The Mountains of Arizona
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Peak 4569 • Peak 4388 These two peaks are the two northernmost ranked foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains. They lie north of Mount Fagan, just outside of the forest boundary. The peaks are on State Trust land, but in one case, we'd be crossing some private land to get near the peak. Amy suggested these peaks a few weeks back. I was interested because I would probably have not hiked them otherwise. She invited Mark Nicholls along too. I had not seen him since 2013, on Dos Cabezas Mountain. We agreed to meet at the corner of state route AZ-83 and Sahuarita Road, where there is a large pull-out and parking area, this being a let-in point for the Arizona Trail. I rolled in a little after 9 a.m., then Mark about 15 minutes later. Amy then arrived after another 15 minutes or so I rode with Amy while Mark followed us in his truck. She knows this area well and it made sense for her to lead us in.
Date: January 5, 2025
• Elevation: 4,571 feet ✳
• Prominence: 386 feet ✳
• Distance: 1.4 miles
• Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Gain: 560 feet
• Conditions: Sunny and pleasant
• Partners: Amy Pleckaitis & Mark Nicholls
Arizona
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Main
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PB
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LoJ
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Lidar
We went west on Sahuarita Road a couple miles, then south on Copper Cut Road, a dirt road that leads in to some scattered homestead properties. Peak 4569 (as printed on the map) is easily seen, the biggest peak in the immeduate area. It has a trapezoid shape, with steep slopes all around.
The road was pretty good, as it appears to be maintained, but as we drove in farther, the number of "private property" and "keep out" signs increased, some situated such that it appeared the road itself was off limits. This seemed to be a ploy by the locals to scare off any casual visitors, but barring the road being gated or a sign explicitly stating that the road is private, we continued onward.
We ended up on a scraggly track that runs south of the peak, slightly past the last house in the area. It appeared that we were back on State Trust land. We were able to park alongside the road in some weedy pullouts. We did not get moving until after 10:30 a.m..
We walked the track briefly westward, until we were past a lower foreground hill and could see Peak 4569 clearly. The highpoint is to the left (west) of the flattish top ridge. We walked the road until we felt it was time to start through the grass and cactus and up the slopes.
I found a track, probably a game track, and started walking it. Mark the spotted a couple white-tail deer on the slope just ahead of us. The slope was lenient at first, then steadily steepened. The ground itself was rocky and sometimes loose. Brush wasn't too bad once on the slopes.
I was ahead, Mark and Amy about a minute behind me. I got about 80% of the way up, now underneath a big rock face with sloppy cliffs. I went right, while Amy went left. I did not like what I saw, so Mark and I angled over to where Amy was and followed her up the remaining slope to the top.
This put us on the highpoint. Amy had gone ahead and was looking at a lower rocky nubbin about 200 feet to the east. Mark sighted with his level and showed that where we were was highest by about 4 feet. The summit did not have a register, so Mark put one together and the three of us signed in.
I went over to the lower bump while Amy went back to the western highpoint. This lower bump had a register, but it appeared to be a geocache. They called the peak "Back Pain Peak". I signed in here as well.
Back on the first peak (the highpoint), I felt the slope coming off the lower geocache peak was more promising than what we had just come up. The others were agreeable, and I poked my way downhill. It was more stable, and there were more game paths that helped.
Getting down the peak went very well. We were back to the cars a little before noon, a one-hour, twenty-minute round trip hike covering 1.4 miles, done at a leisurely pace.
Driving out, Amy stopped and walked us to the Cuprite Mine, which is nearby the peak. The rocks here still show the distinct turquoise color of copper ore. The mine itself had a shaft that was not covered over. We spent a few minutes here before heading back out and on to the second peak of the day.
Elevation: 4,388 feet ✳
• Prominence: 447 feet ✳
• Distance: 2 miles
• Time: 2 hours
• Gain: 660 feet
• Conditions: Same
PB
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LoJ
We got back onto Sahuarita Road, and went west a couple more miles, turning south onto Camino Aurelia, with a sign for the Alta Ranch at the turnoff. This road was rockier than the first one, but we went slow and drove in about two miles. We parked in a wide area of the road, about a half mile north of the peak.
We started walking about 1 p.m., going cross country on a direct bearing toward the right of two ridges. The left one had a big cliff at its top while the right one looked more open.
We had to drop about 50 feet into an arroyo, then up onto a ridge, then cross another arroyo to be on the slope that would lead us up the desired ridge. I was about 5 minutes ahead of Mark and Amy. But I'd often stop to make sure they saw me.
The climbing wasn't difficult, but the terrain here was rockier with a lot more brush. Any rock outcrops seen from below always had a walk-around bypass option. The brush could be extremely thick at times.
The upper summit ridge is a sequence of three or four rocky domes all in a neat line, then the summit. I got up to the lowest of these domes and found some openings that made getting around them easy. Only the second-to-last dome required actual climbing up and over the rocks, while the slope up to the highpoint itself was more open.
The top features a rocky pile, possibly a cairn, but no register. I sat and enjoyed the mild afternoon and had a drink and snack break while Amy and Mark trudged up the slopes. They took a more direct line, going directly up the slopes rather than follow the ridge as I had.
As before, Mark put together a register and we three signed in. Homes to the peak's south were close enough that it looked like one could climb to this peak's top in a matter of minutes. I suspect a few people there do occasionally visit this highpoint.
We spent about fifteen minutes here, enjoying the views. It had taken as about an hour to get here, covering a mile. Amy wanted to check out a smaller peak on the northeast ridge while Mark and I followed our ascent ridge down.
The downhill hike went well, just a matter of not slipping or tripping on the rocks and brush. We saw Amy on top of the other peak. Mark and I were off the peak and back on the flats, where we saw Amy not too far behind, maybe a couple minutes. Once she joined us, we three walked back to our vehicles.
That was it for today, but I was pleased. These two peaks ended up being a lot of fun with a decent amount of challenge. We stood around and chatted a little but then went our separate ways. Amy drove me back to my car at which time she took off, as did I toward Sierra Vista, where I did some shopping at the Target. I was surprisingly beat when I got home. These weren't long hikes, but they were steep and brushy in places.
My thanks to Amy for suggesting the peaks and being the lead driver and guide for the day. It was also good to see Mark again after over 11 years. The three of us will probably team up again in the future.
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