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| Hiking | 2.10 Miles |
1,240 AEG |
| | Hiking | 2.10 Miles | | | |
| 1,240 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I am posting this alternative route to Waterman Peak.
I have been up as far as the Silver Hill Mine with hiking buddies a couple of times previously, in the past summer, and we saw big horn sheep not far from the water catchment both times.
There is an area along the mine road with a few of the endangered Nichols Turk’s Head cactus.
To get to where we parked, go west on Avra Valley Road from I-10 about 18.8 miles and turn left on Waterman Mountain Road. Go about 2.8 miles and park near where the old mine road up to the Silver Hill Mine is blocked off. You will want a high clearance vehicle to get back there as the road gets pretty rough at times (I had the 4WD engaged on my F150 but did not think I really required it, but I like to have 4WD already engaged in case I encounter an obstacle! Besides, when else would I use it?)
The mine road is blocked, I figure, to protect the big horn sheep and because the road has not been maintained and is too rough to get a vehicle up there.
The hike up the mine road is very rocky and gets steep at times. The mine road passes the water catchment and there was water in the tank, but it seemed (by tapping on it) that the tank was less than 25% full. It has been a very dry summer! I have read that the AZGFD has used a helicopter to replenish the tank.
Just prior to getting to the mine site, we started bushwacking up the slope figuring to intersect the tracks to Waterman Peak posted by others (thank you for that!). We made our way through a good sized teddy bear cholla forest on the slope, but it was not thick enough to present much of a problem hiking. We kept going on this tack until we saw the Leonberger Memorial, but decided to head up to the summit first.
On the to the summit we found a bit of a trail as the terrain funnels hikers to the way up. From the top, we had great views all around, the Silver Bell Mine, Ragged Top (we think), the water catchment, and looked down into the Pioneer Waterman Pit Mine where they were working.
On the way down, we went over to visit the memorial. Going down from the memorial, we saw a couple of other hikers going up to the peak, we presumed, from the Johnson Road route. Once pass the teddy bear cholla forest, we joined what looked like an older and less used mine road up higher then the main road. We followed this down to the mine road, and retraced our hike back to the truck.
We did not see any big horn sheep this time. My theory is that, with the cooler weather, the sheep range farther away from the water catchment. In the hot summer, they stay nearer.
It was a great hike, not long nor extremely challenging but fun with great views along the way and at the summit! We will probably be back sometime because it is cool to see the big horn sheep! |
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