The Mountains of Arizona
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Peak 3464 • Peak 1894 The main focus for today was Peak 3464, a ridge-peak that rises a mile to the southeast of Picketpost Mountain near the town of Superior. There are a batch of peaks back here, along Telegraph Canyon, that I wanted to explore. I've never been to this area before, and Peak 3464, which looked uncomplicated, would be a good excuse to come this way. I was done with my teaching duties at ASU by 7:15 p.m. the night before and left campus as soon as I could. In about an hour, I was in Superior. I planned to camp at a local privately-run campground since it was just a couple miles from the trailhead. However, it was close to 9 p.m. when I rolled into town. I knew where to go, but there were no lights on, no signs or anything. I did not want to drive in on what might be someone's driveway in the dark, so I bailed. A perfect secondary option is close by (and I probably should have made it my primary, thinking back on it). The Oak Flat Campground is a few miles up the highway from Superior, on Tonto National Forest land. I rolled in and found a spot. Higher up, it was cooler but still very comfortable, temperatures in the 60s. I set up my cot, then had a dinner in the front seat of my car. In my cot, I laid there and looked up at the stars. It was a clear, cloudless evening. The moon was in its waning phase and would not rise until about 1 a.m., roughly at half stage. I slept well, and when I would awake briefly, enjoyed the moonlight effect. It never got very cold, maybe mid-50s. My phone buzzed about 4 a.m.. It was a text from my pal in Cal, Treetops, alerting me that Fernando Valenzuela had died the previous day. That was very sad. I remember very clearly his 1981 "Fernandomania" season (I was 14 that year). He was always such a likable person and a hugely important figure in the Dodgers' history from that era. He was not that much older than I am, too, which reminded me I am not young myself, and to appreciate things while still here. I was up at dawn. I took down camp and loaded the car and was on the move, still not yet 6 a.m.. I only had a dozen or so miles to drive, back into Superior and the trailhead. I had driven to the trailhead last night anyway so I knew where to go.
Date: October 23, 2024
• Elevation: 3,464 feet
• Prominence: 324 feet
• Distance: 5 miles
• Time: 2 hours, 50 minutes
• Gain: 845 feet
• Conditions: Sunny, clear, cool but warming fast
Arizona
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Main
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PB
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LoJ
In Superior, I located myself to near the fire station, south along Panther Road about a mile from US-60. I turned onto what the map calls Tonto FR-230, or Arnett Road, but it was signed as Golf Course Road or something like that. The pavement ends and just a moment later, I was where Telegraph Canyon Road, or Tonto Forest Road 4, branches off the main road.
I drove in a quarter mile and parked in a small clearing with a fire ring. It was cool but not chilly, the sun still blocked by the mountains to the east. I was already dressed and ready, and I started walking, the time a little before 7 a.m..
This road is closed, says a sign. Large boulders have been moved into place to block any vehicular access. I followed the main road and some open tracks into an arroyo, then found the continuation of the road up and past an old mine.
I had to cross a fenceline at an old gate. It used to be open when the road was active, but more large boulders and concrete slabs had been piled in front of the old gate. I was able to step over the barbed wire by using the rocks and slabs. By now, the sun was above the mountains to the east and I was out of the shadows. Big Picketpost Mountain had a red-orange tint to it for now.
The road makes a leftward bend and descends about 80 feet, coming to FR-4. This was confusing, since I assumed I was on FR-4 already. Turns out the Forest Service rerouted FR-4 to begin farther south with a different ingress point. This is visible on the satellite images but not on the maps. I was apparently on "old" FR-4.
I walked south but only for a hundred feet, to gain some elevation and get a look around, trying to gather my bearings. I could see FR-4 heading the other way, so I returned and followed it. It goes northwest then west. Peak 3464's big long ridge was to the west for now, and the road cuts across its northern tip. Now I knew exactly where to go.
I had to gain about 200 feet up very choppy road with a lot of exposed rock. I followed the road west, then it passed another fenceline/gate, bending south. I was back in the shadows again. The road then descends again but I did not want to lose any elevation. I left the road and started directly upslope, aiming for a wall of cliffs on the ridge ahead of me.
This off-trail segment went well, a lot of grass and low brush cleared from a recent burn. It looked like a small burn because the bigger trees and brush were not affected. I even found a cattle path that angled up toward the cliffs.
As I neared the cliffs, I could see what looked like man-made rock walls. Sure enough, that's what they were. The "trail" I was on fed me to the base of one such wall. I was able to get over it easily, not needing the hands. Below the wall and to the side were three gravesites with crosses. I took a brief look but left things alone.
The walls were curious things, and I wondered who put them in. The ancient Indians, likely, but why, I am not sure, They don't look like retaining walls since the ground on the higher side was flush with the top of the walls. I would assume these were simple battlements, a way to slow down any enemy bands trying to make their way up. Honestly, I have no clue.
Once above the walls and now on the upper ridge, I had about a mile of gently sloping terrain to the summit. Whatever burn passed through had cleared out whole swatchs of grass and scrub, making walking easy. It was just a matter of putting in the steps for about a half hour until I was closing in on the summit.
The top only appears toward the end, being blocked by a gentle rise for much of the way in. I walked to it, the one-way hike taking about 90 minutes. I was back in the sun, having been so once above the walls. It was warming, but nice for now, about 65° with no clouds and no humidity.
The top is marked by a cairn but I could not find a register. A couple other rocks along the cliff edge looked possibly as high so I tagged each one and snapped some images. The sun was still low enough to provide good light and shadow effects. I had a full view of Picketpost Mountain's "backside". I took a break on a good sitting rock and spent about ten minutes enjoying the rest and the views.
I hiked down the same way, dropping off the ridge at the same rock wall, then back to the road. With the sun now higher, things were warming into the mid 70s by now. And to my surprise, I see a vehicle inching up the road. They stopped and we talked, an older couple. The vehicle was a Polaris-type rig suited for these kinds of roads. He admitted that the rocky section "back there" was very rough going up. He also confirmed they had come in via the new routing of FR-4. We spent about five minutes chatting. I never expected to see anyone today.
I was back to my car a little before 10 a.m., a hike of just short of 3 hours, covering 5 miles. I was beat but feeling good, too. It had gone well and I got some ideas for a future visit. Peak 3595 rises west of Peak 3464 across the canyon and looks like something I'll do soon.
I stayed in my hiking clothes and just piled in and drove off. I stopped at a minimart in town for cold drinks. I had nothing else on the agenda today except for a doctor's visit at 3:30 p.m. in Scottsdale. I had about 5 hours to use up.
I drove west on US-60, descending into the lower desert, then taking AZ-79 south toward Florence. I wanted to check out Cottonwood Canyon Road, which heads east into the mountains south of US-60. This is a popular back-country byway for 4-wheelers and I had never been on this road or in this area.
There were two peaks that might interest me, but it was warming now, now into the high 80s. This persistent heat wave has been keeping temperatures in the high 90s and it was expected to be that hot today. I was not expecting to hike any of these peaks in this warmth, but I wanted to explore anyway.
Cottonwood Canyon Road is very wide and graveled, suitable for most vehicles. There is a quarry back in here and big massive trucks run these roads both directions, kicking up dust. I drove in a few miles and got quite far in. I was able to get good visuals on my peaks of future interest, but yes, it was too warm now, and these were something I'd wait for when it's cooler (which hopefully is very soon).
I returned back to AZ-79. This little side trip used up an hour and was fruitful, but I did not enjoy the dust.
I still had a few more hours to waste. I had a motel near ASU arranged but would have to wait to check in. Now I was in shamelessly opportunistic mode. Any peak would do, preferably something short and lame. I did not care. Given the warmth, a short hike would be preferable.
Elevation: 1,894 feet
• Prominence: 327 feet
• Distance: 0.5 mile
• Time: 25 minutes
• Gain: 365 feet
• Conditions: Very warm
PB
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LoJ
I drove into Florence, then followed Hunt Highway west and northwest toward San Tan Valley, the city that is not yet a city. Peak 1894 rises above the homes and businesses along the Hunt Highway. It is an outlying bump of the Goldmine Mountains. Roads get near and it looked like a very short hike.
I got onto Gary Road which is near a big Walmart. The peaks rises behind it and to the south a little bit. A water tank sits about a third of the way up on its north slope. I drove a little past the road to the water tank and parked alongside the road. There were no signs prohibiting parking or access, just one about lots for sale.
It was very warm now, pushing 90°. I wore my buttpack with a water in it, and started moving. I first followed the road to the water tank but a gate stopped me, as did a sign against trespassing. I figured this applied only to the water tank, not the whole mountain.
I just went to my left and started up the grassy and rocky slope, making good time. It was steep but open, the rocks holding together well. I charged up about 300 vertical feet in under ten minutes, now on the peak's small summit ridge.
The summit was visible up ahead. I even found a trail, too, and some bottles and wrappers. People evidently come up here. I was at the summit quickly. The top is a big pile of rocks. There was some sort of termite event going on, a bunch of them clumped into a ball on the top-most rock.
I snapped a couple images but did not stop. I returned exactly the same way. I did not want to be gone longer than necessary in case someone were to call the cops. This is the suburbs, after all.
I was back to my car quickly. I was almost jogging and I did the hike in about 20 minutes. I was moving fast. It was hot now and I was a mess. I piled in and drove back north on Gary Road. I stopped into a nearby Latter-Day Saints church property because it had a big grassy lawn from which to snap a good image of the peak. No one was in today.
It was close to noon now. I wanted to check into my hotel at 2 to clean up and get myself to my doctor's appointment in time. I followed the main roads, Hunt Highway to Ellsworth to the new AZ-24 highway (just a spur for now, it will be built out long after I am dead), which fed me onto the Loop-202 freeway.
The electronic signs said the "road" was closed at Brown Road. I took that to mean that the Brown Road exit was shut. Actually, the whole freeway was shut at Brown Road due to a fatal accident I would later learn. Everyone was being forced to exit at Brown Road. The sign could have been clearer, otherwise I would have taken the US-60 freeway in.
On Brown Road, I went west, following everyone else. It was not clear where the freeway could be re-accessed. I just went west on Brown Road, stoplights and all. In one area about at Lindsay, the road itself was constricted due to construction so I bailed and went south on Lindsay, only to find it too was constricted. So I went north on Lindsay and ... it too was constricted! It seemed that literally every mile, the city had shut a lane on every road.
This was getting very frustrating. It's like one of those bad dreams where no matter what you do, two more things pop up to delay you. And it was hot, I was stinky and not in a good mood. I tried to go with the flow. Getting all worked up won't help me. Finally, I found some roads that the city had forgot to constrict and got my sweaty ass into Tempe. I stopped briefly at the Sloan Park (the Cubs' Spring Training site) for a rest, then went to check in to my hotel and go get myself looked at by the doctor.
It had been a good day overall, I got two peaks in, and got some valuable exploring done. Peak 1894 was nothing but for today's purposes, was perfect. I learned more about the fatality on the Loop-202 and felt terrible for those involved. Whatever incoveniences I had today were nothing compared to what they are experiencing.
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