Granite Mountain

Yuma BLM

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There's lots of Granite Mountains around and this one probably isn't a very impressive specimen. It certainly isn't as grand as the various other things I went after while I was here last. It's still an excellent excuse for a walk with a little challenge along the way. I could probably drive a bit closer, but then I would miss some small sites along the way and it's really too close to camp to bother with that. Anyway, it would only get the easy flat stuff out of the way and the sky is quite beautiful after the rain yesterday. Best to stretch the legs and enjoy it.

The goal, obscured a little by the desert vegetation.

Ibex does still make itself known on the other side of the valley.

Signal is some 20 miles away, but I think that might be it anyway.

The first part is easy and flat and quick, but that is deceptive. As small as Granite is, it does have some foothills. Among the closest of these are some marked petroglyphs by a mine and a wash. The geocachers have helpfully pointed out some mortars on the far side of the wash and some fellow explorers point out the mine. Today the wash is running like a wide muddy river. I guess I could have got away without having to cross that, too, if I had driven around, but the petroglyphs and mine are on this side of it and the mortars and mountain are on that.

Tyson Wash is running the day after the rain. It is a little less than knee deep now, but it won't last long.

These are some unusually large mortars. One was over a foot across.

A coyote left its tracks by the water.

I could only find the one petroglyph which was probably damaged by the mine into the rock just 2 feet behind it. Yes, I ended up crossing the wash extra times because I missed which side it was on at first.

Then there's the hills and the peak still to go. I climb one hill and plot my approach. There's a ridge that looks like fun, so that will be it. It's rather blustery on the hill although it wasn't bad down in the flat. I'm not sure if it's the elevation or the wind is just picking up. The change corresponded with the climb and it lessens as I go down. I sure hope it isn't worse on the mountain than the hill.

Some hills and Granite Mountain ahead. There's lots of ways up.

Looking down on the long term camping area. The Quartzsite populate varies a lot during the year.

So I get to climbing. At first it is easy. Roads go everywhere. Some are old mining roads, some are new ATV roads. There's no way to tell which is legal and which isn't and I doubt anyone cares. I can have an even easier time of it without so much up and down by taking even older trails that go even more places. But the mountain does not yield itself to anyone driving. The roads get up a little way and down again when the going gets too steep. It really is steep and loose and the wind is crazy. I decide to tend a bit more to my right to get out of it even though the mountain looks harder there. Oddly, once I am looking down at it all, it is clear I was directed well by the gale.

Quartzsite over the hills. The road over the hill goes as far up as it goes and it don't go no more.

Up on the ridge with the peak ahead.

Once on the ridge, it is almost a stroll to the peak. I first turn the other way to grab a point and a geocache that takes way too long to find with no help from the wind making it feel dangerous to move. Then along the ridge to the top. There is practically a trail to help suggest ways around the spots with slight climbing. The top has a benchmark that seems excessively bruised considering it is only from 1987.

At the top and looking back along the same ridge line. I came up to the saddle on the left, then up to the very mild saddle just short of the minor peak and came this way after tagging that peak. Signal Peak is still out there looking bold as it harbors California palms in its cracks.

A benchmark by the Defence Mapping Agency.

The rest of the ridge looks like it would be fun too, but I dallied too long in a few places to go for it now. There is a sort of trail along it too. The shape of the land beyond is a little funny looking from here.

Permanent homes in a trailer park tucked behind Granite Mountain, but it's still a bunch of snowbirds.

Quartzsite and the mountains along the east side of the valley.

I ponder continuing the ridge. The mountain does appear to have a single major ridge running through it making a half moon and I've done the shorter part of it. Instead, I go down a gully that nearly comes to the top and is kind of going my way. It seems rocky and steep to look at, but it pretty solid going. I do have to avoid the palo verde that has established itself in the seem of the wash toward the top.

Going down. There's some cholla to avoid too.

It's a fast way down, quickly leaving me with the smaller hills to navigate over or around. I get a bit of traffic, but it's the first of the day, so not too bad.

Flat now, but still in the gully.

Back on road and mostly going around the hills.

One jaunt up a hill and looking back at Granite Mountain. The top is the pointier peak toward the right.

As the sun hides behind the taller mountains to the west and the light turns golden, I find myself paying a lot of attention to all the colors in the clouds. Quite a bit more than I'm giving over to walking. The roads, although a bit rough for my car, are still quite easy for inattentive walking.

The colors in the late light are beautiful, but the shadows picking out all the crags of the mountains are even better.

I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to approach Signal Peak.

Western peaks are just silhouettes.

Back along the road.

I take a different way back. (To get more geocaches. What can I say? I like to hunt Easter eggs.) I am starting to worry about how I have not got to the wash yet and even hope that it is underground along this route. Then I hear it up ahead in the dark. It is a lot smaller now, or it is just this location. The spot is just as wide, the water clearer now, but but only a few inches deep. There even seems to be a series of stones, just a little far for comfortable steps, to cross it on. I really lean on my poles to balance as I go. They are so perfectly (if a little far) placed that someone must have thrown them out there. I feel like I've pulled off a little coup to get across with dry feet. The whole wash will just be puddles by tomorrow afternoon.




©2019,2020 Valerie Norton
Written 5 Jan 2020