John Morrow
Member
- Joined
- May 22, 2015
- Messages
- 1,090
Turtle Mountains Wilderness
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
Muggins Mountain Wilderness
Palomas Mountains
The Needles BLM
Nov 21-23, 2020 Turtle Mountains Wilderness
Jerry and Drew drove from Seattle together and Linda met Kimberly in OR and they drove down together. We rendezvoused at the Mopah Spring TH. I had time for an evening walk up on Peak 2120, just inside the wilderness.
Evening walk by John Morrow, on Flickr
Turtles2 by John Morrow, on Flickr
The next day it was onto the Desert Peaks Section classics: Mopah Point 3530' and Umpah Point 3553'.
Turtles1 by John Morrow, on Flickr
everyone by John Morrow, on Flickr
The gang on Mopah Point by John Morrow, on Flickr
crux downclimb by John Morrow, on Flickr
Mopah by John Morrow, on Flickr
2/3 way up Umpah Point by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jerry with Mopah behind by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jerry views sunset by John Morrow, on Flickr
The next day we hiked up to Mopah Spring and Relocated to Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.
Turtles morning by John Morrow, on Flickr
spring and staghorn by John Morrow, on Flickr
petroglyphs by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full set with titles describing routes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157717158397193
Nov 25-26, 2020 Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, off of the King Road (camp).
On the 25th we devised a big crosscountry loop of fine Sonoran desert terrain, stitching together no-name peaks, saguaro and ocotillo cacti, a tight water tank holding canyon, and long flats of "desert pavement". Called the Hidden Valley Hills.
Kofa HiddenValleyHills by John Morrow, on Flickr
starting a long loop by John Morrow, on Flickr
Peak 2095' scramble face by John Morrow, on Flickr
a bit of knife edge by John Morrow, on Flickr
cholla are feeling drought by John Morrow, on Flickr
Descending Peak 2120' by John Morrow, on Flickr
Hidden Tanks mouth by John Morrow, on Flickr
Nov 26th we headed to the old mining area near Kofa Butte for a scramble of Polaris Mountain 3624' and what we found was an incredible loop.
It began up a beautiful switchbacking miners foot trail to below the High Henry Mine. It led to a wide gully that, unfortunately was loose and with a prolific amount of cholla cactus the bit us over and over. Once near the summit we went over it and down great scrambling of the North Ridge to complete the loop via a western canyon that could be considered a right fork of Big Dick Canyon. Once it got wide and slow going we located a parallel mining trail up on the east bench for a quick route to the cars.
KOFA Polaris Loop by John Morrow, on Flickr
Polaris Mtn for today by John Morrow, on Flickr
deep canyon by John Morrow, on Flickr
fun canyon descent by John Morrow, on Flickr
big open unnamed canyon by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full set with titles describing routes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157717163286513
Nov 27th: Muggins Mountain Wilderness.
This small wilderness has a surprisingly large number of aesthetic scrambles. We chose the namesake Muggins Peak 1424' and its supposedly classic knife edge SW Ridge which splits to obvious gullies. Exciting it was, but we found it too loose to fully enjoy. We said farewell to Kimberly and Linda at camp...yes we were camped higher than the Muggins Peak summit, but 1424' is not a typo!
Jerry and Muggins by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jerry and Drew on rib by John Morrow, on Flickr
Drew heads to summit block by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jerry on top by John Morrow, on Flickr
descent time by John Morrow, on Flickr
more downclimbing by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full set with titles describing routes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157717162385187
Nov 28-29; Palomas Mountains classic peaks.
Ibex Peak 2822' and Haystack Peak 2783' are well known by desert mountaineers and justly so. We varied the standard routes by adding a day and adding what I call North Haystack 2320'. It is a fun scramble in itself but doesn't compare to the incredible amount of Class 2 and 3 solid rock on the other two. We found variations that only added more scrambling, and rejoined the good parts of the standard routes.
Ibex-Haystack-N.Haystack by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05061 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05064 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05072 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05089 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05091 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05122 (2) by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05126 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05136 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05147 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05161 by John Morrow, on Flickr
North Haystack:
DSC05171 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05175 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05203 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full set with titles describing routes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157717171261408
Time to begin a northward path for Jerry and Drew so we exited the Sonoran Desert with a couple drive-by quick scrambles. One of which was impeccable.
Nov 30; Courtney Purcell's (guidebook) Little Haystack 1360' and Shangri La Butte 1520'.
Purcell really has his descriptions backwards as to which was solid and which was dangerous. Shangri La was excellent. These are opposite the highway of the spectacular looking Havasu Wilderness.
Tough pitch by John Morrow, on Flickr
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge by John Morrow, on Flickr
Shang Ri-La next by John Morrow, on Flickr
Drew having a great time by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jerry routefinding by John Morrow, on Flickr
Shang Ri-La Peak by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full set with titles describing routes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157717176739467
Northward we travel next....
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
Muggins Mountain Wilderness
Palomas Mountains
The Needles BLM
Nov 21-23, 2020 Turtle Mountains Wilderness
Jerry and Drew drove from Seattle together and Linda met Kimberly in OR and they drove down together. We rendezvoused at the Mopah Spring TH. I had time for an evening walk up on Peak 2120, just inside the wilderness.
Evening walk by John Morrow, on Flickr
Turtles2 by John Morrow, on Flickr
The next day it was onto the Desert Peaks Section classics: Mopah Point 3530' and Umpah Point 3553'.
Turtles1 by John Morrow, on Flickr
everyone by John Morrow, on Flickr
The gang on Mopah Point by John Morrow, on Flickr
crux downclimb by John Morrow, on Flickr
Mopah by John Morrow, on Flickr
2/3 way up Umpah Point by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jerry with Mopah behind by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jerry views sunset by John Morrow, on Flickr
The next day we hiked up to Mopah Spring and Relocated to Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.
Turtles morning by John Morrow, on Flickr
spring and staghorn by John Morrow, on Flickr
petroglyphs by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full set with titles describing routes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157717158397193
Nov 25-26, 2020 Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, off of the King Road (camp).
On the 25th we devised a big crosscountry loop of fine Sonoran desert terrain, stitching together no-name peaks, saguaro and ocotillo cacti, a tight water tank holding canyon, and long flats of "desert pavement". Called the Hidden Valley Hills.
Kofa HiddenValleyHills by John Morrow, on Flickr
starting a long loop by John Morrow, on Flickr
Peak 2095' scramble face by John Morrow, on Flickr
a bit of knife edge by John Morrow, on Flickr
cholla are feeling drought by John Morrow, on Flickr
Descending Peak 2120' by John Morrow, on Flickr
Hidden Tanks mouth by John Morrow, on Flickr
Nov 26th we headed to the old mining area near Kofa Butte for a scramble of Polaris Mountain 3624' and what we found was an incredible loop.
It began up a beautiful switchbacking miners foot trail to below the High Henry Mine. It led to a wide gully that, unfortunately was loose and with a prolific amount of cholla cactus the bit us over and over. Once near the summit we went over it and down great scrambling of the North Ridge to complete the loop via a western canyon that could be considered a right fork of Big Dick Canyon. Once it got wide and slow going we located a parallel mining trail up on the east bench for a quick route to the cars.
KOFA Polaris Loop by John Morrow, on Flickr
Polaris Mtn for today by John Morrow, on Flickr
deep canyon by John Morrow, on Flickr
fun canyon descent by John Morrow, on Flickr
big open unnamed canyon by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full set with titles describing routes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157717163286513
Nov 27th: Muggins Mountain Wilderness.
This small wilderness has a surprisingly large number of aesthetic scrambles. We chose the namesake Muggins Peak 1424' and its supposedly classic knife edge SW Ridge which splits to obvious gullies. Exciting it was, but we found it too loose to fully enjoy. We said farewell to Kimberly and Linda at camp...yes we were camped higher than the Muggins Peak summit, but 1424' is not a typo!
Jerry and Muggins by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jerry and Drew on rib by John Morrow, on Flickr
Drew heads to summit block by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jerry on top by John Morrow, on Flickr
descent time by John Morrow, on Flickr
more downclimbing by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full set with titles describing routes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157717162385187
Nov 28-29; Palomas Mountains classic peaks.
Ibex Peak 2822' and Haystack Peak 2783' are well known by desert mountaineers and justly so. We varied the standard routes by adding a day and adding what I call North Haystack 2320'. It is a fun scramble in itself but doesn't compare to the incredible amount of Class 2 and 3 solid rock on the other two. We found variations that only added more scrambling, and rejoined the good parts of the standard routes.
Ibex-Haystack-N.Haystack by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05061 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05064 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05072 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05089 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05091 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05122 (2) by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05126 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05136 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05147 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05161 by John Morrow, on Flickr
North Haystack:
DSC05171 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05175 by John Morrow, on Flickr
DSC05203 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full set with titles describing routes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157717171261408
Time to begin a northward path for Jerry and Drew so we exited the Sonoran Desert with a couple drive-by quick scrambles. One of which was impeccable.
Nov 30; Courtney Purcell's (guidebook) Little Haystack 1360' and Shangri La Butte 1520'.
Purcell really has his descriptions backwards as to which was solid and which was dangerous. Shangri La was excellent. These are opposite the highway of the spectacular looking Havasu Wilderness.
Tough pitch by John Morrow, on Flickr
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge by John Morrow, on Flickr
Shang Ri-La next by John Morrow, on Flickr
Drew having a great time by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jerry routefinding by John Morrow, on Flickr
Shang Ri-La Peak by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full set with titles describing routes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157717176739467
Northward we travel next....
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