woodwizard
Observer
View attachment 17081I had driven around it on 3 sides too many times; coming and going to the El Camino Del Diablo, the Cibloa National Wildlife Refuge and back and forth to LA on I-10. My company had notified me that my time to the area was coming to a close. Of all the places there is to see I just had to devote some time for a visit to the Kofa. It started with a blank weekend and my interest to see Rocky Point, Mexico. A little research put an end to that- spring break, triple the costs on everything and my reluctance to pay 160.00 for a round trip van ride from Phoenix with 14 of my (drunken) closest friends. When I unfolded a map, it jumped straight out at me.View attachment 17082
I had to narrow my activities to climbing Signal Peak (4900’) and driving some back roads on the exit to Phoenix. I packed up early on Saturday, topped off the tank and headed west on I-10 to Quartzite. As it seems with every trip, I always forget something. This time it was the map. By the time I realized that I had forgotten the map, I had just enough reception left on the wireless in the computer to pick up a map of the trail. With the page downloaded, I headed south, out of Quartzite, on Highway 95 for Palm Canyon Road at mile marker 85. Back east and into the Kofa, I forked off onto the Queen Canyon Road for 6 miles through the braided drainage to the summit parking area. Palm Canyon Road is a smooth, wide and a pleasant cruise with scattered RV’s in the brush. The turn off onto Queen Canyon Road closes up quickly as the Arizona Pin-stripping vegetation descends upon your paint job while you work your way up a much narrower, rougher track. View attachment 17083View attachment 17084As you climb the alluvial fan to mouth of the canyon, things start going vertical with the canyon walls starting to close in. The vertical walls seemed to grow up to the parking area; then you get a glimpse of what’s to come. I gathered up my necessities, looked back and forth (and up) numerous times at the downloaded map and back into Ten Ewe Canyon, and then pushed the off button. View attachment 17085The trail description stated how faith the trail would be, the rock cairns are kicked over and the scree slopes can be a difficult descent- try not to slide into a chola or impale yourself onto a yucca. However the one fact that replayed in my mind was the 2000’ gain in 2 miles. The views of the Kofa from Highway 95 piqué your interest while getting up close and onto the Signal Peak summit takes your breath away (literally and figuratively). Pictures, water, breathe… On the return trip to the truck, I slid and fell about 4 times sending my hands into all of the hostile, spiky, sharp bushes catching myself, but not into a chola. Saturday’s camp was on an established high spot in the drainage at the trail head surrounded with all of the yellow flowering Brittle Bush. View attachment 17086
I had to narrow my activities to climbing Signal Peak (4900’) and driving some back roads on the exit to Phoenix. I packed up early on Saturday, topped off the tank and headed west on I-10 to Quartzite. As it seems with every trip, I always forget something. This time it was the map. By the time I realized that I had forgotten the map, I had just enough reception left on the wireless in the computer to pick up a map of the trail. With the page downloaded, I headed south, out of Quartzite, on Highway 95 for Palm Canyon Road at mile marker 85. Back east and into the Kofa, I forked off onto the Queen Canyon Road for 6 miles through the braided drainage to the summit parking area. Palm Canyon Road is a smooth, wide and a pleasant cruise with scattered RV’s in the brush. The turn off onto Queen Canyon Road closes up quickly as the Arizona Pin-stripping vegetation descends upon your paint job while you work your way up a much narrower, rougher track. View attachment 17083View attachment 17084As you climb the alluvial fan to mouth of the canyon, things start going vertical with the canyon walls starting to close in. The vertical walls seemed to grow up to the parking area; then you get a glimpse of what’s to come. I gathered up my necessities, looked back and forth (and up) numerous times at the downloaded map and back into Ten Ewe Canyon, and then pushed the off button. View attachment 17085The trail description stated how faith the trail would be, the rock cairns are kicked over and the scree slopes can be a difficult descent- try not to slide into a chola or impale yourself onto a yucca. However the one fact that replayed in my mind was the 2000’ gain in 2 miles. The views of the Kofa from Highway 95 piqué your interest while getting up close and onto the Signal Peak summit takes your breath away (literally and figuratively). Pictures, water, breathe… On the return trip to the truck, I slid and fell about 4 times sending my hands into all of the hostile, spiky, sharp bushes catching myself, but not into a chola. Saturday’s camp was on an established high spot in the drainage at the trail head surrounded with all of the yellow flowering Brittle Bush. View attachment 17086
