[Gimpilator]

11-20 North Wilson Ridge - 5358' We wanted to do this peak for the view. More than one source claimed that the upper ridge traverse route was difficult and crappy, so we explored a different route starting near the Fortification Ridge trailhead. We followed sandy washes with wild cat prints to Teakettle Pass.

From the pass we ascended the central ridge of 3 adjacent ridges to reach the main crest of the range. Near the summit, large granitic rocks presented a final challenge.

blue rocks

summit ahead

Spirit

Wilson main peak

11-22 Peak 2300 9 days prior, on Peak 8282 in the Ram Range, I took a few agave stabs to the pointer finger. One of these punctures hadn’t healed and was giving me some trouble. On this morning it started fiercely burning and itching. Maybe a piece had broken off inside? I sterilized tweezers and a knife and went to work on the swollen area. What came out of my knuckle was a bit of a surprise.

Oy!

Like many of the peaks in Black Canyon, only Tracy Foutz has any record of having been there. The plan for this day was to park at the rim of the canyon on Burrow Wash Road and then use my bike to hurry-up the road portions of the route. Burrow Wash road is rugged in the extreme and barely suitable for a Subaru. Dropping into the canyon on 2 wheels, I had a new problem. Soft sand. The standard width tires were bogging down and I could only ride for 20 or 30 feet stretches. I should have come to my senses and ditched the bike, but I was gripped with stubbornness.

Peak 2570

Peak 2867

Eventually I came to the spot from where I could run ridges and make a loop of the first 2 peaks, and this was nice. Peak 2300 had such an astounding view, I left the only register I carried. With only one ascent by Tracy, 11 years prior, I ruminated on how long it would be until someone found the register. Perhaps never, but certainly a long time.

Peak 2300

Peak 2403

North Wilson and Wilson

Peak 2570 and Peak 2402 are up next

Peak 2402 Also a fine viewpoint. These two peaks are right out in the middle of the canyon.

Peak 2570 Almost skipped this one because it’s out of the way. Went over a small pass, down a wash and then up to the west ridge. On the summit I learned that Stav was in the area doing the same group of peaks. What are the chances of that? He texted me a photo of the register, which I had imagined would never get signed. I wondered if I would run into him.

Peak 2402 down there

text image from Stav

Black Canyon Wilderness High Point – 2832' After pushing my bike up the miserable road out of the canyon, there was only time left for two peaks. Up the south ridge.

Peak 2775 North ridge. While I was sitting on the summit, I heard a shout and saw Stav approaching. Fate decided we should see each other, despite my best efforts to socially isolate. It was so nice to see a good friend, the first since February. We hiked down together, but keeping our distance.

Peak 2867

here comes Stav

11-24 Picture Canyon Point – 2383' Since first exploring this area for petroglyphs, I have wanted to return for the peaks. The point above the petroglyphs makes for a fun scramble.

Picture Canyon Point

Peak 3467 and Peak 3448 up next

Peak 3467 The two high peaks at the north end of the Dead Mountains have north canyon which separates two north ridges. The canyon ends at the saddle between the peaks and is a pleasant way to access them. From the saddle, it’s not far to either peak. These peaks have no record of ascents, but are close enough to roads and populated areas, so it’s likely someone has been there.

Peak 3448 After the second peak I descended north and then west, dropping into a sandy wash, back towards the powerline road.

Peak 3467 from Peak 3448

Homer Mountain – 3740' The main south canyon that cuts into the heart of these mountains looked like the best access option. It worked ok, but the cat claw was dense.

General MacArthur I presume?

11-25 Warm Springs Butte – 3714' The Black Mountains of the general Oatman area have a complex volcanic geology and are often anything but black. Following a number of good hikes north of Oatman, I became curious about the area a bit further south of town, in the Warm Springs Wilderness. An old road goes in towards the namesake springs. On satellite images I noticed some ruins near the springs, so I wanted to see if this was a forgotten hotsprings location, but it was obvious even from space, that the upper part of this road is no longer driven. To get to the road in question, I drove the Polaris Road which is really just a sandy playground for ATV’s. The warm springs road was rough in a volcanic way, and progressively worse the further I went. I had to stop 6.5 miles from the end, which made for a headlamp start the next morning. Again, I toyed with the principle that if you can’t drive it, you can bike it. In WA you can do that sort of thing. But the desert had more lessons for me on this morning. Riding a bike uphill in the dark with hiking boots on isn’t enough of a challenge. For extra style points, this “road” is just a swath which has been cleared of the biggest rocks, but the bedrock itself is an ancient lava flow, with a severely irregular pitted texture. In less than a mile, I ditched the bike.

Peak 3418 and Warm Springs Butte

Tired of the road, I dropped into a wash as soon as possible. I was plodding along when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. As my excitement grew, I ran around taking numerous photos. The number of petroglyphs and quality of images makes this one of the best rock art sites in the southwest. Because of the difficult access, it seems that this site is not well known.

the most beautiful petroglyph I have seen to date

phalluses on parade

I continued up a side wash and then entered a rugged narrow canyon below the peaks.

First light on Warm Springs Butte

Peak 2374

From the saddle a the head of the canyon, I turned north and followed a ridge to the main summit. Slightly anticlimactic after the petroglyphs, but a nice viewpoint nonetheless.

rugged canyon

Hualapi

Wabayuma

Peak 3418 From the saddle I followed the other ridge south towards a tower and then traversed around the tower onto the ridge connected to the summit plateau. No record of ascents on this one since Packard, 20 years ago.

traverse under tower

Dead, or just pretending?

On the way back to the car, I detoured to investigate the 3 “warm springs”. What I learned is that Warm Springs is the name, but not indicative of the actual temperature. They were cold. Also the over-abundant burros of the general Oatman area have taken hold around these springs and trampled everything to dust. I saw about 50 of them.

In 2009 metal fences were packed in on horseback and built around the springs, the theory being that this would somehow enable better access to the water for other wild animals. Those fences are completely destroyed at 2 of the springs and badly damaged at the 3rd.

The old

...and the new

[pcg]

Wow! Those petroglyphs!

[Brushbuffalo]

What a surprise to run into a friend on such a seldom- climbed peak!

[Anne Elk]

Hey, Brushbuffalo - can you ID the mineral that makes "blue rocks" - in the photo? Adam - I'm continually amazed by your penchant for desert off-trailing to bag obscure bumps in the landscape. Thanks for sharing all the petroglyph pics, too. I've only ever seen them in the Wind Rivers, and not many. BTW - watch that puncture wound! I was disabused of my misunderstandings about tetanus et al by a nurse-neighbor after a wound I got during yard work turned an angry-looking red. "Rusty nail puncture wounds only" is a myth. She urged me to get a tetanus shot (my last had been more than 10 years prior). What stuck in my mind was her comment, "Once you get symptoms, it's too late." Yipes!

[Brushbuffalo]

[Gimpilator]