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Jun 19, 2023 — Pinnacle #1 is spire poised on a mesatop in the San Rafael Swell. It's probably best done with other things in the area since it's a pretty short hike, but where it lacks in length it makes up for in its unique, spiraling route. To get to the trailhead, exit I-70 here (38.88198, -110.65973) and head northeast. The road is excellent to here (39.00264, -110.69321), but then you'll want at least Crossover clearance to dip in and out of little washes and to avoid some big rocks.
From the trailhead, the start of the route is seen clearly ahead, a boulder-strewn slope that provides access up a massive cliff that rises from the desert floor. The hikable slope leads steeply to the base of Pinnacle #1's sheer south face. We hiked through the open desert and located a faint social trail to get onto the rocky slope, then scrambled Class 2 along a progressively more well-defined trail for a few hundred feet. There are multiple social trail options, but I only left the one we found best on my attached map.
Now we were at the base of Pinnacle #1, only 0.1 mile away as the crow flies from the summit, but it still loomed 500+ feet above us. Fortunately, a more palatable ascent route exists on the north side of this massive wall, but reaching this requires wrapping around the east side of Pinnacle #1. A delightful ledge continues at a max of Class 2 below the sheer face, then curves north and crosses over the north ridge of Pinnacle #1. From here we could make out the more reasonable slope ascent we'd be using just ahead. The ledge then turns south and descends slightly, where it starts to lose its form and instead erodes into a less solid slope.
The first major obstacle was a 10-foot headwall, but a cairn marks the spot where we were able to ascend on Class 3 ledges sort of resembling a staircase. Once above the first headwall, we could now start the fun scramble to the summit ridge of Pinnacle #1. Initially there are only some Class 2/2+ moves to navigate the complex terrain of slickrock sandstone and small cliffs. Soon we reached the crux of the route, a Class 3+ move up a dihedral that has a massive hueco helpful as a solid handhold. Past this we encountered a couple more easy Class 3 moves and then a Class 2 slope complete with a faint trail led to the summit ridge.
Once we reached the summit ridge, we chose to continue directly east to the summit, some fun Class 3 along the way. Alternatively, you could keep left of the crest and ascend more easily that way. Looking down the southern sheer drop toward the cars was nutty, as was the landscape of the Swell to the north and west.
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