Poston Butte

After I left Casa Grande National Monument in Coolidge, Arizona, I drove eastward to the nearby town of Florence and then over to the Poston Butte Preserve to take a hike up its titular hill.  The place is named after Charles Debrille Poston (1825-1902), who lobbied President Abraham Lincoln and Congress to create an Arizona Territory separate from New Mexico Territory, and is thus called the "Father of Arizona".  I'm not sure that Poston Butte is a true butte, but that's what it's called.

To start my hike, I parked near the start of the trail that leads to the hill and its summit.  But first, hikers must pass under a railroad track.

That is indeed a pyramid on top of the hill, and is where Charles D. Poston is buried.  It can be seen a bit more clearly in the next pic, taken after I walked under the tracks.  The white "F" on the side of the hill probably stands for the town of Florence.  But at this point, I had a long way to go.

And so I went, up this rocky trail.

After a while, I took a break and shot this panoramic view.  You can see part of Florence, the place where the path goes under the railroad, and if you look closely, the temporary rented Bigfootmobile.

I resumed hiking and got closer to the pyramid.

I eventually reached to top.  This is the north face of the pyramid.

From the top, I took this shot looking west.

I decided to take another pic of the pyramid.  At this angle, we see its southern and eastern faces, with the southern one being prominent.

With this hike, I have completed a trifecta of pyramid-shaped tombs, the other two being those of the camel herder known as Hi Jolly and Arizona's first governor, George Hunt.  Come to think of it, the road by which I reached Poston Butte is Hunt Parkway.  For more about the Poston Butte Preserve and the man after whom it is named, go to AZCentral, Atlas Obscura and Arizona Day Hikes.