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John Morrow Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 1526 | TRs | Pics Location: Roslyn |
It was a long drive but Kimberly and I departed Lake Mead for Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in SW AZ exchanging Mojave Desert landscapes for the lush and beautiful Sonoran Desert. It is a festival of chlorophyll color with abundant ocotillo, saguaro, barrel, cholla, and many other cacti. So hard to get pictures to do it justice.
Kofa is about 1/2 million acres, with much of it wilderness in between of significant road access points. For these hikes Kimberly's Jeep was important to get us 3 or 4 miles closer to the Signal Peak and Castle Dome scrambles than my Subaru Forester (yup, traded in the Civic) could get. Though nothing reaches 5000 feet high, it is incredibly jagged and mountainous, with multiple mountain ranges rising out of vast desert flats. One real uniqueness is that the refuge rock type possesses many natural tanks that can hold monsoonal rain water for months between rainfall. Learning that, we decided it must be backpacked at a future date.
It was daytrips for this visit, concentrating on several very aesthetic and enjoyable peak scrambles.
Nov 17: Signal Peak 4877', Ten Ewe Mountain 4720', and a evening run up Peak 2383'.
Kofa Overview Signal Ten Ewe
We arrived to Kofa and set up camp in the dark at the start of the Kofa Queen Canyon Road: a definite 4WD track. The next morning we drove into the canyon entrance and started hiking. Indian Canyon was an obvious drainage to the south. A cairned trail/route rose up a rib and on to Signal Peak.
many spires;Kofa Wilderness, Kofa NWR, AZ hunting picto side canyon start view north Kimberly ascends Ten Ewe for later what a mountain range; Kofa Wilderness, Kofa NWR, AZ
Then I shot across for Ten Ewe. With no beta I failed miserably on the north side of it trying to locate a break in the cliffs. Determined, I turned back beneath the west face and found the key rising gully that broke through the cliffband impasse. Great slabby shelves then gave way to a short gully and onto the summit plateau. It goes straightforward once you reach the rising right to left gully (Class 3 exit).
head for lower left trending gully inside key gully Easy Class 3 crux Ten Ewe summit in site Oh wow! The Kofa Mtns. Range Castle Dome Range (namesake left)
Afterward, we drove to the King road for a nice dispersed car camp and I did a quick evening scramble of an aesthetic Class 2 east ridge of Peak 2383'. I was surprised to find a register left by the two most prolific desert peak rats of the Sierra Club Desert Peaks Section: Barbara Lilley and Gordon MacLeod.
Pk 2383 and HorseTanks sunset on Signal; Kofa Wilderness, Kofa NWR, AZ sunset scramble of PK 2383'
Nov 18: Horse Tanks Wash.
We enjoyed a morning exploration of Horse Tanks Wash area before the long drive to the start of tomorrow's Castle Dome 3788'.
Horse Tanks more tanks nice canyon veg Kimberly admires rock art
In the late afternoon I roamed up Peak 2683' to the NW of our camp in the wash of Castle Dome. Despite loose gullies and suspect rock, there was much interesting Class 3 scrambling on either of the two SE trending ridges to the climbers right of the highpoints. Another MacLeod/Lilley register was at the top...those two get everywhere!
The sunset was sublime.
Tomorrow's destination Sonoran scene Peak 2683' for afternoon blossom barrels and ocotillo Kofa Natl Wildlife Refuge, AZ ascent ridge (right SE Ridge) upward scrambling 2nd SE Ridge for descent Castle Dome towers Castle Dome Mountains descending good rock descent ridge descent on good rock what is this???? ocotillo glow descent ridge at sunset last light
Nov 19. Castle Dome 3877'
Castle Dome turned out to be one of my favorite desert Class 3 scrambles of all time! Easy routefinding (abundant cairns) led us to the inside of the dramatic NE spire where 350 feet of stepladder Class 3 scrambling began. Fabulous solid scrambling seemed to go on and on till we were at the summit. We were elated at the quality of the scrambling!
early start for Castle Dome view north Kimberly enjoys great scrambling smiles! More great scrambling top looking SE view south our ascent wash flower
The return down the canyon wash showcased all that we love about the Sonoran Desert landscape and flora. I can't wait to get back down that far south and experience more of the Sonoran.
last view cholla forest terrain and flora love chollas!
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
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Fletcher Member
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Posts: 1870 | TRs | Pics Location: kirkland |
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Fletcher
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Wed Dec 05, 2018 3:35 pm
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All these desert reports are making me want to head south!
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John Mac old retiree
Joined: 12 Mar 2012 Posts: 106 | TRs | Pics Location: S. King |
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John Mac
old retiree
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Wed Dec 05, 2018 7:53 pm
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Thanks for posting John. Enjoy your sunny adventures every year.
How miserable are the idle hours of the ignorant man. Ariosto
How miserable are the idle hours of the ignorant man. Ariosto
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Sculpin Member
Joined: 23 Apr 2015 Posts: 1376 | TRs | Pics
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Sculpin
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Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:13 am
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...and a horse tanks to you for posting this.
Crags are always good. It is not so easy to find crags in places that were never glaciated. I recall Gimpilator's crag views of the same area.
Looking at the terrain and the topo, I am reminded of my trip into the Turtles, not so far away. That is to say, above the alluvium, even on flat ground, it is a bit scrambly because it is so rough.
Between every two pines is a doorway to the new world. - John Muir
Between every two pines is a doorway to the new world. - John Muir
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John Morrow Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 1526 | TRs | Pics Location: Roslyn |
Sculpin wrote: | Looking at the terrain and the topo, I am reminded of my trip into the Turtles, not so far away. That is to say, above the alluvium, even on flat ground, it is a bit scrambly because it is so rough. |
I'm really looking forward to spending a nice chunk of time in the Turtles someday! Just (re-)located your TR, Sculpin. Thanks again!
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
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Eric Peak Geek
Joined: 21 Oct 2002 Posts: 2062 | TRs | Pics Location: In Travel Status |
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Eric
Peak Geek
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Sat Dec 08, 2018 10:13 pm
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That is a very pretty and rugged area. I've done Castle Dome and Signal Peak but need to get back out there for some other peaks. Great winter destination, thanks for sharing.
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joker seeker
Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 7953 | TRs | Pics Location: state of confusion |
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joker
seeker
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Sun Dec 09, 2018 12:33 pm
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Thanks for sharing!
John Morrow wrote: | So hard to get pictures to do it justice. |
If you haven't seen them already, check out Jack Dykinga's photos of that region. He lives in AZ and clearly loves and spends a LOT of time in the Sonoran Desert. I think it's the specific landscape that lured him away from the field of photojournalism (for which he received a Pulitzer, btw) and into landscape photography some decades back. In addition to a book he published on the Sonoran Desert, it's possible to find such photos online, including on Facebook...
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