Mike_W's Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Jan 14 2026

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Pioneer and Stone Cabin Mtns Pinal Mtns, AZ

Hiking		Jan 14 2026
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	8.64 Miles	2,504 AEG

Hiking	8.64 Miles	7 Hrs 43 Mns	1.43 mph
	2,504 ft AEG	1 Hour 40 Mns Break

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Note: This hike involved both Pioneer Mountain and Stone Cabin Mountains in the Pinal Mountain range South of Globe, AZ.

I drove down FSR 112 in October after 2 bad storms that passed through that I wasn't aware of. Apparently, there was a hurricane that hit the Globe area in September and then a very powerful late monsoon rain hit a couple of weeks after that. Significant damage was done to the road. There was a warning sign near Pioneer pass at the top that said 'road flooded', but I decided to proceed South along FSR 112 because it was weeks after the storms and there couldn't be any more flooding, right? Well, I was RIGHT. There wasn't any flooding BUT there was significant damage to the South side of the Pinals, especially FSR 112, which I discovered fairly quickly. Having a fairly capable Chevy 4x4, I figured I could get through nearly anything especially since I was going downhill. One big problem in going down is gravity can help a bit and I found myself having gone down some fairly steep rugged sections that I knew would be nearly impossible for me to get up! At a certain point, I was basically committed and THAT was the problem. If I got to an area where the road was completely wiped out, I was stuck there and would need an expensive tow to get out. Luckily I made it out but that drive down was the absolute WORST road I've ever driven on. I remember seeing a bulldozer about 3 miles North of Dripping Springs road. Whether this bulldozer was actually used to do any grading in the last year was a mystery. Anyway, the road has a lot of ruts and rough spots and if you attempt this drive beware! You will need a high clearance, 4x4, and some serious driving skills. Several times, I slid down portions of the road. There was a section of road that was completely destroyed but I was able to find a detour in a sandy wash. There was about a 2 foot lip that I needed to drive over to get out of that sandy wash back onto the rough road. I actually need to make a ramp out of rocks to get out. I think I spent 1 hour or more trying to get out of that wash and must have done some damage to the underbody and probably burned some tread off my tires. Let me just say that the lower 5 miles of FSR112 was in much better shape than the upper 5 miles. The lower portion still did have some ruts and required some skilled driving to get down.

This time I was able to drive 4.75 miles up FSR 112. The road didn't appear to be any different than what I saw in October. Beyond 4.75 miles the road was pretty rough. I felt like I probably could have made it further but going very slow. It was already 10.45 am and I felt like we could walk almost as fast as we were driving. Our original plan was to hike Pasadera mtn, and we calculated that the round trip distance from where I parked to Pasadera and back was something like 3.25 miles. I noticed that the old cabin was about 1 mile further up the road. We decided to walk to the old cabin first, and then hike Pasadera on the way back. After making it to the old cabin we decided to take a look inside. I toured the place in October and it looked pretty much the same but there was evidence someone was there since that time.

After touring the cabin it was almost lunchtime so we decided to take our lunch in the nearby Crow canyon. In Crow canyon was saw a small waterfall and a nice area to sit down on some larger rocks. While having lunch, we looked at the map and noticed that we were not far from Stone Cabin mtn and Pioneer mtn. I thought about hiking these first and then heading down to Pasadera after that. It seemed to make more sense to hike these peaks since we were already fairly close to them. After lunch we hiked an old road/path leading out of the canyon. Our goal was to make it to the Southeast ridgeline of Pioneer mountain. We climbed a very steep chute and discovered a deep mining hole on the way up. We hiked around the mining hole and found another few mining holes. At least we were on the ridgeline at this point so we started heading UP. After about 500 feet we saw what looked like a fissure crossing the ridgeline. There was a narrow section only about 3 feet wide that we felt we could jump over but neither of us felt comfortable jumping across because of the possibility of falling into the slot below which appeared to be about 20 feet deep or more. We walked about 200 feet Southwest to go around the fissure. We discovered an old mining trail which led us across. After getting around the fissure, we walked up to the ridgeline and could proceed going up the ridgeline. From this point it took us a little less than 1 hour to get to the top. I counted 5 false summits along the way. There were some trails along the way which could have been cattle trail, miner trails or old hiker trails. It was extremely windy and we found that by staying left of the high ridgeline (SW side) we were able to shelter ourselves from SOME of the wind. We got to the summit and found a registry with about 8 pages. The earliest entry was from 1986, and the last entry before ours was Oct 2023 by a SAHC group. We signed the registry, took some photos and started heading down to the saddle between Pioneer and Stone Cabin mountains.

It was extremely windy heading down to the saddle between the two peaks. We could not see the entire way down as we could not see the entire ridgeline. It actually looked like there was a cliff in front of us at one point, but it was not. We made it down the ridgeline and started hiking up the slope heading to Stone Cabin mountain. Partway up we found a use trail that went up and through a cliff band. From the top of Pioneer, we thought we might have some difficulty getting through this cliff band but it proved to be pretty easy taking the trail we found. We eventually saw a false summit and a trail led to the left around it. After hiking up higher we could see that the true summit was to our right, so we hiked the extra few hundred feet to get there. At the top we found another registry with about 14 pages, with the last entry being the same SAHC party from Oct 2023. These peaks don't get a lot of activity, it seems.

We got our photos and decided to head out. We saw that there was an old mining road to the East and down several hundred feet in terms of elevation. We originally thought it would be best to hike down to this road and take the road down to the old cabin and hook up with the original road that we were on (FSR 112). But because of the strong winds we decided to head South down the ridgeline, then head Southeast, and then East to get back to FSR 112. We hiked close to Oak Spring Tank and startled a few cattle that didn't hear us because of the windy conditions. East of the tank we saw what looked like another fissure that we could not cross so we followed it for a while until we found a safe area to cross. After crossing the fissure, we ran into an old mining road. This road took us East and eventually seemed to dead end in a canyon. Once in the canyon, it appeared to be better to turn left and continue along the ridgeline. Up ahead we ran into a few roads and trails which allowed us to get back to a more well-defined road. We had to slide under a barbed wire fence to get to the road which we walked for a few hundred feet back to a road junction with FSR 112. Once on FSR 112, we walked roughly 1.25 miles to get back to where I parked. It was already getting dark so we decided to save Pasadera peak for another day.

Stats:
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Distance (round trip): 8.64 miles
AEG: 2,504 feet
Strava moving time: 4 hrs 28 mins
Strava elapsed time: 7 hrs 43 mins

Driving Directions:
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From Tucson, take Oracle road (AZ-77) North.
You will pass through a few towns including Oro Valley, Catalina, Oracle, Mammoth, etc.
Stay on AZ-77 North
From Mammoth, you will continue for about 38 miles.
Looking for Dripping Springs Rd., a turn on the left side of the road.
It is well marked with a sign on AZ-77.
Dripping Springs is a well-maintained dirt road.
Take this road West for about 3.6 miles.
Take a right on FSR 112 which is not marked.
You will need high clearance at a minimum to get beyond this point.
4x4 is highly recommended for the rough spots and there are many.
Continue up the road for any distance on your way to get closer to Pasadera mountain.
We drove 4.75 miles up the road and marked near a road junction.

_____________________

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

Jan 12 2026

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Mescal peak 6194, AZ

Hiking		Jan 12 2026
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	6.97 Miles	1,485 AEG

Hiking	6.97 Miles	5 Hrs 8 Mns	2.06 mph
	1,485 ft AEG	1 Hour 45 Mns Break

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I arrived at the pullout a bit late, around 11.30 am. See driving directions for 2 ways of getting across the fence. The third way obviously would be to slide under it.

After getting past the gate, I walked approx. 1.9 miles on a high clearance/gravel road. Thanks to the 4 other hikers who provided their routes. I found it easiest to stay on the road until the brush looked better, then I headed Northeast toward the peak. There was evidence of cattle here which I'm always thankful for. They tend to graze enough to be able to walk through a brushy area without any problems. At least in this area I was able to tunnel through ocotillo, mesquite, and other bushes. I saw a small wash to my left and stayed to the right of it for a while. Eventually, I decided to cross the wash and head up the ridgeline in front of me. The ridgeline sloped to the right heading up to the right side of the mountain. It was easy to see that I could take that low ridgeline to the high ridgeline, then make a left and continue towards the summit.

On the way up the low ridgeline, there was a lot of ocotillo, and other desert brush to weave around. Partway up the ridgeline I saw a dead oak tree or what was left of it, and a lot of other brush around it. I had to zig-zag quite a bit on this ridgeline. When I got to the top ridgeline, there wasn't as much brush but it was rockier. It was a bit windy so I stayed West of the ridgeline and dropped down about 10-20 feet. I stopped here to take a 15 minute lunch.

After lunch I continued toward the summit. From a distance, the bands of rock looked like it would involve some class 3 moves and I was right. When I got closer, I found a nice route that went between 2 rock formations and weaved a bit heading straight for the summit. I needed to use my hands in a few areas and dodge some ocotillo. There was also some loose rock in a few areas.

I arrived at the summit and found a plastic jar at the high point. It was well protected by rocks. The oldest entry I found was from March 2025 by Jesse Johnson. I'm not sure what happened to the older entries. At the summit, there was a few bees but they were not aggressive. I just left them alone and they did not bother me. Looking North I could see Granite peak which appeared to be about 3 miles away. In the far distance looking North I could see what I thought was Apache peak and the Cape, which has a distinctive shape and pattern to it. I took a few photos from the summit and a video and started heading down using roughly the same route I used on the way up.

I saw one large grasshopper the entire hike and a few other smaller ones at times. That was it in terms of wildlife. When I got close to the fence, I decided to look for another place to cross and I found one West of the corrals. Take a look at my route and you will see where I stepped over the barbed wire fence area.

Many thanks to the land owners for allowing us hikers to walk across their land. Although the peak is on AZ state trust land, I needed to hike North 2.25 miles across their land before I reached the AZ state trust land. Without this access, hiking this mountain would involve a much longer route and longer drive also.

I thought about hiking Spire peak to the South of AZ-82, but I ran out of time. Had I got an earlier start, I would have probably done that hike, however, the timing worked out well. By the time I got back to Tucson, I was able to stop and get a Jersey Mike's sub - #55 The Big Kahuna cheesesteak. Then, I rushed home from there to watch the Steelers Texans NFL playoff game. This could be Aaron Rogers last game, but I guess it depends on if he wants to play another season. As of now, the Texans are ahead quite a bit in the end of the 4th quarter.

Stats:
-------
Distance (round trip): 6.97 miles
AEG: 1,485 feet
Strava moving time: 3 hrs 24 mins
Strava elapsed time: 5 hrs 8 mins

Directions:
--------------
From Tucson, take I-10 East toward Benson.
Take exit 302 for AZ-90 E toward Ft Huachuca/Sierra Vista.
Continue on AZ-90 E for approx. 18.8 miles.
Turn right onto AZ-82 W, continue for 4.5 mi.
Look for a pullout on the right side of the road.
Park here and look for nearby sign stating 'foot access allowed'.
There is a primitive gate here that has some locks halfway up the post.
The top left corner of the gate had a piece of wire that I was able to unwrap.
The bottom left corner of the gate had the post set into a wire loop.
To make a long story short I was able to tilt the gate in a way where I was able to STEP OVER the locks.
Not sure whether the land owners did this intentionally or not.
The locks sort of contradict the 'foot access allowed' sign.
If foot access is really allowed, why are there any locks period?
Either way, I got through the gate easily and then put it back the way I found it.

By the way, on the way out, I found a low spot on the barbed wire fence and was able to step over it.
A taller person will have no trouble doing this.
See my route for that location.

_____________________

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

Jan 05 2026

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Dicks and Murphy peak, AZ

Hiking		Jan 05 2026
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	4.78 Miles	2,059 AEG

Hiking	4.78 Miles	5 Hrs 45 Mns	1.12 mph
	2,059 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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SAHC hike with Steve O, Kumar S, Paul Y, Judy, Tony, and Diane.

We left from Ajo Way & I-19 around 6 am and didn't arrive at our starting point until 7:45 am. When we arrived it was in the high 30s (COLD!!). See my 1/1/2026 trip report for a driving route that works. Thanks to Paul for driving on this one.

We started off climbing quite high on Peak 4627, which wasn't necessary as we found a good use trail on the North side of it on our return route (see my posted route). After getting around Peak 4627 we could see 2 bumps - one was a high saddle and the other was the summit. We headed toward a high saddle curving a bit to the left which was a good way to get up there. At this saddle we had a clear view of the summit. We started approaching the summit straight on. Part way up, I saw what looked like a trail crossing from right to left to get on the ridgeline. At first I thought it might be better to follow this trail but it really was not necessary. We were able to head straight up the steep ridgeline to get to the summit. When we got close to the summit, the slope leveled off a bit and the top of the mountain was made up of a band of rocks.

Tony went ahead and summited first. I hiked for a bit with Paul and Diane and when we got close to the summit, I held back and waited for the rest of the group to get closer. When I got near the very top of the peak, I saw some drug runner trash, including a blanket, backpacks, water bottles, cans, and trash bags. I summited around 9.45 am. We had a lunch at the top and looked for a registry which we were unable to find. I was surprised that we didn't find a registry since this was a more prominent peak. We got a group photo and photos of the nearby Murphy peak which was about 0.5 miles away as the crow flies. It was still a bit cold at the summit.

We started heading down the ridgeline connecting Ralphie's Red Ryder and Murphy peaks and needed to zig-zag a bit initially. The first 500 feet of hiking was quite steep and rocky. We had to curve to the left and zig-zag a bit to get lower, then we went back to the ridgeline and it was not as steep from there. We hiked down to the saddle and had a better look at Murphy peak from here. Near the top there was a rocky cliff band. We saw a saddle to the left of that cliff band and this seemed to be the best way to get to the summit. We also found some more drug runner trash near the saddle and slightly South of it.

We headed to the saddle East of Murphy peak and got there quicker than expected. Once there, we saw that the rocky cliff bands were also blocking us from going straight up to the saddle so we walk left (Southwest) to get around the rocky area. We basically spiraled around and reached the summit from the South end. At the summit, we found a registry. One was quite old and another was newer. We ended up signing both and I took photos of all of the pages of the older registry but forgot to take a photo of the newer registry. We took a break at the Murphy summit, had some snacks, and I took a group photo using my phone and tri-pod.

We decided to start heading down by hiking back to the low saddle. This involved a small amount of side hilling and following the ridgeline down which was not too steep. After getting back to the low saddle, we had to do 0.6 miles of side hilling which was not great. Half of the group went ahead and continued to side hill over to the original ridgeline that we went up. From where we were, Kumar and I decided that it would be an easier hike taking the ridgeline in front of us. It would avoid the side hilling and allow us to curve in the direction of the original route. This route worked well and we made good time getting down and were able to cross over and pick up the cattle trail that went North of Peak 4627. We met up with the rest of the group at the parking area.

The worst parts about this hike were the initial descent from Ralphie's Red Ryder to Murphy on the steep rocky slope, and the side hilling across a grassy slope with some loose rocks. Sometimes the grass was high and we could not see the rocks. But, the rest of the hike was fine, although slow going.

Stats (including trip to Murphy peak):
-----------------------------------------
Distance (round trip): 4.78 miles
AEG: 2,059 feet
Strava moving time: 3 hrs 10 mins
Strava elapsed time: 5 hrs 45 mins

_____________________

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

Jan 02 2026

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Daisy Mountain - Anthem

Phoenix, AZ

Daisy Mountain - Anthem

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 02 2026
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	7.01 Miles	1,498 AEG

Hiking	7.01 Miles	4 Hrs	2.43 mph
	1,498 ft AEG	1 Hour 7 Mns Break

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Daniel and I met just before 11 am in the neighborhood near this trail. Google maps shows that there is a trailhead but there is no parking except for on the streets. This trailhead is in need of a parking area.

We started off walking the neighborhood roads for a few minutes to get to the trailhead. After a minute, it opened up to an old road. Within the first few minutes we saw a few other hikers coming down the road. The road was mostly dirt with some rock and good enough to ride with a mountain bike. We saw at least 2 other mountain bikers on the road part of the trail while we were there.

It was pretty fast moving because the condition of the trail was good. There was no off trail portion at all anywhere. After following the road for a while, we saw a Y-junction and decided to turn right. We could have easily gone left here also, because the route was a lollypop loop. At just under 3 miles in, we reached the first high point and there was an American flag. This was the first of 2 high points. A little further ahead along the trail was supposed to be the location of the benchmark, which is labeled on the topo map as 3176. My GPS registered as high as 3168 in this area. We did not see a registry here or any kind of benchmark. We continued along the trail to the next high point which was about 0.4 miles away.

On arriving to the next high point we saw another American flag but this time there was a bench next to it and a registry that was very full. We found some space to sign our names. The registry was in a large plastic box that did not fully close or seal. I placed the registry at an angle with a rock over it which was the best way to secure it. This peak really needs an ammo box or something larger that can be sealed.

We decided to have lunch at the summit. After lunch, we headed down the other branch of the trail. There were a few trail branches and we needed to make sure we took the correct branch. It's recommended to take a GPS route on this hike so that you don't take a wrong turn. We eventually reached the Y-junction and were back on the road we were on previously.

All in all this was a great hike with a fine road and trail leading all the way to the top. I liked the fact that this was a very patriotic mountain! It's always great to see American flags on summits!

Stats
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Distance (round trip): 7.01 miles
AEG: 1,498 feet
Strava moving time: 2 hrs 53 mins
Strava elapsed time: 4 hrs 0 mins

Driving directions:
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Follow I-17 North of Phoenix toward Anthem, AZ
Take exit 229 for Anthem Way
Use the 2nd from the right lane to turn right onto W Anthem Way, 0.2 mi
Turn left onto Navigation Way, continue for 0.6 mi
Navigation Way turns right and becomes N Livingstone Way, continue for 177 ft
Turn right onto W Rushmore Dr, continue for 246 ft
W Rushmore Dr turns slightly left and becomes N Courage Trail
Park on the side of the road

You can also set your GPS or Google maps to here:

3540 W Rushmore Dr, Anthem, AZ 85086

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Flat Top Buckwheat

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Old Glory

_____________________

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

Jan 02 2026

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Black Mountain - Cave Creek

Phoenix, AZ

Black Mountain - Cave Creek

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 02 2026
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	2.68 Miles	1,226 AEG

Hiking	2.68 Miles	2 Hrs 8 Mns	1.94 mph
	1,226 ft AEG	45 Mns Break

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After hiking Daisy mountain, I drove over to the Black mountain trailhead which took about 30 minutes. I arrived just before 4 pm. I felt that I had enough time to summit and come down before dark, which I did.

There were a few open spaces in the parking lot which I hear fills up quite often, especially in the morning. I parked and started the walk South on N School House road. The road was a bit steep and there was very little traffic. Maybe only 1 car for the entire 1/3 mile. I walked 1/3 mile up and saw the trail which was right in the middle of a fork in the road. I continued on the trail. There were a few hikes coming down at this time.

The trail was steep and rocky and there were a few branches in some places that all seemed to converge together along the way. There were a few more groups of hikers coming down. There was a false summit and when I got there I could see that I needed to walk another 1/3 of a mile or so to get to the top. I continued on the well maintained trail and reached the top where I saw an American flag. I had the summit to myself for a few minutes before another hiker arrived.

From the top, there were views of Cave Creek to the North and West. There were views of the Carefree Foothills to the South, and views of the town of Carefree to the East. I did not see a registry, probably due to the volume of hikers here, but I happened to have a jar, so I started a new registry that I would imagine will fill up pretty fast. I simply put a heading for date, name, location, and comments. If everyone uses a single line, the registry can hold quite a few names.

I met 2 nice girls at the top who were locals and pretty fast hikers. They left a minute before me and finished a few minutes before me. I took my time a bit on the way down to take a few photos and to be safe. Some of the rock can be a little slippery at times. It was very cloudy but did not rain while I was there. I got to my car just as it was starting to get dark. Then drove over to the nearby Jersey Mike's for the #56 sub - Big Kahuna Cheesesteak. Always Awesome!

Stats:
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Distance (round trip): 2.68 miles
AEG: 1,226 feet
Strava moving time: 1 hr 25 mins
Strava elapsed time: 2 hrs 8 mins

Driving directions:
------------------------
Set your GPS or Google maps to Black Mountain Trail Parking Lot, Cave Creek, AZ.
There are many Black Mountains in the state so make sure it's the one in Cave Creek, AZ.

From the Phoenix area, merge onto I-17 N/US-60 W
Continue to follow I-17 N

Take exit 223A for Carefree Hwy

Continue on W Carefree Hwy. Drive to E Mark Way in Cave Creek
20 min (13.0 mi)

Black Mountain Trail Parking Lot
Cave Creek, AZ 85331

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Old Glory

_____________________

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

Dec 31 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Peak 4175 - Tortolita Mtns, AZ

Hiking		Dec 31 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	2.77 Miles	1,120 AEG

Hiking	2.77 Miles	4 Hrs 24 Mns	0.96 mph
	1,120 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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Note: My route also includes hiking to the nearby Peak 3892.

I arrived around 12:30 pm on a cloudy day and it felt like low 70s the whole day. I ended up parking on the cul-de-sac at N Gallery Vista Ct. and didn't see any evidence of construction but I did see a 'LOT SOLD' sign. I would guess that the construction will start in the beginning of 2026. The homes in this area are custom and quite massive so I would expect that the construction will take a long time, maybe close to a year.

I started walking from the end of the cul-de-sac into a small wash. The brush wasn't bad and it was possible to weave around most of it. When the wash started getting messy, I walked out of it and continued up the ridgeline toward Peak 3892. It appeared to be easier to summit this sub-peak first and then once on the ridgeline I could better plan my route to Peak 4175. There was a false summit and a few class 3 moves necessary going the way I went. After getting to the false summit, the hard part was over. I could see the summit only about 400 feet away. There was a small dip and it was just a nice walk up. I did not see a registry at either of the 2 possible high points. There wasn't much brush and it was possible to weave around it and walk around the summit.

I stopped for a break, looked at Peak 4175 and planned my route up. I could see that the ridgeline was pretty rocky and this would be a challenge. I had to do some weaving to avoid dropoffs and brush also. There was not really a distinct saddle because the ridgeline was quite rocky. I found some animal trails or possibly an old hiker's route and was able to follow that for some of the way. I didn't see any cairns the entire way. While getting closer to peak 4175, I saw a steep rock formation and this turned out to be a false summit. I hiked left of this rock formation. Most of the hiking in this section was class 1 & 2. After hiking closer to the actual summit, I could see the true summit and there was another steep rock formation that looked a lot like the previous one. Again, I stayed to the left and found a route that curved around the side and then up. There were a few class 3 moves in this area and some exposure, so I just took my time in those places. While approaching the massive rock formation that was basically the summit, I found some giant holes/small caves in the rock. It didn't appear that these holes went in too deep. I got some photos of these holes but didn't climb up to them to see if anything was inside.

When I got to the summit, I found a small registry under a rock. I was apparently only the 4th party to make the summit since Feb 1999! Wow, I expected to see several more names. Perhaps it isn't hiked often because of the lack of public parking anywhere near this peak. The jar that I found had a broken top and was placed inside a plastic bag, but luckily the registry was in good condition because it sheltered by a few rocks. I replaced the existing small jar with a larger jar and put a can over it to protect it from sun damage. I took some nice photos and a video from the top, then started to head back down to the low point on the ridge. I took roughly the same route down with a few minor adjustments where it made sense.

On my route down, I paralleled my route up for a while. There were some rugged areas but overall it wasn't too bad. At some point I intersected my original route and then basically followed the same path down for the last 1/5 mile.

My elapsed time UP was about 2 hours but that included going to Peak 3892 and taking a short break on that summit. I believe I got down in about 1.5 hrs.

Stats:
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Distance (round trip): 2.77 miles
AEG: 1,120 feet
Strava moving time: 1 hr 43 mins
Strava elapsed time: 4 hrs 24 mins

Driving directions:
-----------------------
Use this address for your driving route -- 14993 N Gallery Vista Ct.
Note: this is a private residential area. When I drove into the community, the gate automatically opened for me. I'm not sure if someone did this manually or not. Anyway, I drove in and parked on the cul-de-sac at N Gallery Vista Ct.

When I was there on Dec 31, 2025, there was a 'Lot Sold' sign, but the building has not started yet.
This hike may not be possible from this starting point after the Spring of 2026.

Take I-10 in Tucson West to Twin Peaks Rd.
Use the right 2 lanes to turn right onto W Twin Peaks Rd. continue for 3.9 mi.
Continue onto N Dove Mountain Blvd for 2.7 mi
Turn right onto N Dove Canyon Pass
** Note: this is a Partial restricted usage road **
continue for 2.3 mi
Turn right onto N Gallery Vista Ct
** Restricted usage road **
I parked on the cul-de-sac.
At the time, there was nobody living there and construction had not started yet.
I felt that parking there was fine for about 4 hours since nobody was living there yet.

_____________________

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

Dec 29 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Wild Burro Overlook - Tortolitas, AZ

Hiking		Dec 29 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	8.65 Miles	1,398 AEG

Hiking	8.65 Miles	5 Hrs 20 Mns	2.36 mph
	1,398 ft AEG	1 Hour 40 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Thanks to Mick and Eric for adding this high point and writing a trip report.

Arrived and met Brian W at the trailhead around 9 am. We started on the Wild Burro trail and decided to take the hotel spur and walk through the Ritz-Carlton resort. At the resort we saw a huge outdoor Christmas tree and outdoor dining area which looked very nice. We were not sure if there was a way to get to the Upper Javelina trail from the hotel, as it wasn't obvious from the map. So, we walked back to the Wild Burro trail and walked toward the Upper Javelina trail. Then, we turned left at the Upper Javelina trail junction and started heading up the trail. This is where the trail got a bit steeper. There were some switchbacks but the trail was in excellent shape the entire way.

Along the Upper Javelina trail there were some good lookout points. After hiking for a total of 2.5 miles, we reached the Cochie canyon trail and Wild Mustang trail junction. We turned right and continued on the Wild Mustang trail, and at just under 3 miles total we reach a nice rest area / lookout. We stopped over to take a few photos and continued onward. After we walked a total of 3.9 miles, we were at a point where we needed to exit the trail to get to the Wild Burro Overlook. We saw an old hiker's route or use trail and a few cairns along of the way but the trail was a bit overgrown and ambiguous. After getting off trail, it took us about 15 minutes to get to the Wild Burro Overlook. When we got there, we saw a small rock pile at the high point but did not find a registry. Unfortunately, both of us forgot to bring jars. It was about 11:30 am so we decided to have lunch and admire the views. Looking down we could see the Wild Burro wash, and looking North we could see Big Caprock peak (also known as Peak 4416/4422).

After having lunch we did the easy off trail hike back to the trail. I needed to get back home because of other plans but Brian continued over to Big Caprock which is a peak I have hiked a few years ago.

This hike ended up being very enjoyable and definitely did not feel like 8 miles. I felt more like 5 or 6 miles, probably because the trail was maintained very well and there was not much elevation change overall. We talked about hiking some of the other numbered peaks in the area.

Stats:
-------
Distance (round trip): 8.65 miles
AEG: 1,398 feet
Strava moving time: 3 hrs 37 mins
Strava elapsed time: 5 hrs 20 mins

_____________________

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

Dec 26 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Ajax Hill - Tombstone area, AZ

Hiking		Dec 26 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	2.13 Miles	703 AEG

Hiking	2.13 Miles	2 Hrs 23 Mns	1.75 mph
	703 ft AEG	1 Hour 10 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Thanks to Mike Stuckey for providing the only known route + driving directions.

Joel and I had a late start and arrived before 2 pm using the same starting point that Mike S. provided. We parked off the road and walked the road in the direction of the peak. While on the road we looked for evidence of mining but didn't see anything. We followed the switchbacks on the road on the way up. Joel decided to stay near the road and look for any mining activity.

My goal was to make it to the summit as this was the final SAHC peak in the Tombstone area and had it on my radar for quite some time. I started the off trail climb up, aiming for the dip to the right of the summit. Starting off it was relatively flat but the grade got steeper around the halfway point, maybe sooner. It helped to zig-zag to avoid the brush and some loose rock. There was minimal brush along my route. Some ocotillo, some creosote, some dead trees, a few prickly pear, and agave.

Maybe halfway up, I saw a small stone wall that was probably made by miners. Maybe this walled off a rest area or area where miners slept?

I continued and about 90% of the way to the summit, I found a 20 foot deep mining hole with a small rock barrier around it. The hole was off to the side and visible from 20-30 feet away. I continued up to the saddle, made a left turn and did the open Country hike to the summit. At the summit, I found a jar registry and signed it. I took my photos and started to head back down to the road, but this time I took a slightly different route. There seemed to be use trails on the way down and I could not tell whether these were trails made by miners or hikers. It was steep going down so I just took my time.

When I got closer to the road, the grade flattened out a lot. Once on the road, I planned on taking the switchbacks down but I found a more direct road going down that didn't involve any switchbacks, so I took that. That road got me back to my starting point a bit faster. Once I got on the road, I did not need to jump any switchback or do any more scrambling.

After the hike, Joel and I went to Tombstone to tour the area again. While driving into the town, we saw about 6 deer near the road. I parked the truck and went over to look at the deer. We saw people feeding them and some of them ran away and gracefully jumped over a white picket fence. Thankfully, I was able to capture that on video!

After that we checked out a few stores and then had dinner at The Longhorn restaurant at 501 E Allen St, Tombstone, AZ 85638.

I had a burger with a side of green beans (skipped the greasy fries) and we split an apple cobbler with ice cream and whipped cream.

Stats:
------
Distance (round trip): 2.13 miles
AEG: 703 feet
Strava moving time: 1 hr 11 mins
Strava elapsed time: 2 hrs 23 mins

_____________________

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

Dec 25 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Peak 3340 - Tortilitas, AZ

Hiking		Dec 25 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	2.68 Miles	558 AEG

Hiking	2.68 Miles	1 Hour 53 Mns	2.01 mph
	558 ft AEG	33 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Merry Christmas! The high temp was 76. Arrived with Joel in the early afternoon. Hiked Wild Burro trail to Alamo Springs trail to the saddle. The trail was in great condition. It was possible to walk in the wash or the trail for most of the Wild Burro trail. We took a mixture of routes along that trail. Once on the Javelina trail or the Alamo Springs trail, you are climbing out of the wash and only have one route.

At the saddle, Joel turned around and headed back. I did the off trail scramble to the summit which probably took about 10 minutes. There was some brush but it was easy enough to walk around it. There was a minor cliff band up high that I was able to find a way through. Once through that, I noticed this was a false summit but the true summit was only a few hundred feet further.

I looked around for a registry but did not find one. If I do this hike again sometime, I could bring a jar.

Stats:
-------
Distance (round trip): 2.68 miles
AEG: 558 feet
Strava moving time: 1 hr 20 mins
Strava elapsed time: 1 hr 53 mins

_____________________

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

Dec 20 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Pontatoc Trail #410

Tucson, AZ

Pontatoc Trail #410

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Dec 20 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	8.05 Miles	2,597 AEG

Hiking	8.05 Miles	6 Hrs 33 Mns	1.77 mph
	2,597 ft AEG	2 Hrs Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

PrestonSands

Started this hike with Preston in the morning. Our plan was to hike up the Finger Rock trail to the new Pontatoc connector trail which would take us back to the Pontatoc trail, formerly known as the Pontatoc Canyon trail.

The new trail was absolutely fantastic. There were no obstacles at all and the trail was all class 1. Once we got back to the old Pontatoc trail, we noticed a difference. The old trail is still in good condition but steeper and rockier than the new trail.

We saw a few groups of other hikers at Linda Vista saddle, which is a good place to take a break and admire the views. The elevation at Linda Vista saddle is 5,586 which is about 200 feet higher than the Pontatoc Ridge high point.

Stats:
---------
Distance (round trip): 8.05 miles
AEG: 2,597 feet
Strava moving time: 4 hrs 35 mins
Strava elapsed time: 6 hrs 33 mins

_____________________

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

Dec 12 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Diablo Mountains High Point

Southwest, AZ

Diablo Mountains High Point

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Dec 12 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	3.37 Miles	1,246 AEG

Hiking	3.37 Miles	4 Hrs 29 Mns	1.36 mph
	1,246 ft AEG	2 Hrs Break

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

After breakfast, Brian and I drove the van from the Twin Peaks campground over to the Estes Canyon - Bull Pasture trailhead. On the drive over we were looking at the cliffs on the West side of this high point and they looked impassible without ropes. But, apparently, there was a canyon that could be climbed from the Northwest side of the peak. Along the drive, we saw Tillotson peak which is another peak we would like to hike someday.

We parked at Bull Pasture trailhead and started our hike around late morning, following the route posted by Matthias S. Thanks to Matthias for posting a route. We ended up using his route as a general guideline. Along the route, we found a large rock overhang and decided to take a break at this point in the shade after hiking a total of about 0.65 miles. It was hotter than expected in December.

After the break, we kept following the ridgeline up and after we reached a total of about 1.4 miles, it was already 12.30 pm and we decided to stop in the shade to have lunch. There was a smaller rock overhang here and evidence that animals were here at some point. It may have been bighorn sheep.

After lunch we continued for another 15 minutes to reach the top. We took 2 rather long breaks before summiting which we normally don't do because it was quite hot and we were ready for lunch. At the summit we found a rock pile with a registry. From this point we had excellent views of Mt Ajo, Mt Tillotson and other nearby points. We could look South and see the border wall and parts of the town of Sonoyta, Mexico. Looking Northwest we could see a long rugged canyon which we believed was a possible route, but must have been more difficult than the ridgeline.

We decided to take a more direct route going East down to the road just because it looked possible. This route proved to be a bit more challenging than our route going up. There was more route finding involved. and there were some cliffs to avoid. We had to us our hands in a few spots but most of the hike down was nothing over a class 2. Once we hiked to the road, we just had to walk the road to get back to where we parked.

Stats:
-------
Distance (round trip): 3.37 miles
AEG: 1,246 feet
Strava moving time: 1 hr 48 mins
Strava elapsed time: 4 hrs 29 mins

Driving Directions:
--------------------
From Why, AZ...
Head southwest on AZ-85 S for 22.1 mi

Turn left onto Ajo Mountain Dr
Continue for 10.9 mi to Estes Canyon - Bull Pasture Trail Head

Note: Ajo Mountain Dr is a loop that becomes one way after the first 2 miles

There is a picnic area here with some shaded tables.
You will need the US National Forest pass for this area.

_____________________

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

Dec 11 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Sonoyta Mountains High Point, AZ

Hiking		Dec 11 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	8.20 Miles	1,049 AEG

Hiking	8.20 Miles	6 Hrs 48 Mns	1.91 mph
	1,049 ft AEG	2 Hrs 30 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

This was Day 3 of 4 of our trip. We camped the previous night at the Twin Peaks campground in the Organ Pipe National Monument on the South end. With Brian's discount card, the cost was $10 per night, normally $20. The site had a shelter, picnic table, and grill with room for 2 vehicles. There were a total of 208 campsites at this location, with 6 restrooms and there are showers at 3 of the 6 restrooms areas. The water for the showers is solar heated and not warm in December. There were 2 shower nozzles, one up high and one lower with ON buttons for each. After pressing the ON button for the lower nozzle, it would stay on for only 6 seconds and then you needed to press the button again. The upper nozzle would stay on for 9 seconds. In my opinion, this run time should have been extended to something like 20 or 30 seconds. It's quite annoying to have to press a button 30-40 times for a 5 minute shower...

We started our hike around 9.40 am by taking the Victoria Mine trail. The mine trail was relatively flat and very well-maintained with a few wash crossings along the way. We took the trail about 1.8 miles to a junction. At the junction we could have turned left to go to the Victoria Mine but we decided to see this on the way back. We turned right and continued. At this point the trail turned into a road. We saw some large organ pipe cactus along the way which made for great photos. We continued until we hiked a total of about 2.9 miles and found ourselves at the base of the peak. It took us a little over 1 hour to get to this point. From this point, the hiking would get steeper and some route finding was involved to get to the peak.

We started climbing up the ridge which got rocky pretty quickly. When we got higher up, we looked to the left and noticed that ridgeline looked much better so we crossed over to it and continued up until we reached a saddle. From the saddle, we could see the summit. We just needed to stay along the ridgeline to get there because there was a deep canyon to our West that we needed to go around. At a certain point, we found a trail North of the ridgeline which we followed and this seemed to save a little time. Eventually, we made it to the high point. From the top, we could see Twin peak, the Ajo range to the East and the low saddle where we took a short break on the way up. We were not able to see the Twin peaks campground because it was hidden behind a ridgeline.

From the summit, the ridgelines looking South and West from the high point were very rugged and we were glad we went this way. Going the other way would involve rougher terrain and take more time, I'm sure.

At the top we found a registry going back 10 years that had only 3 pages of entries. We took our photos and had lunch at the summit. On the way down, we decided to take the same ridgeline, but we found a much better route. If you follow our GPS route, I would recommend using our down route for both directions. We got back down to the road faster than we thought we would. From here we hiked South toward Victoria Mine, saw some volunteer workers there doing some reconstruction work on a small stone building and we stopped for another break as it was quite hot out there. There were a few mining holes, all blocked with fences and solid metal barriers. We saw a lot of mine tailings in the area.

After exploring the mine area, we took the well-maintained trail back to the Twin Peaks campground. It will still quite early, but we felt that we did enough hiking for the day.

Stats
------
Distance (round trip): 8.2 miles
AEG: 1,049 feet
Strava moving time: 3 hrs 21 mins
Strava elapsed time: 6 hrs 48 mins

Directions from Why, AZ:
---------------------------
From the AZ-86/85 junction, take AZ-85 South from Why, AZ for 22 miles to the Kris Eggle Visitor Center in the Organ Pipe National Monument. Turn right, going West, onto Puerto Blanco drive. Follow the signs to the Twin Peaks campground area. There is trailhead parking on the South end of the campground. If you are not camping, you will need a National Park pass to park at the trailhead parking for the Victoria Mine trail.

_____________________

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

Dec 10 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Black Mountain - Little Ajo Mountains HP

Southwest, AZ

Black Mountain - Little Ajo Mountains HP

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Dec 10 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	5.14 Miles	1,808 AEG

Hiking	5.14 Miles	7 Hrs 21 Mns	1.18 mph
	1,808 ft AEG	3 Hrs Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Note: Our route includes going to Black South which only had 369 feet of prominence and may not interest some hikers. The stats below include our hike to Black Mountain - South.

This was day 2 of our 4 day camping hiking trip. The previous night we camped at a good starting point, maybe only 200 feet West of Bates Well road. There may have been some other better places to camp further away from the road, but we were satisfied with this area.

We started the open Country hike toward Black mountain. As a guideline, we used a route that was posted by Matthias S. Thanks to Matthias for posting that route. On the walk toward Black mountain, we saw a rocky ridgeline and though that the track would go either left or right of it. We were wrong. The track went right UP the rocky ridgeline. There were some steep areas but it was mostly class 1 & 2 along the ridgeline. There were a few places where we needed to use our hands along the ridgeline but nothing too difficult. Along the top of the ridgeline, there were some areas where there were drop offs to the left and right. These were the main exposure areas where you will need to be careful that you have stable footing. The rocky ridgeline was fun to climb but it was rather long. We reached the false summit at 1.45 miles and then from there we could see the top. From here we only had another 120 vertical feet of elevation, but it was a rocky ridgeline and was slow going. It would be another 0.45 miles to get to the summit from the false summit. At the summit, we found a registry in a jar, but we could not find a survey marker. Since Sept 2023, we were the 9th group to sign the registry.

From the summit, we found an odd brown colored rock down the ridgeline looking North that didn't seem to match any of the other rocks up there. We could look way down and see our camping spot. The Tohono reservation was about 7 miles to the East.

On the way down, we took the same ridgeline to the false summit, but then decided it might be faster to go to the saddle to the Southeast. It looked close but it ended up being a 0.5 mile hike across a very rocky ridgeline, some of which we could not even see until we got there. Luckily, we were able to make it down to the saddle. It was hot and we were a bit tired but we decided it would not be much extra hiking to climb another 369 feet to make it to Black Mountain - South.

At this saddle and for part of the way up Black Mountain - South, we found a lot of drug runner TRASH including multiple carpet shoes, clothing, blankets, cans, plastic bottles, etc. When you see carpet shoes, you KNOW these criminal drug running parasites are up to NO GOOD. I'm glad the leadership had enough balls to call them terrorists which is what they are. I'm glad our leadership is FINALLY cracking down on them. Furthermore, it's safer for hikers if they are not around.

We continued up to Black Mountain South. There were a few areas where we needed to use our hands and there were a few class moves necessary but nothing dangerous to me. We were surprised to see a registry at the summit. The registry went back to 1997, and we were only the 9th party to summit since then. We saw a few famous names on the registry including Bob Martin, Gordon MacLeod, Barbara Lilley, and Bob Packard. From this point we had some nice views of Black Mountain.

We headed back down to the saddle, looked left and it looked rather steep, so we continued for another 100 feet or so before heading down to our vehicles. We had to zig-zag a bit and maybe use our hands in a few spots but within a few minutes we were on flatter ground and could truly relax for the first time on the descent. We made it back to our vehicles a little before dark and then decided to head down to Twin peaks campground where we had a reservation and planned on doing some other hikes for the next 2 days.

Stats (for both Black and Black South peaks):
-----------------
Distance (round trip): 5.14 miles
AEG: 1,808 feet
Strava moving time: 3 hrs 17 mins
Strava elapsed time: 7 hrs 21 mins

Driving Directions:
--------------------
From Ajo, Arizona 85321

Head east on AZ-85 S/N Taladro St toward S Elota Ave
Continue to follow AZ-85 S for 2.4 mi

Turn right onto Darby Well Rd, continue for 1.3 mi

Continue onto Bates Well Rd for 0.6 mi

Continue onto Bates Well Rd for 2.1 mi

Turn left on unmarked road

See GPS route for more info.

_____________________

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

Dec 09 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Peak 2976 - Little Ajo Mountains

Southwest, AZ

Peak 2976 - Little Ajo Mountains

Southwest, AZ

Hiking		Dec 09 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	4.30 Miles	1,375 AEG

Hiking	4.30 Miles	5 Hrs	1.56 mph
	1,375 ft AEG	2 Hrs 15 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

We left Tucson around 9 am, and arrived at the Desert Diamond Casino/store in Why, AZ on AZ-86 just East of AZ-85 around 11.30 am. It was almost lunch time so we decided to eat there. There were a few table outside that were poorly shaded but it was OK in December. In summer, it would not be a great place to picnic unless the sun is behind the building. After lunch we drove to the starting point and planned on using the route provided by Matthias S. Thanks to Matthias for uploading a route. We ended up taking another route but we used the same starting point.

We noticed a gate that was a few hundred feet from our parking area, further up the road. We did not see a 'no trespassing' sign and we even saw a place where it was possible to step through the fence next to the gate. It appeared to be private property, but nobody was there at this time. We saw some nice organ pipe cactus on the property and also along the hike. We found a rusted old car near the side of the road and stopped to get photos. We walked by an old house and got a better look at the summit and the best way to get there.

We looked up and saw a small saddle so we decided to walk there. There wasn't much brush the the incline was not steep. After reaching the saddle, we could see the summit better and there were a few ways to get there. We could either stay on the same ridgeline or drop down and pick up another ridgeline heading in the direction of the summit. But, we felt it was probably more direct to stay on our current ridgeline to get up to the main ridgeline. When we got to the main ridgeline it got quite rocky but we were able to follow it upwards. There was one section up ahead that we could not clearly see. It turned out to be fine. Nothing over class 2.

After 1.1 miles, we unexpectedly ran into a good trail! This was a pleasant surprise! A few minutes later we ran into another hiker coming down. She was from Washington state and in the Ajo area visiting a friend and hiking. We traded a few stories and talked for about an hour! After that we continued on the well-maintained trail and that took us all the way to the summit. At the summit, we found a registry with about 20 pages of entries going back about 11 years. We signed the registry, had a snack and decided that we would take the trail all the way down on the way down.

From the summit, we could see most of the town of Ajo, the mine, and the mine tailings. Looking Northwest we could see Childs mountain which had an antenna tower on top. This is another 1K prominence peak that I would like to hike someday.

We didn't know exactly where the trailhead was or if there even was one. But, the trail going down was very well-maintained. Near the bottom, we saw some building and we could not tell if those buildings were commercial or residential. There were some branches but we decided to stay on the main branch of the trail. The main branch of the trail led us into private property, but we were not aware that it was private property until we saw a 'no trespassing' sign on the North end of the property. There didn't seem to be anyone there.

It would have been better to take one of the right branches of the trail on the way going down. I traced what I believe was a better route and plotted it on my GPS track. See 'alternate starting point' on route. It would be possible to park here and start from this point. Then, you would have a really nice trail that would take you all the way to the top.

Route notes:
1. Rectangular boxes are private property
2. Southwest of the 'alternate starting point', the topo map shows a 4x4 road. This road appeared to be blocked.
3. There are multiple track segments. Why can't they be shown in different colors?

Stats
------
distance (round trip): 4.3 miles
AEG: 1,375 feet
moving time: about 2 hrs 45 mins
elapsed time: 5 hrs (2 long breaks)

Driving directions: See my route. Parking spots are marked on the route.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Automobile Remains/Wreckage

_____________________

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

Dec 05 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Pusch's Flatiron

Tucson, AZ

Pusch's Flatiron

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Dec 05 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	3.88 Miles	1,125 AEG

Hiking	3.88 Miles	3 Hrs 56 Mns	2.08 mph
	1,125 ft AEG	2 Hrs 4 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

I did this hike with Angie. It was her first time hiking this trail and to this popular lookout.

We arrived at 10 am on a Friday (non-weekend). The parking lot at the Linda Vista trailhead was 100% full and so was the overflow lot. This is one of the areas which are in desperate need of an expanded parking lot!

There were many other hikers including a few older guys who were planning on hiking all the way to Pusch peak. We also met 2 hikers from Alberta, Canada, and 2 others from Minnesota. Great to be living in a place where walking outside is not like walking into a freezer! The high temp was reported to be 65 but it felt over 70 when we were in the sun. It was comfortable to hike in jeans and a short sleeve T-shirt.

Stats:
-----------
3.88 miles round trip
1,125 feet AEG
Strava moving time: 1 hr 52 mins
Strava elapsed time: 3 hrs 56 mins

_____________________

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

Nov 23 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Peak 5534 - Behind the House Hill, AZ

Hiking		Nov 23 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	5.04 Miles	1,111 AEG

Hiking	5.04 Miles	2 Hrs 53 Mns	2.44 mph
	1,111 ft AEG	49 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

I've known about this peak for some time now and saw it from Adams peak last winter. Thanks to Francisco and Jack for joining me on this hike. We all arrived around 10.40 am and parked near a powerline. The road we needed to take walking up was just to our West. We could have driven some of this road, but what's the challenge in that?

Overall this was a relatively easy hike. The road winds around and goes all the way to the top. On the bottom section of the road we found a few cows who were not so afraid. They stood there staring at us until the final second and then they took a few steps away.

We got to the high saddle in just under 1 hour. There are basically 2 peaks here with the South peak being the higher one and the North peak being lower in elevation. We stopped at the North peak, walked around, and then took a few photos. Then, we hiked to the South peak. There were radio/satellite towers all around this area with fences around them. The West side of the South peak seemed to be where the high point was. We looked around for a registry but didn't find one. Luckily, I brought a jar and a metal can. I shouldn't have to say this BUT... The jar is to protect the paper from rain and the can is to protect the paper from sun damage!

We first sat down to have a lunch and within about 15 minutes we felt a rain drop and had a bad feeling the rain would hit, even though the forecast said there was a 4% chance of rain for this area at this hour. We quickly filled out a new registry and signed it, then I went to the high point to place it there. I found a very nice rock that had a space under it and was ideal for a registry. I would have liked to spend some time and make it more secure/guarded but because of the rain, we really didn't have a lot of time.

Because of the rain, we headed down the road and got down in about 50 minutes. The rain continued for about half of our walk down the road and then stopped. The cattle probably went to get shelter from the rain, or maybe they just stood there and enjoyed it. Either way, the cattle moved away from the road. Shortly after we finished the hike, we felt another few rain drops.

Stats:
-------
Distance (round trip): 5.04 miles
AEG: 1,111 feet
Strava moving time: 2 hrs 4 mins
Strava elapsed time: 2 hrs 53 mins

Driving Directions:
--------------------
(High clearance required, 4x4 preferred)

Take I-10 to Exit 318 for Dragoon Rd.
Note: Exit 318 is about 12 miles East of Benson.
At the exit, continue to a stop sign.

Turn right onto E Dragoon Rd, continue for 3.5 mi
Turn right to stay on E Dragoon Rd, continue for 98 ft
Turn left onto E Touch Stone Trail
Continue for 2.9 miles on a primitive road.
park on the right side of the road near a power line.
See route for more details.

There was a lot of rain the day & night before and there were several deep puddles on the road, some of which seemed to be over 1 foot deep. I had my 4x4 engaged for this stuff cause I didn't want to get stuck in the water. For some of the puddles it was possible to go around and for others you had to drive THROUGH.

If the road is dry, this drive may be possible with high clearance only BUT there were a few steeper hills that could be a challenge without good tires. The good news is if you can't drive down the road, you can always walk it! ;-)

_____________________

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

Nov 13 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Silver Peak Trail #280

Tucson, AZ

Silver Peak Trail #280

Tucson, AZ

Hiking		Nov 13 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	10.98 Miles	3,033 AEG

Hiking	10.98 Miles	7 Hrs 30 Mns	2.00 mph
	3,033 ft AEG	2 Hrs Break

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We camped the night before in Horseshoe canyon, which is a few canyons away. To get to Horseshoe canyon, take US-80 to Sunrise road and travel West for about 2 miles. Turn right on Owls Butte trail, continue for 0.5 miles, then turn left on Zent rd., continue for 0.6 miles and you will enter Forest Service land. You will see 2 corrals on either side of the road. You can drive between the corrals and continue as far as you would like. We found a nice camp spot within about 1/4 mile of the Forest Service entrance.

At night a few bulls were making a lot of noise near us. I never heard this kind of noise from cows before. We were not sure if they were angry that we were there or not. Either way, we were not moving. The cows eventually got tired of their apparent tantrum and moved on...

In the morning, we drove out to US-80 and headed Northeast. We crossed into New Mexico, through the town of Rodeo, and North toward Portal road. We turned left on Portal road and followed it through the town of Portal, AZ and turned left on S Cave Creek road and took that a few miles to the trailhead which was on the right side of the road.

At the trailhead, there was room for about 7 or 8 vehicles. We parked a little after 9 am. When I got out of my truck, there were 2 hikers standing there as if they were waiting for me. I was a bit confused. They said they were from the Portal hiking club and they thought I was a guy named Tony. Apparently, there's a hiker named Tony who looks like me. We talked with the hikers about Silver peak, Portal peak, and a few other places. Some day we will probably hike these other areas.

We started off on the Silver peak trail. This was one of the best trails I've seen in a long time. We heard from a local hiker that the trail was improved over the last few years. More switchbacks were put in apparently. There was a sign at the trailhead that said it was a 4.5 mile hike to Silver peak. We eventually found that it was 5.22 miles to the summit. The hike is a bit longer than it was in previous years but perhaps not as steep. That's OK with me.

Looking up, we could see 'The Fingers' which were some huge rock formations. The trail went up toward those fingers and then wrapped around the North side of the mountain. We were in the shade for quite some time because the mountain blocked the sun. About 1 mile in, we saw a few prickly pear cactus with a circle of protective rocks around them. It was a bit funny cause you would never see this in the Tucson area, but I suppose in this area, there aren't massive amounts of cactus, especially at 5,400 feet elevation.

It was not possible to see the summit until the last few minutes of the hike. From the trail, there were a lot of trees blocking the view of the summit. But, eventually, the trail reached a saddle. There was an old maintenance shack on this saddle with the door detached. The building contained some old buckets and cans, a fire extinguisher, an old sign, and not much else. I continued West to the site of the old lookout tower. There were some concrete steps leading up and a concrete foundation that was still there. Inside the concrete structure was an ammo box with a lot of registry entries going back a few years.

After taking photos of many of the registry pages and views, I went back down to the main trail and walked the use trail to the Silver peak benchmark at 7975 elevation. This last section of trail was a bit overgrown but it only took about 5 minutes to get up there from the saddle. At the benchmark, I found a rock pile with a registry that was buried deep under the rock pile. The registry was hard to read because of sun damage. I took a few photos of the few pages that were readable.

We had a late lunch at the saddle and left around 2.30 pm to head down the trail. It was roughly 5 miles to get down to the trailhead. I estimated that we would get back to the trailhead around 5.30 pm but we made good time and reached the trailhead around 4.45 pm. We only stopped to take a few photos along the way.

We only saw 3 hikers on the trail the entire day and all of them were below the bottom 1/2 mile - a couple coming down as we were hiking up during the bottom 1/2 mile and another hiker coming up on our last 1/4 mile from the trailhead.

I would highly recommend this hike to anyone as it was a beautiful area with a very nice trail and incredible views. There was no parking fee.

Stats
-----
Distance (round trip): 10.98 miles
AEG (feet): 3,033
Strava moving time: 5 hrs 16 mins
Strava elapsed time: 7 hrs 30 mins

Driving Directions
------------------
Follow Google maps to...

Silver Peak Trailhead, 42 Forest Rd, San Simon, AZ 85632

..or..

From the Tucson area and points North...

Follow I-10 E to W Power Rd in Cochise County.

At roughly 18 miles East of Bowie, AZ, take exit 382 from I-10 E

Take exit 382 for I-10 toward Portal Rd/San Simon
0.2 mi

Turn left onto W Power Rd (signs for Portal Rd)
0.9 mi

Turn right onto S Noland Rd
17.0 mi

Continue straight onto Montgomery Rd/S Noland Rd/Paradise Rd
302 ft

Slight left onto Foothills Rd
8.3 mi

Turn right onto Portal Rd
1.3 mi

Slight left onto 42 Forest Rd/S Cave Creek Rd/Forest Rd
Continue to follow 42 Forest Rd/S Cave Creek Rd
Destination will be on the right

1.5 mi
Silver Peak Trailhead
42 Forest Rd, San Simon, AZ 85632

_____________________

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

Nov 12 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Horseshoe Canyon Chiricahuas, AZ

Hiking		Nov 12 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	5.14 Miles	255 AEG

Hiking	5.14 Miles	2 Hrs 1 Min	2.55 mph
	255 ft AEG

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Brian and I hiked about 5 miles round trip of Horseshoe canyon the day before our planned hike at Silver peak. Along the way, we saw some wildflowers, a few cattle, and had some nice views of the towering cliffy mountains around us. Further up the canyon, we saw oak trees, juniper, and a huge water tank that full, but the small trough next to it was empty. Seems like someone needs to check on this setup for the cattle. After our hike we camped in Horseshoe canyon. Some of the bulls were making some loud noises around us near dusk. They sounded a bit angry that we were there. We weren't moving and eventually they moved away.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Horseshoe Canyon

_____________________

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

Nov 11 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Swede West Chiricahuas, AZ

Hiking		Nov 11 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	4.60 Miles	1,828 AEG

Hiking	4.60 Miles	8 Hrs	0.71 mph
	1,828 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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Happy Veteran's Day! Thanks to all of the Veterans who have served and made our Country safer.

Note: My posted route involves about 3 miles of driving some rugged road. See directions below for more. The hiking portion of the route involved a lot of bushwhack. I'm sure there are better routes. I thought it would be better to stay in the canyon for longer. Along the hike we found portions of the pack trail but then lost it in some areas.

Brian and I camped the night before at a good starting point for Limestone mountain. See my trip report for the camping location we used. The next morning we slept in until about 7.30 am, had breakfast and drove the rugged 4x4 road not knowing the condition of the road. The topo map showed a pack trail and the entire hike was supposed to be roughly 6 miles, so we figured we would have a fairly easy time with this hike. We were wrong. The pack trail was non-existent in many places. The brush was very rough, the grade was steep and we probably spent 90% of the entire distance either in washes, on messy ridgelines, or bushwhacking, and only 10% of the distance on fairly decent unmaintained trail.

Some of the older maps showed a Pine Gulch trailhead that seems to no longer exist. I was able to get my 4x4 Chevy truck within about 0.2 miles of the old trailhead. Right past where I parked the road was completely washed out / destroyed.

We hiked in the direction of where we thought the road would go. The old trailhead seemed to be right in the middle of a wash. We didn't see any signs or anything there. We kept walking in the wash and found pieces of trails that seemed to follow the wash. We were not sure if these trails were animal trails or old hiking trails. After hiking about 0.58 miles we ran into a canyon and decided to follow that since we seemed to have lost the trail. At 0.72 miles we exited the canyon and decided it would be better to follow a ridgeline up. This worked better for a while.

The hike was hellish from our 1 mile mark to about 1.45 miles. It was a complete bushwhack, very slow going and we were just trying to get to better terrain. Once we finally got higher, the terrain flattened out we were able to walk animal trails North for a few hundred feet. Next we needed to get down to the saddle West of peak 7413. We needed to take this slow because it was quite steep. There was some class 3 downhill climbing in this area. When we got lower, we saw a trail that took us up the West side of peak 7413. It was great to see a trail after all of this time and we hoped it would take us up to Swede West. The trail took us to the West side of Swede West, and then continued North along the West side of Swede West. But, thankfully, it was a relatively easy open Country hike to get up to Swede West. On Swede West, we looked East toward Swede and saw a lot of vertical cliffs. Our original plan was to go there, but after the rugged bushwhack we did, we decided to save that for another day.

We didn't find a registry on Swede West and unfortunately neither of us had a jar. Now that we know more about the terrain, we may go back there another time. I believe it took us 3 hrs 30 mins to get to this point from our starting point. Had there been a trail, we could have done this hike in 1.5 hrs. It's amazing how slow going it can be without a decent trail.

We started heading back down the West side of Swede West and ran back into the old pack trail. This trail took us all the way back to the saddle West of peak 7413. I should point out that this trail was faint in some places on the West side of 7413 and in some areas we jumped a few switchbacks where it was easy to do so. At the saddle West of 7413 we saw a cairn and tried to follow a faint trail leading Northwest. We lost the trail within a few minutes and could not find anything resembling a trail in this area. We ended up doing a terrible bushwhack that involved side hilling for around 45 minutes where we were only able to cross about 800 feet of hellish terrain. Then, we decided to get on the ridgeline where we were able to make much better time. The ridgeline was full of rock formations and a lot of dead manzanita branches. We were able to stay on the ridgeline but needed to drop either right of left on the rugged areas. It seemed like we dropped right more often. After another 45 minutes we were able to cross about 0.5 miles of rugged ridgeline. Then, we were relived to be at the saddle East of peak 6992. On the saddle, we saw the pack trail and also a section going back West along the North side of the terrible ridgeline we crossed. It would be interesting to go back there and see how far that trail could be followed.

From the saddle, we found pieces of pack trail heading down but it felt like we were only 50% on a trail and 50% weaving through open spaces. The terrain flattened out and eventually we found ourselves in the main wash. At least we knew our bushwhacking for the day was over. The wash was wide open and a bit rocky but it was one of the more pleasant parts of our hike. We felt that if we went back, we would want to follow the main wash as high up as we could, get to the same saddle again and try to follow the old pack trail, at least whatever portion still exists.

If anyone is interested in exploring this area and trying to find the old pack trail, send me a PM.

Unfortunately, I ruined my hiking shoes on this hike. The side was all torn out on one of them. I never had this happen before and it's an indication of how truly messy and rugged the terrain was. So, just know that the trails in this area probably haven't been easy to follow in at least the last 30 to 50 years!

Stats
------
Distance (round trip): 4.6 miles
AEG: 1,828 feet
Strava moving time: 3 hrs 43 mins
Strava elapsed time: 8 hrs

Driving directions
--------------------
(4x4 required for final 3 miles)

see my trip report for Limestone.
from Limestone parking area (31.680254, -109.318525), drive 0.13 miles to main road and turn left
continue for 1.1 miles and turn right on FSR 719
continue for 1.5 miles on rocky 4x4 road
turn right (tight turn)
continue for 0.2 miles and find pullout on right side of road
This is a good place to park

location: 31.714048, -109.319296

_____________________

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

Nov 10 2025

Mike_W

Guides 105
Routes 263
Photos 18,058
Triplogs 566

male

Joined Dec 30 2005
Tucson, AZ

Limestone mountain Chiricahuas, AZ

Hiking		Nov 10 2025
		Mike_W • Triplogs 566

Hiking	5.54 Miles	1,942 AEG

Hiking	5.54 Miles	5 Hrs 30 Mns	1.39 mph
	1,942 ft AEG	1 Hour 30 Mns Break

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It was a long drive to get to this location from the Tucson area. We ended up taking I-1 East, exited at Benson and took US-80 East through Tombstone. Then, we turned left on David road and took that to US-191 South, went through the North side of Douglas and connected up with US-80 again. See my directions below. At our starting point we found a great place to camp which had a huge boulder with a flat surface on top that made a great table. We parked our vehicles around 11.15 am and because it was so close to lunch time, we ended up waiting a bit and eating our lunch before the hike.

We started hiking in the direction of the ridgeline. We accidentally ran into the same road we were on which headed South. This road isn't a bad way to go for the first few hundred feet because it crosses a few washes cleanly and stays not far from the ridgeline we wanted. There was evidence of cattle in this area and I believe we heard cows to the South & East of us. We saw a lot of limestone along our route and could easily understand why this was called Limestone mountain. The limestone basically continued to the top. The shapes and eroded areas were interesting.

We followed cattle trails up for the first portion of the hike and then these seemed to turn into a hiker's route. The use trail seemed to follow the ridgeline most of the way. Quite often we needed to weave around brush or rock formations, but the terrain was fairly easily walkable but sometimes a bit steep.

Along the way we found Rocky mountain zinnia (a yellow flower), Lady's bedstraw, pincushion cactus, fishhook cactus, fragrant snakeroot, evergreen sumac (which we originally thought was lemonade berry), threadleaf ragwort, toothleaf, candelabrum cactus, gray vervain, and California bur.

Regarding evergreen sumac: Remember! Poison sumac - which grows in the Eastern US — has white or gray berries, where edible sumac has red, brown, purple or maroon fruit. I ate several of the dark red / maroon berries and 4 days later I'm still alive and feeling fine!

Near the top we saw a large metal tank that was empty. We found a rock pile at the summit which contained a registry. The registry was not in great condition but I was able to photograph all of the readable pages. We hiked down using basically the same route that we took to get up.

After getting back down to our parking area, we decided to camp there since it was a great spot. After dark we heard a bull making some strange loud noises that was a few hundred feet away. The noise continued for about 30 minutes or more and then the bull left the area. He may have been mad that we were invading his space. But, then he may have realized he had a huge number of acres of privacy!

Stats
-----
round trip distance: 5.54 miles
AEG: 1,942 feet
strava moving time 3 hrs 54 mins
strava elapsed time 5 hrs 34 mins

Driving directions
--------------------
(high clearance required for final 8.5 miles)

From Douglas, AZ...
Head northeast on AZ-80 E for 29 mi
Turn left onto N Rucker Canyon Rd / Tex Canyon Rd
continue for 8.4 miles, staying on the main road
Note: after 6.7 miles you will enter forest service land and there should be a sign indicating this
turn left on unmarked road, continue for 0.13 miles and look for a parking area on your right.
This is also a great place to camp.
See the start of my route.

_____________________

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

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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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