Combo from the East (UN 6180 & Placer)

Combo from the East (UN 6180 & Placer)

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 31.88650°N / 111.2145°W
Additional Information Route Type: Hiking
Seasons Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Time Required: Half a day
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Grassy Placer Peak summit areaGrassy Placer Peak summit area


This gentle little stroll takes in two Sierrita summits, UN 6180 (un-named but ranked) and Placer Peak (named but un-ranked). The route leverages area dirt roads for mostly easy going. The off-trail segments are minor and in good visibility (which is common in these parts), any hiker with a map and common sense should be able to reach both of these summits easily.

Note that none of these dirt roads are signed/named, thus the “down home” directions.

Roundtrip Distance: 7 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,430 feet net gain | 1,570 feet cumulative gain
YDS Class: 2 (due to minor off-trail segments)

Getting There

Rocky path toward UN 6180Rocky path toward UN 6180


From the east is via McGee Ranch Road.

From I-19, take exit #75 (Helmet Peak Road, Sahuarita Road). Take Helmet Peak Road west for approximately 5 miles. Turn left on Mission Road. You will reach a locked ranch gate at a water tower about 4.5 miles west of Mission Road. Parking is available around the water tower.

Route Description

Route Map


• From the parking near the water tower, head west-southwest on the main ranch road.
• Shortly after passing the ranch tank on your right (this is a pond, not a metal structure), a road forks to the right. Continue straight on the main road.
• After weaving in and out of two coves (the second of which contains an old cabin), at approximately 2.75 miles, reach the low saddle between UN 6180 and Placer Peak.









UN 6180 path upUN 6180 path up
UN 6180
• From this point, UN 6180 requires .45 mile of travel (.9 mile round-trip) and 330 feet of elevation gain to reach the summit.
• From the main road, ascend a north-west trending rough road (resembling a 2-rut ATV trail) near the summit. A short, faint spur will take you through the grass to the top of the peak.
UN 6180 path downUN 6180 path down








Placer Peak Side-HillingPlacer Peak Side-Hilling
Placer Peak
• The summit of Placer Peak is .3 mile away (.6 mile roundtrip) and requires 140 feet of gain.
• From the main road, a cow trail (literally!) hugs the southwest side of the ridge. Eventually, you’ll need to depart the traversing cow path to more directly ascend the slopes of the peak to the summit.
Return to the saddle and descend off the northeast side of the saddle on the main road to return to the parking area.
Cow trailCow trail to Placer Peak

Essential Gear

Standard hiking gear appropriate to the season, comfortable hiking shoes and a lot of water should be sufficient. Many will enjoy the security of trekking poles on some of the steeper, rockier and ball-bearing coated slopes and road surfaces, particularly the southeast ridge of UN 6180.

Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

UN 6180Routes