This guide is based on a Sage article by Dean Acheson with driving directions by Ted Brasket.

Topo Map: Wellton Hills 7½, 30 X 60 1:100,000 scale Yuma
Coordinates: Lat 32 31 58 Lon 114 14 01
Trip Stats: 3 hrs.

DRIVING

Coming from the west from Exit #12 on 1-8 east of Yuma, continue east over the pass to Exit #21 (Dome Valley - La Gusta). The off ramp crosses to the north side of 1-8. From the restaurant at La Gusta (great breakfast here) continue east 5.3 miles to Ave. 25E Turn south here. The pavement ends after passing under 1-8. The excellent dirt road takes a sharp left (east) turn just over a canal. In a short distance it goes back west then south to the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range boundary. This is 3.1 miles from Hy 80 and Ave. 25E junction. ...Permit and 4X4 drive required beyond this point. For permit info the phone# is 520-317-3200 (Yuma BLM). (Note: ...Sheep Mt., (is) the high point of the Gila Mtns. 0.6 miles to the east of Sheep Mt. on a difficult north-south ridge are ... high points ... 3010', ... 3030' and ... 3092'.

"From the BMGR boundary drive SE for approximately .6 miles on the main road. Take a road going south at this point. The 7.5 Wellton Hills topo and the Yuma 30 x 60 quadrangle maps show this road as a road with no junction. (No such luck!) When you come to a `T' junction go right a short distance to the first road going south again. (If you don't find a road going south in a short distance from the `T' junction go back to the east side of the junction a short distance. There are too many tracks in this area but if you just continue south on the 2-track road you'll get to the mountain in about 4 miles. You'll drive on to several large flat areas on the way down. You may think the road ends but drive to the south end of these and you'll find the road (continuing) south. Beyond these there are no junctions until you near the mountain. At a .,junction near the mountain turn right. (You may want to be sure you head north coming out at this junction to avoid dead ends.) At the edge of the large wash where the road ends on the map you'll be able to see a 2-track road going up the bank on the other side. A rocky primitive track will take you to where 1 camped on 2-13-99 Not the greatest camp spot, but it will put you at 2 hours from Sheep Mountain Summit.

HIKING

Despite Ted's detailed description of the drive, I somehow got on the road about a mile west of Ted's north/south road and ended up at the mine a mile to the west of where Ted camped. Turns out the mine is near an excellent camping spot. The wash at the mine heads southwest and doesn't go up to Sheep summit, but the next wash to the east looked like it would get us there. So we hiked east from the mine to the next mouth and headed south up a beautiful canyon. Before this -canyon topped out we turned east and up to a saddle where we could look across to Sheep summit. The traverse was quite loose and steep from here, but we all made it over to the final ascent route that went straight up and topped out just west of the peak.

NOTES

Great views made this a most rewarding climb. To the south was Mexico and to the north, standing ever so proudly was our old friend Castle Dome. Our climb up had taken over 4 hours. After some photo exchanges and .leisurely sightseeing, we went back essentially the same route we'd come up, except for finding a better traverse route to the saddle into the wash we'd come up.