Overview
Morning Glory Spire has a very exciting 4th class route with a small summit block towering hundreds of feet above the desert floor, with plenty of exposure.
This spire gets very little traffic on the summit and there is no maintained trail to the base. One can complete this climb at a casual pace and be back to the car in less than a couple hours. Climbers may take any one of dozens of 3rd class scrambles to the base of the climb. The climb becomes 4th class were the saddle meets the east face. There are rap anchors in place for those who would prefer not to down-climb, use a single 60m rope.
M.G.S. from Cibola Pass Getting There
From the intersection of 89A and 179 go west on 89A 1.5 miles to Soldiers Pass Rd. and take a right. Go for about a mile and take a right on Rim Shadows Dr. Go less than .25 miles to the trail head on the left through the marked gate. The gate is open from 9 am - 6 pm daily.
M.G.S. in late winter (left)
When To Climb
Spring and fall are the most popular times to climb. Lightning can pose a threat in the summer afternoons.
M.G.S.(background)-Cibola Mitten (foreground)
Camping
Nearby camping in the Coconino Nat'l Forest :
Bootlegger | Apr 15-Oct 31 |
Cave Springs | Apr 13-Oct 15 |
Manzanita | Year Round |
Pine Flat West | Mar 5-Oct 26 |
Beaver Creek | Year Round |
W. Clear Creek | Year Round |