The Mountains of Arizona
www.surgent.net |
|
Millsite Benchmark • Peak 3145 Today's objectives would be some peaks north of Queen Valley, a retirement (?) community north of US-60 between Florence Junction and Superior. Millsite Benchmark was the primary objective, being a named peak with a benchmark atop it. Whatever I did afterwards would be figured out as I went along. The various peaks lie near the boundary of the Tonto National Forest, some within the forest lands, some outside on State Trust land. Access did not appear to be difficult. I was last here three years ago when I hiked Comet Peak and Quebec Rock. I was on the road before dawn, driving eastbound against traffic, past Apache Junction, and to the Queen Valley Road exit, about an hour's drive from where I started. In fact, I was still a little too early, sunrise still about twenty minutes away. So I eased into a big gravel lot and just sat there.
Date: February 4, 2026
• Elevation: 3,054 feet ✳
• Prominence: 333 feet
• Distance: 2.9 miles ascent, 0.5 mile descent
• Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes entire hike
• Gain: 915 feet
• Conditions: Sunny, mild and very breezy
Arizona
•
Main
•
PB
•
LoJ
•
USGS BM Datasheet
•
Lidar
Access to Millsite Benchmark Peak is either via some roads to the west via Queen Valley, which includes some private segments, or an all-Forest option from the south, which would be a little longer but would be entirely legal. I chose this option.
From the main road, I eased onto Hewitt Station Road, a wide hardpack road that aims northeast, paralleling Queen Creek. The Whitlow Dam is found here, a big earthen catchment that seems to be only in place for the one-in-a-hundred-year flood event. Otherwise, it's open for exploration, mainly used by shooters.
A couple miles later, I eased north onto FR-172, signed for the Woodbury Trail. This road is good, for the half-mile I was on it. When it bent right past a cattle grate, I stayed left and gently got onto FR-1900. I hoped to get in some distance but no such luck. I got in about 500 feet, then parked in a small clearing when the road got rough fast.
It was cool but not cold, in the mid-50s for now with highs possibly into the 70s and 80s in the lower deserts. It was clear with a few clouds, and breezy. I suited up and started walking at 7:30 a.m., heading north on FR-1900.
The walk was not difficult but it would have been impossible for me to have driven farther on this road. At times it follows a creek bed and can be very rocky and uneven. Other times, it's smooth and level. But that does me no good if a bad stretch early on stops my car. For walking, it was just like walking a wide trail.
In about 45 minutes, I'd covered a little under two miles. I came to an unnumbered side track not shown on the map but visible on the satellite images. I went left and followed it about a half mile until it ended at the base of the hills.
The highpoint was visible as I hiked along this side track. At the end of the road, I started up the slope, which laid back well and was easy to climb. Brush was light and spread out, there were no cliffs, and the rocks generally behaved.
I was now on the ridge. I angled right (north), dropped a little bit, then walked the final slope to the top, arriving about an hour and fifteen minutes after starting, slightly under 3 miles.
The benchmark is flush in a rock near the highest point, and in good condition. I found a cairn and register nearby and signed myself in. The views were excellent, the sun still low to provide shadows on the surrounding peaks, especially the rocky and cliffy Superstition Mountains surrounding me.
The wind, however, had become very strong. Down low and generally shielded, it was nothing more than a soft breeze, but now on the peak, it blew strongly from the east, sustained about 25 m.p.h., gusts about 40, enough to get my attention. I wasn't in any danger. But it could be annoying. My hat wanted to blow away and my eyes would water up.
Peak 3145 rises to the north, roughly a mile distant on a straight line. I had not decided if I would hike it beforehand. I wanted to see how this hike went, and I wanted no unnecessary drama or challenges. Looking over at it, it has a lovely dome shape with open slopes and it looked like a fun and easy hike. So I made the decision to hike it.
Elevation: 3,145 feet ✳
• Prominence: 322 feet
• Distance: 0.9 mile ascent, 4.2 miles descent (8.5 miles total whole hike)
• Gain: 555 feet
• Conditions: Sunny, extremely windy
PB
•
LoJ
From the summit of Millsite Benchmark Peak, I descended northeasterly, following the main ridge down. In about a half mile, it had dropped to a road that runs through the canyon separating the two peaks. I emerged onto the road near Hardt Tank, slightly below the road's apex.
I crossed the road (looking both ways first) and started up the first slope I came to. It was a gentle slope that aimed for a ridge ahead of me. Peak 3145 was hidden for the time being. Once on the ridge, I could see the peak in the distance, about a half mile away.
I had no choice but to drop about 120 feet down a lenient slope to a ridge that connects to the peak. I was making good time, the terrain being very amenable for quick moement. This put me at the base of the peak itself.
The hike up was easy, the slope slightly steep at first, then laying back a little bit. Saguaro grow heavy on this slope and I took a few images of them. One of my favorite things to see is saguaro on a mountain slope. They give the slope a sense of scale that a normal image does not. Plus, they're cool.
I was soon on top the peak, which is broad and gently rounded. I found the summit cairn and signed in, the first in 13 years. Views were just as good as over on Millsite Benchmark, and I snapped a couple more images.
The wind was quite strong again, even moreso than on Millsite. I'm a big guy but it even pushed me to the side when I stood up. I had to plant my feet and keep a low crouch to maintain some stability. I did not stay too long.
I descended the same way (reascending that 120-foot drop) and got back to the road, now done for the day. Rather than go up and over Millsite Benchmark Peak again, I decided to take this road east to where it connects with FR-1900, and then follow FR-1900 back.
The road drops steeply from the apex and is in abysmal condition. I really couldn't see any vehicle managing this road except for the shortest Jeeps and the ablest of drivers. Even an ATV would have a rough time of it. For hiking ... it sucked, but at least it got me down to where things levelled a little bit.
Once on FR-1900, I aimed south and followed it all the way back, about a 3-mile walk from here. This road was much better for walking and I made very good time.
Not fifty feet from my car, I hear engines, so I stood aside and watched as three side-by-sides (6 people) came rolling through. We waved. They were the only people I saw all day on the hike. I was back to my car at 11:30, a 3-hour, 30-minute round trip hike that came out to about 8.5 miles.
I was done for the day, but I really enjoyed the area. I left and got back on US-60 but only for a couple miles, exiting at the AZ-79 exit in Flojunk. I parked north of the intersection in an open lot where other people had parked. I took time to change and relax here. I was back in town by mid afternoon. I went onto campus and did professory things.
I decided to come back tomorrow. I had an eye on two peaks to the west, part of the same grouping but just outside the forest boundary. I was able to hike just one, as the wind was as strong as it was today. I hiked a nearby peak nearer to the Peralta Trailhead to make that a two-fer day as well.
Part of my motivation for returning was that after climbing Millsite Benchmark Peak, I had 999 100-meter prominence peaks (328 feet or greater) to my credit. I wanted that magical number 1,000.
Both of these peaks can easily be done by coming in from the west. The land on that side is almost contiguous State Trust except for one square mile of private land with a few homesteads built on it. The road one wants is Hardt Tank Road. From the forest boundary, it would be a fairly easy hike to the road's apex and garner both peaks. I chose my route because it was all legal. I did not have to worry about parking on private land.
|
|