Bill Williams Mountain

August 24 2021

This hike was only seven minutes away from where I stayed for the week – As I drove toward the Forest Service Office, I thought it would be best to check if a parking pass was required – Unfortunately I forgot my pass in my car at home – They told me in the office a pass was not required to hike the trails, YAY!  BTW, none of the hikes I did that week required a pass, Humphreys, Bill Williams, Elden, Bear Mountain, Kendrick or O’Leary – Whew! That was nice…I did have a photo of my pass on my phone and was hoping there would be an envelope or something to write on at the trailhead if a pass was required

There weren’t a lot of people on this trail on Tuesday, I saw maybe four at most – A lot of bugs were swarming around my head on this trail – Suspect they were gnats as they weren’t eating me alive – Didn’t know that gnats have receptors that attract them to the carbon dioxide we expel – We’ve had a lot of much needed rain in Arizona and the bugs are flourishing, especially the ubiquitous mosquitos – My legs and arms look like craters on the moon right now – This trail entails a lot of steps as opposed to a gradual incline – It is very scenic and you definitely get a feel you’re in a forest – There are some open areas, however I didn’t get the feeling of an open expanse like I did with Kendrick Peak on Thursday – Yes, I’m writing this a week later – There is a slight deviation from the current AllTrails map where the trail crosses the Forest Service Road ( FSR ) and continues on the other side of the road, rather than adopt the FSR for the duration – Once through the short section where the trail resumes on the other side of the road it does once again take the FSR to the top – There is an old lookout tower on the top with a history plaque and a Forest Service disclaimer releasing the FS from liability should a visitor climb the tower and injure themselves – You must look for it as it is somewhat overshadowed by the many communication towers on the summit – There was a barricade with a “Road Closed” sign – Simply walk past that as it was intended for vehicles – The lookout is just past the restroom and building as you walk up the road – It’s on the left of the road and to the right of the building – It is possible to drive up to the top as there were several visitors passing me in cars as I took the FSR to the top – I used my trekking poles out and back – No scrambling so no gloves required – AllTrails shows the Elevation Gain ( EV ) is 2,385 feet – My Garmin Instinct indicates it was 3,862 feet EV – Big difference!  Garmin is usually correct – As with all the Arizona Summer Six Pack of Peaks hikes, the views at the top are well worth the effort getting there