Date: March 17, 2018 • Elevation: 4,351 feet • Prominence: 1,111 feet • Distance: 2.6 miles • Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes • Gain: 1,100 feet • Conditions: Clear with strong breezes

Arizona • Main • AZ P1K • PB

We were in Laughlin to close on our new condo, so we drove up early Friday and did the official things that day. We stayed at the Harrah's in town. The condo would not be ours for a few more days, until the sale was recorded with the county.

Naturally, I wanted to hike something. The weather was expected to be cool, as a front was moving through. This time of year, as things warm, the critters start emerging from their holes. The grassy peaks could be trouble, since there could be a hungry rattlesnake every ten feet, newly awoken from its hibernation and probably not in a good mood. The cool weather, though, suggested they might lay low for a few more days.

I settled on Long Mountain in the Long Mountains, a small range about 15 miles north of Kingman. This range sits by itself, with the much bigger Cerbat Mountains to the west and the Grand Wash Cliffs, Music Mountains and Peacock Mountains to the east. The Long Mountains rise suddenly from the broad Hualapai Valley, with few foothills.

I left the hotel early, driving east into Arizona and Kingman, all the while battling the rising sun. In Kingman, I followed Stockton Hill Road north about 14 miles (I went past the milepost 13, but don't recall seeing a milepost 14) to Calle Lucero. Up here, the roads are dirt, cut along section lines with a smattering of homes and mini-ranches. It's hilly and mountainous to the west, with a long sloping downhill to the east.

I followed Calle Lucero about 4 miles east, losing a couple hundred feet elevation, going past the last homestead. The road goes from wide to narrow to narrower, but I was able to ease the Forester to its far end, parking where the road T's to the north and south. There was some shot-up junk here, suggesting target shooters. I pulled in about 7:45 a.m., the skies clear with high, fast-moving clouds, and a strong breeze. It was chilly, in the low 50s. Not snake weather, which was good. I started hiking about 7:50.

The route to the top is visible the whole way and a no-brainer. I walked about a half-mile east across the scrub-desert flats to the base of the main western ridge that goes to the top. Although it felt "flat", in truth I had gained almost 200 feet when I finally sensed I was going uphill.

I simply walked upslope, coming to a rock outcrop, then seeing the next one, and all the subsequent ones up to the top. The terrain was a little less brushy on the slopes, and the rock outcrops were small and easy to bypass or scamper through. I went point to point, and in about 40 minutes, had achieved the summit ridge. The climbing was easy and logical. Only one stretch was steep and a tad loose, but it wasn't bad at all.

Now on the ridge, the summit is visible to the east tip, about 300 feet away and about 15 feet higher. I weaved through the easy rocks and soon, arrived on top. It was 9:07 a.m.; I had been hiking just over an hour, a gain of 1,100 feet. The views were excellent, but the sun was still low to the east so I couldn't get any good images that way. It was clear toward the Grand Wash Cliffs, while clouds lingered over the main peaks of the Cerbats: Cherum Peak and Mount Tipton.

The summit featured a couple poles on their sides plus some wiring. The log was in a jar in a cairn, the pages having got wet a little bit. I was the first to sign in over a year, although I suspect people come up here more often than what the logs would suggest.

I took time to sit and relax, have a snack and drink, and not feel so rushed to start hiking back down. I spent about 15 minutes up here, enjoying the views and the quiet. The stiff breeze, coupled with the cool temperatures, chilled me, so I finally got my stuff back on and started the downhill.

The exit went well, following the same route back. I was out in slightly over an hour, arriving back to my car at 10:10 a.m.. I changed out of my jeans and boots, put on some driving clothes, and was in no particular hurry. The whole hike had taken just over two hours, covering about 2.6 miles round trip. It was a surprisingly easy, straightforward hike.

Suddenly, a guy pulls up beside me, asks if I am shooting, or if my car is broken down, or if I am a poacher. I told him I'd been hiking. He mentioned the poacher thing again, emphasizing they have a problem with poachers (and I would agree, too). He was kind of gruff, but once I had him convinced I was just a hiker, he let down his guard and introduced himself, killed his engine and got out to chat.

First thing I asked was if I was on private property, i.e. his land. He said, yes, where I was parked was private, but it wasn't his land, and the landowner apparently has no beefs with people parking here to hike or target shoot. He pointed out all sorts of interesting geological features of this little range, where some of the hills were small lava domes, for example, plus where some mines were. He also gave me some information on who owns what. The range itself is BLM, just the bit at the end of the road is private. There are no fences here or signs, though.

We ended up talking for over an hour. He was friendly, boisterous, and used colorful language, but I got a good vibe from him. I sensed it would be a good chance to get some local history from this fellow, so I stuck around. Opportunities like this are hard to come by and always happen impromptu. I won't print his name in deference to his privacy, but I was glad to meet him and enjoyed the hour-long talk. I learned more about the Longs than I thought I ever would. He must have mentioned his dislike of poachers a half-dozen times, and frankly, I don't blame him one bit. He seemed like the type of guy who would not back down from a fight, and probably has shooed away a few poachers with the sharp end of a shotgun more than once.

I drove from here back to the hotel. I was happy to be successful on this hike and appreciated that what was going to be a quick in-and-out hike turned into a chance meeting with a local and a valuable hour of learning. I wish this guy well with all that he has coming up in his life, and thank him for his time.