South Turkey Hills

Looking west from the summit to Elden Mountain and Mount Humphreys.

2 MAY 2025 W7A/CS-045

One star – Nothing special but I’d do it again.

Elevation:	7,425′
Route:	Short 4WD tracks
Hike Distance:	.9 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:	175′
Navigation:	Easy
Steepness:	Steep
Vehicle:	4WD suggested
Road:	Deep cinder dirt
Cell Coverage:	Good Verizon

Hike basics

I left the LA Basin at 5am and was in Flagstaff around lunchtime. I was traveling with Charlie the Cat and hung out with him at the motel for the early afternoon to help get him acclimatized to his first visit to Arizona.

This summit is probably a 4WD drive-up from the right start to the spiral road that leaves the cinder pit to the south. I took Whitedog too far around to the east and into the cinder pit. found that road exceeded my skill as a 4WD driver, if not the Tacoma’s ability. I parked where I felt comfortable and walked the rest of the way.

Here is my track up Turkey Hills South

This might be a more beginner-friendly 4wd route.

Weather was unsettled late in the day and the wind and a bit of rain came up as I was setting up my doublet. At one point static electricity snapped at my hands from the feed line of my doublet as the wind raked the wire. I wondered if it was safe to connect my precious KX2 to this live wire.

Fortunately, the wind and rain abated and I was able to make a few contacts under very poor HF radio conditions. Noise level on 40m was s7 with static crashes over s9. I was also able to make a few 2m contacts on 146.520 thanks to amateurs on I-40 and in the greater Flagstaff area.