The Mountains of Arizona
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R S Hill • Section 16 Hill • Hardy Hill Today was my last day of a five-day sojourn to Flagstaff. Today, I would look at two peaks near the community of Spring Valley, near Sitgreaves Mountain. R S Hill and Section 16 Hill lie adjacent to one another, and Hardy Hill is about seven miles west, an add-on as I was leaving the area.
Date: June 12, 2021
• Elevation: 8,063 feet
• Prominence: 519 feet
• Distance: 2 miles
• Time: 90 minutes
• Gain: 765 feet
• Conditions: Clear skies and cool
Arizona
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Main
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PB
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LoJ
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Unlike the previous days, I was not up before dawn, but close to it. I would be at higher elevations and thus had some flexibility with my timing. I left the hotel about 5:45 a.m. and was in the area of R S Hill by 6:30, following the same forest roads as I drove just a couple days ago for Government Mountain. I drove FR-141 to its junction with an access road to the Spring Valley Cross-Country Ski area. I forget the number. I parked in a small clearing at this junction, but it was heavily-forested here.
I walked through the trees, aiming west with a little southerly tack, and soon, was on the toe of a northeast ridge emanating off the mountain. A fire from years ago stripped half the mountain of its trees, and I was now at the margin of the fire. The living trees quickly gave way to the dead ones, many still standing but blackened and bare of branches. My logic was that I'd have more open views hiking through the snag forest, but would also have more deadfall and loose ground as well.
I walked steadily uphill, aiming for a large rock outcrop. I rousted about a half-dozen deer from their sleeping spots, and caught an image of a handful of them one ridge over. Conditions were about what I expected. Navigation was easy, but the deadfall could be challenging at times. The sun was now up and warming things fast, although for now temperatures were in the low 70s.
Once at the first rock outcrop, I weaved through its rocks, then aimed for a second one higher up, through more dead forest. I achieved this outcrop quickly, then surmounted a hilltop, at which time the summit was not far ahead. There was one more small rock outcrop to aim for, and past it, a little more deadfall than below to battle through. Ironically, the summit had living trees and green grass and was better looking than what I had just come up. The uphill hike took about 45 minutes, covering a mile.
I took a break up top, and enjoyed the little park-like setting up here. Views were blocked somewhat by the trees but looking north, I could make out the hills that way including some smoke from the Slate Fire burning about 20 miles northeast. I considered taking a more easterly route down, through the living forest, so as to avoid deadfall, but decided to take my ascent route down and deal with the loose footing, logs and branches.
The downhill hike went well and was loose, as expected. I spent a little more time at the lower large rock outcrop just to explore it, then bashed downward off the ridge and into the trees, then back to my car. I had been gone 90 minutes. The hike had gone well and was simple, but tiring with the deadfall. Future visitors may consider taking one of the forested ridges up which should mean less crud on the ground.
Elevation: 7,673 feet
• Prominence: 373 feet
• Distance: 1 mile
• Time: 45 minutes
• Gain: 390 feet
• Conditions: Sunny and calm
LoJ
Section 16 Hill lies just a mile north of R S Hill, and I was there in minutes, parking on the Historic Beale Wagon Road, southeast of the little hill. The hill gets its name for being in Section 16 of Township 23 North, Range 4 East.
I walked up the light forest on the hill's east slope, and soon was above it, on bare slopes where the same fire as on R S Hill (presumably) took out swaths of forest. However, the deadfall was not as severe here and I was able to make good time with minimal zig-zagging through the logs. The summit ridge is shaped like a U, and the highpoint at the U's bend, marked by two trees standing side by side, feet from the small boulder pile at the highest point. I was here in about 20 minutes. Views here were excellent due to the lack of trees, and I was surprised to see a register, so I signed in myself.
For the hike out, I followed the other ridge, coming down the slopes more southerly, near a gravel mine. This put me on the road, which I just walked back to my car. This had been a short hike covering about a mile total, but a nice hike with good views from the top.
Elevation: 7,370 feet
• Prominence: 330 feet
• Distance: 1.2 miles
• Time: 50 minutes
• Gain: 345 feet
• Conditions: Sunny and warm
PB
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LoJ
Leaving Section 16 Hill, I followed FR-141 westbound and after about 7 miles, came to the junction with County Road 74 (ostensibly FR-050 but I don't trust the map numbers). It was signed for "El Paso", referring to the nearby compressor station for the gas line. Hardy Hill is southwest of these two roads, easily visible. I drove CR-74 less than a mile and pulled into a cleared area in the trees, due east of the summit.
A fence line runs up the hill and I opted to hike the slopes south of the fence, where it was more open. There were more junipers and pinon trees here, not as many ponderosa. It was warm now. I would walk in the open, then find shade to take a small breather in, and repeat. The uphill hike did not take long and I was soon on the south ridge. I crossed the fence here (loose, easy to push down) and walked to the summit, which had a few rocks and a lot of trees and brush.
The summit itself was mildly interesting. I stepped on a few rock outcrops. Views were open and I could see the huge smoke plume of the Slate Fire in the distances. Closer in, the massive hulk of Sitgreaves Mountain rose immediately to the east.
Going down, I repeated my route, not interested to be clever now. It was getting a little uncomfortable, and the heatwave that was building would be one of the hotter ones, temperatures in the mid 90s at these elevations. I was gone less than an hour, and satisfied with my three-hill morning. I drove out CR-74 south toward the interstate, intending to take it back to Flagstaff.
I got to where the bridge crosses over the interstate for the on and off ramps... but I actually drove past it because I did not see the sign (this would be the Deer Farm & Pittman Valley exit). I drove just a few hundred feet intending to turn around, but saw the eastbound lanes were moving sloooowly, and in single file. That's what I would be on. Instead, I stayed on the road I was on, which became old Route 66, the current frontage to the interstate. I drove it east for about 15 miles to Bellemont, with no traffic. At the Bellemont onramp, traffic was moving better, so my detour bypassed whatever it was that was slowing traffic on the freeway.
This would be it for my five days in Flagstaff. Tomorrow, I would return to Payson. It had been a fruitful few days in Flagstaff, but I was eager to get on with other things in my life. Finally, things would be moving forward.
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