2024 peakbagging and other activities

[Brice]

I tried to find Sexton Benchmark this week and failed.  It's on the eastern border of the park.  On the USGS map it's marked near the top of a small mountain, a bit down the side.  It seems a strange place for a benchmark, but what do I know?  I wandered around for a good 20 minutes with no luck.  Oh well.



But it was not all for nothing.  I found a classic looking cave below where the benchmark should have been.  Tall and deep.  It has clearly been occupied in the  past as many artifacts are scattered on the slope below in the form of pull-tab beer cans and bottles...



Looking out through my sweaty fingerprint covered lens.


 
A small desert tortoise shell the size of my palm, near the benchmark location.  Probably carried up there by a bird of prey.



Lots and lots of fossils.  Not surprising given its proximity to a certain mountain.



Next I was off to Leaning Benchmark.  It's a 5 mile trek across the valley from North Road to the base of the mountain.  Leaning benchmark on the left, Peak 2175 on the right.



A desert shaggy mane mushroom popping out of the desert floor.   Apparantly the dark colored spores inside can be used as a dye to color cloth or grey hair.



The last entry on the summit log was 3 years ago.  From the summit looking at Grapevine Peak and Mount Palmer.  My car is somewhere down there too.



Looking south down the Cottonwood mountains.  Tucki Mountain on the far left.



Looking up Dry Bone Canyon with White Top Mountain above.