I have driven by the Mt. Ord sign while heading toward Payson on Highway 87, and always wondered what the heck was up there. Well, now I know. I knew there were communication towers and a forest service lookout, but I had no idea how beautiful, not to mention lofty this peak is. According to what I found on the Internet, the top of Mt. Ord sits at 11,348 feet above sea level. Amazing, considering it's only 50 miles from my house in Gilbert.
One mile from the summit.
The road takes you as close as one mile from the summit. Since I had hiked pretty hard the previous day, I decided to leave the summit climb for another day. While up there I was treated to some beautiful fall color, with several oak trees in full splendor. I couldn't believe how red the leaves were.
On the way up the mountain you're treated to some really
Backside of Mt. Ord (taken near Jake's Corners heading into the Tonto Basin on Highway 188)
Cheryl and I stopped and ate our lunch at the Roosevelt Lake Vineyard Canyon picnic grounds.
