Graham County Highpoint Trip Report

Mount Graham (10,760 ft)

Date: May 24, 2005
Author: Bob Bolton

Our original (aggressive) plan was to climb Chiricahua and Graham on the same day then, on the following day, do Miller Peak and Mount Lemmon. After our Chiricahua hike we headed for Mount Graham in hopes of an easier effort than seemed likely from the trip reports but such was not the case. We would have had ample time before dark to complete the Graham hike but for whatever reasons we were feeling lazy in the cool high-elevation air. Southern AZ was having record high temperatures for that time in May while we were there, so the cool was very welcome. We found a nice camp at the group area north of Hospital Flat, and spent the evening cooking, eating, and birding, the primary species we observed being the Yellow-eyed Junco.

In the morning we headed up the road toward Graham, noting that a rather recent fire had ravaged the area. The road had been recently graded, which we believe was for the purpose of fighting the fire. The overgrowth we read about in the reports was therefore not present, so now's the time to do this hike before it grows over again.