Hike Rojo Grande Picacho State Recreation Area, CA

After two incredibly cool desert towers, Matt and I may or may not have gotten a little tipsy by the river and decided to have a silly hike up nearby Rojo Grande to catch the sunset. We were ultimately glad we did, our giggles probably annoying nearby campers as we ascended. We started along the Picacho Stamp Mill Hiking Trail, leaving it to head up a somewhat annoying Class 2 ridge to a false summit. We continued along the ridge and came across a human-made rock ring at the saddle just west of the peak, which meant clearly there was an easier way up than the way we came. Looking around only briefly showed is there was a fairly well-defined social trail coming in from the west and we decided we'd take it on the way down to see where it led. I left this bit on my map as a purple line. From the human-made rock ring (I assume marking the end of the social trail?), we continued along the ridge toward the summit, where we encountered an unexpected somewhat exposed Class 2+ move. I took my time, because like I said, we may or may not have consumed some fizzy adult beverages beforehand, but really it was nothing particularly scary. The summit was a hop away, and we enjoyed the sunset views toward Picacho Peak and Little Picacho Peak, as well as the colorful desert lumps and the Colorado River surrounding us.

On the way back, we followed the aforementioned social trail, which was in nice shape. However, it ended in a very wide wash with no indication of a trailhead. Weird. We followed the wash back to the car.