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May 01, 2021 — I drove into Butcher Jones Recreation Site, which on this hot weekend was so crowded to the point it stressed me out. I started along the Butcher Jones Trail. Fortunately it was 99 degrees and I was the only stupid one who thought it was a good idea to hike in the low desert, so I stopped seeing anyone past about a quarter mile into my hike. Normally this is a very popular trail, so if you decide to hike to Butcher Jones Peak (which I named as such since it doesn't have an official name), expect the masses to be along the trail with you. Regardless, the Butcher Jones Trail was far more gorgeous than I thought it would be. It felt like a desert garden, winding along the Saguaro Lake banks, passing between all sorts of pretty blooming desert flora, and even entering a couple of short riparian sections. I was having a great time, despite sweating myself to near-death in the heat. I followed the trail to about a quarter mile from its end at a low saddle on the north side of Butcher Jones Peak. The trail descends from this saddle to the east to access the Salt River, but I didn't follow it past the saddle.
I left the trail and headed south, starting up the straightforward grassy slope that would take me to the summit. I could have left the trail sooner than I did, but I was enjoying the casual trail walking and thought the saddle was a good spot to go cross-country. I encountered some light Class 2 on my ascent, and the summit block was guarded by steep cliffs on all sides except the west, so I wrapped around the base of the cliffs. An optional Class 3 move leads to the summit on the north side of the peak, otherwise an animal trail wraps in a spiral-like manner to approach from the west. The views of the bend in the Salt River were really nice, as were the Superstitions and the Four Peaks in the distance.
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