PRELIMINARY FIELD INVESTIGATION OF WHIPPLE'S
ROUTE IN THE PINAL MOUNTAINS
February 1, 2003
1. Upper Ranch Creek
Here's a panorama taken from Highway 77 just south of where Ranch Creek crosses it. GPS coordinates are N33 14' 19", W110 46' 59". The view looks east down the valley of Ranch Creek (the probable route of both Emory and Whipple). The big mountain at right is El Capitan. Mount Turnbull is the farthest left of the faint blue mountains in the distance. The people are my friend Don Penfield and my brother Steve.
This is looking west from the same location as the above photo. The road is Highway 77, the the peak at left is Old Baldy, and the one on the right is not named. My presumed trail of Whipple passes between these two peaks as it continues west. Pinal Peak is out of the picture to the right. Old Baldy is one of the peaks we speculated might be the "Tonto Head." I didn't see anything that reminded me of a fool's head here. Our peak may be farther west. My friend Don suggested the resemblance might be to a "fool's cap" or a dunce cap. I'll have to find out what a fool's cap looks like.
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