The Mountains of Arizona
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Peak 2748 • Peak 2573 I was in Tucson on Friday (Yesterday, February 27) visiting with this lady I met on the internet, taking care of various important business. I was going to stay through today, but wanted to get out early for a hike. I had two peaks in mind, this peak, and nearby Peak 2573. These are at the east end of the West Silver Bell Mountains, west of the Silver Bell Mine and eponymous mountains. Yesterday had been very hot for February, with highs in the deserts in the 90s. Apparently, some cities set their all-time February high temperature record. Mornings were still cool but the window for a hike would be limited. It was apparent I was not going to hike both peaks. As things developed, I hiked Peak 2748 first, then Peak 2573 a little over a week later.
Date: February 28, 2026
• Elevation: 2,748 feet ✳
• Prominence: 474 feet
• Distance: 4 miles
• Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
• Gain: 600 feet (gross)
• Conditions: Sunny and very warm
Arizona
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LoJ
I was on the road early, cutting across Tangerine Road to Interstate-10, then to Marana Road and then west toward the Ironwood National Monument. I followed dirt Silver Bell Road all the way to Sasco Road. The road is wide and well-graded. I took a left at the junction, still on Silver Bell Road.
Now the road meanders generally southwest, a little narrower and rough around the edges. Whereas I could generally drive at 35 miles per hour earlier, on this road, going 20 miles per hour seemed about right. I was on this road just once before, in October when I climbed Malpais Hill.
I continued on the road. Its condition stayed about the same, then dropped a notch in quality where it left the Monument, now on a square mile section of private mine-owned property. Peak 2573 comes first.
I got to where the main road bends south again, a lesser track going southwest toward the peak. But it was signed against trespassing, even though it only went a quarter mile before re-entering the Ironwood National Monument land. So I noped on this peak and headed south another mile, now looking at this peak, Peak 2748.
The road was rough although the Subaru did fine as long as I went slow. I got to a 4-way intersection, right on the boundary of the Monument again. I went right (west) on a lesser road, going in a quarter mile and parking in a clearing a little past the Silver Bell Cemetery. The peak was visible, a notable hump about two miles in the distance.
It was close to 7:30 a.m. by the time I got dressed and on the move. The sun was up but still low to the east. It was cool, in the 60s and pleasant. I walked the road west, then followed more roads westward, now into the hills. The roads are in poor shape but are fine for walking.
In the shaded areas, it was pleasantly cool, but in the sun, I could feel the warmth. The warmth seemed to wake the insects, who were out in abundance. I kept an eye open for rattlesnakes, now having to worry about them again.
The tracks shown on the map generally agree with what I saw except there are more side tracks that could easily get a hiker off route (I did, once). But it was easy navigation, always heading toward the big peak. I was moving as fast as I could without running.
The track reaches an apex where I got an unobstructed view of the peak, then drops about 60 feet to a drainage. The track then aims north, cutting across the peak's east flank, ending at a saddle northeast of the summit.
To be honest, the slopes to the peak from the southeast looked friendlier, but I chose to follow the track, figuring that would cut off about 150 feet of elevation gain. This I did, and I was soon at the saddle.
The peak is rocky with cliff bands and rocky heaps. As usual, it looked promising but I would have to figure out each little bit one at a time. The initial slope was easy, and I was soon at the first of the cliff bands.
Getting up these was easy. There were slopes and ledges to follow, never needing hands. The slopes could be steep, loose and brushy, but it was not difficult. I bypassed about four such cliff bands in this manner.
I was now below the summit cliffs, which here were much larger, about 25 feet tall. I angled left and traversed across the base of the rocks, now seeing a chute I could follow. Going up it was easy but here I used hands a couple times for balance and simple maneuvering. It was steep and loose, but protected. I was never exposed to a long fall or runout.
I got up about twenty feet, cut across another ledge, then up another twenty feet and suddenly, that was it. I was on top the peak, about an hour after starting the hike. It was a simple summit, rocky with brush, and decent views in all directions. I found the register just lying in the open. Amy was here last year. I signed in, but it appears few people come for this peak.
I spent about five minutes on top, snapping a few images and dealing with the brittle register paper. I enjoyed my brief time up here but wanted to get moving. It was warming, and I still had things to do back in Tucson. I wanted to keep to my schedule.
The hike down went very well. I went down the same chutes and ledges back to the track, then just brainlessly followed that out to my car, the outbound hike taking about 40 minutes. Back at my car, I changed into less sweaty clothes. I drove back to the cemetery to look around.
This was the main cemetery in the town of Silver Bell, which persisted for many decades from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s as a support town for the mines. The town is completely gone, and even things like road cuts and foundations seem to be erased entirely. You would never know there was a town out here many years ago.
The cemetery is simple, the graves posted with a few crosses that seem like they need sprucing up or replacing. One grave for a woman named O'Toole, who died in 1930, is kept up. The marker is new and clean. Clearly, someone maintains it. It is sobering to consider that these people buried out here probably never see a visitor ever except for random hikers like me. They may be completely forgotten by their families. I did not stay long, just to look around.
Back at the main road, I thought about following it south and doing a complete loop of the Silver Bell Mine. I've been on parts of the southern road once, but have not yet driven the whole loop. However, I decided to go with what I knew and take the north route out, the way I had come in. I'll explore the whole loop some other day.
The drive back went well too. By now, it was pushing 10 a.m., and it was very warm, into the mid 80s already. It would hit into the mid 90s today. This is a flukish heat wave but it is a reminder that the heat never really goes away. There's always that reminder it's close by, ready to make things hot again for six months.
Although I got just this one peak, I was happy with the outing and got a good sense of the roads. As for Peak 2573, I saw where I could park legally and stay off the Mine property. I doubt they patrol it, but I don't want to take chances. There are some other peaks out this way as well, so I'll be coming back.
Elevation: 2,573 feet ✳
• Prominence: 346 feet
• Distance: 3.6 miles
• Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
• Gain: 470 feet (gross)
• Conditions: Sunny, pleasant
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