military-jet overflights, the
remainder of the caravan arrived.
TEN EWE MOUNTAIN 4720+ CLASS
3 |
Friday morning, after a leisurely breakfast
complemented with the din of varied peak bagging stories, we consolidated into
4WD trucks for the drive up Kofa Queen Canyon. Note that the trailhead for Ten
Ewe is the same as the DPS Guide's Route C for Signal Peak (No. 8.5), 7.5 miles
from intersection post 19 (4WD recommended high clearance mandatory). From the
parking area. a prominent cave can been seen at a bearing of 214 degrees on the
N face of Ten Ewe (there are two caves, it's the BIG one on the right/W side).
Hike SW up the canyon to this cave, or keep it in mind if you decide to do Ten
Ewe on return from Signal. From this interesting perch (the cave), walk E
through some brush about 200 feet, passing a deep, narrowing chute/waterfall
that's up and to the right (S), over to a sloping "wall". This is the first of
three class three pitches that take you to the "upper half' of Ten Ewe. Since
we encountered slings on these pitches, some climbers may want a belay here,
which we didn't. After these are overcome, proceed SE across a section of loose
talus and then curve in a SW direction towards the summit. We left a new
register in place of the single-entry film canister we found there dating only
a couple of weeks prior to our visit. Ironically, other than Ewe scat, we
didn't encounter any other evidence of Ewes on Ten Ewe's slopes--ROUND TRIP
STATS.: 1900 feet elevation gain, 3 miles, 5 hours
That afternoon, with
the peak in the bag. we made camp high up on Signal's alluvial fan, just before
the road dips into Kofa Queen Canyon. Warm breezes and a radiant sun created
the quintessential desert setting. We awoke early Saturday morning in a rain
shower and immediately decided to move breakfast to nearby Quartzsite, where we
found a quaint, but adequate, roadside cafe. Our objective for the day was
5,681-foot, Harquahala Peak, the highest point in southwestern Arizona. The
Peak straddles the western edge of the 22,880-acre Harquahala Mountains
Wilderness which was established via the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 1990.
Although a rugged 10.5 mile 4WD road skirts the Wilderness boundary to the
summit, we chose to take the scenic and historic trail, contained entirely
within the Wilderness area.
The four mile trail to the summit was
created in 1920 and used by mules to haul supplies and materials to the then
active Harquahala Peak Observatory. Constructed by the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory and first operated by Dr. Charles G. Abbot, the
facility was active from 1920 to 1925. The Observatory was commissioned |
to study and research the "solar
constant", which aided weather forecasting. The facility closed in 1925 due to
extreme weather conditions and decreased visibility. In 1975 the site was
listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There is much more to the
history of the 0bservatory than space permits here. The single remaining shack
there is well fenced and embellished with a BLM info-placard and visitor's
register. In addition to these relics, there is a large, solar-powered,
microwave communications facility, that is operated by the Central Arizona
Water Control District to control water flow in the Central Arizona Project
canals. We found no register at the BM.
HARQUAHALA PEAK 5681' CLASS
1 |
From Quartzsite. AZ. head E on 110 and take exit 31
onto AZ 60 to Brenda, AZ. Proceed E on AZ 60 through the town of Wendon to mile
pest 70. Then, continue another 0.5 miles to where there is a roadside rest
area on the N side of AZ 60. Directly across the highway, on its S side, there
is a closed barbed-wire fence/gate. Go through the gate, make an immediate "S"
bend and continue 2.2 miles to the Wilderness boundary, keeping left at all
forks. The road is poor dirt, but is accessible to careful 2WDs. There is
parking for at least six vehicles at the trailhead. marked by several BLM
"brown stake" wilderness "posts". The GLADDEN 15' topo may be useful. Beginning
as an old road bed, the four mile, class one trail, starts here, just beyond
the posts, and beads SE. The path is well ducked for most of its route as it
proceeds up the canyon. The sides of the canyon are rich in desert vegetation,
with magnificent stands of saguaro being the most dramatic. During the second
mile or so, remains of an old telephone line can been seen strung between
boulders -- part of the old Observatory's installation.
As the canyon
narrows, the trail climbs upwards and transitions into a series of switchbacks,
passing a spring near 4200 feet. There's plenty of over-growth and virulent
catclaw along the way, especially in these last two miles. At times, the path
can be hard to follow through the thick foliage. Eventually, the route tops out
at a saddle, with good views all around. From this windy vantage point, the
dormant Observatory can be seen as a landmark. The trail turns E here, and
ascends an easy ridge line to connect with a service road to the summit.
During our visit, we hiked in intermittent and intense rain showers. with
the summit cloudy, windy, and COLD. It was interesting to note how the old mule
trail has aged in the seventy or so years since it was active. Finding the
trail down was somewhat elusive since we found "new" |