Date: November 17, 2025 • Elevation: 6,069 feet ✳ • Prominence: 490 feet ✳ • Distance: 5.8 miles • Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes • Gain: 850 feet • Conditions: Cool with sunny skies, some high clouds

Arizona • Main • PB • LoJ • Lidar

This peak rises in the Canelo Hills, but set far enough back from the main roads to be invisible. It rises about a mile and a half west of Peak 5866. A rough road gets close, and the climb up the slopes is not complicated. But because it hides behind other peaks, it has only been climbed twice before (according to Lists of John), the last time 32 years ago.

I had the day open and the weather was mostly behaving, with the front of a storm expected to move through the state later today. Yesterday had been very cloudy with strong winds. Today, it was much calmer with sunny skies, but the weather sites all agreed this would only be for a few hours. I was out the door a little before 7 a.m..

The drive went well, into Sierra Vista, then Whetstone, catching AZ-82 heading west. I took the Elgin cut-off to AZ-83, then that into the scattered village of Canelo and Coronado Forest Road FR-799. I followed this road a couple miles to the "Western Well" site as shown on the map, where FR-4626 branches to the northwest.

I was on this road once before, two years ago when I hiked Peak 5866, and recall it being rough almost immediately. I hoped it had been improved since then, but no luck. It was just as haggard as I remember it. Fortunately, there is a lovely elevated platform with a fire ring about a hundred feet in where I could stash the car.

It was unexpectedly warm for the moment, in the 60s, to where I wore shorts for the road walk, stuffing some leggings in my pack in case I needed them later. I was looking at about a two-mile walk on FR-4626. It runs northwest and cuts through a canyon formed by two hills. About a mile in, I could see Peak 6069 rising up in the distance, framed by the two foreground peaks. The walk went well, the road being fine for walking. It is a rough road, with a few sections of heavy ruts and abundant rocks.

In about 45 minutes I had covered most of the distance, with Peak 6069 fully visible, a nice-looking peak with brushy slopes and friendly-looking grades. The map shows the road gets near Far Tank and then wiggles southward. The road actually branches toward the peak, and I followed it as far as possible. It ends at a fence surrounding a guzzler.

I had to circle around one fence then step over another. Now on the lower slopes, I walked upward. The grade was gentle and there were lanes through the brush. The rocks stayed put, most of the time.

About halfway up, the grade levels slightly. Then it picks up and steepens, the final 200 feet being much steeper and brushier. The brush wasn't bad. It moved aside as I pushed through and I stayed in my shorts, not getting any scratches. I followed some rock lanes when I found them. I was soon on top the main ridge.

The peak rose a little more to the west, and I was there soon, the one-way hike taking about an hour and fifteen minutes. I found the highest rocks but no cairn or register, no other hint of past visitors. Views were excellent, especially looking south at the meadows and hills toward Mount Washington. To the west, Mount Wrightson could be seen with clouds beginning to form around its tops. I spent about five minutes up top.

As I started down, the clouds started to build more, some blocking the sun creating shadows. They were disorganized and no threat for now to develop into storms, but it was noticeably cooler, by about 5°. The outbound hike took about an hour. Someone was somewhere shooting and I'd hear pops every few minutes. I never saw anyone else.

This was a fun and fast peak, and I enjoyed it. It would make for a natural pairing with Peak 5866. These are attractive hills with good terrain. I am surprised they don't see more hikers.

It was late morning and I got what I came for. I piled in my car and headed out, stopping in Sierra Vista for groceries then on home to be productive.

This is my 1,089th ranked summit climbed in Arizona. I only realized later it is the square of 33. In other words, I've climbed 33 groupings of 33 peaks in Arizona.