Escudilla, the third highest peak (if you can call it that)

Escudilla Mountain is supposed to be the third highest mountain in Arizona. But some lists give the summit at 9,744 feet, however, it is actually 10,912 feet. What also makes the comparison complicated is that the San Francisco Mountains which have Humphreys Peak as the highest mountain in Arizona at 12,633 feet have up to six "peaks." So if you measure each San Francisco Peak as a separate peak then it moves Escudilla down on the list. The same thing happens with Mount Baldy in the White Mountains. Is it one "peak" or several? Some lists show Baldy as five separate peaks, making Escudilla number 12 instead of number 3. But if you are like me, you lump all of the San Francisco Peaks and Mount Baldy into one bundle, making Escudilla number three.

It is hard to call Escudilla a peak since the top of the mountain is almost flat. Finding the exact top is a matter of wandering around for a while until you see something that looks higher than where you are standing at the time. The name "Escudilla" is of Spanish origin but the translation of the word is conjectural. An "escudo" is a shield, so escudilla should be "little shield." In a modern dictionary, escudilla is translated as "bowl." So take your pick, either little shield or bowl both make sense looking at the mountain. One thing is that there is no other "Escudilla mountain" anyplace else in the world. The only other places named that are in New Mexico and Venezuela.