Looking back on Peak 3195. [photo by Ajay]

At Bulldog Saddle three of the hikers Bill, Sandy and Colette, decided to take a shorter route down the trail into the valley. The rest of the hikers turned right and climbed the ridge up to peak 3113, southwest of 3163. From the summit the group had a spectacular view in all directions. Looking to the northwest we could see Bill, Sandy and Colette moving down the trail in the valley. Our group climbed down to the north to the saddle south of 3163. At the saddle there were a number of pieces of chalcedony on the ground. Most of the pieces looked like caulk that had been squeezed out of a tube and hardened.

We proceeded carefully on the west side of 3163. There was a faint trail to follow in the loose gravel. We soon reached the next saddle and moved first north and then east below the huge rock formation of Peak 3195 above us. We passed two caves which some of the hikers explored. The trail passed through a green meadow of grass that sloped steeply down to the valley.

At the saddle south of 3075 the hikers turned north toward the Salt River and followed the ridgeline as it descended. Near Peak 2538 we found some shade and took a break for lunch. This was the point to begin the return.

We turned left and headed down off the ridge into the valley, then proceeded southwest toward the saddle east of Pass Mountain. The route we had traveled in the morning was visible during our travel across the valley.

We intentionally planned to avoid a large cholla “forest” near 2290 by heading toward peak 3004. So we turned right and followed the cairns marking the trail up to Pass Mountain saddle. There we elected to take an old trail down from the saddle that follows the wash in Sand Canyon to the trailhead. We met Bill, Sandy and Colette at the trailhead.