If hiking the Grand Canyon is in your future, and if you have never seen the Sierra Estrella wilderness, then this is the hike for you.
This hike wasn’t about the view—it was about a non-relenting climb to nowhere. Alright, so maybe I’m a bit brutal. It was a quarantine hike.
Trail to one of several mini-summits.
Dave and I were looking for something different, yet not too far away. We’d never been to the Estrella mountains, and this particular hike piqued our interest. A 60-mile drive took us to Goodyear, AZ, where we encountered a slew of housing developments and farmland that spanned for miles. Precious desert well water flowed across spillways, feeding massive crops of—HAY?
Boy, was it flat out there. The desert reappeared at the base of the mountains, but only after a five-mile drive on an old, dusty mining road.
The dusty path to the trailhead
Trivia: The Crusher mica mine was a failed endeavor dating back to the 1950s. Unfortunately, the mica was impure and not economically viable, making the project short-lived.
The path to the first ridge.
The Quartz Peak trail starts on the floor of Rainbow Valley (1,550 ft) and ascends to the summit (4,052 ft) in just three miles. That’s about 2,500 feet. In comparison, the Bright Angel Trail to Indian Gardens in Grand Canyon N.P. is 8.2 miles long, with an elevation gain of 2,942 ft. That makes the Quartz Peak trail a perfect training ground for a Grand Canyon visit.
A chilly start.
We arrived just after sunrise, bundled up for a chilly start. After a quarter-mile or so, the climb began and the jackets came off. What I enjoyed most about this hike was that we hiked from ridge to ridge. The switchbacks were reasonable, and each peak offered a break from the ascent. As the sun rose, chollas glowed, and the mountains cast large shadows across the valley.
A crown with thorns—blooms to follow.
Ocotillo bloom.
Rainbow Valley.
Quartz Peak was elusive. Each time we reached a summit, we would look for our target—basically hidden from view. I am sorry to say that we never actually saw it. About a half-mile from the base of the peak was where we decided to turn around.
We have no regrets. Escaping the confines of home while practicing social distancing is always a good thing.