A Challenging but Rewarding Arizona Hike. Harquahala Peak

Today we're gonna hike to the top of Parkwaylo! A little chart showing elevation gain. We're gonna go up to 5681. Starting at about 2000. See that little guy there? That's gonna be me, right... there! And, we're gonna go up to the summit, 5681. So we're gonna have an almost 3700 foot elevation gain. It's an early March day, so that means springtime in the desert. So we're bound to see some wildflowers, like this brittlebush. And lupine, middlenecks, blue dicks, owls, clover. Desert chicory. And we have pretty California poppies today. And many more. Here's a shot of the trail for you. And the peak is off in the distance. So let me give you a little bit of history of how this trail came to be. It was first a packed trail. And it was created to haul supplies up to the top where there was an observatory built by the Smithsonian in the early 1920s. So they hauled all their stuff up this trail to the guys living up at the top in a little observatory doing their science and their astronomy. Studying the stars and the planets way back in the day. And I've heard that there's still a building up there, the remnants of the observatory. So I guess we'll find out when we get to the top. So say good morning to the ironwood, the ocotillo, and the saguaro cactus. Looks like we're getting into some desert trash from days of old. This is what they left behind along the packed trail. Old can of some kind. And another can. Looks like this is where they watered their horses and camped out before they made their ascent. It looks like it says on there, built by O.K. Angel 613. Are they talking 1913? An old brick, some kind of imprint on there. It's going to be hard to read this sign, it looks pretty weathered. Let's see, I think it says during the 1920s when the Harkwa-Hala Peak Smithsonian Observatory was in operation, there was no road to the summit. And the peak trail was the only route between something, blah blah, and the outside world. In 1921, the scientists built something for animals at the site to store their Ford truck pack animals and supplies and equipment. The necessities were purchased in Wendon, driven to this camp, and packed up to mount. A lizard is making good use of a sun lounge on this old can right here. How ya doing, little lizard? Good morning. That's a side-blotched lizard, by the way. There's a big saguaro. You can just use your imagination to what that might look like. He's waving, and he looks happy. I wonder why. That's a cute little trio of young saguaros right there. That nice big boulder could provide some welcome shade in the hot months. They even carved in a few stair steps here. So the first mile of this 5.4 miles to the top is actually pretty mellow. Not much of an incline. But I got a feeling it's gonna get steep real fast. By the time we're done today, we will have hiked almost 11 miles. I believe they call this Crucifixion Plant. Mighty spiky stuff. There's a resemblance between the Crucifixion Plant here and the Palo Verde tree here. But as you can see with the Palo Verde, you have the green trunks, which you don't have on the Crucifixion Plant. The desert is full of surprises. You wouldn't expect to find ferns out here, would ya? But in this tiny nook, they're growing just fine. These are some very dainty flowers right here. Look at the size compared to my fingernail. Probably a mile and a half or so in and the Saguaro studded landscape is starting to get steeper. Some more yellow flowers. Arcohela stems from a Native American word meaning water way up high. And I would imagine at over 5,000 feet there could be some springs up there somewhere. Look at all the arms on that cactus. Getting close to about 2 miles in and it's starting to get steeper. But the views are starting to get good. Have a look behind me. There's the trail to the left and the view of the valley below. Careful of this catclaw bush. There's a few of them on the trail. We'll just go around that because if it gets you, it holds on to you tight. Those little catclaws. They are nasty. The landscape is getting steeper and rockier now. It's time to go up the switchbacks. And the views are getting bigger. Here we go. There's all kinds of flowers out right now. A desert in springtime is a beautiful sight. Whew, I'm getting warm. Starting to sweat. Getting a little hot. But I've got no complaints. You poor boogers in Buffalo, New York are probably digging out from over a foot of snow right now. And I am enjoying the warmth in the desert. However, come June, all you people up in that section of the country will be outside and having fun. Well, people down here will be huddled inside their houses next to the air conditioner trying to stay cool because it's 115 degrees outside. Shout out to my friends and all the good people in Buffalo, New York. Back in the 90s, I spoke at the Buffalo Museum of Science. I was one of the featured speakers for their lecture series. And I talked about one of my world's first adventures there. So it's a nice place to check out and spend some time. Looks like we've got some kind of water pipeline crossing the trail. It probably went to feed those horse troughs we saw down below. There's a nice looking agave plant. Native Americans used to roast and eat the root of these plants. There's a look at the trail and what's behind us. More flowers and a canyon wren in the distance singing his song. Up and up we go and the views are getting bigger and bigger. You can see the trail. The little line there? Yeah, that's the trail. Switching back and forth. Still have a ways to go to get to the top. Hey, hey! Check this out! We've got Miner's Lettuce. A wild edible. So, it's time for a snack. Tasty, juicy. Good. Let's have some more of that. So how did this stuff get the name Miner's Lettuce? Well, because back in the day, late 1800s, the miners would use this stuff in place of actual lettuce. And it is pretty tasty like lettuce. So there's a close-up of Miner's Lettuce. Yeah, this stuff right here. It's a beautiful view! Does that make it view-tiful? It's a scenic spot for a quick snack break. The Miner's Lettuce was tasty, but not really all that filling. Wow, look at the colors on this little guy. That's a beautiful cluster of Indian paintbrush right there. This is an absolute feast of Miner's Lettuce right here. I think I'll have a little bit more. Kind of refreshing. Looks like we're getting pretty close to the top now. The air is getting cooler and the wind is picking up. Hey, there's a sign here pointing out an old mining camp. So let's have a look at the prospector's cabin. Or what's left of it, anyway. Not much left except for some wood and bits of metal. There's something out there made out of metal. We'll go have a look at that. Looks like it was an old stove. It must have been pretty harsh living up here. I think I'll put on a nice wee pot of tea. Maybe I've got a couple thirsty miners who'd like a nice wee cuppa. Nigel, be a wee dear and throw a bit of gasoline on the fire, won't you? Oh, thank you. What's that say on there? I think this may be the last set of switchbacks. I think we're getting close to the top. It's back to the attack after the smack. The top of the peak is what we seek. Up past these rocks and I think we'll get to the top. It turns out that was not the top at all. That's just the saddle. Where we're looking right now up there is the observatory and the moon. And that's where it's at. So let's hit it and keep going. Getting closer, but the wind is starting to really rip at about 30 miles an hour. Okay, made it to the top. Here's the observatory. So this is it. Here at the top are some signs that tell a bit about the observatory and the history of this region. This was the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and it was completed in August of 1920. Have a look inside. Due to severe weather conditions and increased haziness in the air it was decided that it would be moved to a location in Southern California. Imagine that. Haziness in the air, so they moved it to Southern California. Does anyone see an irony in that? Of course, this was 1925 when Southern California probably had really clean air. So I guess this is the cistern where they collected rainwater. No water in there now. Looks like this might have been the cistern. There's some water down in there. Okay, just below the saddle now and man, it was cold and windy up there. It was so windy it blew the hat I was wearing right off my head and into the observatory there over the fence and into that observatory area. So I had to climb the fence and get my hat. So, heading back down trail a little bit of shelter out of the wind on the north side of the mountain now. Almost back to the car now. So, if you're not in really good shape I wouldn't recommend this hike. Now remember, if you're going all the way to the top it's almost 11 miles return trip. So be fit. Drink some water. A little bit of food maybe. And don't go up there when it's super hot. I hope I did this video right. Gave you a thrill, maybe a little fright. Hope you found the scenery incredible. I even showed you a wild edible. Hope you like my shots of cactus. I make it look easy but it takes some practice. So keep on tuning in to Rock Hopper. I hope to be your show stopper. Alright, we're back in the car. Time to refill the water bottle. Have a drink and have a snack. So, we had fun, didn't we? I hope you enjoyed hiking to the top of Harkwahela Peak with me. You keep on subscribing and I'll keep rocking you to the top. Until next time, this is Rock Hopper. I'll see you again.