Follow the numerous signs. Picacho Peak via Hunter Trail Overview Picacho Peak via Hunter Trail is a hard 3.4-mile out and back trail with an elevation gain of 1,982 feet. I think it’s a good bunch, 18 in all, with a 1K and a 2K prominence spicing things up. I’d like to take you on a tour of the peaks, starting with the much larger group on the east side of the freeway. Driving back to the north a short distance, I parked for my last one of the day. #1 - Picacho Peak via Hunter Trail. An arrow-shaped stone atop the peak of Huayna Picchu appears to point due south, directly through the famous Intihuatana Stone, to Mount Salcantay, one of … It presents an imposing 1,400-foot wall to the park’s visitor center below. Sticking up out of this flat desert are majestic rock monoliths that began as volcanic plugs and have been carved into wonderful shapes by the endless ero… There’s a hidden gem in the northern part of the Picacho Mountains just waiting for anyone to go and see. Back at my truck before two o’clock – it had been a good day, and I’d get home early enough to celebrate Christmas. Almost immediately after the saddle, the route got spicy. Due to the uneven topography of Arizona, there are places where the water must be pumped uphill, and this is done by means of large pumping stations. To this point, it has just been hiking. That’s certainly the case for the Picacho Mountains, which approach to within 23 air miles of my home. Climb NW to a saddle at 1200+ feet elevation. Sonoran Desert National Monument. This is one of two trails in Picacho Peak State Park that takes you to the peak and it is a must do in spring due to the abundance of wildflowers. It presents an imposing 1,400-foot wall to the park’s visitor center below. In this Friday, July 31, 2015 photo, a lone saguaro looms over the entrance of the Picacho Peak State Park in Picacho, Ariz. However, the road is spectacular and lower vistas along the road provide exceptional views. This is the easier of the two peak hikes. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from September until May. Once done descending, the trail finally started heading up and toward Picacho Peak. It's located in Arizona, United States.This geocache is located on the summit of Picacho Peak. … Read more. I ran across a write up where a woman called it “Picacho Peak aka Hell Hike” and she mentioned a “death chute”. It starts way back up near the Granite Hills, where Brady Wash drains to the north and McClellan drains to the south. hard (1287) Length: 3.2 mi • Est. The climb to the top of Picacho del Diablo, the highest mountain on the Baja California peninsula , wasn’t supposed to be technical. One week later, I returned to climb the small mountain beside the Picacho Pumping Station. Hiking info, trail maps, and 29 trip reports from Picacho Peak (3,370 ft) in the Picacho Mountains of Arizona peakery; Log a climb. From the Phoenix area, take I-10 South to the Picacho Peak Road Exit (Exit 219). The trail to the summit is well marked and maintained. Although its channel is well-vegetated, dry wells litter its path. This is one of those washes that nobody knows about, yet it leaves its imprint on this area of desert. The range itself is named after this one, and it is truly spectacular. There were children climbing successfully the day I climbed Picacho. Of course, the strain and fear involved with getting to the top make getting there an accomplishment (and getting home safely even more of one). It sits astride Interstate-10, and its imposing profile makes it look like a technical mountain to climb for most mortals. I had been eyeing something called Peak Benchmark for some time. It was muggy and hot with little wind, so I was drenched by the time we reached the saddle. Rather, I found a road that took me over to the Central Arizona Project canal (more on that later). Picacho Peak is composed of basalt and andesite volcanic rocks. It’s derived from the work pico, which means “peak”. Picacho Peak Trail is a 3.3 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Santa Fe, New Mexico that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. It is 2.7 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2090 ft! The good ol’ CAP runs around the south end of the mountains, and a road we drove actually crossed the canal on a bridge. A trail was built to the top, but it was no ordinary trail – in places, it had to scale near-vertical rock, so they had to drill into the rock to place metal posts and run cables. This hike is located near Eloy, AZ. These are common on the desert floor, and can rise many hundreds of feet into the air. A challenging ascent of Picacho del Diablo, Baja California's elusive highest peak. Tucson, AZ. Though appearing to be the remnant of a volcanic neck, it is now believed to be … There are at least 7 routes to the peak, but except for the route from the west they all contain some class 4 sections. Elevations are obtained from the maps and are given in feet. Picacho Peak is a prominent mountain in central Arizona, about 20 miles southeast of Casa Grande in Pinal County, and about 40 miles north of Tucson. I suppose it could be argued that they aren’t even a part of the larger range, but they almost touch so I thought I’d consider them together. I felt the 2nd section, which goes straight up crack in a section of steep rock, was the most difficult (not up, but on the way down). The canal cost 4 billion dollars to construct, and it took 20 years to complete. Starting out early in the day, before the heat added another layer of … From Phoenix drive south on I-10. It seemed like a good idea to see how quickly I could polish this one off, so I set off quickly up the northeast side. It ran a full 30 miles before being robbed of what surely would have been even more happy miles, had not man intervened. Beautiful! This is the easier of the two peak hikes. It cost us $7 to enter the park FYI. It was a glorious morning with perfect … Picacho – it’s a Spanish word, of course, like so many names here in the American southwest. It’s defined as the vertical distance between a peak and the lowest contour line surrounding that peak and no higher peak. Some mountain ranges feel like old friends, especially if they’re close to home and you see them often. Certainly a doable hike for a beginner hiker or climber (if they don't try to set up their own route), but I saw a lot of those novices struggle. Picacho Peak is a prominent landmark on the way from Tucson to Phoenix, and something I've wanted to climb since the first time I saw it. Florence, AZ. The signs will say 2 miles, but they lie. 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