From Hot Uphill to Cool w/Snow

Hike is on the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation so you can pay in advance or pay $10 cash at the entrance to the reservation.  There’s a guard house and a ranger will come out to collect.  Then you drive a few miles to the parking lot with lots  of spaces and there’s also a bathroom there.  Make sure to read the signs to go to the correct Hot Springs Mtn trailhead.  (The trail is on Sukrat Mtn Rd.)  There’s another trail (Tukwet) that you can take that does loop around if you want the extra miles.  There’s also a 1 mile loop along the way called Quiet Loop.

The first 2 miles, as advertised, where a very steady uphill climb on a dirt road.  Even though it was February, it was quite warm.   It seemed right at the 2 mile point, the trail leveled out and was much easier but then we had snow on the trail.  There wasn’t a lot by any means, but enough to make me glad i was wearing wool sox so my feet stayed warm.

As you hike toward the top, you will see a trail veer off to the left.  It’s obvious NOT to take that on your way up; be careful NOT to take it on your way down.  There’s also a sign that says Do Not Enter, but some folks in our group did take that, and assistance was needed to find them.  At the plateau, which seems like it’s the summit, but it’s not :< there is a picnic table to have a snack and rest.  Off to the left, there’s a fire tower that’s no longer in use and has a fence around it.  It was quite windy and I didn’t feel like being blown down to the desert floor, so my visit to the tower was a short one.   At the opposite end of this plateau is the trail to the real summit.  It was icy but accessible to the rocks that have an aluminum ladder and then you climb up the rock and grab some ropes to get to the top of the rocks.  There was some discussion whether the ropes, which appeared to be wearing in some spots, would hold some of our big guys.  Anyway, that’s where the sign is.  The trip down the mtn was quick and the snow was now slushy but it made for a memorable hike.  No shade on this hike, so I’d only do it in the winter and spring months.