The Mountains of Arizona
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Black Mountain • Hog Trough Peak • Peak 4465 I was in the Globe area for a day, the day between my teaching duties at ASU. It's still hot in the deserts, and I did not want to pay for a hotel just for the privilege of sitting in the room to stay out of the heat. After my classes ended Tuesday, I got into my car, stopped for groceries in town, then drove into Globe, about an hour-long drive. Traffic was light. The construction work on US-60 east of Superior is still ongoing with lanes closed down, but with little traffic, it wasn't a problem. I stopped for cold drinks at a Speedway in the city, then proceeded north along US-60 for 16 miles to the Jones Water Campground, where I was a month ago. I rolled in around 9:15 p.m.. In fact, I took the same spot I had last time. I set up my cot in the open, then ate a dinner in the front seat of my car. The weather was mild, temperatures still in the 70s even at this elevation, about 4,000 feet. I was tired from the long day so I locked everything up and slid into my sleeping bag on the cot. The moon was in the waxing crescent stage, a couple days from the half-moon, so it was already past zenith and setting in the western sky, not offering much moonlight my way. The sky was clear and with little humidity, I had a fine view of the stars. I lay in my cot and stared up at them. I slept pretty well, not too disturbed by the occasional truck rumbling by on the highway. For Wednesday's agenda, I had three peaks selected, but not all in one area. These were three peaks that I've looked at before, even driven by, but for various reasons, never hiked. None were long hikes, and the weather was expected to be warm, into the 90s in and around Globe. I was up at dawn. I packed everything up and was moving a little after 6 a.m., aiming for Black Mountain.
Date: October 9, 2024
• Elevation: 4,515 feet
• Prominence: 315 feet
• Distance: 1 mile
• Time: 45 minutes
• Gain: 335 feet
• Conditions: Cool with clear skies
Arizona
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Main
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PB
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LoJ
Black Mountain rises about five miles north of the highway, and a mile east of Blackjack Mountains Highpoint. I was here back in 2021 for that peak, but for whatever reason I don't recall, chose not to hike Black Mountain while here.
Black Mountain is so named for its lack of black color, much like the many other "Black Mountains" in the state. Noting also that it lacks pine trees and isn't red in color, it could easily have been named Pine or Red Mountain. I suspect it got its name after being viewed from a long distance away in the shadows.
In truth, Black Mountain has an obvious conical shape, mostly symmetric, with steep slopes of cactus rising up to the rocky cap. I rolled in on Tonto Forest Road 645, which was in good shape, just a few ruts and awkward leans in spots. I parked at a bend in the road, situating myself about a half-mile south of the peak. It was still dawn for now, the sun still rising above the hills to the east, and also being shrouded a little by some clouds that way.
I went light, just my buttpack. I started walking, passing through a wire-stick gate and following a track north until it petered out in the brush below the peak's slopes.
Then I just marched uphill. The slope's grade increased incrementally. Brush was moderate, the main concern being prickly pear cactus which grew in clumps in places. Trees were limited to small junipers. The grass was moderately thick and the rocks tended to roll with each step.
After about fifteen minutes, I was nearing the top. The rocks begin in earnest about forty feet below the summit. I stepped on and between them and weaved my way through openings, coming upon some low rock walls at the top. I was soon on the summit, about 20 minutes after starting.
The weather was cool but not cold, and even in just a few minutes, seemed to warm by 5 degrees. The sun was low but no longer muted, offering good light for photographs. The top is flat and has a few rock walls. I found what looked like a rock bench. I also found a register buried deep in a cairn. I had to take it all apart. It was placed by Mark Nicholls, then someone in 2012 signed in and his was the last signature. There have been people up here since then but no one has signed in. The pencil was gone too.
I did not spend too much time up here, maybe 5 minutes. I enjoyed the views and also took time to tag any rocky outcrop. The walls are evidently Indian-made, but they are low and haphazard, probably just battlements as opposed to anything fancier like living quarters. You certainly get a good elevated view up here.
The hike down went well, me taking it slow to avoid slipping. I was back to my car quickly, the round trip covering a mile and taking about 45 minutes. It felt good to get one done and in the books. I wasn't sure how things would go with the other peaks especially once it starts to warm.
Elevation: 5,339 feet (Lidar)
• Prominence: 469 feet (Lidar)
• Distance: 1.4 miles
• Time: 1 hour
• Gain: 545 feet
• Conditions: Sunny and warmer
PB
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LoJ
I returned to the highway (US-60) and followed it back to Globe. At the light, I went east on US-70 a couple miles, then south on AZ-77, which runs south toward Winkelman and eventually, Tucson. The Pinal Mountains rise to the west (right, as I travelled south) of the highway, and a mix of hills, peaks and ridges to the east. I was still within the Tonto National Forest boundaries, but the San Carlos Indian Reservation was less than a mile to the east.
I drove about six or seven miles along AZ-77, going steeply uphill (8% grade) to Captain Pass, where there is a pullout with picnic ramadas. My next peak of interest rise immediately to the east, less than a mile away.
This peak is marked by a spot elevation of 5326, but the actual highest point is another rise on its summit ridge to the east, not marked by any summit figure. Thus, "Peak 5326" is an inaccurate name. Later, the 1-meter Lidar dataset would give a 5,339-foot figure for the eastern summit. Hog Trough Tank and Hog Trough Spring lie below the peak and simply for the fact that both names cross the peak on the map and that I'd be crossing by or around both, I thought Hog Trough Peak would be an appropriate name.
Less than a half mile downhill along the highway from the pass, I had to keep my eyes open for a dirt track that leads in to Hog Trough Tank. I saw it, as I drove by it. It was tucked in behind a small roadside hill. I found a spot to do a u-turn and drove back to it. The road is gated but not locked, with a sign asking to keep the gate closed.
I passed through, which wasn't easy. The gate was tensioned to close, so to keep it open while I passed through, I had to prop it open with large boulders and hope it held for the three seconds I passed through. I drove down this road not very far, parking near some large plastic water tanks. The road was marginal, with one bad rut, but Soob-capable.
It was warmer now, but still early and the temperature was only in the low 80s. This did not look like a long hike, and I'd be in shadows for some of it. I walked down the road to the actual Hog Trough Tank. Past it is some fencing and what looks like an old corral, and past that, in a small ravine, some more smallish plastic tanks, suggesting this is where the Hog Trough Spring is.
This small ravine is flanked by two ridges, both of which looked good for the ascent. I went with the one closest to me, the western of the two ridges. The brush in the ravine looked nasty. I started up the ridge. Brush here was heavy and full of bad catclaw. I also had to shimmy under a fence.
Once past the fence, the brush lessened and I had more lanes, and less catclaw. There were no large trees. The main brush here was clumps of holly, which could be avoided. I walked up this ridge to its top, then angled to a small saddle that connected to the main mountain mass.
The slope up the other side looked steep, but once on it, it laid back well and while it was steep, it wasn't a problem. Footing was good, there were lanes to follow, and there were some exposed rocks that allowed me to scamper up twenty feet at a time avoiding the brush.
Now on the main ridge, I just followed it up to the top. The peak has steep slopes and cliffs to the north and west, and slopes to the south. It was grassier up here, with more rock outcrops, but the walking was easy and efficient.
I got to the western bump first, where the 5326-foot spot elevation is printed. It was obvious that the higher point was to the east, about 500 feet away. I was at the highpoint in no time, a 25-minute hike covering about 0.7 of a mile.
The sun was still low enough to the east to glare out most views that way, but I had good views to the south at El Capitan, and to the northeast towards the Hog Mountains and Blair Benchmark Peak on the San Carlos. It was warm but about the same as when I started, with a thin sheen of high clouds helping to mute the sun. It wasn't uncomfortable at all.
To the west were the mighty Pinal Mountains. The lower summit bump was close by. Visually, it's obvious, the elevation difference about five feet. I found a register in a cairn abutting the highest rock and signed in. I was the second person here in 2024, with names going back to the 1990s, the log placed here by the venerable Bob Martin. The register was made up of sheet music cut to size and stapled. Aside from being a legendary peakbagger, Bob was also an accomplished musician (clarinet, I think). I'm a capable guitarist and bass guitarist. I regret we never jammed.
I spent just enough time to take a few images, sign into the register, look around and have a brief drink. I followed the same route for the downhill and had absolutely no issues except for about fifty feet of catclaw when I neared the fence and corral. Then I had issues. I was back to my car soon, this hike also taking a tad less than an hour.
I was not expecting much for this peak but enjoyed it very much. The views were excellent and the terrain friendly, with easy logistics. It doesn't get climbed much and AZ-77 is not a popular highway, but if in the area, I recommend it.
Elevation: 4,465 feet (Lidar)
• Prominence: 525 feet (Lidar)
• Distance: 1.5 miles
• Time: 1 hour
• Gain: 580 feet
• Conditions: Very warm but with high clouds
PB
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LoJ
Back on blacktop, I returned to US-60. The drive dowhill along AZ-77 was interesting. The grades are steep, often 8-10%. I was behind a truck that was riding its brakes most of the way, and I could smell that "hot brake" scent. There was no smoke but I was concerned for the driver. I stayed back. There aren't any runaway truck ramps along this stretch.
It was warmer now, in the high 80s and low 90s. I had just one more peak on my agenda. This peak lies northwest of Globe, along state route AZ-188 where it crests the hills before descending toward Roosevelt Lake. The main peak here is Salt River Peak, which lies north of the pass. The peak I wanted to hike lies south of the pass.
This peak has no name and is listed as "4472T" on the topographic map. The T means "telemetry", meaning the summit's elevation is an estimate taken from distant readings. Lidar gives a summit elevation of 4,465 feet. There were no obvious features nearby to give it an ad-hoc name, so it remains just a numerically-named bump.
I got onto AZ-188 and a few miles later, got stopped in a line of cars. The ADOT people are chip-sealing a three-mile segment of highway and had just one lane open, so we'd have to wait for the oncoming cars to pass before we could pass. The wait stretched to almost 15 minutes.
When we got moving, apparently the guys manning the stop/slow signs didn't communicate on their radios clearly as there were still some oncoming cars. They ended up pushing through some traffic cones to the other side of the road, with the new oily chip seal on it. When we got moving again, the chips themselves were still loose and a number were clinking off my car and windshield. I would not have been a happy camper had my windshield got cracked.
Once past this segment, I continued up the highway toward the pass. There is a brake-check pullout here, so I pulled in and parked, and let everyone else pass me. Peak 4465 rose less than a mile to the south, and this would be my trailhead. My car's outside temperature gauge kept toggling between 90° and 92°.
Actually, the chip sealing may have helped me. I don't like parking alongside state highways but there were no other options. But the northbound traffic would only pass through here once every fifteen minutes, and they'd be so intent on passing one another that they would ignore my car to the side. The southbound traffic was considerably lighter by comparison.
It was very warm now, but a couple things were in my favor. First, it was very dry, no humidity to "enhance" the discomfort. Second, there were more clouds and the sun would be hidden for minutes at a time. Also, once higher, there was a soft breeze. All I would be feeling is the ambient warmth, not the direct effect of the sun on my skin, which often is most uncomfortable.
I had to scamper up a road cut, then through moderate brush with lanes to a fence. I eased under it and followed more lanes, the brush here being light and scattered, with lots of grass. Peak 4465 rose up ahead, partially blocked by a foreground bump. For the moment, I was dealing with a mix of arroyos and ridges.
I aimed for the ridge that led up to the foreground hill. Once on it, it steepened but behaved. I had lanes the whole way. The tread was gravelly and loose, but getting up this ridge went fast. I was now on the main ridge that leads to the summit. A fence line runs along this ridge.
The final slope was steepest. I had approached the ridge slightly from the northeast which placed me east of the fenceline. Too lazy to cross it, I stayed on its east. For some reason, the fence does not cross the summit, but runs below it to the east. The terrain became very loose and brushy here. I finally crossed the fence and walked to the highpoint.
The one-way hike had covered about three-fourths of a mile and I walked it in about a half hour. I felt fine overall, no heat concerns. The views from here were excellent, getting a full 360-degree perch to view all the big peaks. To the west were the Superstitions and the Mazatzals. I could see some of Lake Roosevelt. To the north were the Sierra Anchas. To the east were the Apache Peaks and all the ranges surrounding Globe. I could see the big Pinal Mountains and also Webster Mountain. I found a register and signed in, the first to sign it in 4 years.
Going down, I stayed on the west side of the fence, on much friendlier slope, even following a rough footpath for much of the descent. I crossed the fence lower down then retraced my route back to my car. By now, it was close to noon and warming into the mid 90s. I was very pleased to get these three peaks done in spite of the heat. And I never saw a snake. But I did wear my snake gaiters for the last two peaks.
I had to deal with the chip sealing segment to get back into Globe. I stopped for a spell to relax at a Starbucks. The main highway back into Phoenix, US-60, was closed every day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for bridgework being done in the Queen Creek Canyon near Superior. I killed time at a couple stores, then got myself in the line of cars in Miami. When they opened the road, it was like an F-1 race, everyone trying to pass one another and jockey for position.
The drive out went well. The craziness lasted for just a few miles. Once back into the Phoenix area. the temperature was about 105°. I got to my cheap hotel in Tempe to shower and nap, and catch up on texts and emails and other work-related things. Funny thing is that I only had a couple emails and nothing big, so being away for the day was smart of me.
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