
The road I came in on visible on the left, Whipple wash on the right. Head through the wide wash toward the obvious opening.

Within Whipple Wash.


Whipple Wash opens up a few times, but still has really gorgeous cliff faces all around.


An obstacle. Maybe there's a way around to the left? I did a little move on the right to avoid the water.

An interesting section of slickrock.

Close-up of water trickling down.



Whipple wash continues to be really pretty through its entirety.

Looking back toward a particularly sheer cliff.

A surprise section of narrows, where I was lucky to see water flowing.

Close-up of the narrows.

Wide shot of the bend in the narrows.

Narrows in the foreground, a gorgeous cliff face in the background.

Shortly after the narrows, Whipple Wash opens up. My route took me up the drainage on the right.

This drainage had a few unpleasant bushes, but it wasn't enough to complain about.

Looking back down the drainage.

One of a few dryfalls. Head to the left to avoid this one and a major one that comes after it.

Along the west side of the drainage, avoiding the major dryfall seen in the center.

Looking back down the drainage from the top of the dryfall.

Continuing up the drainage, as the landscape begins to open up.

At the base of Porthole Mountain. I found the slope ahead to be totally reasonable to ascend.

Porthole Mountain ahead.

A view of Whipple Wash on the left. What you can see here is the left fork, where I chose the right fork earlier. The drainage with the big dryfall isn't visible here, blocked by the slope below.

Summit of Porthole Mountain, looking north toward Muffin Peak (right) and Cupcake Peak (left).

Continuing along the ridge heading east to get to the natural arch (seen center).

Almost at the arch, Whipple Wash below on the left.

Natural arch!

Great view down into Whipple Wash from the arch.

Continuing off Porthole Mountain's northern slope. There are multiple ways down, for sure. I'm headed to Muffin Peak on the right.

Approaching the base of Muffin Peak.

On the slopes of Muffin Peak, looking back toward Porthole Mountain.

Muffin Peak summit, looking east toward more of the Whipple Mountains.

Muffin Peak summit, looking northwest toward Cupcake Peak.

Among desert wildflowers on my way to Cupcake Peak.

Heading up Cupcake Peak's southeastern slope, looking back toward Muffin (left) and Porthole (right).

Class 2 to Cupcake Mountain's summit.

Cupcake Mountain summit looking back down the slope I came up.

Cupcake Mountain summit, looking north. The trail takes you down the notch in the foreground. If you look closely on the right, you can see the official trail leading along the ridge.

Close-up to the east of my intended wash to descend. It starts in the foreground and heads to the big cliffs on the right. My car is located just behind the little butte on the top left.

Close-up of Whipple Mountains High Point way over there.

Heading down the Cupcake Mountain Trail.

Cupcake Mountain Trail continues to the left of the butte on the left in this photo. I left the trail before that.

Along the Cupcake Mountain Trail. The drainage I would go down is in the center, but first I opted to follow the right on the left first.

Starting down the ridge, a shot of the Cupcake Mountain Trail (right) leading to Cupcake Mountain (also right).

Heading down along the right, Muffin Peak visible on the right.

Looking back along the ridge, Cupcake Mountain on the left.

Eventually, the ridge appears to ascend up to the butte on the left, so I opted to head to the right into the drainage I originally intended to follow.

Close-up of the wildflowers and drainage.

Some interesting rock formations within the drainage.




A waterfall with a trickle. An easy bypass took me down safely on the left.

The waterfall from below.

The upper section of the waterfall.


Continuing down the drainage.

Looking back up the way I came.

Some interesting spring colors.


A few fun obstacles along the way, but nothing else major for the rest of the drainage.


Approaching the junction with Whipple Wash, completing the loop.


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