Ascent of Harquahala Mountain on 2016-01-05Other People: | Solo Ascent Only Party on Mountain | Date: | Tuesday, January 5, 2016 | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | Motorized Transport to Trailhead: | 4x4 Vehicle | Peak: | Harquahala Mountain | Location: | USA-Arizona | Elevation: | 5681 ft / 1731 m |
Ascent Trip ReportI decided to give Harquahala Mountain a try on this overcast and drizzly day using the 4WD road (-aka- Harquahala Mountain Byway) that heads northwest off Eagle Eye Road. Elevation at the edge of pavement is approx. 1824 ft. From there I drove in for 8.4 miles to a pull off around 4,090 ft where I parked the vehicle. I finished the trip up to the summit (ca. 2.3 miles) on foot following the 4WD road. Above approx. 3000 feet, cloud cover became dense and low, and for the most part visibility was limited to just a bit beyond the edges of the road. For the final hike up, precip was steady but, aside from a couple brief instances of light showers, it never developed into much more than drizzle. On the summit I found and photographed a reference mark that was in the rocks close to the windsock and then wandered over to the wilderness highpoint before retreating back down the often slippery road to the vehicle. Total trek was 4.6 miles roundtrip with 1591 ft gain. The setting, combined with the weather, provided for an interestingly surreal summit visit. The last time I hiked in conditions similar to this was during a high elevation trek in Ecuador. I hope to get back to this one in the near future, and under clear skies, to try its northwestern route. |
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