Yuma County High Point Trip Report
Signal Pk
Date: February 20, 2001
Author: Roy Schweiker
From the junction with the Palm Canyon Road just inside the Kofa NWR boundary, take the Kofa Queen
Canyon Road approximately 5 miles across the desert to the canyon mouth, high clearance will make it
easier. Continue up the canyon nearly 3 miles to the mouth of Ten Ewe Canyon on the R, high clearance
necessary along with rugged tires and saw to prune branches, much of road is multiple strands up wash
with tire-eating rocks.
Hike any route up nearly level part of Ten Ewe Canyon, one choice starts between two metal posts. Pick
up cairned route on ridge straight ahead which aims directly for Ten Ewe Mountain. Route begins to
circle right before reaching cliff band and eventually climbs to just S of spur 3960' near the "n" in
"Indian" on 7.5' map. Route descends slightly to circle to rightmost canyon which it climbs to L of
waterfall. Approaching col between Ten Ewe Mtn and Signal Peak, descend right to cross wash and
follow canyon to N of prominent rock spur near the "l" in "Signal", if col becomes visible you have gone
too far. Cairned route may be hard to pick up, is sometimes on dry stream bed in center of canyon and
sometimes on the side. It leads to summit with survey marker and register in cairn. Climb the pinnacle
just to L of path on return if you think it might be higher. There are many other routes but if you can
follow the cairns you know you won't get cliffed out. Possible hiking time from junction of Kofa Queen
and Ten Ewe Canyons to summit and return, 4 hours. On return down Kofa Queen Canyon, note that road
leaves main wash L between two cairns shortly before the canyon mouth.
After bagging the pinnacle, I went down the use path which went down the canyon NE of the summit.
There was a pool of water here in addition to a couple I saw on the waterfall at 4000'. Strangely the foot
way and cairns disappeared at the end of the canyon and I had to bushwhack across the brook bed to the
route I came up. The way down was easy, but saw no ewes or rams. I tool 2 hours 15 minutes up, 4 hours
total, the other guy was half an hour faster. Went to a Mexican restaurant in Quartzsite for hot dinner
before returning to Centennial County Park in Salome, about the last $5 campground with flush toilets.
The sites are large and widely spaced which makes it a longer walk to the rest rooms. Bring your golf
clubs, tennis racket, or basketball and there are facilities for you.