Our alternate peak, since we had a time crunch and felt like tackling Picacho Peak in the cooler temps.  A very rough “road” to the trailhead awaits you, some parts are very sandy.  It is suggested to use an SUV/Pickup or side-by-side to get to the trailhead.  We knew ahead of time that the shade would be minimal on the trail, so we set off early in the morning around 0700-0800.  Most of the hike is done on a ridge-line up to the trail-end, that bounces you around either side and on top of it.

Once you reach the trail-end, which is a flat area, the hike to the actual Quartz peak is very tricky.  Some scrambling over boulders is involved, and being watchful of Carin’s (stacks of rocks to act as a landmark for the trail.)  Quite a few times, we used our hiking app to determine the general location of the trail, and then discovered a Carin beyond our field of vision that led us to the proper area to hike.

Near the top (just below Quartz Peak) you have a rather steep climb up a couple rocks.  Once on the peak, you’ll be rewarded with large chunks of Quartz all around you.  There was an ammo box on the peak to let you log the hike, but as of this writing, it was not there when we went.  The views from above are incredible.  We even had an opportunity to see San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, although very faint.  As always, have plenty of water for the hike, as it is long and mostly sunny (depending on the time of day.)