I have done Six Pack Challenge twice before, and each time I planned on conquering Santiago…and each time I never got around to doing it. This challenge I finally did.

Hiked to Santiago Peak via the Maple Springs Truck trail road. We were able drive up the road to 4 corners and shave off a few miles of fire road hiking. The road wasn’t that bad, but I would recommend a higher clearance 4×4 or AWD vehicle if only for peace of mind.

The road itself is very nicely graded and is relatively easy to hike. Took the side spur to bag Modjeska Peak and the single-track trail to bypass some of the fire road, which offered a nice shady canopy.  However, most of this route is a very exposed fire road but because of the early start and the relatively cooler weather it wasn’t too bad. There are bugs and some sections where bug spray was a must, but overall, they were just an occasional annoyance. Also, the road is open to vehicular traffic all the way to Santiago, so expect some off-road 4x4s and motor bikes on the road kicking up some dust.