Date: May 14, 2018 • Elevation: 6,600 feet • Prominence: 880 feet • Distance: 2.5 miles • Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes • Gain: 720 feet • Conditions: Clear and sunny, cool temps

Arizona • Main • PB • USGS BM Datasheet

This particular peak is a forested hill covered in pinon and juniper woods, with communications towers on the top. It is located about six miles south of Interstate-40 and 20 miles west of Seligman. This part of Arizona is mostly private land, owned by various ranch outfits, both big and small. This particular area is a checkerboard of private and State Trust sections, the summit being within a State Trust section. However, there are no gates or restrictions in the parts where the road crosses private property. Access to this peak is helped by a good dirt road needed to tend to the towers.

I was driving home from Laughlin, taking the Northern Route through Kingman and I-40, just for the variation. I left Laughlin about 6:00 a.m., and a couple hours and just over 100 miles later, exited I-40 at the Anvil Rock Road exit. I didn't have a lot of time for any hike, so this little peak would do nicely. I was not interested in bushwhacking or all-day epics. I hoped to be up and down in an hour, as I had a lot of driving to do.

I went south on Anvil Rock Road for 6 miles to the access road, also signed as Jackass Cove Road. I drove in past one residence, then up the road for 0.4 mile, parking in a pull-out just before one slightly-steep portion of the road. I killed the engine and got my boots on. The day was perfect: blue skies, bright sun, temperature about 60 degrees F, and a slight breeze. I was walking at 7:45 a.m.

I just walked the road up to the top. It bends here, then there, then a couple more times. And soon, I was on top, with the towers. I tagged any high ground, plus some boulder piles created by the earth movers. Some cattle were milling about, eating grass and ignoring me. I looked for a benchmark but found none. I didn't linger. I started back down, stopping for photos. I was back to my car at 8:50 a.m.. I had put on about 2.5 miles and 700 feet of elevation gain.

Back at the car, I relaxed a moment, took off my boots and got things situated, then drove out. I was back to the Interstate shortly, and later, driving through some construction zone, got a rock to the windhsield that gave it a star, and within a couple hours, a foot-long crack. Grrrr.

Anvil Rock Road goes about another 15 miles south to the north entrance of the O-RO Ranch. I visited the east gate of said ranch last year while hiking Juniper Mesa with Scott Peavy. I thought about going to the north gate just to stick my arm in, but chose not to. Maybe some day in the future. Or not.

The peak itself is nothing special, but it is easy and has respectable prominence (nearly 900 feet). It was easy and a fun way to kill an hour. I love this country, with its rolling hills and pinon-juniper woodlands.

I am grateful I was even here today to hike this peak. Two days ago, my wife and I were driving to our condo in Laughlin. We were on a small connector road from the Avi Casino to the Needles Highway. Coming in the opposite direction was a truck followed by about four cars. They were on a blind curve and a double yellow.

Naturally, some idiot felt the rules did not apply to him. Suddenly, we see a little blue sporty car in our lane, coming right at us. There was no time to process what we were seeing. I was not scared because I did not have time to get scared. In one instant, there he is coming at us about 75 miles per hour, in another moment he's kicking up sand clouds fifty feet high as he barrels into the desert.

We came that close, literally a split second, in being involved in a head-on collision. Had we not been killed, we would have been seriously injured. He was so close I could see his face. That's how close he was.

I drove another half mile or so. There was no one behind me and no more oncoming traffic, so I slowed and pulled to the side. Beth was totally calm. We weren't screaming or freaking out or hugging. This happened so fast that we just did not process it for its emotional sake. We knew what just happened, but the gravity of it had not yet sunk in.

For a few moments, we sat in the car and did not say much. I actually considered going back and finding this guy. He would be easy: look for a little blue sporty car about 200 feet into the sand. I wanted to hurt him. I really wanted to find him and hurt him. But I chose not to.

I restarted the engine and we drove on to our place in Laughlin, and had a relaxing weekend there. We were then and are now fully aware our numbers almost came up that day, May 12, 2018.

The former name, "Sq--w Peak", has been changed. The new name, Jolly Place Peak, is now official as of September 2022 (see this USGS link for a full list.). I had read the task force's list of suggested names and submitted some of my own. I had suggested Red Lake Peak after nearby Red Lake Flat, but they chose Jolly Place Peak, which is a cool name, definitely unique.