Empire Mtns HP 5588 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Jan 19 2023

Mike_W

Guides 104
Routes 256
Photos 16,118
Triplogs 528

53 male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Empire Mtns HP 5588

Tucson, AZ

Empire Mtns HP 5588

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Jan 19 2023
		Mike_W • Triplogs 528

Hiking	2.00 Miles	950 AEG

Hiking	2.00 Miles	2 Hrs 30 Mns	0.80 mph
	950 ft AEG

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Parked near the intersection of S. Hilton Ranch Rd and S. Red Cloud Mine Rd. Tim T. joined me on this hike which we both had in queue for quite some time but decided at the last minute we needed to bag this range high point. In the beginning 1/3 of the hike we had to hike through a lot of cat's claw bush. We were able to avoid the thorns for the most part by being careful about which route we followed. We followed a ridge up high and then hiked East to get to a saddle on the main ridge which extended to the top. Along the way there were some large slabs of rocks which made the bushwhack slightly easier. We had to dodge a lot of ocotillo and some prickly pear along the way. At the top of the false summit, we figured out that we still needed to hike another 1/4 mile or more to get to the peak. There were some ups and downs after this first false summit and we needed to take our time. We found that staying on or immediately below the ridgeline was the easiest and best way to get to the peak. At the summit we saw a tall antenna, a rock pile and a registry in the rock pile. Looking out at a nearby mountain to the Northeast we could see some other kind of communications device (National Weather Service antenna). Looking down to the East we saw some private property (part of Hilton Ranch). In the distance around us, we could see the snow capped Mt Wrightson and nearby high peaks, and further away, Mt Lemmon, and even Mt Graham.

_____________________

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

Apr 29 2022

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,485
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,375

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Peak 6280 - Empire HP, AZ

Hiking		Apr 29 2022
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,375

Hiking	4.61 Miles	1,902 AEG

Hiking	4.61 Miles
	1,902 ft AEG

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Empire Mtns HP 5588

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

I was on my way down to Sierra Vista and decided to stop off of Highway 83 and hike to a couple of peaks that I had not been to before:
1) Peak 6280, in the Santa Rita Mountains
2) The Empire Mountains highpoint

Peak 6280
There are at least 3 peaks named "Peak 6280" in Arizona; this is the most prominent of the bunch (1,080 feet of prominence) and is the only one in the Santa Ritas. Peak 6280 is an unnamed peak and its elevation is not marked on topographic maps. In looking at a topo map, it is within a closed contour between 6,280'-6,320.

I parked at a the junction of FR 321 and FR 4053. I wasn't sure the condition of FR 4053 so I decided to walk it. As it turned out, it is in good condition and I could have easily driven it, which would have saved myself 0.6 miles of walking each way. I was glad to have 4WD on FR 321, and at the very least you'd need high clearance.

Once I got off the forest roads, it was a brushy ascent up to Peak 6280. The brush wasn't very tall though, and my knee high gaiters enabled me to deal with the shin daggers. I took my time on the off trail hiking, both to dodge some of the vegetation and to enjoy the nice views along the way.

The views were nice at the summit, so I hung out there for 30 minutes or so.

Empire Mountains HP
This one was easier to get to, but the whole hike was off-trail. The off-trail was steep, and it was often somewhat brushy, but some of it was more open country hiking. I made my to an obvious false summit, which I had to descend before going up to the highpoint. Views at the summit were nice, but I did not think that the views were as good as those on Peak 6280.

Synopsis
Both peaks were nice and I was glad that I got to hike them. However, the Peak 6280 hike was more enjoyable than going to the Empire Mountains HP.

Distance and elevation gain for these 2 short hikes are below. The stats above are the sum of the 2.

Peak 6280: 2.87 miles with 1,039 feet of AEG
Empire: 1.74 miles with 863 feet of AEG

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Rainbow Cactus Cane Cholla

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Striped Oak Apple Gall Wasp

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Summit Register Log

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Apache Peak Empire Mountains Mica Mountain Mount Fagan Rincon Peak Santa Rita Mountains Whetstone Mountains

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Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

2 archives

Mar 09 1996

mazatzal

Routes 36
Photos 2,658
Triplogs 1,347

67 male

Joined Jul 28 2004
Scottsdale, AZ

Empire Mtns HP 5588

Tucson, AZ

Empire Mtns HP 5588

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Mar 09 1996
		mazatzal • Triplogs 1,347

Hiking	2.00 Miles	700 AEG

Hiking	2.00 Miles
	700 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

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Peak grab on our way to Bassett.

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1 archive

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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