Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

14ers in California and Washington state or any other peak in the USA
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climbnowworklater
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Re: Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

Post by climbnowworklater »

InclineGuy wrote:Superstition Peak via Siphon Draw is an excellent hike but with class 3 sections on Siphon Draw I’d go a little further to the Peralta TH and hike to Weavers Needle, which is all class 1, with the added bonus of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold lying somewhere nearby. Also, I’m just saying to hike to it and back, trying to climb Weaver’s Needle...well, that would be crazy!
Actually, I spent the night on Weavers Needle in '04 and '07. Great experience and a unique opportunity. The climbing is super easy, maybe 5.1.
Edit: trip down memory lane for me, here is the video my buddy and I made of the Weavers experience. Good times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUCVFj89Dqo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Matt
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Re: Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

Post by Matt »

I don't know how you can pass up Squaw Tits, if only to say you've been there.
From the LoJ TR:
" If this route is class 3 it is only for about 10 seconds with no real exposure"
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ChrisinAZ
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Re: Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

Post by ChrisinAZ »

Lots of good suggestions here, I'd certainly heartily second anything in the Supes or Picketpost (which does have some class 3, but isn't exposed). Hiking up to the Siphon Draw from Lost Dutchman is one of the best beginner hikes around, and it's easy to get to; if your girlfriend is feeling up to it, the trip up to the Flatiron itself is incredible, though it does have some class 3 sections and a bit of loose rock right up around the top of the rock bowl. That said, my not-very-hiking-inclined mom has made it up to the Flatiron twice, so it's doable!

As one of the auspicious few who've climbed Squaw Tits, it's a fun little hike/scramble! North side of the higher east Tit is broken terrain with a bit of class 3, but very manageable. West Tit is loose, crappy class 5--don't bother. I went there that same time of year, and the desert was astonishingly lush and green (I'm not kidding!). There's a little surprise on top of both summits, I won't say what ;)
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Tortoise1
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Re: Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

Post by Tortoise1 »

ChrisinAZ wrote:Lots of good suggestions here, I'd certainly heartily second anything in the Supes or Picketpost (which does have some class 3, but isn't exposed).
I think Picketpost has quite a bit of exposure, and of the sneaky worst kind. You may not be close to the cliff but the 10 or 20 feet between you and the cliff is loose pebbles on steep slope. If you break loose you probably won't stop until you go over the cliff and hit bottom a hundred or two hundred feet down.
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Re: Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

Post by Greenhouseguy »

You really wouldn't want to miss Picacho Peak - it looks incredible, and the hike is memorable. It's Class 3/4, but it has cables to hang on to. Karen would probably want to wear light cotton gloves to keep the cables from roughing up her hands. I try to make it more fun by hiking it without using the cables.

Table Top Mountain near Casa Grande is fun, and a little bit more isolated. It's solid Class 1, trail all the way to the summit. There's always the added excitement of being on a major drug smuggling route.

If you can make it to the Tucson area, there are dozens of great hikes. One of my favorites is Wasson Peak in Saguaro National Park. The visitor's center has some good educational material, and the Sonoran Desert Museum is adjacent to the park. It's a good facility to learn about the plant and animal life of the desert. You wouldn't regret going. Here's my trip report for Wasson Peak:

http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... m=tripuser
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Mark A Steiner
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Re: Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

Post by Mark A Steiner »

Often recommended here are the trails through Cave Creek State Park, north of Carefree HIghway and 32nd Street, Phoenix. Good hiking and fine views pretty much anywhere you hike. Have a good time - but because of early warm weather, reports of snakes coming out early are increasing. Be watchful if you go.
Last edited by Mark A Steiner on Sat Feb 22, 2014 11:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Hungry Jack
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Re: Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

Post by Hungry Jack »

Aravaipa Canyon is a great hike, but is best done as an overnight or 2-night trip. It's about 90 minutes from Phoenix, near a town called Winkelman, south of Superior.

The canyon is a twisting wonderland of red rock walls and saguaro cactus above a perennial stream lined with hardwoods. It is really freakin cool. It's managed by the BLM as a wilderness area, and requires advance permits for overnight trips.
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ColoradoGuy
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Re: Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

Post by ColoradoGuy »

I hiked Picketpost Mountain two years ago. An hour drive from Mesa. In your hiking time range.

http://coloradoguy.com/picketpost-mountain/arizona.htm

It's a pretty mountain too.

Image
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Vinegaroon
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Re: Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

Post by Vinegaroon »

Image

I've done almost everything posted above, and they are all good hikes. In town there are some quick ones too. Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain from Echo Canyon are nice hikes too... Above is a shot I took this winter en route to Tom's Thumb. That is one of my favorites! Enjoy!
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Re: Arizona Peaks or Hikes?

Post by EatinHardtack »

Thanks so much everyone! All the suggestions were great and I ultimately left it up to my girlfriend to decide. We did most of the hiking trails in Lostdutchman State Park. We hiked up Siphon Draw and got some great pics and a great overall experience. It was my first time hiking down there and it'd be nice to do some more in the future. The best part of the trip was seeing a bunch of Anna's Hummingbirds, a lifetime bird for me. We did get there just after the area had received about an inch of rain and the flowers were really popping. Thanks everyone, looking forward to the next trip.
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