Date: March 12, 2026 • Elevation: 6,179 feet ✳ • Prominence: 332 feet • Distance: 5.9 miles • Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes • Gain: 1,145 feet (gross) • Conditions: Cool at first, sunny, very pleasant

Arizona • Main • PB • LoJ

This peak lies in southern Santa Cruz County, close to Guajalote Peak, which I climbed a month ago. This is way down deep on the forest lands along Harshaw-Lochiel Road (Coronado FR-49), about five miles north of Mexico.

The peak has no name. The topographical maps don't provide a summit elevation, just a 6,225-foot contour (25-foot intervals). Lidar at the 1-meter refinement gaves a summit elevation of 6,179 feet, a minimum 45-foot difference, which is surprising. Most of the time, the maps are pretty accurate, despite using technology from the 1960s-1980s to determine the elevations.

A road called U X Road runs along the north flanks of this hill and its ridge. This is all Forest Land except for a small ranch (the Bagby Ranch, according to the map) to the east. I assume U X to be a cattle brand, and when I looked it up on the Arizona Cattle Brands registries, I found many such examples of a U and an X combined in some manner, but nothing that I could pin to this immediate area. None of the mining websites mention this name.

For whatever reason, this peak sees almost no visitors. Only two previous ascents were recorded at Lists of John (the usual two: Mark N. and Bob M.), none in the past 32 years. Most of the other big names skip this peak. It's not a difficult peak and with a proper vehicle, one can get close to its base. For my own amusement, I have dubbed this U X Peak. I guarantee you that I won't remember it by its numerical elevation after a week. Whatever the origin of the name, I like it.

Last month, when I climbed Guajalote Peak, I drove in on Guajalote Flat Road (FR-4695) about a mile, then walked it and some cross country to that peak. The map and satellite images show the road to continue south and curl toward U X Peak. My plan was to drive and park where I was a month ago, walk the roads and hike the slopes to the top.

I was on the road before dawn, so that the sun was barely up when I was in Patagonia. I followed Harshaw Road (FR-56, then FR-49) south about a dozen miles, passing through the Hermosa Mine which is really ramping things up with lots of work trucks and new development.

I got to the Guajalote Flat Road, and had an inspiration: I'd park here and hike to the peak on a direct bearing. I was just a mile and a half from it. So I parked, got properly dressed and started walking at 7:15 a.m.. It was sunny now, clear and cool but expected to warm into the 70s.

I aimed generally south and followed whatever looked easiest. At first, it was fast and easy, making good time on flat terrain and open forest. Then I got into some low hills. I kept a bearing and started going up and down and up and down over these low hills, gains and losses of about 50 feet each time.

Things got brushier and tighter the farther in I hiked. I came upon a fence line, and followed it west a ways, since it had a cleared path alongside it. Then I continued the up and down hiking, which was growing tedious. The narrow dells between the hills were full of brush and I had no big-picture sense of my location. I was growing frustrated by this.

I decided to hike up the next hill I came to for my bearings. When I did, I could see the peak close by. This was encouraging, so I kept aiming that way, still having to deal with brushy slopes. Finally, I came upon U X Road.

I followed the road northwest, then it bends southwest. Here, I knew to bail and start up the first good-looking slope, the peak being directly above me, but not easily visible for the moment. The slope I chose was steep, rocky, lots of grass, low cactus, dead branches, and thickets of dense mountain oak, but I went slowly, kept the cussing to a minimum, and after about twenty minutes, had gained almost 600 feet to gain the main ridge.

The summit was visible to the west. It was much more open up here, with fine views to the south. The slopes were lenient, and there was a weak path most of the way. Finally, I was on top. Despite it feeling like it took me five hours to get here, it had only taken me 90 minutes.

I kicked a few rocks and looked for a register or a cairn but found neither. No hint of previous visitors. Not even food wrappers from Mexico. Even the cartel sentries skip this peak. No car batteries or abandoned shoes. Just an open rocky summit. An agave plant grew at what I deemed to be the very top.

I spent almost a half hour up top. It was pleasant with a soft breeze. I had a signal so I got out my device and took care of some important tasks online. It amuses me that I can do this on a mountaintop. I could see Guajalote Peak, American Peak, Veterans Peak, the San Rafael Valley, and bigger peaks in the distances. For an unheralded peak, it had great views and was a better-than-expected peak to tag.

Going down, I decided to not go cross country again. I went west and dropped down, then sidehilled past Hill 6112, then dropped downslope into a drainage and out to U X Road, which I followed westbound to where it connected with Guajalote Flat Road (aforementioned FR-4695).

This route back to my car would be longer by almost than a mile, but would be all road. I had to regain about 350 feet on FR-4695, then follow the ups and downs until I was back to my car, the time 10:30 on the dot. I had been hiking 3 hours and 15 minutes. I later determined my hike in covered 2.6 miles, the hike out 3.3 miles. These are conservative figures.

I changed into driving clothes and returned to the main highway and into Sierra Vista, where I ran a number of errands. It was "hot" by now, into the low 80s. I did not get home until after 2 p.m..

With a decent 4-wheel drive vehicle, it should not be difficult to get to where Guajalote Flat Road and U X Road meet. FR-4695 is mostly smooth but with ruts and some steep grades. There is no need to drive any of U X Road. Just started up the slopes and follow the ridge to the top. Even if forced to park earlier, the hike along the road is easy and uncomplicated. I should have come in this way. My route through the intervening hills ended up being more of a hassle than I expected.