Ballard Peak, Mule Mountains (AZ)

I didn't work today, and hoped to get caught up with some Amazon reviews. Instead, I took three dogs this afternoon to Bisbee for a 2-mile hike up Ballard Peak. This is a low-key peak at 7300' that few venture on. Around here 9000' is more of a challenge. I left the house at 1pm and took Zeke, Sadie and Minnie with me. After a brief stop at the recycling center, we were on our way.

I was determined this time to find the elusive peak. An online description gave me directions. It turns out it's off the path I had walked down over a month ago trying to find it, landing on private property instead. There is no trail head sign here, just a barbed-wire fence and a faint path going directly uphill.

I took three dogs, Sadie, Minnie and Zeke. I parked the van at the ROAD CLOSED sign on West Boulevard, driving up Tombstone Canyon Road in Bisbee to get to this path. I could have parked on the western end of town, closer to the Mule Tunnel, but I didn't want to waste time driving over there. It was already 2:20pm when I got started on this hike, and sun set now is just after 5:40pm. The dogs were excited to get out of the van and run.

West Boulevard at the Mule Mountain pass is closed due to road damage. A heavy storm in 2009 collapsed part of the road in two areas, and smaller rock slides have created further damage. Residents use this closed section to walk their dogs. Berms keep vehicular traffic off this road. The county will be repairing the road soon, so I was able to see the damage. It was my first time on this part of the road.

From the east end of Mule Pass, it's a half mile before going off the road to the old trail. We bushwhacked to the top of the first hill before finding the trail. (We walked down the path to the "trail head" going back down). A blue towel was hanging off a branch of a pine tree, most likely as a landmark for other hikers. There was no other trash except for a rusted tin can on a cholla. This is not a very busy trail. The path stayed next to a barbed-wire fence for most of the time, going due south. It's two miles to the top of Ballard peak, but there are some steep sections.

I had no water bowl for the dogs. I had forgotten it at home. All the water that was coming down these hills after our tropical storms in September had dried up. The dogs managed fine. They walked four miles before drinking water near the van, and more once we got home. This was my oversight. Luckily the late afternoon sun was low, and there were plenty of trees for shade as we got higher up.

The views from Ballard Peak are quite nice. Although one can see the same horizon from Miller Peak looking south, from Ballard Peak the views are closer to Naco and Bisbee-Warren. One can also see over Juniper Flats to the north and the Dragoon Mountains. A small fire ring is on the summit of Ballard Peak. I sat down here for a bit taking in the view, but I didn't want to sit for long due to the sun getting low. It took me 90 minutes to get to the top, as I went slow to take photos. We bagged the peak just before 4pm.

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Ballard Peak is at 7370 ft / 2246 m elevation and the highest peak in the Mule Mountains. Another nearby peak, Fissure peak, is about the same elevation. Online descriptions said this peak is .4 miles away from Ballard and usually hiked in combination with Ballard. Both peaks are visible from the road. I saw the peak, obviously, but never saw a defined path to this peak. Perhaps I will search for that trail next time. It wouldn't take too much longer to bag both peaks, but I didn't want to risk losing sunlight on an unfamiliar trail. Four miles without water was about as much as I was willing to risk for the dogs.

Ballard Peak is a short hike with pretty views. It's also a secluded hiking destination for those wanting a short but challenging hike. Parts of this trail show signs of an old wild fire, as the dark limbs of former oaks and mesquites dotted parts of the hillside. The mountains here are brittle and trees make the higher elevations shaded. Coming down the trail these burned trees add a nice dimension to the landscape. The view into Bisbee is quite scenic, with the Lavender pit mine visible.

I lost the trail a few times on the return hike, that is how faint the path is in parts. The steep sections near the top are just as difficult coming down. But luckily the dogs were able to sniff out where we had hiked, and showed me the way down.

We were back on West Boulevard by 5:10pm. The hike had taken us three hours. The sun was now behind us and the cool shade was noticeable. I had to hold back the dogs to let another man walk his dog in peace, then we resumed our walk down back to the van 15 minutes away on the road.

Ballard Peak is on public land, but there are swaths of private land off the road. I couldn't tell where the private land was; I simply followed the faint trail to the peak. There are no designated trails in this small mountain range, and if there are trails they are carved by foot by locals. This is a short hike well worth the effort. After ten years in the area, I finally bag Ballard Peak!

We were home at 6:20pm, well after dark. The dogs attacked the water bucket with gusto and then lay around the rest of the evening. I always go right on the computer when I go home, to check the news, my Facebook page, my email and to upload my photographs. I learned that long-time Washington Post chief editor Ben Bradlee had died in DC of "natural causes." He was 93 years old. His insistence on freedom of the press during the Watergate scandal in 1973 brought down a sitting president, and convinced many young journalists to go into investigative reporting. I miss those days of straight news without all the partisan commentary. Rest in peace, Mr. Bradlee.