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Ascent of Woolsey Peak on 2011-03-22

Climber: Eric Noel

Other People:

Solo Ascent
Only Party on Mountain

Date:

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Ascent Type:

Successful Summit Attained

Motorized Transport to Trailhead:

4x4 Vehicle

Peak:

Woolsey Peak

Location:

USA-Arizona

Elevation:

3171 ft / 966 m

Ascent Trip Report

Access seems to be public so no worries in that regard.

I followed Dennis Poulin's directions which seem mostly right but I had a distance both directions that was .6 miles longer between the powerlines and the buckeye mine. Maybe he took an alternate jeep track but I am pretty sure that the correct figures are 6.3 for the windmill, 7.5 for the fenceline and 8.1 for the end of the road. The road is mostly decent but not so good for the last two miles. Going past the windmill is easier than heading straight down into the wash at that point. Another mile further there is one wash that would be very sketchy for cars and might even be problematic for 2WD vehicles. Other than that it is passable but high clearance is preferred. You could get to the mine in a car and then walk from there I guess.

I drove to nearly the end of the fenceline road. Headed S with a slight Western angle through easy terrain. Hit some various dark volcanic talus seams on the way up. Not bad on the ascent, more annoying on the way down. I saw what I percieved to be two primary talus fans descending through cliff bands and it turned out that the route takes the left band which is the route that you are mostly looking at on the approach. Lots of little zigging and zagging but if you use your nose and are on the correct macro route you should find a way. I hit class 3/4 type terrain above me at one point and then traversed L to get back into a wide gully type formation. Then zagged back R to an obvious cairn to gain that rocky ridge. Then up the ridge which popped me out on the HP. Various people have scuffed their names into the rocks. I hit the BM site which is lower but has the register. No issue to just tag both. I think you can do the whole thing as maybe class 2 with little use of hands. But it is steep for the last 500+ feet.

Descent was slow but fairly unremarkable. Lots of tedious stepping on rocks. No major issues. A decent desert peak but nothing special route wise.

Summary Total Data

Elevation Gain:

1911 ft / 582 m

Extra Gain:

20 ft / 6 m

Distance:

4 mi / 6.4 km

Route:

Northern Uber-Talus Directissimo

Trailhead:

Fenceline Road 1300 ft / 396 m

Grade/Class: