Harcuvar Peak • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Feb 12 2022

DixieFlyer

Guides 99
Routes 1,484
Photos 16,072
Triplogs 1,374

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Feb 12 2022
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,374

Hiking	6.22 Miles	2,306 AEG

Hiking	6.22 Miles	4 Hrs 52 Mns	1.55 mph
	2,306 ft AEG	51 Mns Break

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

This hike has been on my radar screen for a while, and I finally hiked it today.

I'll describe this hike in 3 words: steep, loose, slippery

However, it was not as bad as some of the off-trail hikes that I have done lately. It was actually a straightforward hike: straght up and straight down. Not straight up, but it was pretty steep -- nothing dangerous though. There was some vegetation here and there to work around, but nothing terrible, and it was not what I would describe as bushwhacking.

The road in is a crappy scratch-inducing road, but we made it to the wash in a CRV, and we parked there. A high clearance 4WD vehicle would be needed to go further. By parking at the wash we added an extra 1.5 miles of road walking each way, but with a hike as short as this one I did not mind. I included a GPS track of our drive in.

Route finding was relatively easy, as you could generally see the destination both going up and going down. There were 2 possible highpoints at the top, so we tagged both to be sure that we got the highpoint. My GPS recorded the highpoint at the benchmark, but others have said that the other point is the highest. I am not sure which one that Route Scout deemed to be the highest.

We saw 3 flivers on top: the benchmark and 2 reference marks. Height of Light wires were also there.

The only wildlife that I saw was a hummingbird feasting on a chuparosa. The desert out there seemed drier than what I have seen in the McDowells lately.

I enjoyed the hike, even though it was a little warmer than I prefer; but we started early so it wasn't bad.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Reference Mark Unknown Peak Survey Flares or Batteries?

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Harquahala Mountain

_____________________

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

1 archive

Mar 09 2019

FLYING_FLIVER

Guides 1
Routes 259
Photos 10,458
Triplogs 293

male

Joined Jan 28 2010
Fountain Hills,

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Mar 09 2019
		FLYING_FLIVER • Triplogs 293

Hiking	3.28 Miles	1,979 AEG

Hiking	3.28 Miles	6 Hrs 3 Mns	1.22 mph
	1,979 ft AEG	3 Hrs 22 Mns Break

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The name Harcuvar is a Mohave name implying 'there is little sweet water'.

Well, even after all our recent precipitation, the Harcuvar Mountains are very dry.
The drive route I used was on very primitive roads, and whatever rains fell out there must have been absorbed completely, as I drove through a totally dry desert. All the washes were totally dry also.

The Harcuvar Peak hike was alot of fun, with some nice payoffs. One payoff being a nice ridgeline up top, once you get the climb out of the way. Another rather 'novel' payoff was the location of the benchmark.
The surveyors placed the benchmark on what I would call a Tom's Thumb 'Wanna-Be' Bump.
The huge cairn the surveyors placed on the 'Wanna-Be' bump was another touch of 'visual novelty'.

From the mining road to the ridgeline, the ridge I chose to go up, (and an adjacent ridge I chose to go down), were straight forward.
They both covered about 1,900 feet of AEG in seven tenths of a mile, and varied from not too steep in places, to very steep in others. Vegetation and boulders are all over the place, but all are avoidable while going up & down.

There is scree, but I had no problem with it going up, but coming down was very slow in the various scree patches. Finding sturdy boulders to hold onto helped on the descent, through those scree patches.

If a hiker wants to make a lasso loop, and also negate the steep climb, they can go up the little canyon to its end, gain the main ridge there (at a much lower elevation), and follow it up (and around) to the high point. Dropping straight down one of the ridges I used would make the lasso. It would increase the distance, but avoid the 'up' steepness.

The summit log verified that Harcuvar Peak isn't a destination for many. It's remoteness, and the difficulties of choosing a correct drive track probably deter many hikers.
That's too bad, as the mountain is alot of fun.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mexican Gold Poppy Saguaro

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Azimuth Mark Benchmark Cairn HAZ Rides Reference Mark Summit Register Log

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Butler Valley Harcuvar Mountains Harcuvar Peak

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Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
J.R.R.TOLKIEN

Jan 13 2013

Booneman

Guides 9
Routes 33
Photos 780
Triplogs 4,634

44 male

Joined Nov 25 2008
Scottsdale, AZ

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Jan 13 2013
		Booneman • Triplogs 4,634

Hiking	6.75 Miles	2,355 AEG

Hiking	6.75 Miles	2 Hrs 39 Mns	2.55 mph
	2,355 ft AEG

no routes

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After completing Smith Peak around 1:00pm, Matt and I decided to go for Harcuvar Peak (since they're in the same range) as long as we could find the trailhead. We pieced together directions from three different sources and still had problems finding the right way to go. Two and a half hours later we reached what would be our starting point. Luckily we ran into a rancher that granted us permission to cross his land that led to the wash where we began.

It was 3:30pm on the coldest day of the year, and we had an off-trail hike with unknown mileage in order to bag this peak. I never had that gut feeling that we weren't going to pull it off though. Everything just seemed to be falling into place. And it did. This turned into one of those adrenaline pumping treks in a race against the clock before the sun went down. A little after 6:00pm we reached the car with no daylight to spare.

This is an awesome peak well worth the hiking effort, I wish we would have had more time at the top. The real challenge is getting there.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Harcuvar Mountains Harcuvar Peak

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunset

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Feb 14 2010

desert_boonie

Guides 2
Photos 1,691
Triplogs 212

45 male

Joined Aug 05 2004
Peoria, AZ

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Feb 14 2010
		desert_boonie • Triplogs 212

Hiking	6.65 Miles	3,300 AEG

Hiking	6.65 Miles	5 Hrs 9 Mns	1.29 mph
	3,300 ft AEG

no routes

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WOW! What a day, what a hike, what a mountain. Thought I would give Harcuvar a try and from a different approach than what Tim and Scott had done. I took the SW approach driving in towards the Cottonwood Pass where I would stay the night and start the hike the next day. The drive in is not too bad until the final half mile which is rocky, narrow, and bushy. Added some more AZ pinstripes on the Jeep. Started the hike by an old mine camp at 2600' with Harcuvar Peak out of sight where I found the "Love Shack" geocache. From there I got up on the ridge and headed towards Harcuvar Peak. Spotted 4 bighorn sheep making their way across the ridge above me and by the time I got to where I had spotted them in hopes of getting a picture they were long gone. Guess they didn't like my bell. Once up on the ridge and Harcuvar now in sight I found giant cairns along the way. The ridge is pretty straight forward, steep in several sections and the occasional catclaw and cholla dodge make it epic. She looks down at you the entire time and just when you think you haven't gained anything and are not close to the top, BAM, the summit was right there with the giant cairn letting you know you have arrived. The views are incredible. You can see everything in every direction and might be some of the best views you will have in AZ. I loved seeing the tip of Big Horn Peak just making its way above the lower end of the Harquahalas. Not many venture up here which makes it very rewarding. I spent almost an hour up top not wanting to leave. Going back down the ridge was fun and in some places had to scree surf. No injuries and a great mountain off the list. I'm still pumped about this one. The drive out wasn't as bad as I was expecting and the area around Wenden is a great spot to get some mud. What a great way to celebrate AZ's Birthday. :y:

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Benchmark Cairn Stone Dwelling

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Harcuvar Mountains Harcuvar Peak

_____________________

"Never Satisfied"

Feb 21 2009

Davis2001r6

Guides 6
Routes 40
Photos 887
Triplogs 214

44 male

Joined Dec 06 2003
Bordeaux, France

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Feb 21 2009
		Davis2001r6 • Triplogs 214

Hiking	3.56 Miles	2,333 AEG

Hiking	3.56 Miles	3 Hrs	1.19 mph
	2,333 ft AEG

no photosets

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no linked trail guides

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partners

aspen_oaks

sbkelley

A fun off trail peak that is seldom visited. The drive there was half the fun. Need a new tire because of it as well.

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Feb 21 2009

sbkelley

Guides 6
Routes 13
Photos 1,377
Triplogs 184

41 male

Joined Mar 29 2007
Reno, NV

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Harcuvar Peak

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Feb 21 2009
		sbkelley • Triplogs 184

Hiking	3.56 Miles	2,200 AEG

Hiking	3.56 Miles	3 Hrs	1.19 mph
	2,200 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

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no linked trail guides

Partners

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no partners

One of my favorites in AZ so far. Nobody within miles and spectacular views made this one unique. Loved camping at the foot of it, too. Pick your own route and go.

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2 archives

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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