Mt. Ord - Another One Off the Bucket List

Weather:  75º, sunny

Time:  ~90 minutes to the summit from junction with FR 1688

About this Hike:  Normally I wouldn't record my time for a hike like this, but I feel it was significant for reasons to be shared shortly...

First, let me say I never would have expected to be doing this hike in May.  The unseasonably 'cool' weather this spring has been a real treat.

Mt. Ord looms directly next to Highway 87 as one drives between Phoenix and Payson.  Many a trip to Rim Country has left me wanting to explore this 7,000 foot+ peak.  The communications towers and fire lookout are often directly visible from 87.  It's rare that you can see a mountain peak so clearly from its base.

It is nearly one year to the day that Mt. Ord's base charred by the Potatoe Fire.  For quite a time last summer Mt. Ord (and most AZ Federal lands) was closed.  Admittedly, I was nervous and was considering a backup should the gate at the base be closed and locked.  It was open upon arrival.

The road up Mt. Ord varies from rocky and rough to packed dirt.  It's narrow most of the way, and coordinating with on-coming vehicles (rare on this Memorial Sunday afternoon) can be a tricky dance.

I reset the trip odometer upon pulling off paved Highway 87 and onto Mt. Ord Rd.  The plan was to drive up about 3.5 miles, park in a turnaround, and hoof it up to the summit.  I made it 2.5 miles when I encountered the junction with un-maintained Forest Road 1688.  A grove of ponderosa and juniper made for a shaded parking spot and/or camping spot.  I backed the Xterra in and planned on an extra mile hike.  The bumpy road had gotten to me in just those short 2.5 miles (which doesn't say much; I have low tolerance for rough dirt roads).

If Google Maps is to be believed, it was almost 5 miles to the summit.  I didn't hike particularly fast.  Occasionally I had to hit the ditch when a vehicle choosing to drive to the summit went by in a cloud of dust.  I stopped often for pictures of the wildflowers, greenery, and breathtaking views.  Roosevelt Lake, Bartlett Lake, Horseshoe Reservoir, Verde River, and the Four Peaks are strikingly visible as you get higher on Mt. Ord.  Say nothing of the Mazatal Wilderness that surrounds you.  Yet I was closing in on the summit in just over an hour...I must have hiked fast.

The final push to the summit requires a hike for all but the authorized personnel that have the key to the gate.  There is a wide dirt area, and many a lifted Japanese truck was parked just before the gate.

There are multiple communications towers atop Mt. Ord.  One was labeled as Verizon Wireless, another as AT&T.  I had all bars and LTE service on this hike.

The Mt. Ord Fire Lookout is one of the biggest I've ever seen.  Wind was booming through it's steel girders like a jet engine.  A gate restricts access to the staircase, and a sign advises visitors to keep out.  This is unlike fire towers I've visited on other National Forest land, but it may be Tonto Forest's policy.  Regardless, with the wind, plus the height of that tower, I don't think my fear of heights would have let me climb it.  I was satisfied with the views at the base of the summit.

Returning to the car, it was only mid-afternoon.  I decided to explore FR-1688.  This narrow, rocky mess of a road is really more of a hiking trail.  It goes through some old, wooded ranch land, and works it's way up Little Mt. Ord.  The summit of big Mt. Ord is visible in clearings on this hike.  FR-1688 dead ends within 30-45 minute hike.  On the way back a guy was attempting to drive the road in a first-gen Hyundai Tucson that appeared to only have front-wheel drive.  He was at high risk of a tip over on the uneven road, and he was pin stripping the sides along the narrow road.  I felt bad for him for even attempting such a feat.

All in all, Mt. Ord was an awesome hike and another off the bucket list.

Super-Blooms and Superstitious Hike

Weather:  85°, overcast

Time:  1 hour 18 minutes

About this hike:  I have always wondered how long it would take me to reach the top of Superstition Mountain via the Siphon Draw trail while hiking solo.  Every other time I've hiked this trail it's been with company.  Not that company's a bad thing...afterall, it's a 35 mile drive, $7 entry fee, and minimum 4-6 hour commitment to do this hike.

I made this big commitment on a whim this morning; it just seemed like the perfect day for it.  Plus the desert wildflowers are in full bloom right now.

So 1 hour and 18 minutes is what it takes me solo to reach the part of the trail where you then go right to the Flatiron Rim.  The final obstacle on this trail is a vertical rock wall that has been known to freak me out in the past.  The tried-and-true palo verde tree that everyone uses as a handhold is still hanging in there after all these years, although today as I was going up a helpful blue climbing rope was tied around it.  Weird thing is that by the time I began my descent the rope had vanished...

Instead of heading to the Flatiron I decided to try to make my way to what's considered the true summit of Superstition Mountain.  A true summit is hard to define because Superstition is more like a small range of hoodoos.  Regardless, me and a hiking buddy reached the summit several years ago, so I knew it was there.

The summit is not a fun nor easy hike.  More than a few times I asked myself why I was doing this.  It involves bushwhacking, carefully sidestepping aloe veras and cacti, and climbing thru tight rock crevices.  Only making it a bit easier was a group of middle-aged men whose leader knew the trail well.  I opted to follow them.

All this summit hassle was so I could sign the nylon flag that I saw perched up there last time.  Brave hikers were known to autograph it, but last time I had no writing instrument.  Today I had a Sharpie, but there was no longer a flag.  Signing a dead aloe vera stalk crossed my mind, but that may be considered defacing State/National Forest land.  I'm not that type of person...

A lunch break was originally scheduled for the summit, but a strange uneasiness came over me.  Maybe it's the sheer remoteness of this mountain and a feeling of dread if anything should happen... Regardless, I've had this come over me before hiking at Superstition.  It's an urgent feeling to get off the mountain.  I opted to get off the summit and eat lunch on the Flatiron.  The wind was bad on the rim and it made for an unpleasant lunch.

With that, I began my descent.  Once thru Siphon Draw the fields of colorful wildflowers were dazzling.  All this was set against a perfectly lit backdrop of the Goldfield Mountains and Four Peaks.  The Downtown Phoenix skyline loomed painfully small in the hazy distance.

So I'll be honest...I had a lot of time to reflect.  It's been a year since I last did this hike, and I could easily go another year before doing it again.  Superstition Mountain is so beautiful in the spring, but this hike will kick your you-know-what.  It's treacherous and grueling, and as I get older I'm wondering if such risk is necessary.  I have so many other hikes in our beautiful State of Arizona on my bucket list that maybe it's high time I start checking some of these off.  Regardless, I'm sure I'll be back at Superstition before too long.

Desert super-blooms as Four Peaks looms in the distance

Weather:  84°, overcast, light sprinkles when at the summit

Time to summit:  24 minutes

About this hike:  Another solid new record!  It was a little cooler this morning, and overcast, but humid.  I had to push hard, as my legs were killing me at the end (a long run last night didn't help).

New Record for Squaw Peak

Weather:  87° sun and humid

Time to summit:  26.5 minutes

About this hike:  New record set!! Actually the stopwatch said 27:11, but there were a few slow hikers and I had to pause briefly a few times. I decided my adjusted time is sub-27 minutes and therefore a record. While cooler this morning than in the past, it was grossly humid. Rain must've fallen on the preserve last night, as evidenced by numerous large puddles on the trail. This led to swarms of flies and bees and made for an unpleasant stay at the summit, hence why I didn't rest long before heading back down.

Within 5 minutes of my arrival what seemed like the entire Phoenix FD arrived for one of those infamous mountain rescues. There was an older man near the summit who was covered in blood, but conscious and talking.

From bugs, to bloody rescues, to high humidity, this was a gross hike.

Slow Sunset Hike up Squaw Peak

Weather:  105° and sunset/dark

Time to summit:  ~40 minutes

About this hike:  Went with a friend for this uneventful hike.  He slowed me down considerably, and I didn't even take an accurate time; 40 minutes is a guesstimate at best.  There was a nice sunset, and at dark I realized I forgot my headlamp. So I learned how to be extra careful hiking down Squaw Peak in the dark.  Hopefully this will serve as a lesson learned, like forgetting hiking gloves for Camelback.

Camelback Cholla - Third Time's a Charm

Weather:  100° and sunny, minimal breeze

Time to summit:  35 minutes

About this hike:  Did this one impulsively.  I chose not to take my Saturday morning Piestewa hike due to the day's record heat warning.  Today wasn't much better...in fact, a dust storm last night, fires to the north, and high heat makes for a bad air quality day.  But I'm stubborn.  The heat markedly slowed down what is otherwise a hike so easy I usually avoid it.  Regardless, it felt so good to get my boots back on Camelback Mountain and even better to enjoy that zen summit.  There were a few other diehards like myself on the trails.

Only my third time up Cholla, and I'm glad I took advantage of this Monday off work to go climb.  Until Echo re-opens...

Thompson Peak (~4K) is Off the List

Weather:  76° & sunny

About this hike:  Traffic  on the 101N to Gateway Trailhead in McDowell Sonoran was kind of heavy, but then again it's the weekend of Phoenix Open nearby in Scottsdale.  Parking was abundant at Gateway, and while the facilities are every bit as nice as Tom's Thumb, this one also has running water.

I have often gazed northward at the McDowells from atop Camelback wanting to conquer the mountain with the radio antennas on top (northward—don't confuse with South Mountain!).  I thought this was McDowell Peak, but I was mistaken—it's Thompson Peak.  Regardless, from the Gateway Trailhead it's a long hike up and over Bell Pass to the short Prospector Trail.  Prospector joins the service road that leads to the summit of Thompson Peak and the radio towers.

On the road up to Thompson Peak I encountered a MCSO deputy, but he ignored me, which is good as the language (road may be gated, county property), was unclear on whether or not hiking was allowed up there.  The maps all show the road and tell you the height of Thompson Peak, so I had to assume it was OK.  It was a very strenuous climb, and I nearly turned back at least once, but the view from on top is amazing.  The radio towers are massive and scary, and signs warn of radiation in the area.  I didn't stay at the top for long.

The surrounding scenery is typical Sonoran desert with saguaros, ocotillo, and lots of colorful rocks.  At times this hike was eerie quiet, and I saw some unidentified animal tracks on the trail.  Thankfully every so often I came across other hikers.  Being alone in this harsh desert can get scary.

Round trip, according to the maps I studied, I'd peg this hike at about 13 miles.  I am so glad to say I finally can check this one off the bucket list, but my gosh, I am so sore and paying for it tonight.

Super Summit - Superstition Mtn.

Hike Time:  2+ hours to the summit

Weather:  ~80°, sunshine; cooler at the summit

About this Hike:  Began at Lost Dutchman State Park and worked our way up to the Flatiron Rim.  I never cease to be amazed by the geology of Superstition Mountain:  The hoodoos and canyons.  The veiny lava flows.  The red and white rocks, with the yellow Goldfield Mountains as a backdrop.

I've done Flatiron Rim a couple of times, but my hiking buddy, sensing there was more to be had, insisted we get to what appeared to be another summit, this with a flag on top.  We had scoured the Web previously to get more info on this climb to the top, but to no avail.  So I'll share my version of directions here and tag this post up good in the hope that it helps some other hikers someday...

Reaching Superstition Summit:  Take the trail from Lost Dutchman (begins as Siphon Draw Trail) to the Flatiron Rim. After ascending a nearly 10 foot, scary rock wall, you're basically at the top.  Follow the trail right for the Flatiron Rim.  However, if you work your way straight up, you will find the summit trail.  There are magnificent red hoodoos all around, and the trail is not the easiest to find.  Look up and see if you can spot a flag atop the piles of hoodoos.  In times past I've seen an American flag flying up there.  The best advice is to basically keep to your right...the trail, while identifiable, is not always very obvious.  There are places where you have to cautiously bushwack and carefully sidestep some nasty desert plants.  The trail itself does have white dots painted in places to mark it, but it's still pretty rugged.  You'll know you're going the right way if you hike through some little rock tunnels, caves, and other challenges.  It's only about 1/3 mile to the summit, and the views are incredible.

Super Summit!

Above the Flatiron Rim

Views to the east

Camelback is a baby mountain from Superstition