Thursday, October 10, 2013

White Mountains, Ca, Nv

Champion Mine cabin

Champion Spark Plug Mine
   
         

Falls Canyon
  • The WHITE MOUNTAINS have paved highways running all the way around them. You can start in Bishop and work your way north around to Ca 266. Benton and Dyer have gas, the most groceries are at Dyer. Dyer has an RV park at mp ES 8 on Nv 264. A quarry serves as a poor man's RV park at mp ES 14 about 6 miles north of Dyer. This free ebook from the University of Cal covers the Indian history of the range, among other things. Posted 2013.
  •  SILVER CREEK has a steep 4wd road all the way thru to the main road on top of the range. Take US 6 for 3 or 4 miles out of Bishop then turn at the sign. There are no shady camps along the creek.
  • PIUTE CREEK has a jeep track running up to 10300. Take US 6 to paved Chalfant road at mp MNO 3.4 then go straight up into the cyn.The road turns to gravel right after a building. Right inside the mouth on the left is the track going up. It has a thin layer of cobblestones most of the way. Don't get tricked by a track right  at the mouth. You can get there using dirt roads from Silver Creek, but a lot slower. 
  •  CHAMPION MINE has a lot of well preserved buildings in big pines. Turn off US 6 at mp MNO 10.8 on to the road that goes to Milner Creek. Follow the paved road east along a ranch. When pavement ends, go left along a fence on a 4wd road. Soon it veers east then forks left and goes into a canyon. There is a main fork at N37 37005, W118 20593 el 5800. The right fork goes shortly to the lower TH. The left fork goes to the upper TH, but is very steep though not rough. It's a half hour hike to the mine from the upper TH, but the trail gets as narrow as your boot. The miners built the trail on up to 9000+. Champion mined here until 1945 for spark plug ceramics. Back on the road to Milner Creek, it goes up into the canyon then goes along the right side. Near the end is a left fork blocked by a cable. That fork can be walked a short way on the left side of the canyon to get to a one of a kind intake. Posted 2013.
  • FALLS CANYON has 2 high falls near the 7000 level that aren't hard to hike to, it's the roads that are the headache. I turned off US 6 at mp MNO 16.9 where there is sign for the Falls Creek Ranch. A sign there says "Private drive. Right to pass by permission of owner". Several homes on a lake use this road for access. I went .8 mile on that graded road to a fork at N37 42437, W118 24872. I turned left there on easy 4wd and went a quarter mile to an open gate, passing 2 black tanks along the way. At the gate, I took a right fork and soon came to another fork at 42625, 24772. The left fork is overgrowing and goes 3 miles to the mouth of the canyon el 6050. But I took the right fork because it's smoother and then parked in 2 miles at el 5300 (that road goes on another mile to Pellisier Creek but there's nothing to do there). I then walked to a steep ridge at 44066, 22701 el 6000 but it would be easier to keep going north and get on the south rim next to the creek then go up to a little plateau el 6600 with a pinyon forest. Be careful not to disturb Indian rock rings along there. I kept going up the rim to el 7050 then merged left into a gully at 44378, 22210 el 7050 and stayed near that level to 44440, 22247 then on to 44482, 22274 where a stairway drops a little to the creek between the 2 high falls. I found a trashy campsite there, one item being a 30 pound cot. I wanted to go up to the top of the second fall, so I retraced to the gully and had no trouble getting up to a rock ring along the creek at 44540, 22069 el 7600. Just a little to the west on a point overlooking the canyon are more possible rings, but hard to tell. Going any higher would be difficult. I retraced back down and found the biggest ring at 44356, 22210 el 7100 then took a shortcut down the steep ridge at 44180, 22520 el 6550. It was about a 2 hour hike to the campsite between the falls with about 1000 of strenuous gain. Drive slow and quiet on private land and maybe it stays open. Posted May, 2019. 
  • MARBLE CREEK is the only one still running unabated to US 6. Turn off US 6 at mp MNO 20.4. There is an easy 4wd road running up to the canyon where it fizzles. Stay on the roads running along the south side of the creek until forced to the north side.
  • MONTGOMERY CREEK is right out of Benton. Take Christy Lane east to the transfer station then take a road going left. After 2 and a half miles of rocky 4wd road you come to a 4 way. Go right across the creek then left on a road going up canyon on the right side of the creek. Jeeps should stop at a camp spot at N37 50090, W118 24744. The road soon is blocked by slides. A short way up canyon is a 15 foot fall. A handline has been set up to get over it, but I stopped there. Posted 2013.
  • BLIND SPRING HILL el 7200 is near Benton. Take highway 120 out of town for 4 miles then go left for 3 and a half miles to a multitude of forks at a cattle guard. Use a fork on the east side of the road, take the one that is most left. It goes 4wd for a couple miles then the Blind BM is a short hike to the east at N37 45881, W118 29006. Back at the cattleguard, there is a road on the south side that goes west for 3 miles to towers.
  • MORRIS CREEK has an easy 4wd road to the mouth. Turn off US 6 at mp MI 1.8.
  • BOUNDARY PEAK el 13145 has a crude trail to the top. Take US 6 to mp MI 2.5, which is 2 and a half miles east of the state line. Turn on to the 4wd Queen Cyn rd and go nearly a mile and a half to several forks. Stay on the main road curving left and go another 5 miles to the main saddle at N37 52918, W118 18885 el 9800. The last mile gets a little tougher but we made it easily in a Tacoma and never needed the locker. The trail starts next to the register and is easy to follow for a couple miles to Trail Cyn Saddle at el 10800. Now it goes parabolic but the only tricky spot is a fork at 51019, 20828 el 12370 that gets around a crag on the right side. Take the right fork a short way then it switches back left, but ignore that and keep going straight toward the peak along the slope below the crag. In about 300 feet there is a hiker trail going straight up to the ridgetop at 50955, 20839 el 12550. Now you're past the crag, so just go up the center of the ridge a short way then you'll see the main trail going off to the right side of the ridge then on to the summit at 50766, 21074. 7 hours, 3600 gain.
  • SUGARLOAF PEAK el 9000+ has an easy 4wd most of the way up. There is an abandoned resort east of Montgomery Pass. Use the road at the east edge of town in front of a row of cabins. Stay on the main road then take an obvious fork that goes up the north slope. The BM and reg are near N37 56052, W118 18382.
  • TRAIL CANYON RD is a few feet south of the jct of Nv 264 and 773. It goes for 15 miles to the TH. I saw a 2wd minivan at the lower TH for Boundary Peak at road's end el 8800. The Chiatovich Rd can be used to return on for a loop. It is a more major road but washboard was worse and it is not as scenic as the Trail Canyon Rd.
  • CHIATOVICH CREEK RD is at mp ES 20 on Nv 264. Signs point the way on graded roads to the forest boundary at a fence. Jog right along the fence a short way then go left on rocky 4wd which was still easy for jeeps in 2018. In nearly a mile is a shady creekside camp then the road smooths out for a couple miles to a creek crossing. It looked like a mud hole but was solid. Jeeps can go another half mile then the road shrinks to an ATV track. I was stopped at a fallen tree  at  N37 48230, W118 16938 el 8600. This is one way to climb Dubois. Settlers Way is a graded road that connects north to Middle Creek road. That road is rougher than Chiatovich due to floods. 
  • MOUNT DUBOIS via Davis Creek north rim - this is the unsteepest route up to the peak. Use the Chiatovich Creek road. Go about a mile inside the forest boundary then go left on the road up Davis Creek for a mile to the end at a campsite el 7900. Follow a trail on the bank of the creek to the where the rim starts up at N37 47289, W118 15418 el 8400. Go up the rim to 47110, 16445 el 9600 then move to the right edge to get around mahogany. Go a fifth mile then come back to center where the mahogany set up one final Maginot Line to try and stop me. I went low around the left side then soon came back up to center and on up the ridge to a flat at 46481, 18305 el 11950. Then it's easy to go up to the crest and on to 46681, 20101 el 13400 where the rest is in view to the reg at 47000, 20611 el 13500+. A gushing spring is on the crest about a mile before the peak. For the return I wanted to detour into upper Davis Creek, so I retraced back to the rim and went down in the vicinity of 46475, 18015 el 11500, but that is so steep that I should gone down the head of the canyon or the south side. I hit bottom at falls then walked the north bank to 47079, 17010 el 9950 near the Maginot Line where it's easy to merge back onto the rim then retrace back to the start. The ascent took 5 and a half hours, the return took 4 and a half hours but might take only 3 and a half if I didn't take the detour. But the detour is worth it. The first 3/4 mile has some light brush then more is at el 10000, then it's clear above 10000. If I'm a backpacker with only a car, I can drive all but the last 2 miles. Then I walk the road to the end and on nearly a mile to el 8400 and set up near the creek. There are places to camp on the rim, the last is at 47154, 15899 el 8900 but no water. The hardcore can go up the rim to the Maginot Line. The reading there is 47170, 16655 el 9750. Then it's easy to merge into upper Davis. The last good camp I saw there is a grove at 46528, 17612 el 10400 with a creek. It looked easy to climb out of the canyon to the south rim. The spring near Dubois is at 46362, 20003 el 13100. I saw no sign of humanity in upper Davis, but there are some ancient cow chips. The falls are at el 10550 with a spring on the south bank. Posted September, 2018.
  • DAVIS MOUNTAIN el 9400+ is a moderate hike. Use the Chiatovich Creek road. Go about a mile inside the forest boundary then go left on the road up Davis Creek. After .6 mile the road turns rocky el 7700. I parked there and walked the remaining half mile to the end el 7900 where there is a good camp. I kept going on a foot trail for 350 feet where I could cross the creek then went up a shady slope at N37 47733, W118 14928 el 8000. I just kept going up to what seemed to be the high point at 46916, 14238 but couldn't find the Indian benchmark. Then I walked SW down the rim to a game trail at 46721, 15389 el 9000 that got me to the last saddle. I dropped down there to the site of the Von  Schmidts marker, but that had gone missing too. It was easy to walk back on the east bank of Davis Creek. I saw obsidian flakes along there. 4 hours with nearly 2000 gain. Some light brush. Posted 2018.
  • MOUNT HOGUE  and MOUNT DUBOIS have easiest access via Indian Creek. Turn off Nv 264 at mp ES 18.1. at the sign for Indian Creek Rd. Northbound trucks can take a shortcut at mp ES 16.7. The road had been bladed in 2014 for 5 miles to the mouth then it goes 4wd. At just over 7 miles is the main fork. Go right for another 4 miles, and a over a mile of that is rubbly. Jeeps can get to a turnaround at  the first switchback reading  N37 44723, W118 16081 el 9300. Hike up the shrinking road to brushy road on the left at 44436, 16548 el 10000. There is a path thru the brush. Also, another road forking left about 300 feet sooner might merge with the same path. It's a spotty hiker trail that goes on the old road then ascends a tree lined ridge at 44162, 16539 el 10400. The trail goes parabolic up the ridge then eases up and goes left to get on the high plateau. The trail fades and you follow the easy plateau to a rock shelter at 43887, 17114 el 11750. Now you have to go down a little to cross a saddle for the final push to the summit of Hogue at 44013, 18280 el 12700. The only running spring I found along the route in September was at 43999, 17872 el 12300. I didn't go to Dubois but it's an easy but long walk along the crest to get at it. The main left fork of Indian Creek has mine relics and a trail to CHIATOVICH FLAT. Drive up the left fork for nearly 2 miles to a gate which was open in 2013. The road as far as the gate is better than the right fork road. Jeeps can go another half mile on worsening road to a large flat in the canyon bottom at el 8400. Now the road shrinks to a rubbly ATV track. Hike up the track to where the trail forks  to the right at 44503, 13851 el 8750. It goes up the left side of a wide canyon for a tenth mile then starts climbing the left slope. It's easy to follow until el 9800 where it gets faint at a clearing. It goes up the clearing and on to a large fallen tree trunk at 43931, 13799. It soon tops out at el 10400.  I went back and rode the ATV track to the end  at el 9500. From there I hiked a brushy ridge to Chiatovich Flat. I'll never do it that way again. The trail is the best way. There are nice meadows at the flat el 10000+ and no horses or cattle. A good looking forest is on the south side of Cabin Creek.  It would make a good base camp for Hogue and Headley. If that trail is the only way to get cattle up there, then grazing is over. Posted 2014.  2020 update - the road in the main canyon was repaired but it's hard on paint and has a lot more bumpy little rocks. The left fork is driveable until a trench at 45598, 13394 el 7550. There is a turnaround. Large OHVs are getting around the left side but not sure about jeeps. There are no more big obstacles until the gate near the state line. The road is a goner beyond there. Both sides of the road have been posted at the gate but there was no sign or lock on the gate. I infer it's OK to cross to get to the trail. I walked up the trail and over to the rim of Cabin Creek. There is no trail down into it as the topo shows. That took me a bit over 4 hours. The trail wasn't affected by the deluge. The only water I saw on the plateau in late September was a trace at 43404, 14231 el 10200.
  • LEIDY CREEK TRAIL - this trail goes to springs el 10500 near Perry Aiken Flat. The road leaves Nv 264 at mp ES  12.5.  The road is  bumpy for about 4 miles to the mouth of the canyon, then it's a jeep road up canyon for another 4 miles or so, then it shrinks to an ATV track then ends shortly at N37 41844, W118 13784 el 8300. The trail departs to the left at 42053, 13358 el 8000 and goes up a creekbed for a third of an air mile then switches up the left bank to a tiny spring in a meadow el 8550. It goes on up a creekbed from there then switches left at 41721, 13407 el 8650 and up to a ridge. It goes up the ridge and levels off at el 9600 and fades. It resumes again at 41456, 13146 el 9700 then on to 41286, 13208 el 9850 and takes a minor dip at 40706, 13404 el 10600 for the remaining 700 feet to the springs. A good shady campsite el 10450 is in a stand of trees a quarter mile before the springs. The flow was small. A funnel would help. A trough told me this trail was for cattle, but I saw no sign cattle were ever there. A good viewpoint is less than a fifth mile to the south. A roaring creek can be seen and heard flowing out of a high basin in one of the north forks of Perry Aiken Creek. I spent 4 hours with 2600 gain. Brush was very light. The topo is generally correct but the trail switches more than the topo shows. If I were to backpack here, I would drive at least to the mouth el 6000. That is always passable because there's an intake to service. I would have water up canyon to the Cabin Creek fork at 42268, 12681 el 7650. It has the perennial stream. If the Leidy Creek fork is dry there, which it was that day, that would mean no more water until the springs at the end of the trail. The tiny spring at el 8550 had enough water that day, but can't be counted on. I believe I could get from the mouth to the the campsite el 10450 near the springs in 6 or 7 hours. It's hard to find a better backpacking area in the Great Basin. Posted September, 2018.
  • CREST BACKPACK ALTERNATE - a popular route to run the crest is to go over White Mtn Peak then keep going north and drop down at Middle Creek, but that's a killer shuttle. Another option is to use the Leidy trail to get on the crest just north of White Mtn Peak. Then just take a side trip up the peak and come back then walk on to Middle Creek or even Davis Creek for the descent. Posted 2018.
  • PURPLE SAGE RD is at mp ES 9. It goes to the mouth of Perry Aiken Cyn. 4wd.
  • McAFEE CREEK has a substantial flow. Turn off Nv 264 at mp ES 5.4 which is right at a cattleguard. Go west .4 mile to a fork which is right after a power line. The left fork goes to Iron Creek and Toler Creek, both dry at the mouth where roads end. The right fork goes to McAfee Creek in about 2.2 miles then keeps going along the creek for 3/4 mile to a washout. You can walk another 700 feet to a peculiar concrete structure then it gets too brushy. There are some shady tent sites along the creek. These roads are easy 4wd on smooth, slightly soft sand. The last 3/4 mile of road along McAfee Creek is a bit rocky. Toler Creek has rock house ruins at the mouth. Posted 2014.
  • FURNACE CREEK has a road up it but is closed to motor vehicles at the mouth to protect the riparian habitat. The smoothest road to the mouth is off Nv 264 at mp ES 2. The locked gate is at N37 33670, W118 01050 el 5600. I hiked 2 miles up the canyon along a small stream. The road is easy to follow when it's up on the bank, but gets tricky when it runs along the creekbed. Numerous bogs make it hard to stay dry. I stopped at 33034, 02981, el 6500 because wading shoes would be needed for ankle deep bogs. For a shorter hike, aim for a big creekside cottonwood tree at 33077, 02255 el 6100. It would take less than an hour to get there. Take a ground cloth and have a picnic. Right there at that cottonwood is where the road drops into the creekbed then goes up a short distance then climbs out on the left. Posted 2014.
  • INDIAN GARDEN CREEK had a road up it, but has overgrown. Use an easy 4wd road at mp MNO 6.8 on Ca 266. Go about 1.2 miles to the new wilderness boundary. I made a loop up canyon then down the rim of Cottonwood Creek.  I walked to a fork at the mouth and stayed right into the canyon. At about 2.2 air miles from the start, I stayed right at a main fork el 5850. At el 6300 I crossed a small stream to get on the left bank where I could see a trail. That was the last water. At N37 30872, W118 01838 el 6850 is where I climbed up a ridge on my left. I saw more than half a dozen rock rings on the ridge as I went up to the plateau el 8000+. I saw 2 oddball rings in a streambed at 30167, 02425 el 8050. Rings are scattered on top, a good one is at 30047, 02484 el 8100. I went on to a saddle at 29826, 02337 then another on the rim of Cottonwood Creek at 29387, 02059 el 8250 with a bad ring. A good ring is up the rim at 29378, 01892. Then I went down the rim to a ring at 29119, 01728 el 8100 then one at 28789. 01343 el 8050. I kept going to 2 rings at 28745, 01066 el 7900 then dropped down an easy ridge there and landed on a square ring at 28757, 00882 el 7650 in a gorgeous canyon. Downstream .13 mile is a ring on the far right bank then there are more good rings along the streambed. I goofed and stayed in the canyon to far, but should have gone up to a saddle on the east rim at 28403, 00040 el 7550 then skirted west along peak 7667 then on down the rim to N37 27651, W117 58656 el 6650 where an easy ridge goes down to Cottonwood Creek el 5800. I had a cycle there but a mtn bike would work too. This is an 8 hour hike with nearly 2000 noticeable gain. Indian Garden Creek has some light brush and short thickets that are easy to get around. With long pants it's not a factor. At the last spring on the map el 6450 it clears up and shorts work the rest of the way. The pinyon forest here is the main attraction. That's what attracted the Indians. Posted 2020.
  • COTTONWOOD CREEK is lined with shady campsites. Turn off Ca 168 at mp INY 54.6 which is right at the county line. A graded road goes half a mile to  the creek then a crude road goes 4 miles up the creek. Cars might get to the first of 3 fords about a mile up the crude road. Mtn bikes would work on this road because it's packed sand. Overlooks of the creek are west on 168. Go west on 168 from the county line for 1.8 miles to a 4wd road forking to the right. Go 3/4 mile on that to a fork. Right goes a mile to an overlook. Staying straight at the fork goes past mines to an upper overlook in nearly 3 miles. These roads are smooth packed sand. Posted 2014. A good ride leaves camp going south to Eureka Valley for 13 miles. Then go left all the way to 266. Go left for a mile then left into Sylvania Canyon. After leaving the mouth a road goes straight across the valley to the Eureka rd. About 40 miles.
  • CHOCOLATE MOUNTAIN (Piper BM) el 7700 has a trail all the way and as of 2020 it's obvious enough that a GPS isn't needed. Drive to Gilbert Summit on Ca 168 at mp INY 51 (using the south side mileposts). Go south nearly half a mile on an easy 4wd road to a closed road on the right at a sign for Piper Mountain Wilderness. Some 2wds can make it to the TH. Hike the closed road a short way to a fork. Both forks go around a hill, but the left one is shorter. When the left fork fades, you can see the right fork a fifth mile ahead. Get on it then it goes into a canyon and thru an old gate. Now it gets faint, but it goes up a right fork reading N37 24694, W117 56480 el 6800. The road tops out on the crest and turns toward the peak. At 24700, 55774 is a foot trail that goes up to the Piper BM. On the way down is a trail forking to the right, but it doesn't go all the way down. I went directly back to the start down a ridge at 24874, 55912 el 7300.  3 hours, 1500 gain. This trail may have been built by the college kids. The easy 4wd road goes on south for 15 miles to the paved road in Eureka Valley. Some rocky sections. Posted 2014, 2020.
  • WYMAN CREEK ROAD leaves Ca 168 at mp INY 47.3. It's 16 miles to the main graded road on the crest of the White Mtns. The first couple of miles to the ruins of White Mountain City are easy. There are some nasty spots in the middle section that I wouldn't attempt in a 4wd without a locker. I made it easily on a heavy dirt bike. Posted 2014.
  • MOUNT NUNN el 7830 is south of Deep Springs College. Turn off Ca 168 at mp INY 43.8. Go east for a mile on a crude road running along the south side of a  fence and you'll come to a T. Turn right on this better road and go 3.7 miles to a closed road on the left. Hike from there less than half a mile to the mouth of a major canyon reading N37 18417, W118 00040 el 5100. Go up the creekbed, easily negotiating boulders. Then at N37 18329, W117 59758 el 5600 get on the right bank to pass some huge boulders. About 400 feet after getting on the right bank, you have to go up the steep right slope to the rim. Aim for N37 18257, W117 59632 el 6100. The slope is easier than it looks because you can zigzag. Once on the rim, go up keeping right of center to avoid boulders. You'll top out on a rim at N37 18214, W117 59564 el 6300. The prettiest part of the hike begins here. Now drop down from the rim a little into a sandy main wash and go east up that in a lovely basin. A boulder jam is encountered at N37 18075, W117 59259. Bypass it on the left in a gully and soon you're back to open sandy wash hiking. Follow the main wash until it becomes a steeper canyon at N37 17736, W117 59408 el 6700. Now go on up the canyon staying right of the creekbed. It tops out at N37 17438, W117 59382 el 7400. Now you can see the peak a half mile away reading N37 17040, W117 59587. Hike at that level to cross the last saddle. 6 hours, 2900 gain. If I were going to hike one of the steep ridges to the peak, I would choose one that tops out on the crest just south of  the peak. The reg had a metal kodak can with an entry by Doug Powell 1950.

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