Meadow Valley Mountains, Nevada

Indian trail heading toward Bunker BM

 

The Meadow Valley Road accesses the east side. It runs north from Moapa along RR tracks for 8 miles to a gravel plant where pavement ends. Cars can go on a couple miles then it turns to easy 4wd. The first RR crossing after the plant is the one to take to get on the west side because the second one is a low trestle. I was picking up a good Verizon signal along that first 3 or 4 miles beyond pavement. Posted 2024.

• BUNKER BENCHMARK el 4141 is the high point of the Bunker Hills. A good loop goes up the south canyon and down the east side on Indian trails. Take the Meadow Valley Road to the end of pavement then go another 5 miles to a fence at N36 51331, W114 40117. I could have drove a car all but the last 2 or 3 miles and ebiked it. Walk up canyon on the north edge and soon there is a fall. I went up a risky chute but it's safer to go up on the north bank to get around. Go on up and turn north at peak 2921. I had to go around the west side of the peak to dodge a fall. The reading is 51230, 44027. I went up that little canyon for 600 feet then took a trail on a tiny ridge to get into the main fork going north. Turn right at 52337, 44648 el 3200 to get south of the peak then go up a ridge at 52552, 44481 to get on the south ridge. I left my pack on the ridge then went up and came back down to the saddle north of peak 3742. I dropped down the drainage to the first little drop then went right to get on the ridge then down to the wash. At 52621, 43392 there is a faint trail on a smooth ridge. I went on down to 52685, 42951 where the trail vanished. I kept going down to 52634, 42598 then hit another trail at 52610, 42141. I walked it to 52593, 41605 then 52485, 41311 then at  52369, 40512 it goes down a ridge left of center to the road. A bike stashed there would have saved me a mile back to the start. Not counting the road walk, it took 6 hours, 8 minutes and 11.4 miles with 2300 gain but the first 1400 is easy washes. I put a track on peakbagger. The last bit of trail gets rocky. Posted 2024.
• FARRIER WASH INDIAN TRAIL -  this trail runs north of the wash and likely connects to Arrow Canyon. I walked it west from the Meadow Valley Rd then back along the wash. I took the Meadow Valley Rd to the end of pavement the went another 1.3 miles and parked just south of Farrier Wash. I rode my  Zizzo on north and soon there is a RR crossing but bikes can stay on the east side for another mile then pass under a low trestle and on to a wash at N36 49656, W114 39593. I walked a fifth mile up the wash and the trail is obvious going up the right bank. In a few feet it forks, I stayed left on to a wash crossing at 49543, 40903. It runs up a minor wash for .14 mile then goes up on the left bank. It stays low along the right side of hills to 49718, 41473 then enters a wash at 49792, 41729. I stayed in the wash then turned left up a gully at 49783, 41948. I went up it 300 feet then left to the rim then went right to the trail at 49793, 42105. It goes down to a wash then I went up that to the trail at 49662, 42780 then on to 49575, 43044 then to 49580, 43366 then it goes a third mile to the rim of Farrier. I dropped down to the wash but that's a boring OHV route. It's better to stay on the rim and walk it down to near peak 2132 then cut over the south bank at 47954, 40891. Then walk along the edge and soon a trail crosses then there is a small rock ring. Next, a hill is in the way so I veered right to a ridge at 48287, 40193 and it has a rock ring at the base. I walked the ridge staying on the right edge on to a point then left down a gully a gully to the tracks and my cycle. Another trail is running the base there. 4 hours, 9 or 10 miles, hardly an noticeable gain. I had a Verizon signal on the rim of Farrier. Posted 2024.
• MEADOW VALLEY MOUNTAINS high point el 5700 is informally known as Cathedral Peak. Take US 93 to mp LN 7.6. Turn onto the graded Kane Springs Rd and go nearly 11 miles to a short side road at N37 02984, W114 50170. You can see the entire route from there. Walk to a minor ridge at 02407, 49379 el 3250. Follow that as it swings left and goes all the way to the main canyon mouth. Go up canyon until walls close in at el 4600. Here it's best to use sheep trails up on the left bank. When those fizzle out you come back to the creekbed and it really goes parabolic. Aim for the main saddle at 01688, 47666 el 5200. Now go up the easy ridge to the summit block. A class 3 crack on the SW side at 01860, 47573 is the easiest route up. It's not dangerous. 5 hours and 6 minutes, 2800 gain. Plane wreckage is along the way. I found a pair of Craftsman locking pliers clamped on one piece. An RV pullout is along the graded road nearly a mile in from US 93. Posted 2015.
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