Greenlee County Highpoint Trip Report
Date: September 13, 2008
Author: Scott Cockrell
This was on my way back to the airport at Phoenix from the Highpointers
convention in Flagstaff. I had a great time there, meeting a lot of people I
only knew of through the Internet. I would particularly like to thank Andy
Martin, Bob Packard, and Scott Surgent who led day hikes to Browns Peak, the
Gila highpoints and other places of note on the Mogollon Rim, and Mount Union,
respectively.
This highpoint has been covered pretty extensively -- it isn't that hard to find.
A few notes:
Route 191 south from Alpine to a mile or two south of the highpoint (around mile
marker 225) is curvy but not scary in any way. The speed limit is 45 or so.
Approaching from the north is much to be preferred if you have a choice.
From mile marker 225 south to about mile marker 161 or so where you emerge from the
(huge and incredible) mine in Morenci, the road curves along a ridge, the speed
limit is 25, and there is usually tremendous exposure on one side or the other
with no guard rail. Somebody built this road for fun and so motorcycles and
sports cars can go out to play on it (and they do). It takes close to three
hours to drive from the highpoint to Morenci. Beautiful views -- but very slow.
There is one 2-car parking area on the northbound side of the highway about
halfway between mile markers 228 and 227 and north of the height of land on the highway.
I believe this one is the closest to the highpoint. There is another
parking area on the southbound side south of the height of land and south of
mile marker 227. I parked there. I walked up to the height of land and plunged
straight into the trees. A hundred yards or so into the brush, the trees
thinned a lot and I emerged into a brushy area where the bushes were around
waist-high. The going wasn't bad. I headed for high ground (which was towards
my left) and eventually located the cairn (and red-can register). The cairn was
part of the first group of rocks I could see from the waist-high brush.
Going back, I decided to experiment by heading magnetic due west but this seemed
to be so far north of where I came from I went somewhat to the left (south of west)
and still came out to the highway well north of where I started in!
It took me about 45 minutes total out of the car.
Next time will take only half an hour.
So -- some recommendations:
Park at the parking area on the northbound (east) side about halfway between 228
and 227. Walk uphill (south) along the highways a ways. There is a sunken
woods road off the highway on the west (opposite) side with a somewhat open area
sloping down from the highway towards the east. This might be as good a place
as any to head into the woods to your left (east).
Follow a roughly magnetic east compass course until you pick
up the "uphill" direction.
Once you emerge from the thick trees near the road, head uphill towards the
largest bunch of live trees.
The cairn, which is only a couple of feet high but is on a rock outcrop that
raises it a little, is at the southern edge of the largest group of live trees
that is out in the fairly open area.
If you come to a wire fence on green metal stakes that runs roughly south-
southwest to north-northeast -- do not cross it but turn left.