"I did this trip while taking the Black Mesa Trail and Dutchman Trail Loop through the First Water Trailhead. Once I reached the Black Mesa and Dutchman Trail Junction on the southeast point, I turned to head towards Palomino Mountain. There is a very faint use trail that goes to the base of Palomino Mountain. This requires to follow a nearby river before heading up a canyon up to Palomino Mountain. The river had some water here and there but most of the river bed was completely dried out. I can imagine this to be a fully flowing river during snowy days and heavy rain days like during the monsoon. Once I reached the base I followed cairns about halfway up before the trail completely disappears and no more cairns were available. It was difficult to climb with the large quantities of shrubs and trees that had grown here. Don't be a dumbass like me and take shorts on overgrown hikes. This particular climb murdered my legs and I was a bloody mess by the time I reached the saddle. Once I reached the saddle, the three needles lay prominently around me. Now I had done plenty of research in the weeks following to this hike about where the true summit actually lies. And there seems to..." — easotelo1 • Nov 19, 2022