Well my mother is visiting from Florida and pretty much every time she comes I try and take her out in the desert somewhere so she can enjoy the great state of Arizona. This time was no different except in the fact that she can't tolerate the rough trails anymore. So I took her and my son to Harquahala Peak today just to get out and see somewhere different.
The day started off just perfect as it was sunny and the temperature was working it's way up into the 70's. We arrived at the Harquahala Mountain trail at around 8:00am. The trail is 10.6 miles long and it runs up to Harquahala Peak at an elevation of 5681 feet. It is rated moderate in the "Guide to Arizona Backroads and 4 Wheel Drive trails", but it can be run in 4 Hi all the way with no problems. The really nice thing about this trail was how green the desert was after all of the rain that we've had lately. The trail starts out fairly flat until it runs along side a wash where you will start gaining elevation as you work your way up towards the summit. The road has been recently graded and it starts to get rocky about halfway into the drive. One of the nice aspects of the drive is the serpentine nature the road takes as it snakes its way up to the peak. There are plenty of areas to pull over and view the surrounding countryside on the way up. The last 2 or so miles is racked with rocky switchbacks that are steep but are easily manageable as their is room for vehicles to pass coming and going the whole way.
The climax of the drive is the Peak. On the top are various parking areas and the remants of an Observatory that was built by the Smithsonian Institute back in 1920. There is a collection of solar panels also located on the peak. The view from Harquahala peak is spectacular and it gives you a 360 degree panoramic view of the surrounding area. Harquahala Peak is the highest peak in the southwestern part of Arizona and in my opinion worth the drive to the top. While on the top we signed our names in the BLM register, explored the area and read about the history of the mountain. On top the weather was very sunny but there was a consistent 20+ mph wind that was extemely cold and it cut right through our clothes and sweatshirts. I'd have to say that with the wind the temp was probably in the upper 30's to low 40's while we were walking around exploring.
On the way down my mother and I noticed something about the run that wasn't there on the drive up. As we were coming down the desert wildflowers had started to blossom as the sun was warming up the western slopes of the mountains. Along with the lush green vegetation of the desert foilage, the brilliant purple, yellow, and orange colors of the flowers made us slow down and enjoy the trip out. I can only imagine what this area will look like in another 3-4 weeks when the desert comes more into bloom. Pics posted soon.
JD
2004 JEEP Rubicon a.k.a. "Ruby"
Just Exploring Everything Possible