Arizona Summits: Picacho Peak, North Summit (Winter)

Picacho Peak, #1. Arizona, 2016. (The view of the main peak from the north ridge.)

Some desert images from last week’s quick visit to Tucson…

First, a note…For more complete details of Picacho Peak State Park, and photos of the main trail and the exciting, must-do, cable route to the summit, see my previous blog post from December 19, 2014.

So, you say, you have been there and done that already? Great! Here is a nice variation to explore the next time you stop at this wonderful, lush, desert oasis o’ peace during your bumper-to-bumper I-10 travels between Phoenix and Tucson: the North Summit of Picacho.

Trail details:

–This route is significantly shorter than the climb all the way to the main summit. You can get up and down the North Summit in roughly two hours depending on how much you dawdle along the way. For comparison, the climb up and back to the main summit will likely take you a minimum of three hours.

–I would call it a Class 2+ hike (with a brief bit of titillating exposure on the “Knife Edge”!), albeit with the opportunity to try out some Class 3 or 4 terrain if you wish–but the rock quality is not up to Yosemite standards, so be careful!

–The route to the North Summit deviates from the main summit trail once you get to what I call the “Main Saddle”. This is the place where you have your first views of the western horizon and the main summit trail drops steeply down the west side of the mountain.

–As with all desert hiking in this area, October through April are your best months. Woe to those innocent tyros who would attempt this in the oven of summer!

–This North Summit gives you a unique perspective on the Picacho Peak massif and it will definitely be a sunrise/sunset photography destination for me in the future.

Here are some images to guide you. They were all made with the small but powerul Sony RX100iv, the first at sunrise, the others in late afternoon…

The big picture, from the entrance:

Morning Light. Picacho Peak, Arizona, 2016

At the Main Saddle, looking toward the ridge leading to the North Summit. Stick to the Class 2 Gully unless you want a bit more excitement. The short headwall will go at easy Class 3 to Class 4, depending on where you climb. Once you gain this headwall, cross the cactus-garden plateau and aim for the narrow ridge above:

North Summit Route. Picacho Peak, Arizona, 2016

A closer view of your headwall options:

North Summit Route, Initial Difficulties. Picacho Peak, Arizona, 2016

A look at the narrow upper ridge. The “Knife Edge” section may give you some pause if you aren’t used to exposure, but the rock quality is good and there is a nice stone “handrail” for you to clasp with your death grip. If you are comfortable on this kind of terrain, though, you can actually just walk across: