Sheldon NWR, Nv

                        Thousand Creek Gorge

 

       Local hikers in the gorge. They were in a hurry.                          

Virgin Valley Camp el 4800 is the main campground. Take Nv 140 to mp HU 91 then go 2 and a half miles on graded road to camp. There is a warm pool and shower house, but little shade. RVs camp here. No fee. OHVs are allowed on the refuge. The refuge brochure shows campsites but only some of the roads. Posted 2014.

• SOUTH RIM ROAD accesses the gorge and McGee Mtn. It is easy 4wd. From Virgin Valley Camp, take the road going east for half a mile to the second fork. This is right after passing under power lines. The left fork goes to the start of the gorge hike in half a mile. The right fork goes for about 2 miles to 3 forks reading N41 52160, W118 58145 el 5200. The left fork goes to a rim overlook in less than a mile. The right fork goes to McGee Mtn. The middle fork goes for 2 miles to the mouth of the gorge then on another mile and a half to Nv 140 at mp HU 84.7. Mtn bikers could ride the 7 miles from camp to Nv 140 then go back 8 miles on the highway. Posted 2014.
• THOUSAND CREEK GORGE, nearly 4 miles long, is the main attraction for hikers. A spotty trail with light brush/grass runs along the bottom. In July, a small stream only a couple feet wide was running thru it. I never saw any of the other 999 creeks. Use the south rim road paragraph to get to the start and set up a shuttle with cars or mtn bikes. The trail starts out on the left side. It took me an hour and 20 minutes to get to the gooseneck where the canyon makes a hard left. Right here is a big boulder jam. You can step under a boulder and go right down along the stream to get thru. In the bend of the gooseneck is the last boulder jam. I went right down the center OK, but going high on the right might be faster. Now it's easier walking. The only issue is a continuous swamp/ thicket backed up 3/4 mile from the mouth. Be sure to get on the right bank at N41 53196, W118 57732 just before the canyon makes a hard left. It's a fairly obvious crossing if you don't have GPS. The right bank works all the way to the mouth. It took me 3 hours to go thru. I didn't have a shuttle so I walked the 4 mile south rim road for an hour and a half back to the start. A mtn bike locked to the cattleguard at the 3 forks would have allowed me to coast the last 2 miles. I did this in shorts but that is not recommended. I was rubbing against a lot of spiny plants. My shoes stayed dry. A herd of sheep were grazing a mile up from the mouth. Posted 2014.
• MCGEE MOUNTAIN el 6667 is just outside the refuge and too easy to pass up. Drive from the campground to the 3 forks described in the south rim road paragraph. Take the right one for about 5 miles to another fork. Go left for 3 miles and park on the east ridge el 6100. It's a 20 minute walk up to the BM at N41 47360, W118 55858. The surveyor pole, wires and all, was still standing after 50 years. Mtn bikes would work on these roads. Posted 2014.
• CATNIP MOUNTAIN el 7294 is the high point of Sheldon NWR. That's saying a lot because the refuge is nearly a thousand square miles. Use Nv 34A to get to West Rock Spring camp at N41 53931, W119 21942. Drive thru camp on easy 4wd and keep right at a meadow in about half a mile. Go on up to the summit ridge and the road goes west of the summit and starts to drop over the south side. But then there's a fork that takes you back along the summit ridge north of the summit to a horse trail at 51048, 23079. It's a quarter mile stroll to the Cat BM at 50938, 23355. The road soon fizzles east of the horse trail. A mtn bike would help on this road. The Catnip BM is on the east end of the mountain and is about 20 feet lower. Leave Nv 34A at 53531, 18283 on a 4wd road and keep left at the next fork. The rest is obvious to the BM at 51628, 20912. No reg at either BM. Nv 34A goes on to the west entrance. Right where the road starts to drop off the plateau is a smooth 4wd road on the south side that goes for nearly 2 miles up to the lookout on Bald Mountain el nearly 7200. Posted 2013.
• BIG SPRING BUTTE el 6547 is a prominent peak in the north part of the refuge. Turn north off Nv 140 onto a crude road at mp HU 99.6. Keep left at a fork in about half a mile. Stay on the road going north then at about 4.8 miles from the highway turn right. GPS reading here is N41 58052, W119 11028. Go another 2 miles and you'll be a mile from the peak with 900 feet to gain. It's been a smooth road to here that mtn bikes could do. Or stay on the road as it goes another 2 miles around the north side to half a mile from the peak with 500 feet to gain, but the road isn't as good and certainly 4wd. The BM is at 56828, 08950 with a lot of surveyor junk from 1950. Posted 2014.
• ROCK SPRING BASIN has an easy 4wd road going into it. Take the graded road going south from Virgin Valley Camp then turn left at N41 49081, W119 00270. There are some short rocky sections. A thunder storm turned me around before I got to the campsite which seemed to be in a stand of aspen. Posted 2014.                  

Jackson Mountains, Nv

                                      Buff Peak.

                                   Parrot Peak.

Nv 140 cuts across the north end of the range. Bottle Creek Rd is the east side road and paved for 4 miles at the north end, the rest is graded. Leonard Creek Rd on the west side is paved for 8 miles going south from Nv 140. Then it meets the graded Jackson Creek Rd which takes over as the west side road. Trout Creek Rd cuts across the middle of the range and connects the west side road to the east side road. The junctions where all these roads meet one another are signed. 2wds might have trouble at fords along Jackson Creek. Jackson camp is the only shady camp that is easy to get to. Take the Leonard Creek Rd south from Nv 140 for 8 miles then go left on Jackson Creek Rd for 13 miles to the Trout Creek Rd at a ranch. Go left for a mile where the camps start before the first ford. I took a tent trailer in there. Posted 2014.

The nameless high point el 9080 is easy. Take the Trout Creek Rd to the crest then turn north on a good road that goes to a mine area with a million forks. Go to 2 metal buildings at N41 18465, W118 25608 el 7300. Now look south at the nearest fork only a few feet away. Go up that fork on easy 4wd. The last turnaround before a very steep section is at 18814, 25437 el 7850. The road beyond there looked like 4wds still go up it, but they must have good traction. The road ends at el 8500. The peak is half a mile away, but there is crag in the way. There is a convenient trail at 18849, 24683 el 8600 that goes left around the crag then it's a stroll to the summit at 18475, 24530. No reg. And no wonder. I noticed later on a USGS map that the real high point is peak 9095 a half mile to the SW. The cheapo DeLorme map software I had at the time didn't show that. A 2 or 3 hour hike. A little stream is just north of the 2 metal buildings and would make a good camp.The second fork south of the 2 metal buildings goes to a shaft el 7900 with rails. That road soon ends at el 8100. Posted 2014.

KING LEAR PEAK el 8924 is a prominent peak in the Jackson Mountains. Use the Trout Creek Rd on the east side. If you are coming from Nv 140, take the graded Bottle Creek Rd running the length of the range on the east side. Just west of mp HU 25 on Nv 140 is a sign for the road. It's paved the first 4 or 5 miles. When the pavement ends keep going south about 22 miles to the sign for Trout Creek Rd reading N41 08746, W118 25170. Now go west on that good road for 3.8 miles to a 4wd road on the left reading 11602, 27322. Go half a mile on that to a fork. Both roads end near the ridge of ascent at Big Cedar Creek. The right fork is more used but has serious ruts. The left fork gets closer and more than 100 feet higher. I went left. If you go left, ignore any right forks along the way. Near the end of the road is a minor gully with a broken down bridge. The road seems to end but actually goes up the hill and down the other side then gets too brushy even for cycles. It's about el 5700 where you park. Hike up the ridge at 11747, 31748. It's easy going until some crags are in the way at el 7300. Go around below the crags on the right side then come back up when it's safe. The ridge levels off around el 7600 and you can look up to your left and see two high crags and the rest of the route. The left one is Lear. The steep wide gully between the crags is the way up. Keep going on the ridge as it circles left toward the gully. At the last minor saddle on the ridge is where you cut over to the gully. It's a quarter mile on brushy cow/game trails. This is the only place where long pants are needed. Aim for a spring on bedrock in the gully at 12359, 32995 el 7900. The spring looked risky but I filled up anyway. I put some Kool-aid in and shook real hard to kill the bugs. From the spring, it's a brush free creekbed and sheep trails up to the high saddle el 8600 next to the peak. Now look at the summit block and you see there is only one way to go. Up to the right on a ledge then it makes a U turn back up to the left and tops out 100 feet from the reg. The reg is at 12147, 33282. A couple of spots on the summit block are easy class 3. 6 hours, 3300 gain. Posted June 2014.

　

PARROT PEAK el 8448 has 4400 foot west ridges. But there's a wuss route out of Deer Creek. An old road up the canyon is just a cow trail now. Drive to N41 24082, W118 30106 on the west side road near a ranch and go up a 4wd road for about a mile and a third to a washout at the mouth el 4600. OHVs can go another half mile to el 4900. Hike the cow trail along the creek to a main fork about 6/10 air mile from the end of the road. Go up the right fork, it has the creek. Cow trails go up along the creek, crossing back and forth. At a long stand of trees the trail is on the right side on the road bed then it will cross to the left and soon hit heavy brush. Bypass up on the left at a juniper reading 22671, 27453 el 5800. A trail goes from the juniper staying left of the heavy brush and soon you're on the road again. The road goes back to the creekbed and seems to hit another wall of brush. But cattle have a route on the right side. You have to duck under a few branches to get to the road again on the right side at 22455, 27456 el 6000. Trying to walk the left or right slope to bypass this part is harder. Now you're at the steep right fork that goes up to the saddle east of the peak. But stay on the road a little more as it crosses the creekbed of the steep fork then goes past a rock outcrop. Now you'll see cow trails going up the fork. Use those until you see a good route to move right across a rock field to get to the main creekbed. Go up the creekbed and soon you can walk the left rim of the creekbed and sometimes walk on the rock field. At el 7200 the rock field fades away and it's easier to walk up the open creekbed. At 21921, 28070 el 7800 you have to make a decision. Either keep going straight up or angle up left to the obvious main east saddle el 8000. I went to the saddle then it was easy to walk along the right side of a block to get on the final ridge. The BM is at 21980, 28285. The reg was placed 12 years earlier by 72 year old Ted Brasket of Prescott. He wrote he had 4400 gain so he came up a west ridge? There were no other entries. It took me 7 hours with 3500 gain. It's about 2 miles up canyon from the mouth to the steep fork. I filled up at a tiny spring reading 22368, 27425 el 6100 which was coming out of the creek bank. It's right along the road where you start up the steep fork. Hikers with compact backpacks could set up camp there. There are trees and the creek was running too. ALTERNATE ROUTE: I scouted a route up the north fork of Jackson Creek. It looked easier, but you won't have any paint left. Drive the good road up along Jackson Creek to a brushy jeep road at N41 18528, W118 29296 el 5200. Take that into the canyon and park at 19190, 27225 el 6400. It's a small spot with some shade. The road soon shrinks to an ATV track and legally ends at the wilderness boundary reading 19805, 26929 el 6900. I hiked a trail forking up to the right of the road. It topped out on the crest at 20458, 27118 el 7700. I stopped there but it looked like a cake walk to Parrot. Brush was scarce in this area. The trail went down into the upper basin of Mary Sloan Creek. The map shows it as private. If I were going to backpack this, I would camp on the crest when there is lingering snow. Too many cattle are along the creek and were still there in July. I didn't see any handy springs. Cattle were already taken out of Deer Creek. If you like your paint, use Deer Creek. Posted July 2104.

BUFF PEAK el 7425 is prominent at the north end of the range. Take the Bottle Creek Rd south from Nv 140 to the end of pavement. Go nearly 3 more miles to a major dirt road at N41 21650, W118 15649. Go west and stay on the road heading for the peak. It goes thru the Baldwin Mine area where several buildings are barely standing. After about 7 miles the road goes thru the saddle south of the peak. Turn right along the fence a short way and park. It's about 800 of gain to the BM at 22005, 21975. The road goes thru a gate and on to the rim of Bottle Creek. It gets very steep right after a second gate. I stopped there but maps show it goes on down to the creek. This is the only place in the range where I saw big Aspen stands. Some maps show a road on down the creek but that's not true. Right near here are the obvious switchbacks down into Happy Creek. That road goes 9 or 10 miles down to a ranch then goes right along the edge to a gravel road that goes back to Bottle Creek Rd. This loop is easy for cycles. 4wds will have it easy too except for a few short rutted sections along Happy Creek and 2 annoying gates only 100 feet apart. Skilled cyclists can jump those gates. Posted 2014.

McGILL CANYON is written up in an old book by John Hart. Take the west side road south from the Trout Creek Rd jct for about 9 miles to crude road at N41 12840, W118 36988. That road goes 2/3 mile up to the mouth. On a hot July day I was looking for a pool. About one third mile up the canyon I found several one-man pools right before some cottonwoods. It was easy to get that far, but slow going beyond. This canyon hasn't been heavily impacted by cattle and the stream is not diverted to a ranch. Hart went all the way thru to King Lear. It would be a nice mtn bike ride from Jackson camp. Posted 2014.

NAVAJO PEAK el 7724 has a hikeable road up the east side along Bull Creek to el 7200. Drive to the jct of Bottle Creek Rd and the Trout Creek Rd. Take a bumpy 4wd road that goes south from there along the edge of a farm. Right before a hangar, the road veers west toward the peak. Keep going to a fork at N41 08371, W118 31079 el 5000. The right fork is closed, the left one gets rough and ends in a quarter mile. It should have been cherry stemmed a lot further than this. Hike up the right fork or you can drive the left fork and cut back to the right fork. About 2 miles up the road are 4 cabins. Right after those you come to a tiny stream and another fork reading 08535, 32963 el 6000.The right fork is one you can come back on. Keep left on the lower fork and follow that to a cabin at el 6400. The road goes south from the cabin then it fades and switches back north and is easy to follow again. The road fizzles out next to the peak then it's 500 feet more gain to the summit at 09014, 34070. The summit block has a class 2 route up the east side. I returned on the road but it's shorter to go back cross country and hit the road that is the right fork near the tiny stream or just aim for the cabins. It's 4 or 5 miles to the summit and 2800 gain, some light brush. Posted 2014.

DEER CREEK PEAK el 7106 has a 4wd to el 5700 on the north ridge. Drive to N41 25039, W118 29274 on the west side road. Turn east on a rocky road but the rocks soon fade. The road enters a canyon and gets better but brush encroaches. Soon is a public cabin still in use. Right after that the road tops out at a pass el 5700. Park there and hike the brush free north ridge. One saddle at el 6000 is the only issue. Hike around the east side of a bump to get into the saddle then you're home free to the east summit block at 23670, 26832. The west summit block is about the same elevation. Both are class 1. I hiked up from a higher TH. I kept going thru the pass to a road at 23987, 25202 then went up that a mile to the end at el 5900+. I hiked toward the peak for 800 feet and hit a main horse trail then went right on that to a ridge that connects to the north ridge. I had a 2 hour hike and 1200 gain. I don't think it's worth taking a 4wd to the higher TH. Posted 2014.