CHARLESTON PEAK, June 15              Abe Siemens At 7:30 A.M. Saturday, seven climbers left 8600-foot Kyle Campground in ideal weather and began the nine mile trek to the summit of 11,918-foot Charleston Peak. Our route followed a well maintained trail, the last few miles of which followed a ridge from which we viewed both Lake Mead, 45 miles to the southeast, and desert basins to the west. The two members of our group who carried rucksacks decided to camp at the 11,000-foot level. The rest of us continued on to the peak. Before we reached the summit, however, we stopped to poke among the charred remains of a four engined aircraft which had crashed at the 11,500-foot level years ago. After enjoying the views from the summit, we began our return to camp via the spectacular North Loop Trail. The northern face of Charleston is truly spectacular and the trail afforded us commanding views almost until we reached camp. The considerable amount of snow on the north wall resulted in occasional waterfalls and patches of snow along the trail. As we returned to camp at twilight, we concluded that someday we would return.
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Nonscheduled Trips
MAZATAL PEAK (7688'), May 1963           Harry Melts Mazatzal Peak is the high point of the Mazatzal Wilderness Area in Tonto National Forest in central Arizona. This extensive wilderness area is very rarely visited, except during the hunting season by people with the urge to kill. Visiting during this period should be avoided. The eastern central section of the wilderness area is the most scenic and a choice of several backpack loop hikes exist. Barnhardt Canyon is a must in any loop trip plan since it contains a multitude of waterfalls with plenty of water (in May), striking examples of folded rocks, and steep, narrow canyons. I had the good fortune to see my first mountain lion in full light. A word of warning. The natives in this area are hostile and very suspicious. On more than one occasion, deliberate misinformation was given by local ranchers concerning access roads, trails, etc. Fortunately, having corresponded with and visited the district ranger offices in the area, we were not misled. For information write to Tonto National Forest Supervisor, 230 N. 1st Ave, Room 6208, Phoenix 25, Arizona. A hike into this area would not be complete without climbing to the top of Mazatzal Peak, from which most of the wilderness area can be surveyed. The peak is reached via a dim branch trail from the main Barnhardt Canyon trail. Both the USGS and the USFS maps are recommended, since the information and misinformation is equally divided between them. No trail signs exist except for a few remnants of ancient illegible ones. Mazatzal Wilderness Area is a good place to observe the undisturbed flora of central Arizona. MEMORIAL WEEKEND IN ARIZONA          Harry Melts Already having done the Grand Canyon traverse some years ago, we decided instead to roam around Arizona, climbing the state's high point, Humphrey Peak, and visiting several national monuments. Humphrey's slopes unfortunately are scarred with ski lifts, the highest taking you up just below Agassiz Peak, which should be climbed before Humphrey. Agassiz affords good views of Humphrey, lying north along a high ridge. After shivering atop Humphrey, we continued on to Canyon de Chelley. A new ruling is in effect there which requires the hiker or the driver to have a Navajo guide at all times when visiting the canyons. The only exception is White House Ruin, just a short hike down from the rim. The fee for the guide is $1.50 per hour. We hiked all

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