I was in Arizona with my daughter, who was attending a 4-day softball camp. She was going from 9am to 3pm each day and I didn't really want to be there hovering over her, so I planned some hikes each day.

Day 1: Pass Mountain

I did some research and found mountains nearby Mesa, where the camp was. The first one that jumped out at me was Pass Mountain, literally 5 minutes from the fields. In addition to being close to the fields, it is also a legit peak, with over 1000 feet of prominence. It also looks pretty cool from the valley, with a large rock band cutting across its face.

Even though I knew I would see heavy traffic, I still chose to hike up the Wind Cave Trail. This is a trail that leads 1.6 miles to a cave on the face of Pass Mountain. Fortunately, the crowds disappear at the cave and I would have the rest of the mountain to myself.

The weather forecast was iffy. There was a 90% chance of rain. I could see clouds building to the west as I headed up the trail. I passed dozens of hikers enroute to the cave. The clouds were thickening, but no rain yet. The surrounding terrain was incredible, a desert with chollas, saguros, red rock, etc... I made it to the cave in about 35 minutes and plowed right on by, looking for a climber's trail that left from the end of the cave.

This trail was easy to find. In fact, it was marked with paint and cairns to get me to the saddle between the south peak and higher north peak. I use the term trail carefully, as this is a steep, borderline class 3 "path" you follow. Once at the ridge, I could see most of the remaining mountain. I had a mile left, but most of my elevation was already gained. I had read one trip report that stated this section was class 5.5, which would normally mean a roped rock climb. I had read elsewhere class 3 and class 4. What I saw was class 3. After a quick break, I hit the ridge.

The ridge was fun. It was easy class 3. Every now and again, a shower would hit for a minute or two. But the wind was the real issue, it was gusting hard. The surrounding area filled in with a dust cloud. But hey, it was warm and I was climbing a peak in February, so I didn't care a bit! After the initial 1/4 mile, the ridge becomes much easier and I made better time.

The summit is located on a pointy rock outcropping with great views. There was a register is an ammo can that was pretty official looking. I signed it quickly, gulped some Gatorade, and was on my way.

On the way out I must have passed 50 hikers between the cave and the trailhead, despite the windy conditions. This was a fun peak, very scenic, with a challenging ridge walk.

I took the Brown Road exist of Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway). I turned north, turning left onto Ellsworth Road. I followed Ellsworth, to the Usery Mountain Park enterance on Usery Pass Road. Here I paid $6 and entered the park. From the booth, it was about 1.4 miles to Wind Cave Drive. The trailhead is found immediately after turning on Wind Cave Dr.

Take the trail to the Wind Cave. Keep going after the sign warning you that you are at your own risk. Follow the climbers trail and paint markings that lead you to the saddle between the southern high point on Pass Mountain and the actual high point. Turn north and follow the ridge to the true highpoint.