down on the Gila valley and over to Heliograph Peak, there is not a lot of trees blocking the views anymore.
4 does encountered on the way back down.
First Black-tail rattler sighting of the season on the drive back down.
Good to see the top again, just wish it looked like the "olden times"

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Jul 06 2019

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jul 06 2019
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Hiking	9.97 Miles	1,636 AEG

Hiking	9.97 Miles	3 Hrs 27 Mns	3.01 mph
	1,636 ft AEG	8 Mns Break

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I parked below the gate on High Peak Road, but around the corner and out of sight from the paved road. This road is in good condition and hiking was quick and easy. About a mile and a half up there's an old road closed sign and from this point on, even administrative use seems to be minimal. I even encountered several downed trees that had not been cleared this spring, unlike the trees in the first 1.5 miles.

After an unburned beginning, most of the remainder of the road is through severe burn. Thickets of aspen have begun to grow again, but there are still many areas of charred soil and no regrowth. This would not be a wise place to be during an electrical storm. Eventually you gain a view of Hawk, but Plain View blocks the true summit. The final climb makes an annoying corkscrew around the peak, but affords excellent views down into the Gila River Valley before you have to endure the mess of downed trees and boulders on the peak while searching for the high point.

I found a single reference mark, but not a second one, nor the benchmark. There were a couple of cairns marking the summit but I found no register.

Skipping the corkscrew road, I took a more direct line back down, observing the many new fir seedlings that had been recently planted. Half appeared to have died already. Hopefully the others are able to take hold. The "soil" here is much more sand than soil, perhaps a result of the burn, or just no vegetation to help hold moisture.

I took a side trip to Plain View Peak (unique!

) where I spooked a deer feeding on some new grass. From there, it was quick work back to the truck. I ventured a bit down the Big Creek Trail, which is in a severe burn area. The tread is still mostly visible, but the erosion and deadfall is pretty severe. I saw no sign of the connector trail but didn't put much effort into finding it either. That one might be maintained in the future?

It was nice to cross this one off the list. All 15 done now.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cairn Reference Mark Telescope

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mount Graham Plain View Peak

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Fire Burn Area & Recovery Forecast

_____________________

I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

3 archives

May 06 2017

FOTG

Guides 37
Routes 556
Photos 10,872
Triplogs 1,052

43 male

Joined Jan 21 2013
AZ

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		May 06 2017
		FOTG • Triplogs 1,052

Hiking	8.31 Miles	1,773 AEG

Hiking	8.31 Miles	4 Hrs 23 Mns	2.17 mph
	1,773 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

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I am not sure which way people usually take to knock out this "off-limits" high point, however, this way seems to be the most redeeming (due to the short, but pleasant hike up Big Creek Trail) and the most straightforward/logical in terms of avoiding the observatory and being detected.

It may take a minute to locate the beginning of Big Creek Trail and there is some deadfall to contend with for the first few tenths of a mile, however, after that, the old road bed becomes a pleasant trail, with a mild grade and some impressive old growth pines and firs. After Big Creek Trail, its more old road bed to the top of Graham. This part was also relatively pleasant and scenic. A little bit of a match stick, post apocalyptic scene on the summit, but the views are great!

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Mar 16 2017

Guides 4
Photos 4,732
Triplogs 2,607

55 male

Joined Sep 29 2004
Small Town USA

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 16 2017
		SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607

Hiking	8.00 Miles	1,100 AEG

Hiking	8.00 Miles
	1,100 ft AEG

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Linked

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Connector Trail #507 - #320A

Hospital Flat Nature Trail

Upper Hospital Flat

Hospital Flat Campground

Treasure Park Campground

Swift Trail (State Hwy 366)

Partners

none

no partners

Perfect day to be on top of the mountain!
A variation of a loop I did last October.
The snow is now disappearing fast on top.
All of the creeks and drainages were flowing good with snow melt.
Approx 25% of this hike was in snow.
Most of my route was past the closed winter gate and I saw not a person the entire hike.
Only wildlife sighting the entire day was on the drive back down the mountain where I saw a rooster walking down the Swift Trail at the Coronado sign ..... What The :pk:

True story :lol:

_____________________

Oct 20 2016

Guides 4
Photos 4,732
Triplogs 2,607

55 male

Joined Sep 29 2004
Small Town USA

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Oct 20 2016
		SkyIslander18 • Triplogs 2,607

Hiking	11.15 Miles	1,500 AEG

Hiking	11.15 Miles
	1,500 ft AEG

no routes

Linked

8 linked trail guides

Connector Trail #507 - #320A

Hospital Flat Nature Trail

Big Creek Falls - Coronado NF

Treasure Park from Snow Flat

Snow Flat

Swift Trail (State Hwy 366)

Partners

none

no partners

Leaves are falling all around
It's time I was on my way
Thanks to you I'm much obliged
For such a pleasant stay.
- Page/Plant -

Chasing autumn colors up high. Main focus was the aspens ..... and I found them!
High Peak Road delivered, my favorite grove looked good. I was about a week late, but most still held gold.
From #507 I finally completed the newly built connector trail over to the Big Creek Trail, cool little trail!
Next up was Hospital Flat then down to Treasure Park. Big Creek was flowing good so I added on Big Creek Falls to the trip. Super fun boulder hopping down that canyon and the falls were a highlight.
I then took the "spooky" back trail down to Snow Flat, ate & rested a bit by the pond before the climb up to the Swift Trail. Swift Trail then brought me back to the start completing the loop.

Upper mountain closes November 15th so this was probably my last trip up high for this year. The lower Swift Trail however is starting to get good with color ..... real good! The next week or so should be primo for a scenic drive along the switchbacks.

Good day for wildlife - 1 buck, 9 does, 6 Abert's & a dozen gobblers at Snow Flat.

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Autumn - Color Foliage

Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate

Snow Flat Creek

Light flow

Snow Flat Reservoir

76-100% full

_____________________

May 07 2016

zlewis

Routes 7
Triplogs 11

43 male

Joined Mar 18 2017
Dallas, TX

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		May 07 2016
		zlewis • Triplogs 11

Hiking	10.40 Miles	1,982 AEG

Hiking	10.40 Miles	4 Hrs 52 Mns	2.14 mph
	1,982 ft AEG

no photosets

Linked

linked