South Mountain – Northwestern Summits – Salt BM and San Juan Hill – Difficult
Details
There are only four official prominent summits on South Mountain. One is inaccessible due to electrical equipment, the other two are along the long ridge lines, and the final one, San Juan Hill, resides at the Western edge of the range. It is much lower elevation than the others. It is easily accessible if taking the new 202 freeway.
We will meet and hike from the Curtis Saddle Trailhead, 1 ½ miles from the 202 Freeway. We will hike both San Juan Hill 1,677’ and then the higher Salt BM 2,555’.
The entire hike is about 7 miles total, with two out and back routes with about 2,100’ of gain when accounting for the ups and downs. The hike is on a trail, which at points can be steep or rough.
READ THE FOLLOWING: The Organizer of this trip is a VOLUNTEER, not a "leader". The organizer IS NOT trained in first aid and is not a bonded expert mountain guide. You will need to bring your own experience and judgment. If you want to enjoy the benefits of traveling in a group, then we suggest that you stay with the group on the trip.
The waitlist is created to give preference to hikers who have demonstrated the ability for tougher hikes and consistency of showing up when they RSVP. Those who have RSVPed multiple times and have always cancelled or been a no-show will be kept on the waitlist until others who are more likely to come are given an opportunity to RSVP. The waitlist also ensures we do not overwhelm parking, as this area doesn’t have infinite parking.
Assess the route and conditions as if you were going to do this trip solo.
About your organizer: My name is Dan. I moved to the Phoenix area in early 2017. I have organized over 200 hikes for various groups – including in Arizona, the Sierras, and Northern Nevada. I tend to choose mountain summits I have never done before. I do as much preparation and mapping as I can to ensure we take the correct trails. However, when driving to and hiking in a new area, there are always surprises and unknowns.
This hike is subject to cancellation or rescheduling due to fires or inclement weather.