On Saturday morning, December 30, I left my dispersed campsite south of Bouse to climb Black Mesa east of Quartzsite. As best I can tell, there are at least nine Black Mesas in Arizona. One each in La Paz, Yavapai, Pima, and Gila counties, two in Navajo County, and three in Maricopa County. Last November I climbed the higher Black Mesa in Navajo County. This time I planned to visit the only Black Mesa in La Paz County.

Black Mesa (La Paz) is the highpoint of the Plomosa Mountains, with 3639 feet of elevation and 1659 feet of topographic prominence, making it the 117th most prominent peak in Arizona. It is also the highpoint of the New Water Mountains Wilderness. I often see Black Mesa when Linda and I migrate to Arizona. It was time to visit.

[Read more…] about Black Mesa (La Paz), Arizona, December 2023