Before I get into the hike and activation, I wanted to say, that while I was on the top, I got to see F-16s and A-10s dog fighting above me. They were dropping flares, flying at stall speeds and just having a good time. In all my years here in AZ that is the first time I have ever witnessed that overhead and it was very cool.
God Bless the the USA!
This summit overlooks many mine shafts and some abandoned large mining operations in the town of Courtland AZ, some of which you can buy if you are so inclined.
I parked the truck right next to a large tailing pile and looked up at the hills, I could see several of the "skull and crossbones" signs that the AZ government puts at the entrance to mine shafts; there are a lot here. It also had a very noticeable smell of sulfur. I imagine this could be a big environmental problem if this stuff ever starts to run off.
The summit is very steep, rocky and grassy. This was not a big issue on the way up, but on the way down it became an issue. That tall grass was slick as ice, combined with rocky ground that is constantly moving, it makes for a treacherous descent; at a couple of points I had to slide down on my butt. I really do not like doing this for a couple of reasons: rocks and snakes in the grass. Snakes may or may not be there, but rocks are and I can tell you that they do not feel good slamming into your tail bone as you slide down a hill. This is the 25th summit that I was the first person to activate.
