Hill and Dale: February 2020

A rocky climb on the way to Fissure.

I figured I’d have to hike back up Mount Ballard and then on to Fissure Peak after my failed attempt of ten days ago, when I dropped my water bottle at the trailhead and had to abort. I also figured the hiking conditions might be a bit more conducive to such a steep climb on wet, slippery talus since we’ve had a series of warmer days and the snows should have disappeared above 6,500 feet. I was right on that score. Temps were a breezy 50 at the top (7,350 feet), but no extant snow on the trail. As for the trail to Fissure, it was quite overgrown and difficult to follow, apparently sliding into disuse because almost no one hikes here anymore. I guess there must be some great telly on. On another positive side note, the egregious crucifix with a First Kings reference marking Ballard Peak has been put to rest, interred, really, as it was apparently installed with concrete footings. Lord knows I’ve tried to dislodge it in the past and hurl it over the side of the mountain, only to be thwarted because it was so well dug in.

The offending crucifix despoiling Mother Nature (as it existed on a previous hike—2016 I believe).

The newly interred crucifix as it now lies in peace.

Looking south from Ballard into Mexico.

Fissure Peak, a saddle and a scramble away.

Back from whence I'd hiked: Mt. Ballard.

Looking west toward Miller Peak, which I hiked last week in epic fashion.

Looking down into Mexico from Fissure.

9,461foot Miller Peak.

Today I finally combined two of my favorite hikes in the Huachucas: Joe's Canyon, first hiked by me in 2015, is considered "moderate" because it’s short (a little over 6 miles), but with decent elevation gain (around 1,600 feet); and Miller Peak Trail, worthy of its "hard" designation because it climbs over 3,000 feet from Montezuma Pass to over 9,400 feet. The elevation gain, the thin air in the upper reaches, and the distance, over 9 miles, all conspire to make this hike a real ass-kicker. Add on Joe's canyon and you have the makings of an epic day, which it was. Temps around 70º at the visitor center, which sits at about 3,900 feet.

I first hiked Miller Peak from Montezuma Pass in 2018 as part of my training to hike down into the Grand Canyon (a story in three parts: South Kaibab, Phantom Ranch, and Bright Angel) with my good friend Ira. I also hiked it December, 2015, from the Ramsey Canyon trailhead, a longer hike of around 12 miles.

Started the hike at the Coronado National Monument visitor center parking lot. Funny because the cars in the lot at 8:00 am were from, in order, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa. Apparently I'm not alone on my snow bird hiking obsession.

Joe's Canyon Trail begins with some serious climbing via switchbacks cut into the granite hills. The elevation is mostly front-loaded because after a mile-and-a-half of pulse-raising climbing, you're treated to a beautiful savannah ridge trail overlooking Mexico to the south, and the peaks of the Huachucas to the north. The ridge trail takes you first to the Yaqui Trail, part of the 800-mile Arizona Trail, which takes you down to the border with Mexico. I have hiked that on numerous occasions, usually as a side trip in conjunction with the Joe's Canyon hike. It's fun to climb through the barbed wire fence and mock the scurrying Border Patrol agents from the Mexican side. After the Yaqui Trail, it's another .7 miles to the turn-around point for this hike, Coronado Peak and Montezuma Pass. And Montezuma Pass is the start point for the Miller Peak hike up the Crest Trail, itself part of the Arizona Trail.

The Crest Trail wastes no time climbing. Switchbacks take you up the southern side of the foothills in Miller Peak Wilderness, reaching a middling elevation of around 8,000 feet, up from 6,500 feet at the pass, in about 2 miles. Then it's a few miles of gentle climb until the much steeper spur to the top of Miller.

Windy and chilly at the top and no other hikers until I run into a young solo hiker on my descent. There was also snow and ice on top, to be expected this time of year, but I donned my Kahtoola micro spikes and and made it through the worst of it in fine order. The trip down was much easier and I was back at the car in about three hours, almost 1 ½ hours fewer than the climb up.

Miller Peak as seen from Hwy. 92. Carr Peak is the other summit, to the right.

Miller is to the right, much further away than the hill in the foreground.

Beautiful start to this hike, as per usual.

The ridge takes you all the way to Montezuma Pass, center-right.

Looking south to the mountains of Mexico.

Montezuma Pass.

The Crest Trail is also part of the Arizona Trail, which if followed would take you to the Utah border, almost 800 miles in its circuitousness.

A stark reminder of the fires which swept through the Coronado Wilderness several years ago.

My heart really sank when I found out I had to leave my hang glider behind.

About 2 ½ miles to go.

Looking east southeast.

Most of the snow was concentrated in the last ⅓ mile.

The remains of a fire lookout. Arizona largely scrapped its fire lookouts as a way to save taxes. Instead, they let fires burn and hope for an infusion of federal dollars to fill the state coffers, never mind the death of fire fighters and the massive deforestation and ecological decimation of the landscape. Cynical greedy politics at its worst. Good news is, Arizona, and places like it (think Texas), are rapidly turning blue due to democratic changes.