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Little Horn Summit - 3 members in 4 triplogs have rated this an average 4 ( 1 to 5 best )
4 triplogs
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Nov 29 2024
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 Guides 99
 Routes 1,484
 Photos 16,072
 Triplogs 1,374

male
 Joined Jan 07 2017
 Fountain Hills,
Little Horn SummitSouthwest, AZ
Southwest, AZ
Hiking avatar Nov 29 2024
DixieFlyerTriplogs 1,374
Hiking7.78 Miles 1,748 AEG
Hiking7.78 Miles   5 Hrs   59 Mns   1.56 mph
1,748 ft AEG      59 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
This was a hike in the Little Horn Mountains, which are in Yuma County. The destination was the Little Horn Benchmark (elevation of 3,100 feet and prominence of 1,300 feet).

We drove in south of I-10 on Hovatter Road. The road was well-graded, although there was a sandy stretch for a couple of miles that might be an issue for a non-4WD vehicle.

We parked along the road, went a short distance on the desert floor, and then made a fairly steep ascent up a rocky, bouldery slope to a ridgeline. Then we basically snaked around on the ridge to the summit. The ground was littered with basalt rocks much of the way, which slowed me down quite a bit.

The summit was nice and open and had great views, so we hung out there a bit. I located the benchmark and both reference marks, and signed the MacLilley register. Apparently not many people come up here -- the prior entry in the summit register was from December, 2021.

I enjoyed being on the summit, but I did not care much for the tread on this hike.

After the hike we stopped and went up to an arch just west of Hovatter Road that we noticed on the drive in. It was a cool arch and I was glad that we stopped there. Visiting the arch added 0.27 miles and 121 feet of elevation gain, which are included in the stats above.
 Geology
 Geology [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Natural Arch
_____________________
Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there
 
Feb 28 2021
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 Guides 2
 Routes 207
 Photos 93
 Triplogs 204

male
 Joined Aug 08 2020
 Phx az
Little Horn SummitSouthwest, AZ
Southwest, AZ
Hiking avatar Feb 28 2021
ScaredyCatTriplogs 204
Hiking8.46 Miles 1,666 AEG
Hiking8.46 Miles   6 Hrs   2 Mns   1.69 mph
1,666 ft AEG   1 Hour   1 Min Break
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
Plz note that when u leave the freeway, u have another 20 miles to drive. Almost all of this is off pavement. When u hit the T intersection, u have another 10 miles to go. Do not attempt to take a car out here.

With no trails, it is up to u to decide your path. We added some milage to the suggested route to avoid potential trouble spots. Expect to deal with some painful cactus quills.

The 3rd peak is the summit. On this day, we were dealing with some serious wind. The many protruding rocks will have u watching your step. Be certain to wear long pants for protection.
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Benchmark
 
Apr 08 2018
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 Guides 1
 Routes 259
 Photos 10,458
 Triplogs 293

male
 Joined Jan 28 2010
 Fountain Hills,
Five Little Horns-Little Horn Mountains SE, AZ 
Five Little Horns-Little Horn Mountains SE, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Apr 08 2018
FLYING_FLIVERTriplogs 293
Hiking8.43 Miles 1,705 AEG
Hiking8.43 Miles   7 Hrs   41 Mns   2.04 mph
1,705 ft AEG   3 Hrs   33 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Partners none no partners
I planned this - ‘Five Little Horns’ - hike, over a year ago, and never got around to it.
(OH …. so many hikes and so little time).
Well, I did the hike now, and I’m glad I did. It was alot of fun.

The remote, Little Horn Mountain Range, stretches for about 15 miles in a northwest-southeast direction and straddles La Paz and Yuma counties. The Kofas are just west while the Eagletails are just east.

I made a loop out of it, since I had to use a few mountain ridges to locate things. The hike consisted of going up basalt boulders, then leisurely moving across a wide ridge to the summit. After leaving the summit, I traversed a perpendicular ridge to get to a third ridge, where I located the azimuth mark for Little Horn Benchmark.

Locating the azimuth mark, as usual, was a challenge. Alot of it depends on comprehending the surveyors’ information on the benchmark’s datasheet. This time, their wording made me ‘draw a map’ to figure out what they meant. After that, I easily located the azimuth mark, in one of the billions of basalt boulders up there.

This whole desert area, south of I-10 and north of I-8, is getting addictive. Very pleasant hiking.
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Little Horn Mountains
_____________________
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
J.R.R.TOLKIEN
 
Mar 05 2018
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 Guides 73
 Routes 176
 Photos 10,174
 Triplogs 2,324

46 male
 Joined Sep 08 2006
 
Little Horn SummitSouthwest, AZ
Southwest, AZ
Hiking avatar Mar 05 2018
JimTriplogs 2,324
Hiking6.50 Miles 1,400 AEG
Hiking6.50 Miles   4 Hrs   45 Mns   1.63 mph
1,400 ft AEG      45 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Cooler than expected for March meant January like temps, clean dry air, and clear views. Very quiet out here, no one else around, and 1 bighorn ram was spotted near the top. Lot of Luke AFB jets in the area.

The Sierra Club Desert Peaks registry from 1983 is still up there, and hardly anyone signed it, in the 35 years it has been there. I added my name, for a change. This isn't hard, and access is pretty easy, but you have to make a point to get here.
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🍭
 
average hiking speed 1.73 mph

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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