Snake Mtns, Jarbidge Wilderness SE

High meadows at the end of Draw Creek road

The road to peak 9235 and 9537

Near Wildcat GS

The immaculate Wildcat Guard Station. No reservations required.

Salmon Falls Creek

The easy south ridge of peak 9537

Tabor Creek Campground

A main road runs north from Wells along the west side of the Snake Mountains for 55 miles then turns east for about 22 miles to US 93 at mp EL 111.7, some 14 miles south of Contact. I started at Wells but another road starts at Deeth and merges in.  The first 12 miles from Wells is bad pavement, then the next 28 is graded, then the next 15 miles has some mud holes that will stop 2wds when wet. The last 22 miles is good. The  SE section of the Jarbidge Wilderness can be accessed from this main road. There is no store or gas between Wells and Jackpot. Posted 2018.

• POLE CREEK has a road starting along the main road at N41 22339, W115 07048. It's closed during fire season, but the sat image shows it wraps all the way around to Loomis Creek where a road goes up to el 8300 near Tabor BM. Try that one in May. Posted 2018.
• TABOR BENCHMARK el 8846 is the high point of the Snake Mountains. A jeep road goes up the west ridge to el 7900 from the Tabor Creek Campground. The turnoff for the campground is at N41 23552, W115 07170 on the main road, about 25 miles from Wells. It's a mile and a half to the campground then over 3 miles along the creek to the end at a locked gate el 6400. At the third restroom reading 25838, 04797 el 6300 is the jeep road. It goes up and soon joins another road that is shown on the topo, but the first part of that road is badly rutted and should only be used by OHVs. At el 7450 the road crosses private land but it's open. The road goes up on the west ridge at 26438, 02424 el 7300 then a DIY road goes left to el 7900 on the ridge. Hiking straight up the ridge entails walking on talus. There's a wuss route in the drainage on the north side of the ridge. Walk up the ridge a tenth mile from the end of the road and into a minor saddle then go toward the drainage a few feet on a game trail to a viewpoint. A gap in the dense aspen is in view. Just walk thru it but don't go too high because there aren't any gaps higher, as I found out. It's a stroll to the north saddle el 8650 then another stroll to the reg at 26786, 00592.  LOOMIS MOUNTAIN el 8737 is an hour away to the SE. It sure looked easy but there's a wide patch of light brush and talus about halfway down to the main saddle el 8150. I went thru it but I could see later it can all be avoided by swinging wide to the east. From Loomis, I retraced to the saddle then walked that level back around to the start. The loop took me 3 hours, 10 minutes with about 1700 gain. Just going to Tabor BM and back would be 90 minutes with 1000 gain and I think I could do it in shorts but Loomis needs long pants for light brush. Do this by June before all the grass on the road dries out.  You could walk the road from the campground if you had to. The Pole Creek road might provide an alternate access, when it's open. Roads come high up the east side out of Loomis Creek but it's all private. The fee at the campground was $2. Take a lawn mower to cut the grass. If it's a 4wd mower, you can ride it up the jeep road and cut all that grass too. Posted 2018.
• PEAK 9235, PEAK 9537 are dominant in the SE corner of the Jarbidge Wilderness. Peak 9235 has a brilliant east face that is eye catching from 20 miles away. Turn off the main road at N41 32121, W115 12463 and go west about a mile across a wetland then keep right at a fork and go 5 miles on high clearance road to a main fork with signs. Left goes 6 miles on a decent road to Marys River with a cottonwood to camp under. The right fork goes to the peaks. Take it for 4 miles to the Draw Creek road at 38283, 18007 el 6450. Go up that 2 or 3 miles on 4wd to the last turnaround at 40016, 18921 el 7050. I got a cycle to el 7600, but it's ATVs only beyond there. Walk up the road until .4 mile before peak 9235 then go right on a grassy road that ends at el 8950 then a faint elk trail goes on up to the summit at 41802, 20112. Then follow the ridge down to the saddle el 8700 between the peaks where there is a man made trail going up the ridge toward peak 9537. It fades at el 9000 but it' a stroll on up to the summit at 43158, 19521. Return to the saddle and get on the trail at 42111, 19788 el 8700 and walk it around the west side of peak 9235 to the road el 8800 and stroll on back. That took me 5 hours with nearly 3000 gain, none steep, but I started at el 7600. It's a gorgeous area with no brush. A shorter hike just to peak 9235 would be worthwhile. As for backpackers, they would have water along the road, the last being at the high meadow reading 41492,20445 el 8650. Then they would want to walk the road to the end where the trail starts. Soon there is a fork at 41827, 20388 el 8800 where the right fork stays high and goes around to the saddle between the peaks. Snow was still around in late June. There won't be any traffic until hunting season. The roads here are a headache. Idiots drove the road on the flats after a major storm and plowed it up. A car could make it before that. The road connecting Draw Creek to Wildcat guard station is not good. Posted June, 2018.
• WILDCAT GUARD STATION is open for public use. Turn off the main road at N41 39393, W115 11657 and drive 6 miles to it. The road gets better after 2 miles but it still takes 4wd. A fence just past the station is where grazing ends. Nearly half a mile past the station is a fork. Left goes 2/3 mile to el 7350 then a rough OHV track goes a little more then fades. The right fork goes to a TH at 41759, 17285 el 7350 where a trail drops 400 feet to Sun Creek. It's a half hour to the creek and back. The creek would have to be waded then you could take a crack at peak 9537, but I couldn't see a trail on the north side of the creek. Who needs a trail, anyway? A grand loop could be done from the guard station by walking the road to Draw Creek then hike the route to peak 9537 then down the ridge back to the start. I measured that on the map at 15 miles. Shortcutting across peak 7705 would make it a 12 mile hike, but that might get brushy. Shuttling on the road is an option but it ain't a good road. Posted 2018.
• CAMP CREEK has a trail. The turnoff for that is at N41 42878, W115 05420. Drive 7 miles on the rim on a high clearance road. Then drop to the creek on 4wd and in a mile or so is the TH at 43009, 13999 el 6550. I went 3 miles or so to a main fork at 44137, 16281 el 6950. The right fork had a trail but it's gone but the trail in the left fork keeps going. A basecamp could be set up here. Peaks in the area looked brush free. This is strictly a late summer affair when the creek is jumpable. The road in is mtn bikeable. Posted August, 2018..
• BLACK MOUNTAIN, COLD SPRING MOUNTAIN - these two are easy from the west side 4wd road. If you just want the latter, stay on the main road until it tops out at el 6800 next to that peak. Otherwise, use a 4wd road going north from the main road at N41 40591, W115 01475. All remaining coordinates are W114. Drive that road nearly 2 and a half miles to a cow trail at N41 41638, W114 59576 el 6950. That goes toward the easy north ridge then it's easy to run the crest to the reg at Salmon Benchmark reading 40621, 58072 el 8104. That takes 2 hours with 1200 gain. For Black Mtn, stay on the 4wd road to a fork at 42052, 59239 el 7000. Go right and it soon smooths out then park at a fence el 7350. Walk along the fence and it soon ends then go up to a saddle at 43140, 57969 el 7750. Then walk along the east side to the next saddle el 7700 and then stay near center for the rest to the Cold Benchmark at 43747, 58080 el 7873. Did I find a reg way, way out there? You'll have to hike it and see. That one took me 95 minutes with about 600 gain. There was a small amount of knee high grass on this one, but I would use shorts on both peaks. This peak has the best view of any in the Snake Mtns, overlooking the Salmon Falls Creek bad lands. Posted June, 2018.
• SALMON FALLS CREEK is hard to get at, but one way is to use the 4wd road to Black Mtn that goes north from the main road at N41 40591, W115 01475. The road runs along the west side of the mountain then bends east around it. Follow it to N41 44944, W114 55737 where a road goes left out to an overlook into the gorge. Nobody keeps going east because there is a tricky crossing that is overgrown. I could have drove a jeep to the crossing that day, but I didn't see an exit on the other side. Boulders are falling on the road so that route is best left to OHVs. A complete circle can be made around Black Mtn by retracing from the overlook to N41 45018, W114 56705 el 6300 and turning south. Stay left at the next fork and the road goes to el 6600 on the SW side of Little Devils Table el 6841. That makes a good short hike. Keep going south to a fork at Wrist Spring reading N41 42983, W114 57262 el 7100. Left is the most used road and it goes out to US 93, but I took the right fork over the saddle on the south side of Black Mtn and out. A jeep won't have any problem with these roads. Mtn bikers might want to scout a one way ride thru to Contact. I measured that to be 25 miles. Posted 2018.
• PEAK 8597 is the last thing I did in the Snake Mtns. About a third mile before the main road meets US 93, turn SW on a graded road for 9 miles to a working quarry. Just before the quarry, go right on a crude road to a fork at N41 32493, W114 57479 el 6600. I took the grassy right fork which had no erosion issues, but another way is to take the left fork to an old quarry where two roads go up a slope to meet the grassy road I took. The second road is less steep, at N41 32321, W115 00135 el 7150. That slope is the worst part of that road. Either way you go, go on to a fork at N41 32694, W115 01331 el 7850 then go right and the road goes up onto the high divide and follows a fence. I walked from peak 8397 where it got super steep. The road goes to peak 8454 then takes a steep dive into Jakes Creek. Peak 8597 is a half mile off the road at N41 33781, W115 03348. Jeeps have no problem as far as peak 8397, but the road to the old quarry is starting to get slides. Posted 2018.

Pinon,Whistler, Sulphur Spring Ranges

Pine Mtn

A view of Bunker Hill and Ravens Nest from Pine Mtn

Flower show at Pine Mtn

A bird nest on top of Pinon high point. I don't see how they get away with ground nests.

Mines are starting up on the east side of Bunker Hill.

Palisade cemetery

The gorge at Palisade

Highway 278 is " easy peak highway". You can leave your engine running and the AC on as you step out for a few minutes to climb peaks. There is no store or gas between Eureka and Carlin. Posted 2018.

• WHISTLER MOUNTAIN el 8141 is the high point of the Whistler Range NW of Eureka. Take highway 278 to mp EU 8.2 and turn on a gravel road. Go SW for 1.2 miles then turn south and go 2.1 miles to an easy 4wd road at N39 37882, W116 03053. Mtn bikes and 2wd trucks can make it that far. Go 1.1 miles on bumpy little rocks to the end of the 4wd road in a canyon with shady camps el 6600. Walk up the canyon for a third mile then climb left to a saddle at 37638, 04779 el 7200 then up the ridge to the reg at 37650, 05527. Under 2 hours, nearly 1600 gain. Nice pj forest with no brush, cattle or horses. There are more direct roads in from the highway but they are less used and might have tedious gates. I could see the west side roads from the summit and they looked OK. Posted 2018.
• ROBERTS CREEK MOUNTAIN el 10134 has a jeep road to el 9750. Late summer is best for driving when a pond at el 8950, as the topo shows, is dry. Drive to mp EU 24.4 on highway 278. Two dirt roads go west from there. The one on the left is the Henderson Creek road. You want the one on the right which is the Vinini Creek road. At nearly 3 miles in there are no more cattle and the road smooths out. Keep going over a pass el 8126 to the jeep road at N39 50906, W116 17118 el 8100. It's routine 4wd for the first half mile to a level spot at 51341, 17335 el 8500. I would park or camp there and walk nearly half a mile up to the pond el 8950 that blocks the road and make sure it's low or dry. A fifth mile past that the road smooths out and it's routine 4wd to the last turn at 52461, 18476 el 9700 then it's a third mile on a grassy road to el 9750. The reg is at 52194, 18634. My name is in there from 20 years earlier but I can't remember a thing. Backpackers would have water at the meadows el 9250 and the last water is a spring at 52357, 18290 el 9550. The best camp along the creek is at 52137, 15622 el 7400 but take a lawn mower to cut the grass. The Vinini Creek road is on mtn bike websites because it's a good, easy ride. MOUNT HOPE el 8411 is an easy one nearby. Take the Henderson Creek road for 4 and a half miles then turn left just before Henderson Summit. Go half a mile to N39 48596, W116 11782 el 7200 then turn right and drive up to the north ridge el 7750. Then walk up to the BM at 47719, 11289. Someone mauled it trying to pry it loose. 1 hour with nearly 700 gain. These are smooth 4wd roads and you get to keep your paint.There is a forest for camping around the 7200 level. Posted June, 2018.
• SULHUR SPRING RANGE HIGH POINT el 8373 - a logging road goes to a burn area el 7200 by way of Middle Spring. Turn off highway 278 at mp EU and drive a decent high clearance road to N40 09612, W116 05836 el 6350, just before a shady cottonwood camp. Turn north there and go about half a mile then turn right on easy 4wd. The road soon turns brushy but is smooth. Stay right at a trough el 6650 and then the road fades in the canyon at el 7200. I went up the ridge and came down the canyon. The canyon route is less steep but grassy. The reg is at 09808, 03193. Placed by M&L in 1997, it only had one entry since. 100 minutes, 1200 gain. This is strictly for early in the season before the grass dries out and becomes a fire hazard. Flowers bloom in the burn area. Some trees survived on top. Mtn bikes would work to the trough el 6650 where water is pouring out of a pipe. Posted 2018.
• PINON RANGE HIGH POINT el 8747 - a bladed road goes almost all the way because gold mines are starting up. Turn off highway 278 at mp EU 66.8 and follow the main road and stay right at main forks for a dozen miles to where the road tops out at el 8700 a tenth mile north of the Elliott Benchmark which is at N40 24587, W115 59300. To continue on north to Bullion, drive back to a road at 25523, 57803 el 7700 and go north to a fork at 28597, 57336 el 6300. Stay right to another fork at 31950, 59209 el 6400. Left goes shortly to Bullion, right goes less than a mile to a T where left goes to Bullion and right goes a dozen miles to 278 at mp 73.2. This is nearly 40 miles and all easy 4wd. Go on Sunday when mine traffic is low. The mines might block this, but not around Bullion. Posted 2018.
• BUNKER HILL, PINE MOUNTAIN - an easy 4wd road goes to the saddle el 8200 NW of the Delmas Mine. Turn off highway 278 at mp EU 73.2 and follow the main road to a fork at Bullion reading N40 31415, W115 59794 el 6680. The left fork is rutted and goes thru aspen then over a saddle el 7260 and fades at meadows. The right fork is the one that goes up to the saddle el 8200. It has been bladed in recent times. It's a stroll to Bunker Hill at N40 30131, W116 00753 el 8706 and another stroll for 2/3 mile on the flowery crest to Ravens Nest where Bullion Benchmark is, though omitted from the topo. For Pine Mtn, use one of the roads on the west side of the saddle el 8200. The left one is preferred, but needs a trim. A 4wd had just been on it. The road on the right is more used. There is a parking spot along that road at N40 31415, W116 01549 el 8500 and then it's a short walk to the other road. A bump on the ridge marks the end of roads. The miners laid a route for a road around the bump, but never finished thus the remaining ridge is pristine. Skirt around that bump on the north side then it's obvious to the summit at N40 31769, W116 03632 el 8282. That took me 2 and a half hours with about 800 gain on the way over then nearly 1000 on the return. That's the best peak hike I did in this range. That  Ferdelford Canyon has some sunny pullouts. The road up Webb Creek is gone. Posted 2018.
• PALISADE - turn off highway 278 at mp 78.4 and drive a mile and a half to the Humboldt River. The main road goes on up to I-80, but it's too steep for cars. A side road goes over a mile up the river in a gorge. Posted 2018.

Hot Creek Range Area

The Hot Creek hiking club. Oh sure, I could travel that light too if I ate grass and only drank once or twice a week.

"The peak that never was". Amethyst Peak, on the right, doesn't exist according to peakbagger.com. The same goes for Flagstaff Mtn.

The hot pool at Warm Springs is free to the public but trash left by slobs might change that.

Legend has it that this drill casing was flush with the ground before detonation. The ground sank 8 feet.

"If your'e in the Morey area, it's worth taking 3 hours or so for the short rugged side trip to the impressive waterfall in South Canyon near Morey town." John Hart, 1981.

An east side road starts at mp NY 60.9 on US 6 and runs north for 90 miles to mp EU 47 on US 50, about a dozen miles south of Eureka. There is only one main road to follow. The first 30 miles, almost to Moores Station, is graded. The next 30 miles hasn't been graded in years but is 2wd when dry. The last 30 miles is graded with the last 8 of that paved. I pulled a camp trailer with no problem but that middle 30 miles needs some maintenance. A VZ cell tower is on US 6 but is blocked in a few miles. I had a signal about 20 miles north of Moores but it lasted a couple of miles and there was nothing until Eureka. There is no gas or store for the 160 miles from Tonopah to Eureka. Posted 2018.

• VERIZON PEAK el 7550+ is at the south end of the range. Turn off US 6 at mp NY 47.5 and go 3 miles on 4wd to the summit with a cell tower. Shady camps are along the way. Posted 2018.
• RAWHIDE MOUNTAIN el 9169 is an easy one. Turn off US 6 at mp NY  53.6 and go 1.7 miles to a fork. Go left up a wash and stay on the main road to Crystal Canyon at N38 15877, W116 27057 el 6650. Turn there and stay right at forks to a shady camp at the end of the legal road reading 17292, 26006 el 7850. It's all easy 4wd for now but the last third mile will washout or slide someday. Walk the closed road up onto the NW ridge el 8250. Boulders fell on the road in case you're thinking about cheating. Go up the ridge and be on the lookout for a mine trail. I didn't see it until a mine camp at el 8750. It climbs along the north side thru a nice forest then to the NE saddle el 8900. Then you have the option to go over to the BM on the NE summit at 17807, 24758. Then come back over the high point at 17347, 25316 and back to the start. I wanted to check out Charcoal Basin so I descend from the BM on the easy NW ridge to 18327, 24873 el 8150. I had a drainage on my left and followed it down then dropped left into it at 18723, 24631. I found potholes with water when I hit bottom el 6750. A tenth mile downstream is a minor fall with bigger potholes. I had to turn back there and went upstream to 18441, 25948 el 7151 then on to a fork at 18044, 26465 el 7350 that took me to the main saddle el 7700 east of Peach Peak. Then it was half a mile back to the start. That took me 5 and a half 6 hours with about 3000 gain, none of it steep. There is no need to drive higher than a fork at el 7600 if doing this loop. The basin has a pristine pj forest. No cattle or horses. The topo map from the peakbagger.com app covers the loop I did. Posted 2018.
• MUSIC CANYON is the first item of interest on the east side. Turn off US 6 at mp NY 60.9 and follow the graded east side road for about 4 miles to a main fork. Turn south there on a crude road for 3 and a half miles then turn right and go a mile to the mouth. 4wds make it a couple miles up canyon to a sharp gully at N38 18795, W116 23404 el 6300. OHVs can go another 2 miles to the end of the road at 19349, 24891 el 6800. The road goes up onto the left bank a quarter air mile before the end. A tenth mile past the end is a well in the wash that filled in with sand. Backpackers can make use of this area. The arm that drains Charcoal Basin has a 20 foot fall at the mouth reading 18880, 24655 el 6600. Large potholes are at the top of the fall and more a tenth mile up canyon. Those hold water for weeks but you have to go 200 feet up over the east rim to get in. Then it's fairly easy to go up into the basin and take a day trip over Rawhide like I did. It's a pristine pj forest there. RED ROCK CANYON is the next canyon north. The turnoff for that is at 20329, 19819. It's easy 4wd to the mouth then OHVs only for the next mile to the end of the road. Nice rock formations. Posted 2018.
• AMETHYST PEAK el 8975 has routes up the north side. Turn off US 6 at mp NY 60.9 and follow the graded east side road for about 4 miles to a main fork. Go left for 4.5 miles to Tybo where the graded road ends. Keep going up canyon another mile to a huge tank then a tenth mile past that is a logging road going left up Cottonwood Canyon reading N38 22175, W116 25102. Follow that a quarter mile and it fades at a thicket with a spring el 6900. Walk the left bank for a third mile to a main fork then get on the ridge between the forks and soon everything is in view. The wide gully to the right of the summit is how sheep go up. I went straight at it with a lot of weaving thru dense trees and came upon a foundation built by loggers at 21001, 25527 el 8050. The wide gully is not far above that and it's obvious how to go up that to the summit ridge then left to a reg at 20827, 25353. It was placed by the Desert Survivors in 1992 and there was no one since. It needs a jar and book. 3 and a half hours, 2100 gain. The logging road and trails are too overgrown to be of any use. The main road keeps going up canyon from Tybo to a left fork at 22337, 25644 el 7000. That fork goes a tenth mile to a shady camp next to Mule Shoe Spring. Not far beyond that are well preserved kilns. The road goes on west past the kilns and soon fades. That was the stage road to Belmont. Back on  the main road, it bends north into Empire Canyon and then at 25168, 27796 el 7050 there is an OHV trail forking left. I rode it for 4.5 miles to the end in White Rock Canyon. The main road goes on another fifth mile to a clean cabin with a fireplace. That's what everyone drives out there for. Keep it clean. Just past the cabin is a main fork. Stay left and the road will top out at el 7550. It's easy 4wd all the way from Tybo to that point. CINE MOUNTAIN NORTH SUMMIT el 8578 is directly up the ridge at 26083, 27152. That's a 75 minute hike with 1000 gain. Drive out the same way because the road cutting over to Keystone Canyon is a rocky nightmare. Tybo has a lot of good mine ruins. Two houses are still occupied. The mines have been dormant since WW2, but the owners spent $600,000 in 1986 to run power lines in expecting to re-open soon. But it never happened. Because of some strange law, the power company is required to maintain service to the first house but won't hook up to the second one. All this info came from Bo Bottiggi who lives in the second house. Posted 2018.
• FLAGSTAFF MOUNTAIN el 8800+ has a trail to el 8100 on the north ridge. Turn off the east side road at N38 27044, W116 20388 and follow a road up into Keystone Canyon. Stay on the main road to 28085, 24922 el 7350 and turn right on a steep road. I went as far as a bad spot el 7600. Walk the road to where it tops out on the north ridge el 7950 then go up the ridge using a mine trail left of center. That peters out in a tenth mile but it's easy to go on up to the summit at 27924, 24027. 100 minutes, 1200 gain. For HOT CREEK BENCHMARK el 8843, continue north on the main road for nearly a mile to a main fork in Dominion Canyon. Go left up canyon for about 2 and a half miles to a cabin el 7350 and park. Walk up the slope to an unused road at 29544, 26873 el 7550. That road ends at el 7950 then just keep going up to the summit at 30045, 25485. Scree starts at el 8400 but I spiraled up to the right and it wasn't bad. That took 2 and a half hours with 1500 gain. Back at the main fork in Dominion Canyon, the other road goes down canyon but is washed out in less than a mile. Another road branching off of that one goes north up a side canyon past cabins and tops out at el 7800. A rough OHV track goes on north to Mountain View. The roads here get a lot of 4wd traffic and there is no major obstacle. The only water I saw was Keystone Spring. Posted 2018.
• MOUNTAIN VIEW RUINS - an easy loop can be done by going up Old Dominion Canyon and down Mountain View Canyon. The turnoff on the east side road for Old Dominion is at N38 29025, W116 20468. First, leave a 4wd a mile north on the east side road. Then come back with a second 4wd or mtn bike and go up the road in Old Dominion for about 2 miles to the end at boulders el 6100. Walk thru the boulders and on up canyon for half a mile and get on a faint road on the left bank. Go on up canyon to a fork at 28786, 24539 el 7050. Go right and soon you hit the main road going north up a side canyon to a pass el 7800. Then a rough OHV trail goes down the other side to Mountain View. A swim pool is on the left at 30180, 24552 el 7450. The main ruins are just past that. Keep going down the OHV trail to the arrastra at the end reading 30872, 24552 el 7150. Then walk down the canyon for a  third mile to log cabin ruins and a clearing where a lot of wood was burned. Keep going a little more to a fall el 7100. Step down to the lip and look up to the right. A ramp goes up with a trail on it built by the miners. It soon switches down to the bottom of the fall and fades. A pocket saw is needed to clear some branches off the trail. It's easy to walk down canyon under towering cliffs on game trails to a faint road at 30544, 22612 el 6300 and stroll on down to the flats and out. 5 hours and the only noticeable gain is 700 going up to the pass. It's 6 hours without a shuttle. It's a nice break from doing peaks all the time. The springs were dry thickets, but a few cattle go in there so there must be water sometime. Posted 2018.
• HOT CREEK RANCH is the first ranch along the east side road. An interesting story I heard is that a young girl found a powder horn in the area with the initials "J S". Jedediah Smith is believed to have passed thru here in 1827.
• FOURMILE CANYON has a smooth OHV trail. Turn off the east side road at N38 31575, W116 19172. The road smooths out in a mile and a half then at 4 miles there is a bad spot reading 33994, 21506 el 6600. Trucks stop there then its a smooth OHV trail for half a mile to good kilns then in another half mile there is a fork. Go left there and on to Hot Creek Pass el 7550. The last half mile gets rocky and even worse down the other side. I saw no water. Posted 2018.
• MOREY PEAK el 10246 is a twin peak, the highest in the range. The road to Sixmile Summit is in good shape and Morey is a cakewalk from there. Turn off the east side road at N38 32552, W116 17465 and drive 10+ miles on a mostly smooth 4wd road up South Sixmile Canyon with several small stream crossings and park at the summit el 8750. Hiking straight up the ridge won't work because a crag is in the way. To get to the saddle behind it, walk around the right side to N38 39707, W116 18235 el 8950 then walk level on a route thru mahogany to a creekbed. Go up that on game trails to el 9200 then go left into the saddle el 9300. Go thru it on game trails and on around to the east side of the main ridge where there is a mine road el 9500. The road soon ends but a good trail keeps going on the main ridge all the way to a small plateau el 9600. It fades but appears again on the far side at 38472, 17066 el 9650 and soon the north summit is in view. Circle around the right side of the summit on the unsteepest ground and you'll arrive at a viewpoint reading 37876, 17216 el 10100. Both summit blocks are right in front of you and both are class 2. The north one is considered higher and has a reg. The other one has a BM at 37652, 17285. Doing both peaks took 5 hours total. Just doing the north one has about 1800 gain and about 200 noticeable gain on the return. The hike can be done in shorts but it's prudent to wear long pants as far as the saddle el 9300 near the start. Elk use the trail to get to that drainage just north of the peaks where water lingers but was dry by late May. Most of this hike is on the peakbagger.com map as a GPS route posted by hikers though they started low on the east side. 2WD VERSION - here's what I would do with 2wd or if there is a washout. Just backpack or mtn bike the road to el 7750 then take a day pack from there to Sixmile Summit and hike on to the peaks. Then retrace to a saddle at 38072, 17244 el 9700 and go down that gully to the road at el 7750. I studied all the gullies from the west rim of the canyon and that one looked to be the best. The first 8 miles of the road to el 7800 is a top notch mtn bike ride in itself. It's good for slithering too because I saw two rattlesnakes on it. The stream in the canyon starts at a spring el 8100 next to the road. Posted May, 2018.
• LITTLE FANDANGO el 9606 is the high peak on the west rim of South Sixmile Canyon, opposite Morey Peak. The unsteepest route is up Wood Tick Canyon. Turn off the east side road at N38 32552, W116 17465 and drive 5 and a half miles on a mostly smooth 4wd road up South Sixmile Canyon with several small stream crossings. Then turn left into  Wood Tick Canyon reading 36103, 19744 el 6850. 4wds can go a short way to kilns, OHVs can go half a mile. Hike on up the canyon on the old road to a minor saddle at 36950, 21708 el 7600. Go on thru to the next canyon and up that to Sweet Spring at 37575, 21799 el 8000. A quarter mile before the spring there is a game trail on the right bank that skirts brush. The spring had a small flow out of a meadow. No sign of cattle. Go on past the spring using trails on the left side of the canyon then in about a quarter mile climb left up along a drainage to a saddle at 37864, 22057 el 8700. It's a cakewalk from there to the summit at 38410, 21179. I descended the ridge east of the spring but likely saved no time because of so much tree weaving. 6 hours, 2700 gain, less than half of it is steep. I wore shorts the whole way, but a mile in on the old road there are two short thickets trying to start some trouble. What little brush there is after that is easy to get around. I didn't pick up any ticks, but I got one on the Morey hike. He must have been lost. Posted May, 2018.
• LICHEN PEAKS el 10170 is the name John Hart gave to the peaks a mile south of Morey Peak. A class 2 route goes up from the right fork of Hobble Canyon. Turn off the east side road at N38 34088, W116 14989 and drive nearly 2 miles and park at rock house ruins el 6600. The road is easy 4wd but covered with bumpy little rocks. Walk the shrinking road for a third mile to log cabin ruins next to Hobble Spring. I filled up bottles where the cold water is rising out of the main creekbed. Just past the cabin, go up the right fork to a left fork at 36107, 15941 el 7400. Go up that and stay in it thru 36193, 16175 el 7900 then soon it's treeless because a deluge ripped down it and cleaned out the vegetation. At 36515, 16280 el 8850 exit to the right and walk stable talus for a tenth mile to a gully at 36599, 16251 el 9200. Go up that and when it bends left there is a sheep route in the gully on the left side. Soon it levels off then just walk the top of cliffs on the sheep route then step up to a higher level at 36586, 16474 el 9700 where peak 10170 is in view. I knew then I would make it. Walk that level a short way then it's easy to go up to the saddle el 10000 to the right of the peak. Go thru the saddle about 50 feet then go up a gully with dead bristlecones to the summit at 36741, 16551.  On the other side of the saddle are the peaks Hart called Last Peaks. The first one is easy. That took 6 hours, 3600 gain. Some light brush is before the cabin and after that I could do it in shorts but would get some scratches. I could see this entire route from the main road except the last bit to the high saddle. Hart came at them from Morey Peak. This is the hardest hike on this page and the second best wilderness hike. Cattle don't go past the cabin. 2wds will have nearly 2 hours more hiking. I would backpack to the spring and lay out a thick pad on the rocky soil. My 29 dollar Walmart boots were tested on the rocky terrain. They passed. Posted 2018.
• PROJECT FAULTLESS is the name of the 1960s nuclear testing program that took place at the base of Morey Peak. Turn off the east side road at N38 37588, W116 11403 and drive a good road to the drill hole at 38050, 12975. A plaque is mounted on the exposed drill casing. Posted 2018.
• NEEDLES BENCHMARK el 8077 is the high point of The Needles. Turn off the east side road at N38 39305, W116 10698 and follow a sandy road up a wash for 3 miles then hike half a mile to a canyon at 39130, 07072 el 6700. Go up that then cut thru a saddle at 39116, 06348 el 7050 to get into the next canyon. Go up that to the end at a saddle el 7650 then go left up the ridge to the BM at 39425, 05840.  I descended down a drainage at 39334, 05846 el 7850 then cut thru a saddle to get back in the first canyon. 2 hours, 40 minutes, with 1500 gain. The peak is pristine above 7400, ravaged by horses below that. Posted 2018.
• MOREY SHORTCUT - a road forks left from the east side road at N38 39375. W116 10745. It soon has a washout, but some are getting around it then there are no more issues. Posted 2018.
• SOUTH CANYON FALLS is near Morey and 50 or 60 feet high. John Hart wrote about it. Turn off the east side road at a maze of forks reading N38 40904, W116 11113. The far left fork goes shortly to petroglyphs. Take the next one to the right of that for 4 and a half miles to Morey. It's 4wd with a mile of bumpy little rocks but no major obstacle. A few feet past Morey is a road going left. It might work but I didn't check it. I went on a fifth mile past Morey to a road going left reading 40392, 15510 el 7350. That road goes .8 mile to the rim el 7500 of South Canyon. It might need some trimming before a jeep can fit on it. A mtn bike would work. From the rim, walk to the creek at 39678, 15662 el 7400 and don't try to hit it any farther upstream than that. Then it's obvious how to walk along the edge of the brush and aspen, frequently on small talus and rubble. If you hit dense brush, you're too low. The fall at 39526, 16190 el 8100 will come into view then it's easier. About 100 feet before the fall is the first crossing of the creek. I stayed dry in early June. There are big slabs to recline on at the fall. It took 80 minutes with 700 gain to get there, 65 minutes and 100 gain to get back. The light brush is not a factor with long pants. The road goes on up the rim of the canyon to el 9500 but it's overgrowing. OHVs can go a ways up it then walk to el 8700 and cut over to the rim for a view of the falls or just keep hiking to Morey Peak. Posted 2018.
• NEEDLE RANGE HIGH POINT el 8201 is easy. Turn off the east side road at N38 41905, W116 11192 and go 4.2 miles up Jumbled Rock Gulch to a faint road on the left at 42554, 06975 el 7050. Go 1.6 miles to another fork el 7400 then go right. It soon becomes an OHV trail but go at least a third mile on it to a saddle el 7400 before diverting to the peak. OHVs can go a mile and a half on it to the NE ridge el 7600 then stroll less than half a mile up thru a perfect pj forest to the reg at 44363, 07804. WIthout an OHV, I would make a loop by walking the trail to the NE ridge then come back over the top. This range isn't on any map I have, but peakbagger.com and the hikers who signed in seem to believe in it. And it has a good view. The main road goes on east 2 miles to Squaw Wells Spring where there is water in an underground chamber. All roads easy 4wd. Posted 2018.
• PRITCHARD STATION - turn off the east side road at N38 45780, W116 12103 and drive 2 and a half miles on a decent road to a stone house and stream. Posted 2018.
• HICKS BENCHMARK el 9096 is a major peak in the north Hot Creek Range. Loops can be done. Turn off the east side road at N38 47611, W116 14695 and drive nearly 2 miles on a 4wd road to a canyon el 7000. Walk up canyon for 5 minutes to a spring. Keep going another 15 minutes to a meadow with a stream just before Limestone Spring. Brush is thick at the spring. I walked the rocky left bank around it but maybe should have cut over to the right side. After the spring, go left up a fork at 48278, 16977 el 7400 to a rocky point at 48980, 17628 el 7900. Go up that to where it levels off at el 8400 then walk the easy ground at that level to the final slope then go up to the BM at 49677, 18292. Cliffs are on the west side of the summit. Get around them by dropping down at 49603, 18338 el 8950 then go right along the base of the cliffs to get to the west saddle el 8750. Walk on to a viewpoint at 49427, 18533 el 8800 where a huge meadow is in view. Drop down the easy drainage then go left up a fork at 49318, 18612 el 8550 and follow that to the end over a low saddle and into the meadow el 8600. Then there are two options. Either follow the meadow to the end where it drains into a canyon then follow the south rim of that back down, or do what I did and run the crest south. I went up to the crest at 48534, 18463 el 8700 and had no trouble weaving trees to the south rim at 47049, 18549 el 8800 where it suddenly drops off over 1000 feet. Then I went directly down to the rim of a canyon at 47193, 17974 el 8350 and walked that down to a saddle el 7650. Then I went left into that same canyon and it was easy back to the start. That took me 7 and a half hours. Doing the shorter loop would likely be 6 hours. It's about 3 hours to the summit with 1200 noticeable gain. Long pants are needed for the occasional light brush, but most of this hike is weaving thru a thin pj forest and some mahogany. Horses have thoroughly trashed the first spring, but they don't know about the others, yet. The higher elevations haven't had horses in years. Posted 2018.
• HICKS CANYON is what I call the interesting canyon that drains to Hicks Station. It has intermittent streams and a lot of bedrock. It's the best wilderness hike on this page. Turn off the east side road at N38 50982, W116 14763 and follow a crude road for a mile and a half then walk over a low ridge to the mouth at 51893, 15532 el 7000. Go up to the main fork at 51862, 16178 el 7100 where the north and south forks meet. The stream was flowing a tenth mile before the fork and shady campsites are along there. Go right at the fork and soon a minor fall is in the way. Climb up on the right and walk broken bedrock then drop back to the stream at 51962, 16504 el 7400. Stroll on up canyon a fifth mile to a thicket at the mouth of a gorge. Climb out on the right again and go high on easy bedrock. For the short version, aim for a saddle at 51615, 17214 el 8150 and go thru to the south fork and go downstream back to the start. Real men can go on up to peak 9040+ on the crest between the forks. Stay in the north fork to minor falls at 51739, 17582 el 8200. A trickle was coming down the falls. Brush sets in beyond the falls, so climb up on the left at an easy angle to the south rim where an aspen grove is in view down in the south fork. Stay on the high ground to the peak at 51346, 18450. Then drop down to a clearing and enter the south fork at 51265, 18222 el 8900 and walk down to the aspen. It's easy to weave thru the trees then the canyon opens up with bedrock like the north fork. Stay high on easy shelves along the north side of the creekbed. At 51534, 16878 el 7700 you have to go down to the creekbed and walk along an intermittent stream back to the main fork and out. Some light brush here is not a factor with long pants. The long loop took me 6 hours with about 2000 gain, rarely steep. The short version would be 3 or 4 hours. Horses never found this area. It would be scorched earth if they had. Shady camps are a half mile in on the crude road. The crude road goes on to a fence at Hicks Station, which is private. Posted June, 2018.
• PARK RANGE HIGH POINT el 9131 has a good route up the north ridge. Park on the east side road at a closed road reading N38 53028, W116 12798 el 7200. Walk the closed road to the end in a fifth mile then head for the north ridge at 52894, 11695 el 7600. Go up it to 52217, 11403 el 8850 then move left of center for the rest of the way to a plateau el 8900 with a large clearing. Walk to the end of the clearing to a small clearing at 51699, 11342 el 8950 then weave mahogany to the reg at 51627, 11231. 4 and a half hours with about 1600 noticeable gain. There is some light brush. This peak is in pristine condition. A shady pullout is a half mile south on the east side road. Posted 2018.
• PARK MOUNTAIN MEADOWS TRAIL - a trail goes to meadows with aspen on the SW side of Park Mtn. An optional loop can be done over the peak. Turn off the east side road at N38 55378, W116 12021 and drive 2 miles on easy 4wd to a main fork in the canyon where the road turns bad. A mtn bike would work that far. A shady camp is there reading 54847, 10189 el 7600. Walk up the road to a fence at 54700, 09966 el 7700. Walk along the right side of the fence then along a creekbed. The trail goes along the banks then at 54374, 09914 el 7900 it switches up into the low meadow el 8300. A trickle was at the outlet. The trail resumes on the far side of the meadow in a little canyon. It goes up that then up to the high ground and fades, but it's easy to walk on to the spring at the high meadow reading 53735, 09402 el 8400. The spring was dry in June. Take pruners and long pants for the trail. The loop over the peak is a much more comprehensive hike. For that, walk from camp up the north fork to a drainage at 54983, 09680 el 7750 and go up that to a saddle on the north ridge reading 55051, 09243 el 8050. The go up the ridge to the summit reading 54364, 09182 el 9058. A film can was there left by Steve Tabor in 1986. He detailed his progress so far on a backpack trip from the west coast to Colorado. One more party had left a note in 2013. The high meadow is in view from the summit. Descend the NW side of the summit to easy  ground and walk to a gap in the mahogany at 54326, 09281 el 8900. Then go on to a drainage at 54215, 09336 el 8750 and walk that down to the high meadow. After checking out the aspen, walk the meadow to a canyon rim at 54078, 09699 el 8500 and drop down to the low meadow then pick up the trail on the right side of the outlet and stroll on back to camp. That loop took me 3 hours, 45 minutes with 1500 gain and rarely steep. I could do the peak and back in shorts, but the loop has light brush. The meadows have no horses or cattle and the aspen aren't carved up. Let's keep it that way. Posted June, 2018.
• FISH BENCHMARK el 7731 is an easy one at the south end of the Fish Creek Range. Turn off the east side road at N39 12615, W116 02244 and drive on easy 4wd to 3 forks at 12568, 05545 el 6950. Take the far right fork as far as it suits you then stroll up thru a thin pj forest to the summit at 13173, 05423. This area is carved up by smooth mine roads. Posted 2018.
• NINEMILE PEAK el 10100  is the high point of the Antelope Range. It's a 20 mile drive on a brushy road, best attempted by wide track OHVs. Turn off the east side road where the pavement starts and drive west past the Fish Creek Ranch on a main road to a 4wd road at N39 16310, W116 09625 el 6600. Follow that to 14728, 10953 el 6850  and go left to 09653, 13951 el 8400 then go right over a ridge then on to the last easy turnaround at 09196, 15128 el 9000. Then just walk up the road and leave it to get to the main saddle on the main ridge then go left to the reg at 08794, 15078. There's nothing to stop jeeps getting there, but they won't have any paint left. I wouldn't ruin paint for an 80 minute hike. I can think of two ways to avoid it. One is to invite your worst enemy and use his truck. The other is take a crack at backpacking up Ninemile Creek. A stand of aspen at 09400, 14621 el 8500 had a spring and stream with no sign of horses or cattle around. The lower elevations have been decimated by horses. Posted 2018.

  

  The pool at Mtn View with diving board in place.

  
  

  

  Mtn View ruins

  
  

  

  Lichen Peaks. The route goes up to the deep notch on the right, then left up a shelf.

  
  

  

  The dead bristlecone mentioned by Hart on page 196 in his book. The walking stick is 3 feet long.

  
  

  

  Bedrock in Hicks Canyon

  
  

  

  The low meadow on the Park Mtn trail.

  

  Arrastra near Mtn View