Friday, June 19, 2015

Southeast Nevada Peaks

Black Cliff  BM

Shingle Peak

Schoolhouse Peak

  • ADAMS BENCHMARK el 9612 is the highest peak in the South Egans Wilderness. NINEMILE MOUNTAIN el 8990 is west of it. Maps show a trail along the west side of Ninemile Mtn. That is now a steep ATV trail. Take SR 318 to gravel pit at mp WP 2.4. Turn in there and follow the 4wd road running SE. You'll come to a corral and a BLM sign with a map. Go south shortly to a fork and take the right fork and it will go to the mouth of Ninemile Canyon where it shrinks to an ATV track. The track goes up to a fork at N38 40770, W114 59969 el 8400. Left shortly ends at el 8500 on the west shoulder of Ninemile Mtn as shown on maps. It's only 500 gain to the summit of that one. The right fork, which is unmapped,  loses 400 feet to an unmapped spring then goes back up and ends just past West Parker Spring el 8500. That spring was useless.  From there there is a trail to walk for a half mile toward the peak. Then go to a viewpoint at 40348, 58654 el 8750 where you can see the west ridge. It has a 200 foot deep saddle out of view. But circling left cuts it to 100 feet. To do that, go up thru a lovely fir forest to a minor saddle at 40362, 58078 el 9300. Go thru then walk level toward the deep saddle at 40086, 57981 el 9200. You'll see when it's time to drop 100 feet to it. Then go up to the BM at 39992, 57685. The whole hike from the spring took me 3 hours, 8 minutes and 1400 gain on the ascent, 300 gain on the return. Another option for Adams is the ATV track going to Head of Ninemile Spring. It's not as steep.  If I were backpacking, I would follow the trail on the map to the west shoulder of Ninemile Mtn then cut over to the unmapped road at dry West Parker Spr.  Then go down the road a third mile to the unmapped spring at el 8000 to reload. Then go back up the road on on toward Adams BM. Hike the BM as a side trip then go down to Head of Ninemile Spr wich had a good flow from a pipe. Then take the unmapped ATV track from there which goes over into Sheep Pass Canyon then walk out thru the Box Canyon narrows on smooth gravel. The creek in Ninemile Canyon was flowing at 42340, 59819 el 6500.  The unmapped spring at el 8000 had a flow of one quart per minute from a pipe and Head of Ninemile had a larger flow.  Nobody goes in there until hunting season. No cattle were in there on June 15, 2015. The other way in is from Long Canyon to the east. Drive to the Shingle Pass Rd at  mp NY 25.6 on SR 318. Go north on the main road for 15 miles to a good road going left at N38 38139, W114 50635. Go left there along the north side of Haggerty Wash to a ranch. The road goes along the fence on the north side of the ranch. I stopped there, but the rancher said the road goes on to Long Canyon and is 4wd. Posted 2015.
  • ARROW CANYON PEAK el 5226 is what I call the high peak in the Arrow Canyon Range. US 93 runs right next to the range. Just park near the ascent canyon which is at N36 39086, W114 53996. I went to mp CL 77.2 to get on the power line road. That saved a half mile each way but took longer. Go up the canyon to the main saddle el 4300. It's easy to go up the ridge from there until some dark crags get in the way at el 4700. Angle up around the right side and soon a route appears to get on top then stay on center to the reg at 39800, 53239. 4 and a half hours, 2500 gain from the power lines. Posted 2015. CLIFF BM el 3598 is at the north end of the range. Take SR 168 to mp CL 5.2 and go south for 2 miles on easy 4wd to a T. Walk to N36 45970, W114 52245 and go up the ridge to the BM at 45507, 53050. 2 and a half hours, 1500 gain. Posted 2015.
  •  BADGER MTN, TIKABOO PEAK- Take US 93 to mp LN 32.2 and turn west on the Badger Valley Road. Go about 5 miles to a main fork. Both go, but the sat image shows the right fork is not graded. I went left on the graded fork. It makes a big loop south then enters Badger Valley. Keep going NE to dry Badger Spring at el 6700. The road gets worse here. Keep going past the spring junk for a half mile to where the road makes a hard left. It's not worth trying to drive beyond here unless you have an OHV. For Tikaboo, walk the road to the end in a quarter mile to the foot trail at N37 20829, W115 20850 el 7100. The trail goes parabolic to the 7600 level then loses over 100 feet before the final push to the reg at 20658, 21536 el 7900. 2 hours, 1300 gain. Don't expect a nature hike. The route is littered with cans, bottles, foil, fire rings, painted rocks and a million ribbons. It's the trashiest hike I ever took and I didn't even get to see any UFOs. Badger Mtn is the same TH. Hike north into a saddle at N37 21148, W115 20723 el 7000. Then go up the  ridge and angle left into another saddle at 21320, 20330 el 7600. Now circle left to the reg at 21099, 19565 el 7900+. Posted 2015.
  • BLACK CLIFF BM el 8589 is at the northern tip of the Seaman Range. The NW ridge goes. Take SR 318 to mp LN 49.1. Go west on a graded road for nearly 10 miles over a pass to a corral. Keep going another mile to a 4wd road. Go left for nearly a mile to a  fork. Go right a third mile to a T and park el 6200. Walk to the NW ridge at N38 04178, W115 07559 el 6500. Go right up the center of the ridge until crags get in the way at 03837, 06659 el 7900. Then go along the right side of the crags until you walk into an obvious gully that goes up to the summit ridge el 8300. It's a stroll from there thru a nice forest to the BM at 03838, 06100. 4 hours, 2400 gain. Mtn bikes would work on the 4wd  road. An unused road goes in from east of the pass. Walking that would add 3/4 mile each way. Posted 2015.
  • BURNT PEAK el 7189 is a conical pile of loose rocks at the southern tip of the Schell Creek Range. The NW slope is a decent route. Take SR 318 to the Bristol Wells Rd at  mp LN 46.4. Go east about 2 and a half miles to an easy 4wd road at N38 07313, W114 57795. Follow that road toward the peak. Stay right at forks near the peak. The last turnaround for 4wds is at 10261, 55367 el 6400, just short of the NW saddle. I hiked from the saddle and stayed under the rock field then angled up to a game trail at 10183, 54907 which led me to the surveyor junk on the summit. 1 hour, 800 gain. Mtn bikes would work here. This little pipsqueak peak isn't so tough. I showed it who's boss. Posted 2015.
  • DELAMAR MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS, MAR BM el 6181- the western edge of the wilderness is a high escarpment that is the most appealing area for hiking. Mar BM el 6181 is the high point along the cliff edge. An ATV track runs up the canyon to the north of point 6050. That can be used for a one way hike back to the highway. Leave 1 car at a gravel pit at mp LN 19.1 on US 93, then drive to the graded Turtle Walk Rd at mp LN 25.1. Go a half mile to a gravel pit then keep far right on graded road and go another 2.8 miles to an easy 4wd road, just past tower 97 / 1. Go south for 2/3 mile to a T. Go left a fifth mile to the ATV track, but it's better to keep going past it for a third mile and walk over a low ridge at  N37 12882, W114 59552 and get into the main wash with the track . Walk up the track in the sandy wash for about 3 miles then go up a canyon at 13189, 56209. It's easy going to a guzzler at 12701, 55700 el 4900. The one tank I looked in had clear water. Stay on the left bank for another quarter mile then cross to the right, then back and forth as needed. A dry fall is in the way at 12128, 55919. Boulders get dense before that so you might as well get up on the right slope to get past it all. At the top of the fall you're on the easy plateau. I stayed in the wash keeping the high slope to my left and got to the escarpment edge at 10977, 56851 el 6000. Then it's an easy stroll for 2 miles along the edge, passing over Mar BM at 10219, 56321. All the wood there must have been flown up in 1969. How many people have ever hiked up here? I went south to a viewpoint at 09384, 56505 el 5700 where I could see a route down the ridge. I went on down to 09209, 56970 el 4800 and could see smooth ridges below me. I followed those to a crag 09146, 57412 el 4400 then dropped into the canyon on the right and got down to the flats where I walked to the gravel pit. 8 hours, 13 miles, 2700 gain, very little gain is steep. May is the time to go. I saw a million mallows on top. A peculiar "trail" is at 10535, 56598 and may be fire related. BOMBER WASH is the longest canyon in the wilderness and has a sandy 4wd road up it. Take US 93 to mp 13.3 and get on the old highway. Go south for a mile and a half and turn left at the sign. It's 10 miles up the wash to the fence at the end of the road.  Posted 2015.
  • EAST PAHRANAGAT RANGE HIGH POINT el 6388 is an easy hike. Take SR 375 to mp LN 41.6. Go south for 4 miles on a good road then it turns to easy 4wd. Keep going another mile to a brushy track at N37 25053, W115 18769 el 5500. I easily rode my cycle a half mile to the end of the track el 5700, staying left at one fork along the way. I went up the canyon then circled north up to the ridgetop then south to the reg at 25207, 17820. I came down south on a steeper route. 1 hour, 700 gain, some light brush. This would be a good mtn bike ride. The first 5 miles only gains 140 feet per mile. Posted 2015.
  • FOSSIL PEAK el 6400 sits right next to SR 318. The NE ridge is the way. Drive to mp LN 17.4 then go west on a graded road for a third mile. Then turn south for 1.7 miles to a road going west. Take that and park where it passes the tip of the NE ridge. The ridge has minor bumps on it that pose no problem. The reg is at N37 43415, W115 11057. I retreated to 43671, 10981 where I could see a  route down into the north canyon. I went on down, moving left a little, and walked cow trails back out. 4 hours, 2100 gain. Posted 2015.
  • MEADOW VALLEY MOUNTAINS high point el 5700 is informally known as Cathedral Peak. Take US 93 to mp LN 7.6. Turn onto the graded Kane Springs Rd and go nearly 11 miles to a short side road at N37 02984, W114 50170. You can see the entire route from here. Walk to a minor ridge at 02407, 49379 el 3250. Follow that as it swings left and goes all the way to the main canyon mouth. Go up canyon until walls close in at el 4600. Here it's best to use sheep trails up on the left bank. When those fizzle out you come back to the creekbed and it really goes parabolic. Aim for the main saddle at 01688, 47666 el 5200. Now go up the easy ridge to the summit block. A class 3 crack on the SW side at 01860, 47573 is the easiest route up. It's not dangerous. 5 hours and 6 minutes, 2800 gain. Plane wreckage is along the way. I found a pair of Craftsman locking pliers clamped on one piece. An RV pullout is along the graded road nearly a mile in from US 93. Posted 2015.
  • MOUNT IRISH el 8700 is the high peak in the Mount Irish Wilderness. It  has a standard route up the south ridge. Take SR 318 to a gated road at mp LN 3.2 or go north for 3/4 mile to another road with no gate. It soon merges with the other road. Go about 7 miles to a main fork at the petroglyph area. Keep left and go another 5 miles to Logan Pass el 7200. A short spur road goes to a camp spot. The whole road to here is bumpy and the last mile is easy 4wd. Hike up the ridge from the pass. It goes parabolic right out of the gate. Go on up  to a plateau at el 8100. Use a break in the cliffs at N37 38059, W115 24336 to get on it. Then walk thru the lovely forest to a viewpoint at 38234, 24288 el 8250. From there you can see the rest of the route. 3 hours, 1500 gain. A jeep road goes up the SE ridge to el 7400. Jeeps could still make it as of 2015, but it's for those who like a wild ride. The Silver Canyon Rd is decent and makes a good loop around the peak for cycles and 4wds. I went around to one of the north canyons to see if I could ride into ponderosa pines. At about the 7000 level I came to pines and some mine cabins. The road is washed out beyond there, but I walked it to the 7700 level. That would be a route to the 8600 peak. I was able to keep circling west on decent roads and came back thru Logan Pass. On the way back to SR 318 is the turn for the Shaman walking tours at N37 36491, W115 22652. The Many Sheep panel is there. REED PEAK el 7580 is what I call the high peak in the southern part of the wilderness. Take SR 375 to mp LN 43.2. Go north for 7 and a half miles to a cabin at Reed Spring at the end of the road. The road had recently been bladed, but sand makes it 4wd. I went up the ridge from the spring, but it's steep. Try driving back a  tenth mile from the spring and go up that canyon. The peak is at N37 33983, W115 25283. The whole hike takes less than 2 hours with about 1000 feet of gain. Pj forest all the way. The spring had a tiny flow. Posted 2015.
  • SAWMILL PEAK el 9474 is at the north end of the South Egans Wilderness. Drive to mp WP 12.8 at the north end of Lund. Turn east on dirt and go to a T. Go left and the easy 4wd road soon swings west into Sawmill Canyon. About 3 and a half miles up the canyon is a fork. Go right and the road climbs to the pass at 8500 ft with a shady little camp spot. Delorme maps incorrectly show the peak is half a mile west of the pass and 900 ft up. You have to go over that one to the real one at N38 53376, W114 55418. There is a good view point at N38 53185 W114 54650. It took me 45 mins one way. Take long pants. The dirt road in is about 10 miles and bumpy. This peak rises about 4000 ft over Lund. Updated 2015.
  • SCHOOLHOUSE PEAK el 9580 is what I call the peak at the head of Schoolhouse Canyon in the South Egans Wilderness. The north ridge goes. Take SR 318 to mp WP 7. Two crude roads go east from there. Take the northern one for nearly 3 miles to a shady camp on the edge of Schoolhouse Canyon el 6400. 2wd trucks might get there. Hike up canyon half a mile then start up the slope at N38 48401, W114 57410 el 6700. Aim to the left of cliffs and top out on the north ridge at 48302, 57032 el 7600. Go up the ridge a short way to the cliffs then stay left of center to get on top. Now there are no hidden saddles or bumps to deal with all the way to the summit at 46860, 57326. It would take a level to tell if the knob a few feet north is higher. 5 hours, 3200 gain. It's shady most of the way. The canyon route might work for a loop. I could see a nice forest down there. Higher roads come in from the east, but it's an ugly burn area. Posted 2015.
  • SEAMAN RANGE HIGH POINT el 8606 is also the high point of the Weepah Spring Wilderness. Take SR 318 to mp LN 24.5. Go NW on a good road a bit over 7 miles to a main fork. Both go to the TH in 3 or 4 miles, but left was in better shape that day. Go left then right at the next main fork and the road will shrink to a crude track at el 6400. Some 2wds would make it here. Go a quarter mile on the crude road to the wilderness boundary. Look up at all the talus in the southern drainage of the peak. If you're going up or down that route, keep to the east side of the drainage. Luckily there's a wuss route that goes up the east canyon into the NE saddle. Walk the old road into the east canyon and stroll up that to the 7000 level. A ponerosa pine and corral are there. Go up the ridge there at N37 58961, W115 05063. The ridge levels off at 7550 then move left to the drainage at 59032, 05636. Now go straight up under the big pines into the NE saddle el 8150. Then walk under more pines to the reg at 58844, 06085. I went down the south drainage on the east side of the creekbed. It saved a mile but I doubt it saved any time because of all the rocks. 5 hours, 2300 gain. Posted 2015.
  • SHINGLE PEAK el 9823 is the highest peak in the Far South Egan Wilderness. The north canyon is the way. Take SR 318 to mp NY 25.6 and go east on a graded road for 5 and a half miles to a corral at Shingle Spring el 6400. Hike to a logger trail at N38 31984, W114 56239 and walk it into the canyon. Go up canyon and use a path on the right side at 31730, 55982 el 6800. Stay on the right side, sometimes up on the bank, but don't stray up any side draws. Then at el 7000 cross over to the logger trail on the left side reading 31549, 55715. There are segments of the trail along the way to a major fork at el 7900. Go up the ridge on the right side of the right fork. The reading here is 30966, 54826. It's 2000 feet of gain in a mile, but it's a nice route under the big trees. The reg is at 30495, 55668. 6 hours, 3400 gain. I read that some hikers had trouble with brush. I wore long pants as far as the 7300 level then never wore them again all the way up and back to the start. You can start out in long pants then stash them.  They're dead weight for sure after el 7900, but they can save some weaving to that point. This peak is not to be confused with the Shingle BM just to the north, shown as Shingle Peak on some BLM maps. The shadiest camp I saw along the road is on the left a mile past the spring. Posted 2015.
  • SILVER KING MOUNTAIN el 7851 is at the south end of the Schell Creek Range. Take SR 318 to mp NY 9.7 and go SE on a graded road for about 9 miles to Silver King Pass. Hike to the mouth of the north canyon at N38 13691, W114 53188 el 6400. There are 2 ways to go. Either up the ridge to your right, which is the NW ridge, or up canyon. I went up canyon to the saddle at 13108, 52906 el 7000 on the NE ridge. Then I went on up the ridge. There's a cliff in the way at el 7500. I went up along the left side then got back on top of the ridge and on to the Black Cone BM at 12747, 53336. I returned down the NW ridge to the mouth of the canyon. 2 and a half hours, 1500 gain. The hike is in a nice pj forest the whole way. Posted 2015.
  • SUNNY BENCHMARK el 8824 is a major peak in the Far South Egan Wilderness. The east ridge is the route up. Take SR 318 to a 4wd road at mp NY 16.7. There is only one main road to follow. It goes up Trough Spring Canyon then north to a pass el 6800 with a shady camp. I went up the easiest looking ridge at N38 24750, W114 57582 el 7000. It tops out on the main ridge then it's less than half a mile south to the BM at 24998, 58575. 4 hours, 2100 gain. You're in a pj forest the whole way. The reg, placed in 1990, had no more entries until 2014. And it was the same person. Peculiar rock alignments are few feet south of the BM. Helipad? Posted 2015.
  • WHITE RIVER BM el 6221 is the high point of the Hiko Range. The long north ridge is an easy route. Take US 93 to a good road at mp LN 60.4. Go north for 4.1 miles to an easy 4wd road reading N37 38648, W115 04954. Go west on that for at least 4 and a half  miles and park at el 4950. Or go another half mile to an ATV track on the left and walk that to the 5200 level then go up the north ridge to the reg at 39521, 10002. I started at the 4950 spot and the hike took me 2 hours with 1300 gain. I found out I could have easily rode my cycle on the ATV track to the 5200 level. It's too rocky beyond there. The track goes to a guzzler at el 5400, but hiking from there would be steeper. Posted 2015.

Seaman Range, White River Petroglyphs



White Rock Spring above and below



Several public rock art sites are in the White River Narrows along SR 318. RVs can park at a gravel pit at mp LN 24.6 where there is a Vz cell tower in sight. Ash Springs, Alamo and Lund have gas.

  • WHITE RIVER NARROWS - there are 3 main petroglyph sites in the section that the highway bypasses. Take SR 318 to mp LN 23.9. Turn east on an easy 4wd road and stay left at main forks. It runs north parallel to the highway for 2.2 miles then deadends at the highway. The fence panel is a mile in on the right. A half mile past that on the left is the Martian panel. More panels are at the end of the road, almost to the highway fence. Go back to the first main fork in from the highway. Go right  for a third mile and 3 sites are in that area. That road goes on into a sandy canyon but I saw nothing in there. More panels are in the section of the narrows that the highway runs thru, but vandals got to them. The MEGA SITE is the northernmost site. Drive to mp 27 and go north on a crude road for nearly a mile along the cliff base. That road goes on north for another mile to join the highway near mp 29. Mtn bikes would be handy on these dirt roads.
  • SEAMAN RANGE HIGH POINT el 8606 is also the high point of the Weepah Spring Wilderness. Take SR 318 to the Weepah Rd at mp LN 24.6. Go NW on the good road a bit over 7 miles to a main fork. Both go to the TH in 3 or 4 miles, I went right that day. The road goes to a T on a ridge. Right goes to Weepah Spring (4wd), but you want to go left and the road will shrink to a crude track at el 6400. Some 2wds would make it here. Go a quarter mile on the crude road to the wilderness boundary. Look up at all the talus in the southern drainage of the peak. If you're going up or down that route, keep to the east side of the drainage along the creekbed. Luckily there's a wuss route that goes up the east canyon into the NE saddle. Walk the old road into the east canyon and stroll up that to the 7000 level. A ponderosa pine and corral are there. Go up the ridge there at N37 58961, W115 05063. The ridge levels off at 7550 then move left to the drainage at 59032, 05636. Now go straight up under the big pines into the NE saddle el 8150. Then walk under more pines to the reg at 58844, 06085. I went down the south drainage on the east side of the creekbed. It saved a mile but I doubt it saved any time because of all the rocks. 5 hours, 2300 gain. Weepah Spring was just a slow drip into a mudhole trashed by cattle. Posted 2015.
  • OCEANA SPRING is in the southern part of the range. Major dirt roads allow for a good loop for cycles and 4wds.  Start on the Weepah Rd at mp LN 24.6 on SR 318.  Go about 4 and a half miles on the dirt road to a major fork. Go left for several miles to a T. Go right for 2/3 mile to another another major fork. The right fork goes to the spring in less than a mile reading N37 55050, W115 09098. Water was coming out of a pipe, but I didn't trust it. Back on the main road, keep going east to a T which is the Weepah Rd where you go right to get back. Sand on these roads is the main reason to need 4wd. Another spring a half mile north of Oceana had nothing. Posted 2015.
  • WHITE ROCK SPRING is near the highway. Drive SR 318 to mp LN 30 and go west on a 4wd road. It's washed out in half a mile.  Walk on up the canyon for 10 minutes and you'll see the spring thicket on the left. Use the rocky slope to the right of it to circle to the source where it's gushing out of the cliff. I thought it would be dry since there was no sign of grazing, but it's the best spring I've seen in the whole state. It took me 20 minutes to walk to it. Posted 2015. SEAMAN SPRING is at the south end of the range. 4wds can still get there, but there isn't much to see. It has a cottonwood tree, a puddle, and water dripping out of a pipe. No grazing there in 2015.
  • TIMBER MOUNTAIN el 8450 is in the central part of the range. It is not named on USGS maps, but is named on other maps and google earth. One way in is the long NE canyon. The hike starts out in a pj forest then ends in a majestic pine forest on top. Take SR 318 to mp LN 45.3. If the gate is locked, you have to go nearly 2 miles south and cross a cattleguard. Then stay far right on a road that comes back north to join the locked one. The bumpy 4wd road goes to mines at the edge of the range. Just before the mines is a 4 way. Go left along the foot of the range to the end of the road at N38 02666, W115 03198 el 6100. Hike a trail up canyon over a mile then veer right into a main right fork at 01550, 03665 el 6600. There is a faint trail to use in this fork too. Go up to a main fork at 00918, 04640 el 7100. There are several ways to go from there. I went up the left fork but dense trees slowed me down. Later I could see that the ridge between the forks might be the best way to get to the north saddle at 00510, 05037 el 7750. Then it gets steep to the north end of the elongated summit at 00263, 05039. My GPS showed the south end as being slightly higher. It's easy to walk to the south end but there's one little block in the way. Go over it, not around it. I returned on the NE ridge to a saddle at the 7000 level then dropped left back to the trail. A horse skull was on the ridge at 00356, 04766. 5 hours, 2400 gain. If I were going to take a 4wd in there, I would camp out under the pinyons and hike the second day to Black Cliff BM. This is strictly for those who like to camp and hike in the middle of nowhere.  Posted 2015.
  • BLACK CLIFF BM el 8589 is at the northern tip of the Seaman Range. The NW ridge goes. Take SR 318 to mp LN 49.1. Go west on a graded road for nearly 10 miles over a pass to a corral. Keep going another mile to a 4wd road. Go left for nearly a mile to a  fork. Go right a third mile to a T and park el 6200. Walk to the NW ridge at N38 04178, W115 07559 el 6500. Go right up the center of the ridge until crags get in the way at 03837, 06659 el 7900. Then go along the right side of the crags until you walk into an obvious gully that goes up to the summit ridge el 8300. It's a stroll from there thru a nice forest to the BM at 03838, 06100. 4 hours, 2400 gain. Mtn bikes would work on the 4wd  road. An unused road goes in from east of the pass. Walking that would add 3/4 mile each way. Posted 2015.