Gila County High Point Trip Report
Promontory Butte, Myrtle Point
Date: May 26 1998
Author: David Olson
The turn-off from the Rim Road, FR 300, onto FR 76 is located about 11.9 miles west of AZ 260.
On FR 76 I followed the main, best-quality road. Where the two forks seemed of equal quality
I chose the left fork. I stopped at a seeming turn-around loop about 50 paces from the rim.
The left fork of the "loop" continued on to the rim and then headed west along the rim.
I counted about 600 paces west along the road, then about 400 paces across country
still going west.
The butte-top rises significantly over those last 400 paces to the HP area.
Once the butte-top levels off the BM is easily found on the first rim-point southward,
on bare rock with no large trees nearby. The section corner (witness corner, WC)
is located next to the rim west around the "bay". The WC is located at the point
where the ground changes from gently sloping to a significant slope.
Thirty feet further southeast the ground-slope becomes severe to vertical.
I do not know where in that 30 feet the county-line is. You will have to
decide for yourself where the HP is.
It is 8.8 miles further west along
the rim road to Myrtle Point. The rim slope at Myrtle Point is more broken,
more of a slope than a cliff. I would guess that the highest point in Gila
county at Myrtle Point is on the left (south) side of the HP area, where there is a
cluster of white rocks. From Myrtle Point it is 1.5 miles west to the junction with FR 137.