Hualapai & Aspen Peaks, AZ

pics by Harlan W. S.
May 10, 2008

The delightful Hualapai Mountain Park is the starting point of this hike. You will get a map at the fee booth for the park; however, the map is slightly inaccurate for the hiking trail to the top of Hualapai Peak (as of this visit, the maps showed the trail displaced SE from the true position, near the peak top). While it was in the high 80s that day in Vegas and Kingman, it was in the mid-60s above 6700’ at the park. The park is ~130 miles from Vegas; there are camping spots and picnic areas, as well as cabins that can be rented from the Arizona Park Service.

Directions from Vegas: Take us93 south through Boulder City, and east into Arizona. Continue S on us93 to Kingman. At Kingman, merge onto i-40 east, then take exit 51 for Stockton Hill Rd. Stockton Hill Rd effectively blends into the paved Hualapai Mt Rd. The park is ~12-14 miles from the center of town.	There are storm shelters, picnic tables and outhouses along the Potato Patch Loop. I chose to bushwhack directly up Hualapai, but there is a series of old roads that will get you to within 200 vertical feet of the summit. The last road switchback passes a large cairn; at this point, turn left and take a use trail to the summit. The actual summit requires one class3/4 move.	This detail shows the last bit of road and the use trail.
East on Potato Patch Loop, early in the hike.
1^st view of Hualapai Peak.
	Near summit of Hualapai, ascent. Hayden Peak is in view (Hayden has lots of junk on top).	The witness benchmark on the true summit.
View SE from summit. That’s the road below!	View S from Hualapai summit. The day was hazy, supposedly from fires in China!	Panorama roughly N from summit, with Hayden Peak at L, Aspen Peak in Middle, and Dean Peak ridge to R.
View SE down use trail gully.	Blurry shot near summit of Hualapai. A ladybug flew in front of the lens just as the camera was focusing.	As I was climbing Aspen Peak, hawks kept swooping down.
		Claret cups.
Dean Peak overlook. The official trail ends here, but there is a pretty obvious use trail to the summit.	Just below the summit is a camp area with this slightly humorous sign.	View roughly N from Aspen Peak.
View roughly S from Aspen, with Hualapai Peak (L) and Hayden Peak (R).	View ~E from Aspen.
	More-mafic stope block in granite.
Crude shelters below top of Aspen.		A bridge takes one across this gully, back to Potato Patch Loop.
Back on Potato Patch Loop, Dean Pk. in back.