The Mountains of New Mexico
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Round Mountain • Preacher Mountain I was returning to Bisbee from Silver City, New Mexico. The weather had suddenly cooled after a three-week heat wave that kept temperatures into the hundred until early last week, then in the 80s and 90s. Then, Friday (two days ago), things cooled down by 15 degrees. The high in Bisbee was about 73° and it was windy all day, just like every day last fall, winter and spring. I drove to Silver City yesterday (Saturday). It was chilly, in the 40s, with a cloud bank to the east. I stopped in Lordsburg for gas, then drove into Silver City, hitting some rain. It stayed mixed all day, with some sun, then a few minutes of heavy rain, back and forth like that. I got a lot done and had an enjoyable visit. Today (Sunday) started a little warmer and very sunny, with just a few random puffy clouds, the kind that linger after a storm has moved through. I did a few more tasks this morning, and watched some EPL with my hostess. Man City won on a late goal in penalty time, which bothered us greatly, but then Liverpool pulled out a 2-1 verdict which pleased us. They stay atop the heap for the time being. Around noon, I got things packed and hit the road. I had no real plan, other than to be in Bisbee before dark. I had not printed any maps. I thought I would explore Tyrone Benchmark hill, which is about 15 miles south of the city. It's a short hike, but I did not like the signs there, so I left. I'll have to do some homework on this one. About fifteen minutes later, I was where highway NM-90 drops from the mountains into the Lordsburg Valley, at the west edge of the Gila National Forest. I was aware of a simple rounded hill called Round Mountain. It looked fast, with good road access. Any hikes I was going to do today would have to be short, nothing over an hour or a couple miles.
Date: October 20, 2024
• Elevation: 5,909 feet
• Prominence: 397 feet
• Distance: 1 mile
• Time: 40 minutes
• Gain: 409 feet
• Conditions: Sunny with some clouds
New Mexico
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Main
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PB
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LoJ
Round Mountain is a foothill of larger Apache Peak, this being a clump of mountains at the south tip of the Burro Mountains. The little peak is easily visible from the highway, rising a little over a mile to the south. It lies barely outside the forest boundary, on private land called the W D Ranch, going by a sign at the highway.
I drove in on W D Ranch Road. A sign said "Private Property" but did not mention trespassing. The road crosses this private land before re-entering the Gila National Forest. I parked in a turnaround a few dozen feet past the boundary fence. I was about a half mile from the peak.
The day was perfect. Temperature about 60°, sunny but with those puffy clouds, and a soft breeze. I walked back over the cattle grate at the boundary, then aimed west for the peak, crossing an arroyo and following a meager track through the low grass, placing myself at the peak's eastern base.
Then I just walked up the darn thing. It was a steady 350-foot climb up moderate slope. Vegetation was light and easily avoidable, and there were some rocky sections but nothing that required hands. In about fifteen minutes, I was on top, the summit being bare and stark, a lone pole in the ground but nothing indicating what purpose it served.
I found a cairn and register and signed in, and snapped a few images. Lighting was excellent for images. I got a good look at the nearby peaks, and also of the expansive desert valley to the west. I was pleased to be successful, and started right back down.
I hiked downhill quickly, fast-stepping some of it, trying to make good time. I was back to my car barely over a half hour after starting. I knew it would go fast, and it did, and I enjoyed this humble peak. It gave me some ideas for a future visit when I have more time. For today, it was perfect.
I got back on the highway and drove to the Love's in Lordsburg for snacks. Then I got onto Interstate-10 westbound, exiting at the Road Forks exit, onto NM-80.
Elevation: 5,079 feet
• Prominence: 446 feet
• Distance: 1.2 miles
• Time: 50 minutes
• Gain: 539 feet
• Conditions: Warmer and still gorgeous
PB
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LoJ
Preacher Mountain rises north of the highway where it makes a southwestern bend toward Granite Gap, a notable pass in the Peloncillo Mountains where the highway drops a couple hundred feet, now in the San Bernardino Valley. This pass was a key passage through the Peloncillo Range and would have been used by the Apache, the military and settlers alike.
The mountain itself is a foothill, but rising over 500 feet relative to the highway. It has good road access and looked to have friendly slopes, basically a big hump of a hill. The most significant feature nearby is Granite Peak, a pillar peak about two miles to the northwest. That peak looks like a 5th-class climb and not many people have climbed it.
I eased off the highway at County Road 78, which is across the highway from signed McCarty Road, which goes south. CR-78 goes north, passing through an unlocked gate. I went in about a mile and parked in a clearing with a fire ring, very close to the east base of the peak. It was warmer here, but still very pleasant, in the high 70s.
I was already dressed from my last hike, so I started walking immediately. I went light, just carrying a buttpack. I walked across the desert flats for a few hundred yards, crossing into and out of a sandy arroyo along the way. The grade slowly increased. The terrain was stony soils with creosote, prickly pear and ocotillo, but usually with plenty of space to move through.
I walked up the slope, angling left as necessary, following whatever looked most open and easiest. The slope got fairly steep, but the rock and footing was always solid. I aimed for a ridge line above me. Once at it, I turned right and started up this ridge, aiming for some rock outcrops up high.
These rocks formed into a chaotic heap of cliffs. I used my hands in one spot, clambering up about fifteen feet through a chute. The scampering was Class-2, maybe 2+. The rocks held together well.
Once above the rocks, the slope lessened and the summit was visible, not too far away. The final walk to the top was up a very gentle slope. The top itself was a typical desert summit, with rocks and scrub, but open with good vantage points for views. I had a breeze now that I was higher.
I took a few photographs and looked around, studying the area for future visits. I found the register in a cairn and signed in. Someone had been here earlier in the year, but not many people overall.
I hiked down the same route, even going down that small cliff via the same chute, and following my own bootprints once on the flats. I had not been gone an hour, and covered a little over a mile round trip.
Given my time constraints for today, this peak was ideal and it went very well, with easy logistics. I plan to return soon, as there are a few more peaks in the area that interest me.
From here, I had about a hundred-mile drive to Bisbee, which I did in one big push, no stops in Douglas like I usually do.
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