Driving in on Rodriguez Canyon Road heading to where our hike to Granite Mountain starts. Met John and Sooz at Scissors Crossing after spending the night at Blair Valley.

Joe (me), Sooz and John at the start of the hike.

The first part of the hike was on the remains of an old mining road.

Looking back at our trucks. We drove in on the old mining road till it was blocked.

The road was over grown from lack of use.

We found this bird's nest inside a cholla cactus, safe place to be.

Close up of the nest.

A little further up the road, we came upon a lot of cactus that were eaten. Not sure what would eat this stuff?

This name and date must have something to do with the mine that was just above it.

John and Sooz at the mine's entrance.

Looking into the mine from the entrance.

Looking out towards the entrance from insde. Some aminal made a nest in here.

After about a couple hundred feet and a left turn, came to another opening.

From the mine, we climbed up on the ridge that we followed all the way to the peak.

There was three of these hawks flying near the mine.

Climbing the ridge was flairly easy but it did get steep in places.

Forgot what these are, but they look nice.

Back lit cholla.

On one of the steep sections.

A bee on one of the few flowers that I saw during this hike.

Gaining altitude. We started hiking on the valley floor.

Colorful pricklypear cactus.

We got our first good look at the peak from here. It's the high one on the right.

The trucks are getting smaller.

This section got a little brushy. John saw two deer run from here.

Looking down the ridge as we near the peak.

After a couple of false peaks, we were almost there.

On the summit of Granite Mountain at 5,633 feet.

The summit register.

View to the north with highway S2 runing down the valley.

Grapevine Mountain on the right with Scissors Crossing at it's base.

Zoomed in on Scissors Crossing.

John and Sooz starting the hike down just off the peak.

Looking down the ridge we hike up.

Whale Peak to the east.

Making our way down the ridge.

The sun was just setting as we reached the mining road.

It was dark by the time we returned to the trucks.

The route we used to reach the peak of Granite Mountain.

THE END