Chiricahua Mountains Archives – GlassMountains Trip Reports

Dunn Springs Mountain, Arizona, April 2024

April 27, 2024 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Sunday afternoon, April 7, Matthias Stender and I left Orange Butte and drove south and east towards the Chiricahua Mountains. We joined Andy Martin at a primitive campsite in Wood Canyon.

Our campsite below Dunn Springs Mountain

Here I first met Andy, a prolific peakbagger with decades of experience in and knowledge of the mountains. Recently Andy pointed out to Matthias that Matthias has been the most active hiker in Arizona in recent years according to how peakbaggers track these things. Andy and Matthias are much more serious peakbaggers than me. The three of us spent an enjoyable evening together and a pleasant night beneath Dunn Springs Mountain, our next day’s goal.

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Bowie Mountain, Arizona, March 2024

March 24, 2024 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Thursday, March 24, I climbed Bowie Mountain, immediately south of the Fort Bowie National Historic Site in southeast Arizona. Bowie Mountain, with 1189 feet of topographic prominence, lies in the northern Chiricahua Mountains. It is visible to the south from Interstate 10, but seems most impressive to the northeast as one drives Arizona Highway 186 between Willcox and the Chiricahua National Monument.

Bowie Mountain to the west from Wood Mountain (2021-03-21)

I had previously attempted Bowie Mountain from the west in combination with a climb of Helens Dome. This was a Southern Arizona Hiking Club trip in December 2021 with Dave Kohnke, June Meyer, and Brian Brondel. We ran out of time once we reached the western rim of Bowie Mountain’s rocky summit ridge. Dave and June returned later to climb Bowie Mountain from Fort Bowie but I was unable to join them then. So this peak had been on my wish list for several years.

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Wood Mountain, Arizona, March 2021

March 26, 2021 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Sunday, March 14, Matthias Stender, Scott Peavy, and I climbed Wood Mountain in the Northern Chiricahua Mountains. Wood Mountain has 1446 feet of topographic prominence, making it the 162nd most prominent peak in Arizona. But we climbed 3000 feet from Wood Canyon to reach the twin summits and return. It was a more challenging and interesting climb than we had expected, and it was satisfying to summit this rarely climbed mountain.

Wood Mountain from Wood Canyon Road south of San Simon, Arizona

Wood Canyon lies south of the town of San Simon, Arizona. I scouted access to Wood Mountain two weeks earlier. On my drive I met Eva Morin who with her husband Howard owns the Morin Ranch close by up canyon. She wondered if I was off route to Portal. I explained that my friends and I hoped to visit Wood Mountain in the near future as part of our “peakbagging” activity. I verified with her that we could use a nearby primitive campsite and cross the land from there to the peak.

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Silver Peak, Southeast Arizona, April 2017

April 29, 2017 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Saturday morning, April 23, I left my dispersed campsite along Pinery Creek and drove over Onion Saddle to the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains to hike Silver Peak. As I crested Onion Saddle and began my descent I observed the steep peaks and ridges and deep valleys below me in the morning light. This view curiously reminded me strongly of the North Cascades of Washington State. I descended into Cave Creek Canyon near Portal, Arizona, and parked at the Silver Peak Trailhead.

The east face of Silver Peak from low on the Silver Peak Trail

The Silver Peak Trail leads from the floor of Cave Creek Canyon to the summit of Silver Peak, the site of a former lookout. Silver Peak is the 72nd most prominent peak in Arizona with 2008 feet of prominence and 8008 feet of elevation.

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