We turned west and drove 22 miles to Tinajas Altas, a series of pools in the rock walls above our camp. From camp we climbed Tinajas Altas Pk, 2764ft, and found the first recorded record of ascent in December 1980 by Gordon MacLeod, Barbara Lilley and Mike McNicholas. A party of two reached the summit in 1989 and another party of 5 climbed earlier in 1990. Ours was the 4th recorded ascent party. The peak is a challenge in route finding through beautiful white granite rock and the summit is only 1 or 2 miles north of the Mexican border.
The next day we drove east passing Tule Well again, the north edges of the Pinacate Lava Flow, Papago Well and into Organ Pipe National Monument. Here I turned south to visit Quitobaquito Pond before heading north to the Cabeza Prieta Refuge Headquarters in Ajo.
The Headquarters are at 1611 North Second Ave in Ajo, 85321, just south of Rasmusson Road on the west side of 2nd. (Tel: 602-387-6483) Their office hours are 9 to 5. A permit is required to enter the Refuge and the Hdqtrs will coordinate your permit with Goldwater Gunnery Range and the Marine Base, both of which occupy part of the Refuge. No mail applications are accepted for the first 1 1/2 weeks of each month. Including the manager there is a staff of 5 people overseeing this area.
Steve and I say visit and explore here if you love the Sonora Desert. Thanks to Steve for his usual fine assist. --- Ron
| ARGUS PK | April 21, 1990 | Jones/Michael |
This was my eighth and final Argus Peak Climb and was dedicated to Norm Rohn my friend and assistant on BBQs 4-7. Lou Brecheen had broken a rib in Baja recently and Bob Michael stepped in as assistant.
Thirty two plus people showed up at the Homewood Canyon roadhead described in Wheelock's Desert Peaks Guide and not listed in our DPS Guide. It was a beautiful spring day and there was a good display of wild flowers, the best I'd seen in this mediocre year. We crossed the ridge into Crow Canyon via a washed out 4WD road and had an uneventful scenic climb to the summit.
On top we ate, relaxed and reminisced about our departed friend. I recounted a brief history of the peak climb and BBQ, starting back when I lived in Crow Canyon. Paul Freiman remembered Norm with this poem: