- ⦁ CRONISE BENCHMARK el 3617 has easy routes from the north. But instead of taking the tedious road around to the north, I made a loop from the south. At exit 230 on the interstate a sandy road goes staight north to East Cronise Lake. Everybody drives across it to BLM road #8806 on the north side. I followed that road to point 1086 like the topo shows then walked north to the main wash at N35 11710, W116 20673 that leads to the west canyon which is south of peak 1927. I strolled up that then up an easy ridge at 12519, 19517 to get around to the flats north of the peak. I cut thru hills at 12911, 19146 then on to where I could see up the north ridge then the rest to the summit was obvious. I also could have stayed in the washes to the east saddle. I found my name in the reg from 2 decades earlier but couldn't remember a thing. I must have come in from the north power road when it was in better shape. CHP helicopter pilots signed in but they don't get credit. I walked from the summit to 11523, 17959 where I could see ridges all the way down. Near bottom I moved left to a gully at 11186, 17790 el 2450 and had easy gravel down to the flats.6 hours, 17 minutes, nearly 12 miles with 2700 gain and that's all easy washes except for the last 800. Next time I'll do the loop minus the peak and there will be hardly any noticeable gain. There is good pavement on the north flats. All roads easy 4wd. Road #8806 goes on past a corral near point 1086 and apparently on to the power road. It is not ruined by OHVs, yet. CRONISE MOUNTAINS HIGH POINT el 2360 can be done from road #8806. I just walked to the north canyon at 07433, 19157 then up the obvious ridge. 1000 noticeable gain. I put a track on peakbagger. Posted 2024.
- ⦁ CRONISE CAT is a sand dune shown on the topo SW of East Cronise Lake. At exit 230 on the interstate a sandy road goes staight north to power lines. Go left along those for a third mile then right and the road will bend toward the dune. I went up a ridge south of BM 1076 reading N35 07333, W116 17643. At 07259, 18137 el 1900 I could see the ears but had to go a little higher to get there then down the back of the cat to the flats. It purred all the way. 90 minutes, 900 gain. All roads easy 4wd. I could have rode an ebike most of the way. Posted 2024.
- ⦁ SANDTASTIC PEAK el 2395 is what hikers call the high point of the Mollhausen Mountains. Take the Rasor exit and get on an airstrip behind a gas station. Go west to the end then a sandy road goes on across a deep wash then splits. Stay left to where the road tops out then walk to N35 06354, W116 12704 and follow easy ground up and to 06141, 12456 then stay on the high ground to the summit. 90 minutes, 700 gain. Easy terrain. If parked at the gas station I would loop back in the east part of the mountain. I put a track on peakbagger. Posted 2024.
- ⦁ PAVEMENT IN THE SKY is what I call the mile long plateau that peak 823 meters sits on just south of peak 2719 . I took the Rasor exit and followed the road as the topo shows to get at the mega wash that runs east of the peak. A nose cone is along the way at N35 09960, W116 14101 and that's the only sign of humanity I saw. I soon came to boulders but there is a passage in the middle then I took a left fork around the north side of the plateau then at 10415, 15448 el 2450 I climbed left to the top. Then I went to the south rim and walked it past some good pavement and a tortoise shell at 09806, 14648 and then on to the south point. I went down a stairway there at 09674, 14647 and angled down to the right to a smooth rim and walked it down then out. I could see that the north ridges of peak 808 would be easy. That takes 4 or 5 hours, 8 miles and 150 noticeable gain. This is so easy it makes pie look hard. It's pie in the sky. The road in is very bumpy 4wd. Posted 2024.
- ⦁ SODA MOUNTAINS HIGH POINT - I made a loop up the south canyon to the west ridge. The best road in is from the Zzyzx exit. It's easy 4wd. I went north to the power lines then west 3 miles to a BLM road that goes to the east canyon. I went .6 mile up that and parked then coasted down a mile and a half on my Zizzo bike to high ground at N35 10101, W116 12040. I walked that to the south canyon then walked the forks that lead to the east side of peak 3461. At 11292, 15242 el 2560 I came to a fall. I climbed up to the right up a smooth ridge and on to 11457, 14814 where I could skirt a bump. I went over the summit then down the north ridge to a saddle near peak 894 then took a hard right to the final ridge at 12088, 13980. I went north down that then moved left near bottom then down canyon to a road on the far left a half mile before the mouth. It cuts right at 11222, 12110 and on to where I parked. The hike took 5 hours, 40 minutes and 11 miles. Gain is 2000 but the first half is up easy washes. I measured on the topo the distance to walk in from the Rasor exit and up the south canyon route and it came out a bit over 6 miles. The south canyon route is the most enjoyable. I put a track on peakbagger. Posted 2024.
- ⦁ SODA OESTE is the name in the reg on peak 1044 meters. Placed by M&L in 1978, only 4 parties signed in since. I took the Zyzzyx exit and then north on the road to the Blue Bell Mine. I went .8 mile past the power lines and parked. I went up the ridge to peak 935 but that's a rocky mess. It's way better to go up the north ridge. Head for a drainage at N35 13566, W116 12796 then move left onto the ridge and up to the summit. 4 hours, 1700 gain. All roads easy 4wd. I could have ebiked it. Posted 2024.
- ⦁ PEAK 874 is a minor one SE of Cooper Mtn. A good loop goes up the east canyon then down the south ridge. I took the easy 4wd power road on the north side of Baker for over 3 miles and parked at N35 14756, W116 07098 then walked to 14973, 07651 and then to the bank of a wash at 15337, 08812. I dropped in and stayed right at a main fork then up to a gully on the left at 15433, 09508. I went up and bent left to a ridge at 15355, 09532 then up that to the main south ridge then down on a spotty sheep trail. I went over peak 835 then left down a ridge at 14337, 08741 and stayed on the right side of it all the way down to the wash then down canyon to the power road with less than a mile back. 3 hours, 45 minutes and all easy gain but for the 300 to get up on the south ridge. Smooth canyons and ridges. Posted 2023.
- ⦁ COOPER MTN el 3438 has a road from the south but I made a loop from the Otto Mine at Baker up the east canyon then down the north canyon. The road to the mine is easy 4wd and goes on a little more then I walked to N35 16313, W116 06879 then 16234, 07446 then 16189, 07972 and at 16184, 08206 a word is spelled with rocks. I kept going with the flow into the main east canyon and stayed right at main forks and then stepped up on the right bank at 16336, 10737. I could see a little saddle a few feet north that is the descent canyon but first I went up the bank to the peak then back to the little saddle and down canyon. I hit 2 drops that I got around OK but it would be better to just walk from the little saddle down the east rim. It's gravel on down to 17325, 10900 where I went over the right bank then down the next wash. At 17725, 10496 I got on the right bank and walked pavement for half an air mile where I could cut right across the flats but hit the Mariana Trench. I dropped in it at 18179, 10197 and went downstream a few feet then over into the next fork and up that a little to exit. The next trench I crossed at 18139,09984 and the last one I entered at 18071, 09860 and went upstream nearly a fifth mile to exit then had it easy to a main wash at 17932, 09592. That soon forks then it's easy to walk between the forks and on to a low pass at peak 553 reading 17534, 09203 then it's downhill back to the start. 6 and a half hours, 13 miles and the only strain is the 400 gain on the side trip up to the peak. Good pavement and smooth washes. Various loops are possible as viewed from the summit. The BM says " Copper". I put a track on peakbagger. Posted 2023.
- ⦁ OTTO MOUNTAIN el 1715 is next to Baker. It has a mine trail up the south canyon. A sandy power road runs along the south side then a road branches off to the Otto Mine. Just past that the trail starts at N35 16334, W116 05975 and goes up canyon to a mine. It's easiest to go up along the left of the mine to the trail above it at 16608, 06015 and it cuts back left to a mine on the ridge then it's easy up the ridge. 90 minutes, 600 gain. I saw no reg. This trail needs to be adopted. With no 4wd I would just make a loop over it. Posted 2023.
- ⦁ PEAK 572 is at the south end of Silver Lake. An easy 4wd road comes up from Baker to the south side of the lake as the topo shows. I walked washes along the north base to the main north canyon at peak 423 then up canyon almost to peak 553. I turned south up a smooth drainage at N35 17563, W116 08801 and over the rim into the main wash that goes south of the peak. I went over the peak and saw a 1929 mine claim then went down the ridge almost to point 411 then left down and along the base back. I could see that I could have gone to peak 547. 4 hours, 500 noticeable gain. Posted 2023.
- ⦁ PEAK 1961 (598) is on the west shore of Silver Lake. A traverse is easy. A graded road cuts across the lake then drivers go south along the shore. Not legal but nobody's going to observe that. Just stay on the playa and drive lightly. I went up the canyon on the north side of peak 488. It soon enters a narrows and I got on the left bank. That ends then there is a fork. I stayed right and soon had it easy on the right bank up the NW saddle of peak 488. The next peak has a smooth saddle high on the right then there is a spotty sheep trail to the summit. I then went down the main south ridge to a wash. It goes back to the shore but it's easier to get on the right bank at about the 350 line and follow the flow. 3 hours, 1000 gain. This is one of the more enjoyable peaks. Posted 2023.
- ⦁ PEAK 1696 (517) is NW of Silver Lake. I made a clockwise loop around it but a one way is better. I was camped on the east side along the graded power road. I walked to the mouth of the canyon that runs north along the west side of the peak. At the mouth there is a mine road on the far right bank. I goes into the wash then resumes to the divide, but I stayed in the wash almost to the divide then went up to the road. It ends just before the NW ridge then it's steep but not loose up the ridge to the summit. I retraced back to the road and then north in the main canyon. Soon the right bank is easy. I took the canyon on the north side of peak 413 to get around to the flats and then I should have gone straight to the highway with a bike stashed there because walking the east side has too many gullies. That took 3 and a half hours and all easy but for the 300 gain up to the summit and I'll skip that next time. The pristine north canyons are the main attractions. Posted 2023.
- ⦁ RED PASS BENCHMARK el 3268 is on the north side just inside the Fort Irwin base. The south ridge is easy. The road in is the only issue. A graded powerline road goes in from highway 127 at mp 9.5 but turns 4wd. Another road goes in at mp 8.1 and merges. The power road would be easy if not for severe washboard caused by OHVs. After nearly 9 miles of 4wd there is a wash at N35 16942, W116 16530. I walked that to the end then up a ridge at 17110, 17583 and had it easy to the summit. 3 hours, 1000 noticeable gain. The last mile and a half of that nasty road could be avoided by hiking the north ridge. A loop over the summit would be good. Another possibility for driving is the corridors on the north side of the power lines. I was on one for a couple miles and it wasn't bad. PEAK 3494, 3 and a half miles to the east, can be done on the drive back. Mine trails on the south side make for a good loop. The road in departs the power road at 20832, 12072 like the topo shows. It's easy 4wd and lightly used. At the last mile it goes into a rocky wash. I started walking there but I goofed because it appears again in a tenth mile. I could have drove a jeep to the TH at 17706, 13309. The trail is in good shape and goes past a tunnel. I went in it but chickened out when I saw timbers supporting the ceiling. The trail ends at a steel tram tower. I went up past it a few feet into a gully at 17842, 13515. That leads to a notch where I leveled off left of center to a saddle then up the ridge. A trail resumes to the right at 17972, 13468 and goes up along the north side of the ridge to a mine on the ridge. It's easy to walk level on past a peak there on the left side then next is the reg at 17849, 13895. Placed by M&L and party in 1978 and only had half a dozen entries. I kept going on the main ridge then left of crags and back to center at 17741, 14001. Then I had it easy down to a major saddle and a spotty trail goes down the canyon. At bottom it runs on the right bank back to the road. 3 and a half hours, 1000 gain. ALTERNATE - it looks good to walk from near the Red Pass BM parking spot to the canyon with peak 853 then run the ridge north to peak 3494. Posted 2023.
- ⦁ HOLLOW HILLS WILDERNESS is tiny but loops in easy washes can be done in the central part. I took the smooth road in from Silver Lake ruins on highway 127. It goes along the wilderness boundary and meets a power road. I parked there and walked to a wash at N35 23549, W116 04719. I went nearly a half air mile up that then 400 feet to a trail on the left bank of a small wash at 23395, 04197 then left around a small hill and on to the main valley. Then to the bank of a wash at 23101, 03414 and on to high ground at 23127, 02019. I stashed a water bottle in the wash there. I stayed on the high ground for half a mile to a wash that leads toward peak 924. I walked the bank to a fork then dropped in and had it mostly smooth to 23045, 00374. There I went left up to the NE saddle of peak 942. Then I went left to the next ridge down and hit the canyon floor and had it smooth to 22069, 00297 at the mouth. I then walked the base to a wash at 22141, 00574. I crossed and on to high ground at 22166, 00707. I walked it down to a wash then down it and up on the right bank at 21983, 01001. I crossed the next wash and up thru a gap at 21927, 01148 and down to the main wash then up. It turns rocky but at 22322, 01560 the left bank works to the east saddle of peak 768. Then I could see the last saddle straight ahead but gullies were in the way. I dropped down into the deep one then skirted above the rest and thru the saddle and down to my water then retraced back. 7 hours, 13 miles and all easy gain except for 2 or 300. Backpackers could set up camp where I stashed my water and take a hike up the NW ridge of Silver Lake BM. I posted a track on peakbagger under the BM. Posted 2023.
- ⦁ SILVER LAKE BENCHMARK el 3773 - I made a loop from the north in easy washes and ridges. I took the smooth road in from Silver Lake ruins on highway 127. It goes along the wilderness boundary and meets a power road and goes across then parallel. I took the next connecting road to get back to the power road then a mile on that to a road that goes to peak 1927. I only had a mile of washboard. I walked up a wash on the east of the peak and thru a saddle at N35 23894, W115 59266 then got on the right bank at N35 23609, W115 58858. I followed the easiest ground around peak 994 then up the canyon north of peak 956. I went up a ridge at N35 23173, W115 59067 then easily stayed left of bumps to the summit. I then walked to the south saddle of peak 1154 then dropped west and moved right to an easy ridge down to the wash. I went down to a fork at N35 23069, W116 00139 and went right then stayed left over a saddle then down the easy wash. At N35 22952, W116 01489 I got on the right bank and it took me to the mega wash leading back. I took a left fork at N35 23796, W116 00922 for the last part. 6 hours, 11 miles and less than 1000 strenuous gain. I put a track on peakbagger April 2024.
Pavement in the sky 
Easy canyon to Cronise BM
