Nov 7, 2020

State: CA
Distance: 13.5 mi
Gain: 5,000 ft
ROUTE: Map, GPX, KML
Peaks: 6

Area:
Whipple Mountains Wilderness

Peak
Elevation
Prominence
3,012 ft
1,072 ft
2,922 ft
462 ft
2,892 ft
392 ft
2,380 ft
400 ft
2,700 ft
280 ft
2,710 ft
610 ft
  • Driving into the Whipple Mountains.
  • Peak 3012 from the road.
  • Starting up Peak 3012.
  • Copper Mountain to the east.
  • Another view of Copper Mountain from higher up.
  • Approaching the cliffs below Peak 3012.
  • I followed the same route that Bob and company had used to get up through the cliff band.
  • Some rocks had been placed at the bottom to help overcome a small overhang. Above the overhang there was about 50ft of Class 4 before reaching easier ground.
  • View down the Class 4 section.
  • Another view down the Class 4 section from higher up.
  • Easier scrambling the rest of the way.
  • Small canyon leading up to the summit.
  • Copper Mountain to the east.
  • Peak 2922 to the north, the next peak in the loop.
  • Copper Basin Reservoir in the distance.
  • Approaching Peak 2922.
  • Some cholla cactus on the way to the summit.
  • View back to Peak 3012. As an alternative to the Class 4 route, there is also a Class 2/3 route that skirts below the cliff band.
  • Peak 2860, one of several unnamed P1K’s in the Whipple Mountains.
  • View out to Lake Havasu.
  • Heading for Peak 2892.
  • Jagged summits to the south.
  • View down to the Whipple Wash.
  • Summit of Peak 2892.
  • View back to Peak 3012.
  • There was a large cave just below the summit of Peak 2892. Strangely there were two barrels wedged into the rock.
  • View back to Peak 2892 on the way down to Whipple Wash.
  • I wasn’t sure if I would get stuck above a dryfall, but thankfully there was a way down on the right side of the canyon I was following.
  • Whipple Wash with Peak 2712 on the left.
  • View up from Whipple Wash. I came down on the left side.
  • Some impressive cliffs from down in the wash.
  • View from where the side canyon enters the main wash.
  • I followed the wash for several miles as I started looping back towards the Jeep.
  • Continuing up the wash.
  • Large cliffs lined much of the wash,
  • Continuing up the wash.
  • A short narrows section that surprisingly had a few pools of water.
  • Narrows section.
  • I took a branch to the left after a few miles of following the wash.
  • Spire of Peak 2380. I later found a way up on the south side.
  • View back down the wash to Peak 2940.
  • Canyon formed directly through a steep cliff band.
  • Another view of Peak 2940.
  • Approaching Peak 2380 from the south.
  • Some Class 3 scrambling to reach the summit.
  • View back from part way up.
  • Both sides of the wash that cut through the ridge are visible here. Some fun Class 3 scrambling led up to the summit.
  • Natural arch on the way to the summit. The clouds and setting sun made for some nice light over the next couple hours.
  • View back along the ridge.
  • Peak 3357, another unnamed P1K in the Whipple Mountains Wilderness.
  • The ridge looks like it keeps going, but the wash on the left has cut directly through the ridge creating a large cliff.
  • Wash that I hiked up earlier in the afternoon.
  • I tagged two more unnamed peaks before looping back to the Jeep. An old mining road was helpful for reaching them.
  • Peak 2525 to the south.
  • View back to Peak 2380.
  • Copper Basin with Peak 2710 on the right.
  • Short scramble leading to Peak 2700.
  • View southeast from the summit.
  • Sunset over the Whipple Mountains.
  • Shadows on Peak 2710.
  • More shadows on Copper Basin.
  • Sunset on Copper Mountain.
  • View back to Peak 2380.
  • Sunset over the Whipple Mountains.
  • Summit of Peak 2710.
  • Another sunset view of Copper Mountain.
  • View northwest from the summit.
  • Descending the mining road to complete the loop.

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