Mt. Ord Day Hike

Well, I was browsing over a map of Arizona when I came across Mt. Ord. I had never heard of it, but at over 7,000 feet, this mountain seemed worthy of a day trip. I got to the base of the peak at around 8:00 and began the 7 mile hike to the summit. Eventually, I came to a fork in the jeep road by an old spring. To the left, the jeep road continued up a ridge to the summit, and to the right, a trail appeared as though it went directly to the top. So, I took the trail on the right. After several miles, this trail ended in an impassable clump of thorny brush. I had come too far to back track to the jeep road, so I walked back about a half a mile to where an oak forest offered a clearer route to the summit. Now I faced a very steep hike to the top through brush and under a barbed wire fence. Game trails made the chore a little easier (However, I was later informed by some locals that those trails were from mountain lions. They thought I was crazy for going up there without a pistol.) At the top, incredible views of Roosevelt and Brushman Lakes awaited me. The Mogollan Rim was very sharp and distinct looking from here. After spending a good bit of time exploring the top, I headed back down on the jeep trail I should have used in the first place. I made the experience much more fun though. If anyone wants to go up the way I bushwacked, take the trail at the old spring along the jeep road for a few miles until a large, bare grassy knoll stands to your right (you'll know what I mean when you see it). Just head straight up from here. It's a hard climb, but worth it. When you come to the old barbed wire fence, the summit is just a few hundred yards beyond this. It's easy to go either over or under this obstacle.