VULTURE PEAK, ARIZONA (3615’)

February 4, 2011

By Tim Briese

4.6 miles roundtrip, 1300’ elevation gain, 4:30 roundtrip time

Teresa and I left our place in Surprise with our friends Hal and Linda and drove about 30 miles northwest to Wickenburg, then followed the excellent paved Vulture Mine Road about 7 miles south to a signed turnoff and drove 0.4 miles to the trailhead. It was a beautiful clear February day with a temperature of about 60 degrees. Vulture Peak was clearly visible about two miles away to the east.

view of vulture peak from the trailhead

As we were preparing to embark on the hike an oddly behaving fellow drove up in an old pickup and warned us to beware of poisonous green-colored rattlesnakes, but his behavior led us to doubt his credibility. We began the hike about 1:20 p.m. and began winding through the beautiful desert flora on an easy to follow trail toward the peak. Beautiful saguaro and cholla cactus, palo verde, and creosote bushes graced the landscape.

i speared a piece of cholla cactus on my trekking pole for closer examination

When we reached the base of the peak the trail switchbacked steeply up a rocky gully to a saddle south of the summit.

the trail went up the shaded gully to the saddle to the right of the summit

The views from the saddle were marvelous on this remarkably clear day, and a rest break and snack were in order.

teresa at the saddle

 The formal trail ends at the saddle, but the summit can be accessed via a rugged 200 foot climb up a class 3 gully to the north.

the route goes up this gully

Hal and I were eager to attempt it, and the girls were as well, so off we went scrambling up the gully. This turned out to be great fun, the highlight of the hike for all of us.

scrambling up the gully

 In short order we reached the rather narrow summit ridge and worked our way about 50 yards north to the highpoint. We arrived there about 4 p.m. The views from the summit were even more expansive and spectacular than from the saddle. To the southeast in the distance lay the vast Phoenix metro area and off to the west lay miles and miles of remote and rugged desert.

on the summit

The sun was sinking toward the horizon so we left the top and headed back down the gully and down the trail.

a view as we came down the gully

We met only a handful of other hikers along the way today. It was an exhilarating experience hiking back through the beautiful desert in the golden light of the setting sun.

hiking back down the trail

the cholla cactus seemed to glow in the late day sun

last rays of sun on vulture peak

We reached the trailhead just as the sun was setting about 5:50, and drove back into Wickenburg for dinner.