January 31 I joined the Southern Arizona Hiking Club on a climb of Reiley Peak in the Winchester Mountains northwest of Willcox. Reiley Peak is the 50th most prominent peak in Arizona with 2320 feet of topographic prominence and 7640 feet of elevation.
View of Reiley Peak from low on the northwest ridge
Eric Kassan and I attempted to drive in to the “trailhead” for Reiley Peak last February, but we were stopped by very poor road conditions. Eric and I expected that on our next attempt we might have to park several miles short of the trailhead and backpack in to a base camp for the climb. We hoped to time the attempt when treatable water was available.
The northwest ridge leads to the summit ridge of Reiley Peak
To my surprise and relief I discovered last Wednesday that there has been very significant road improvements since last February. The road appeared regraded and possibly rerouted in spots. Several gates have been replaced by cattle guards. High clearance was helpful in spots but otherwise the drive in went very well.
High on the northwest ridge we encountered colonies of hedgehog cactus
The “trailhead” is a parking spot beside a wire gate near a water tower. The route descends into and out of steep Brush Canyon, then follows a long ridge climbing southeast towards the summit. The slope was mostly grassy open country. We followed cattle and game trails where ever we could, as they provided better footing than hiking through shin-high grass and stumbling over unseen rocks.
Muskhog Mountain and the Southern Winchester Mountains from the Reiley Peak summit
We eventually reached the summit ridge and found the summit registry at a rock cairn marking the highest point. We added our names to the registry and had a quick lunch. I enjoyed identifying the many mountain ranges surrounding us. We could just make out our vehicles far below on the mesa.
Looking north towards Bassett Peak and the Galiuro Mountains from the summit of Reiley Peak
After lunch we began our descent towards our vehicles. The hiking poles helped with balance as I stumbled over unseen rocks while searching for cattle and game trails. We carefully descended into Brush Canyon and slowly climbed out to our vehicles. The drive out went well and we stopped in Willcox for cold drinks before returning to Tucson. We had left under a lunar eclipse before dawn and returned under a full moon after sunset.
This was my first “co-lead” of a SAHC trip, part of my qualifying as “guide” for the club. I have enjoyed hiking and scrambling with the SAHC the past three winter seasons and look forward to more explorations of Southern Arizona with this club in future years.
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