Trigo Mountains Wilderness

Needles Eye and Bobbin in the background

White Rock Canyon

First rappel in Bridge Canyon

• A west side road accesses the area. Use the exit for highway 78 west of Blythe. Go south, no turns, and cross a river bridge where the road becomes River Rd. It goes 8 more miles to the end of pavement where RVs can camp with TV and VZ signals. A graded road continues south another 7 miles then it's 4wd on thru to Yuma. Another way in is a graded road at mp 77.5 on highway 78 just south of Palo Verde. Many peaks on this page are in the Yuma Proving Ground. The policy in effect seems to be "don't ask, don't tell", but the Army isn't liable if anything goes wrong. OHVs penetrate miles into it and hunters are legally allowed in. The peaks are in good condition but burros have trashed everything else to varying degrees. A wilderness it ain't. Posted 2019.
• MOHAVE PEAK el 2768 is the high point of the Trigo Mtns and well inside the YPG. The west canyon on the south side of peak 2195 is easy then the SW side works for the summit block. The best approach I found is a well used jeep road running thru Crazy Woman Wash from the NW. I saw two jeeps and two ATVs on it. They said they ride thru there all the time. A 4wd road goes to it from the Cibola dump, but a much better road starts at mp 6.1 on River Rd. Go 5 miles on it to a T then go left on a wide road for .4 mile then go right for a fifth mile to N33 20607, W114 34819 which is where the sign is for the YPG, which everybody ignores. The road goes on another mile and a half then enters the wash at 20643, 33662 el 750 where rocky patches slow things down. It's easy 4wd that far but would be 8 miles to the peak. There's nothing to stop a jeep going all the way thru and then they apparently turn north to the public road cuttting across the YPG, but I didn't go that way. Parking at the YPG boundary would mean a 9 or 10 mile hike one way. Backpackers would find water at the Louie Coor guzzler reading 19188, 31777. It had fish in it. The biggest pool I saw was at 17645, 31780 and 3 feet deep. More smaller ones were just past it. A parallel canyon had a big pothole at 18591, 32108. That canyon could work as a return route, but has rocky stretches. The west canyon had bathtub size pools starting at 16588, 30109 and burros can't get to those. Another approach is the Black Diamond Mine road. It's closed at the wilderness boundary at el 750 but signs are long gone and everybody keeps driving. Jeep tracks go all the way to Lopez Wash. I saw potholes on that route, the best one at 14878, 31729 because it's hard for burros to get at. A grand loop could be done up Crazy Woman and out Lopez. I would drink any of the water after filtering, but it had rained two weeks earlier. Christmas or Thanksgiving would be good times to go when there's nothing going on. The reg was placed in 1993 by a Sierra Club group. It had six entries since. Posted 2019.
• CRAZY WOMAN PEAK el 2007 is what I call the crag peak on the north side of Crazy Woman Wash. Use an easy 4wd road at mp 6.1 on River Rd. It follows an Indian trail that is still visible despite the burro onslaught. Go 5 miles on it to a T then go left on a wide road for .4 mile then go right for a fifth mile to the sign for the YPG, which everybody ignores. The road goes on another mile and a half then enters the wash next to the Indian trail. Walk from there to a flat at N33 20764, W114 33445 el 750 then on to the bank of a wash at 20881, 33208 el 800. Walk that into a canyon then go up to class 3 rock at 20936, 32141 el 1200. Climb up that to get into a bedrock gully and go up to the NE saddle at 20786, 32000 el 1800. An obvious class 3 route goes up to the summit cairn but has one exposed move. Take a 20 foot line for the squeamish. Sheep go up, how hard can it be? 4 hours with 1000 noticeable gain. For an alternate descent, the south canyon has huge potholes up to swimming pool size. Aim for the canyon at 20382, 31831 el 900 then walk downstream past the potholes back to the start. I found the potholes on a separate hike. The wide road goes to Cibola but has bad crossings. The Indians were likely walking to Mohave Tanks. I've seen grinding holes there. Posted 2019.
• BOBBIN PEAK el 2562 is north of Needles Eye Peak. Take River Rd to mp 7.1 and turn on easy 4wd reading N33 18758, W114 39707 el 250. Go 4 and a half miles, keeping right at a tricky fork along the way, and go left up a wash at 18999, 35240 el 700. Mtn bikes could make it that far. Go half a mile up the wash where a slide blocks vehicles. The route up is obvious, the following waypoints are for hikers who might want to do it in a blizzard. Walk on up the wash and go left on a trail at 18777, 34578 el 800 and stay on the low ground to a sheep route at 18803, 33908 el 1050 that runs on a shelf along the base of a cliff. A bee hive was about 2 or 300 feet further along at the base, so it might be better to stay low to get past it. Just follow the shelf along the cliffs to the north saddle el 2150 then go up the ridge until it gets ugly then angle to the right up to 18639, 33427 el 2400 and on to the reg at 18606, 33383. That took us 3 and a half hours with 1500 noticeable gain. The bees didn't strike until the descent, but I was wearing yellow by then. I got two stings, but I've had worse mosquito bites. These are wuss bees. The road goes on to the Hart Mine then on to the Black Diamond Mine road, but there are many sharp dips. Posted 2019.
• HART MINE ROAD - this good road starts at the end of pavement on River Rd. It goes 3 miles to a large quarry, not the Hart Mine shown on the topo. Then a 4wd road cuts over to the Black Diamond Mine road. Posted 2019.
• NEEDLES EYE PEAK el 2539 is what I call the Chocolate Benchmark. It's the most dramatic peak in the area. Go south on River Rd for about a mile south of the end of pavement to a main fork. Go left on graded road for 2.3 miles then go left 1.3 miles to a main wash. Go 2.2 miles to the end of the legal road and walk up a left fork near there reading N33 16322, W114 35365 el 750. After a fifth mile there are potholes and a trail on the left bank bypasses them. Go on to a left fork at 16347, 34891 el 850 and on toward the peak and climb out on the right at a fall 16436, 34402 el 950. Keep going along the main creekbed using the right bank to bypass an occasional fall or boulder jam but stay near the creekbed. The canyon goes parabolic and tops out at a flat el 1750 a half mile south of the peak. Go left toward the peak keeping right of a crag. Go behind the crag to a saddle el 2100 then another saddle at 16554, 33792 el 2200. Drop a little and walk to the SE saddle of the peak to an easy class 3 chute at 16705, 33763 el 2300 then go up to the peak 16763, 33793. The final block has some more class 3. M&L placed a reg in 1981. No one had signed in since my visit in 2008.  5 hrs,1800 gain. 2wds and mtn bikers would have a 7 hour hike. Backpackers could use the potholes at 16342, 35151 el 750. They run for a tenth mile and up to 3 feet deep. They looked OK but floods will send burro poop into them. Burro impact was light but that can change. Posted 2019. PEAK 1744 can be hiked from the same parking area. Use a trail at 16359, 35522 el 750 that starts up a canyon. Stay in the main canyon past huge potholes as it circles to a saddle at 16169, 35686 el 1050. Then go directly up on steep bedrock and a faint sheep trail to a gully at 16158, 35818 el 1400. Go up that to the crest at 16186, 35869 el 1500 then it's just a stroll for a fifth mile NW to the reg. Placed in 1999, it had no entries since. 2 hours with 800 noticeable gain. All the bedrock makes this a pleasant hike. One of the big pothholes at 16261, 35492 el 850 is inaccessible to burros, though they rarely visit the canyon anyway. Posted 2019. PEAK 2020 is to the south. Walk the jeep road which is running along the east bank. At the next side canyon, get on the high right bank at 15965, 35212 el 800. The bank ends in a tenth mile then a constructed trail goes on a fifth mile to a big waterhole that burros can't get at. Walk past it on the left then up canyon to a right fork at 15717, 34662 el 900. Go up that to the valley at the foot of the peak. Only one easy route is in view and it's up the SW ridge. I went thru a saddle at 14844, 33947 el 1300 then up to an obvious saddle el 1500 on the SW ridge. There are no big dips on the ridge all the way to the reg at 15028, 33707 with no entries since 1999. Surveyor junk is past it. 4 hours, 800 noticeable gain. Posted 2019.
• BLACK DIAMOND PEAK el 1920, next to the Black Diamond Mine, is what I call the high point of the wilderness. A class 3 gully goes up the west side. Go south on River Rd for 2 and a half miles beyond pavement to where the road bends right. Stay straight on easy 4wd for .6 mile to a mega wash reading N33 15519, W114 39552. Go 2 miles up the easy wash, staying right at forks, to a fall at the end of the road el 350. We climbed the fall just to prove that we're men, but there's a trail at 15314, 37814 on the south bank that's faster. Keep going east on the low ground past a peak with a double eye then next is a crag. Follow a trail along the left side of it in a wash and go on using trails to a minor saddle at 14847, 37169 el 650. Go thru on a trail then up a fork at 14804, 37004 el 650 that goes over a saddle el 750 into another canyon to the south. I call that Bridge Canyon. Burro impact is almost nonexistent by this time, and you'll start to think you're in a real wilderness. 5 minutes downstream is a major fall with a bridge. But go upstream and stay right at main forks to the end at a saddle on the west ridge reading 14408, 36193 el 1200. Go up the ridge using bedrock to the right of center all the way to cliffs blocking the way at the summit block. Go left along the base on faint trails to a palo verde tree at the final gully reading 14613, 35902 el 1700. A minor fall blocks the gully, but 50 feet beyond the tree are at least two class 3 chutes to get above the fall then it's simple to go up to the cairn at 14643, 35873. That took us 5 hours with nearly 1000 feet of strenuous gain, but no backsliding. It would only add an hour to rappel back down Bridge Canyon. The canyon has some potholes upstream from the technical section, the biggest was bathtub size at 14663, 36714 el 750 and no sign of burros ever, but occasional burros have been upstream of it. Vic Hanson posted a GPS track on peakbagger.com, but it doesn't show the best trail I found later. Posted 2019.
• BRIDGE CANYON RAPPELS - three fun rappels are in a short section of the canyon. They're not quite vertical and have easy launches and good anchors. Start at the same parking spot as the Black Diamond Peak hike and use the same trail at N33 15314, W114 37814 on the south bank. Keep going east on the low ground past a peak with a double eye then next is a crag. Follow a trail along the left side of it in a wash and go on using trails to a minor saddle at 14847, 37169 el 650. Go thru on a trail then up a fork at 14804, 37004 el 650 that goes over a saddle el 750 into Bridge Canyon. Walk down the creekbed for 5 minutes to the first drop. It's 90 feet with an anchor 25 feet back. A bridge is at the bottom. An escape route heads up the south rim there. The next 2 drops are shorter then some class 3 is next to get down to the bottom. Soon there is a trail on the left bank. Use that to get to another trail on the left bank of a side draw at 14604, 37279 el 500. Follow that up over a low saddle el 650 and it joins the approach route then retrace back to the start. That took me less than 3 hours with 4 or 500 feet of noticeable gain, not steep. I used a 200 foot rope and a pull cord and about 20 feet of webbing. I ran out of webbing at the last drop and used pull cord. A 150 foot rope and pull cord with 25 feet of webbing should do it. Using a 200 foot rope doubled over would mean using a scary horn at the lip of the big fall, or extending the anchor I used but that would be an eyesore. It would be hard to get trapped in this canyon. Posted 2019.
• WHITE ROCK CANYON is what I call an interesting canyon on the west slope. A loop can be done starting in the same mega wash where the Black Diamond Peak hike starts. Drive that route until the last mile then walk up a fork at N33 15559, W114 38484 el 300. Go up canyon to a trail at 15631, 37173 el 600 that goes up a left fork. In a tenth mile it goes over a saddle el 650 then goes down on the left side of the drainage and hits bottom. Walk on down canyon and get on the right bank at 16175, 38038 el 400. In another tenth mile there is a shallow narrows that runs for a quarter mile. Walk thru it for a thrill then there is a shorter one at 16128, 38460 el 350. Now just walk south over a bench to a trail at 15766, 38387 el 350 that goes back into the starting wash. That took 2 hours and nothing steep. A corpse could do this hike. Don't be suprised to see me on it when I'm dead. Posted 2019.
• LOPEZ WASH cuts a deep gorge thru the wilderness. Various loops can be done. Drive south on River Rd for nearly 7 miles from the end of pavement to where the graded road ends. Keep going on a crude road for 1.3 miles to a fork at a kiosk. Go left for 1.4 miles and park on the west bank of the wash reading N33 13035, W114 38404 el 400. Mtn bikes can make it. Drop down on a trail and walk down the wash and exit on a trail at 13374, 38319 then go north a third mile to another wash. Get on the left bank at 13760, 37971 and go east toward a mine road going up a minor ridge. Follow that road as it winds thru rugged terrain and ends at a boring mine. Walk a 100 feet more to a rubbly gully and go down that to the canyon floor. We  then went up the other side of the canyon on a trail and on thru the main saddle at 13739, 35689 el 850 and down the wash to a minor fall. A class 3 ledge goes down the right side of the fall then it's a short walk to Lopez Wash. But for the mines, don't go down. Instead, go left to a tunnel at 13128, 35524. It has ladders and skylights. Follow a road down from there to Lopez Wash. The next tunnel is on the right bank at 13036, 35517 with some wooden chutes in it. On the opposite bank is a wench and trail going up the drainage to a huge tunnel. A shaft in that one has a wooden cover. Follow the wash back to the start. One more peculiar mine ruin is on the right wall way downstream. That took us 5 hours, 20 minutes with hardly any strenous gain. Someone cut the refuge fence making it possible to drive into Lopez Wash. The wash is soft gravel and burros keep it that way. The road goes on down the west rim of the wash to a washout at 13790, 39459, but there's another road where someone cut the refuge fence making it possible to drive into Lopez Wash. Posted 2019.
• COXCOMB MINES are south of Lopez Wash. Drive south on River Rd for nearly 7 miles from the end of pavement to where the graded road ends. Keep going on a crude road for 1.3 miles to a fork at a kiosk. Go left for a mile to a T then go right for a fifth mile and park at a bad spot el 400. Walk south down the road to a major wash and go up that to a road on the left bank at N33 11896, W114 36740 el 600. The road goes to the mine area with a camp at 12227, 36650 el 650. A winch is at 12404, 36705 el 750. A high mine is above that at the top of a talus slope, but I skipped it. Around the corner is a tunnel at 12307, 36548 el 750 with rails and a gelatin box. Not just any old gelatin, extra strength gelatin. Next to it is a workshop in solid rock with a steel door. The last mine of interest has a road at 12270, 36353 el 700 that goes thru a canyon and circles up to a shaft in a saddle reading 12251, 36197, el 900. It has a homemade ore bucket. For Coxcomb Benchmark el 1030, retrace back down the major wash and exit at 12070, 37639 el 500 and go up to a saddle el 750. It's obvious how to go on up to the reg at 12352, 37791. A fast way back down is to circle around to the north side of the summit block to a trail that goes to a saddle at 12369, 38168 el 750 then move right onto a ridge that goes down to the start. 4 or 5 hours and the only strenous gain is the 500 up to the BM, but that can be skipped. This area has the worst burro impact and is strictly for hikers who don't mind looking at endless piles of shit. Posted 2019.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

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  Huge pothole at peak 1744
  

  

  
  

  

   Lopez Wash

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Abbey Road covered in full

Death Valley, east side

Tunnel near the Graham Mine

Graham Mine camp

Moorehouse Mine

The Wonder Mine. The main wonder is how they built a road up there.

A clue in the photo reveals that this started out in life as a car or truck engine.

IBEX BENCHMARK el 2557 has an easy north ridge. An Indian trail goes thru the north saddle. I parked on the highway at mp 39.2 and got on the trail at 45963, 19487 and on to 45881, 19640 then it fades for a mile and reappears at 45205, 20596 and goes a fifth mile to the saddle. Then it's an easy ridge until the last bit where I angled right on stable slopes to the west ridge then up. 4 hours, 800 noticeable  gain. Posted 2023.

MOOREHOUSE MINE has some old trails. Turn off highway 127 at mp SBD 39.6. Go north about 3 miles to a fork, then keep right for over 2 miles to the mine camp at Ibex Spring. Take the road around the west side of the camp and park at fork at N35 46549, W116 24982 el 1250. There is a camp spot a tenth mile before the fork. The road this far is easy 4wd except for one tricky gully crossing where a bridge washed out decades ago, but it was easy that day. The right fork ends at the mine in a third mile, but that's the return route. Hike the eroded left fork up into a main saddle el 1500 which is to the left of white tailings. Now you can see a trail to the left going along the ridge. Take that trail and soon it drops into a bright canyon draining west to the big valley. It soon goes along the left slope as it drops down to some diggings then on to the main valley. Now turn north up the valley for a fifth mile to a large wash that goes back to the main saddle. Go up the wash to a trail on the left bank at 46822, 25288 el 1450 that goes to the saddle. It's worth it to go up the white tailings from the saddle to the main mine then down the road back to the start. 2 or 3 hours, not steep. One good side trip is the WONDER MINE. After dropping into the big valley, aim for a smooth bench at 47525, 26082 then walk that to a trail at 47892, 25856. Go left on that a short way to the eroded road that goes up canyon to the mine at 48363, 24640 el 2400. The road will fade in the creekbed then reappear again on the left bank just before the mine. A trail at 48382, 24637 el 2500 goes up 100 feet to the mine stuff. On the way out, I dropped left off the road at the canyon mouth and walked the creekbed. Two minor falls were easy to pass on the right, then I went on to the trail and followed it back along the base and into the main wash that goes to the white tailings. This side trip will take 3 hours, not steep. Posted 2018.

• MCLAIN BM el 4300 is near Ibex Pass. Take highway 127 to mp INYO .50 then go west on easy 4wd for about 3 miles to a canyon mouth. Stay right at one tricky fork. Hike the mine road into the mouth reading N35 49249, W116 23052 el 2800. Follow  the road to the end at the Comet Mine el 3700. Now you have to get on the ridge next to the mine. I had to drop down some tailings on the north side to get on a slope to the top. Then walk the easy ridge. About a half mile before the peak there is a bump in the way. Walk left around it into a major saddle el 4000 then up to the BM at 50051, 24145. I went back down to the major saddle then dropped down into the canyon that goes back to the start. One minor fall is easily passed on the right. 3 hours, 1500 gain. Posted 2015. In 2020, I returned by a better route. I walked south from the summit on the main ridge for 3/4 mile to peak 1281 meters which I call Mammoth Peak. A 30 foot rock circle is there with an inner rectangle. Don't let it get disturbed as it might be of Indian origin. I descended the east ridge reading 49426, 24062 el 4150. At a saddle el 3600 a crag got in the way so I dropped down to the right and hit a mine road then walked south past the Mammoth Mine and out to the flats and back to the start. That version took 4 hours. Posted 2020. 
• GLADSTONE MINE is in the middle of the Ibex Wilderness. A loop can be done from the Eclipse Mine because it has the only legal road for access. Turn off higway 127 at mp INYO 5.5 and follow easy 4wd along the left side of a quarry. It goes 5 miles then turns bad at a white mine. I parked there and walked to a cairn on a minor ridge at N35 50558, W116 22997 el 3000. I went up the ridge then moved left near the top to get over the rim then down to an easy wash. I went up that and got on the right rim at 50582, 23448 el 3350 then on to a saddle at 50689, 23556 el 3400 where I could see a road below. I walked up the road to a fork el 3650. Left goes to mines, but I stayed right thru a white saddle and followed the road to a white mine at the end. I dropped down a main wash there and came to a narrows with a minor class 3 drop. After that I came to harder drops. The right rim passes it all, but it's more scenic to go up to a saddle on the left at 51440, 24029 el 3250 and drop into the next fork and stroll on thru the narrows. It opens up and I came to rock house ruins on the left bank. A few feet more there is a side canyon. The right rim of that is a route to the Gladstone Mine but too rocky, so it's preferable to go on down to a wash at 51552, 23299 that leads to the road to the mine. It tops out at a divide where I went down the main wash and got back on the road at 51964, 23282 and on to the mine at the end. A 3 room ruin is next to the road then rock house ruins sit on a hand built road that ends in another 200 feet at a tunnel. I retraced back out on the road to a main wash at 51363, 23018 el 2750. I went a third mile up that to a main fork then left for a third mile where there is an option to go left for a shortcut but it's too rough. It's better to stay straight back to the minor ridge with the cairn near the start. 5 hours with hardly any strenuous gain. Posted 2020, 2022.
• IBEX PEAK el 4750 is the high point of the Ibex Hills. Take highway 178 to mp 30.8 and turn on a crude  road. Go a mile and a quarter to a wash el 3000 with closed signs. Walk up that to a road at N35 53752, W116 26525 el 3150 then go up that for 2/3 air mile to a fork el 3450. Go right into a wash then go up the main bed for half an air mile where the road exits up the left bank. There's a better road another 100 feet up the wash. It merges with the other one and tops out in a saddle el 3900. Then go up the ridge and stay left around a bump just before the summit. The reg is at 52726, 25006.  3 hours, 1800 gain. The road ends in half a mile at a camp with a view. Posted 2017.
• IBEX PEAK EAST APPROACH - the most scenic route for this peak is to go west up the canyon to Sheephead Spring then over the peak and down the east ridge. Turn off higway 127 at mp 9.6 and go 5 miles on the graded Furnace Wash Rd and set up camp at a point. Then drive to mp 5.5 on highway 127 and follow easy 4wd for 2 and a half miles to a small hill. Park there then ride a bike for a dozen miles back to camp and do the hike the next day. Walk the flats to a wash at N35 54284, W116 22165 and it leads to the spring. A narrows at the 840 meter line has minor falls that stop 4 wheelers. Somebody drove all the way up there to find out the hard way. At the spring there is a trail that goes up on the right bank at 54040, 24417 then it's an easy ridge to a drainage at 53309, 25010. Go up that to a saddle at the end then on up the ridge to 52869, 24952 el 4650. Level off there along the left side of a bump then the peak is next where the easy descent ridge is obvious. Then drop to the south saddle and go a few feet more to the easy ridge at 52569, 24914. Go down to a saddle el 3750 at a bright hill then left down an easy ridge and hit a main wash between cliffs at 52667, 24176. A half mile down the wash is a short narrows. Go thru and a few feet more is steep route up the right bank. Go over and drift left down a ridge and it will split. Stay left into the canyon and walk it out. 7 and a half hours, 3000 gain but nearly half is up the easy wash. The app said 13 miles. The spring had a tiny flow and tamarisk had been cut down. Backpackers could use it but take a pocket saw to clear out tamarisk that is growing back. Sheep use this so give them room. I saw one. This is the best hike in the Ibex Wilderness. I put a track on peakbagger under Bob G. Posted Nov 2022
• PEAK 1034 is west of the Rusty Pick Mine. A good loop starts north on the road to the American Mine. A good high clearance road goes in from the Badwater Rd to a fork at point 921. Left is closed and goes to the American Mine. Right goes half a mile then is closed and is the return route. Stashing a bike there would save some at the end. I walked the left fork to N35 52949, W116 25705 where the road exits left out of the wash and over a divide and into a main wash. I went down that toward the Rusty Pick and thru a narrows then there is an option to shortcut over to the north ridge of the peak. But instead I got on the left bank at 51725, 26655 and walked high on it on down and then to good pavement at 51062, 26761 and on to the fork that leads to the peak. I went up the fork that circles north of prospects then up a ridge at 50606, 27867. I went up 200 feet then right across a gully to get on the easiest ridge up. I descended the north ridge into a canyon and at the mouth headed for 52481, 28442 then to the return road at 52737, 27783. 6 and a half hours, 13 miles and the only strain is the 600 up the peak. That could be eliminated by taking the shortcut and going up the easy north ridge but would miss some good pavement. In the future I'll do the loop and skip the peak or use the shortcut if doing the peak. The topo shows the roads and mines. Posted 2025
• SHEEPHEAD MOUNTAIN el 4275 - a loop can be done by way of Salsberry Spring. Take highway 178 to a pullout next to a downhill sign at mp 31.4. It's a half mile south of Salsberry Pass. Walk south on the road for 200 feet then get on the south bank of a deep gully and walk uphill for over a tenth mile and merge with an old road. Walk that into a canyon and go up that and soon it's obvious how to go up the ridge to the reg at N35 55200, W116 24615. Then walk the crest on a sheep trail for nearly half a mile and walk left around some crags into a deep saddle el 3800. A peak is in the way here, so walk around the left side of it going slightly downhill and on into a broad drainage then up along the left side of that to a ridgetop el 3900. Walk that to 55640, 25024 el 3900 then go down a ridge there to 55771, 25030 el 3650 where the route down to the spring is in view. It was dry, but had a stream years earlier. Then walk down the canyon a quarter mile and cut left thru a mine camp at 55986, 25308 el 3150 to get back to the pass where you left a mountain bike. A second car could be left at mp 33. The loop took me 3 hours with about 1500 gain and I had no shuttle at all. Posted November, 2017.
• SHEEPHEAD MOUNTAIN CIRCUMNAVIGATION - this is an easy one that just needs a topo on a phone. I parked along the highway near point 868 meters and walked up Bradbury Wash to Sheephead Pass then moved right to get down the other side on a ridge into a canyon. It has some class 2 drops then when I was passing north of peak 951 I went left over the rim and on to a nameless spring. It's best to circle right then go up the drainage to it. It's only a dry clump of mesquite. I walked the base on to the highway near peak 949 then rode a pedal bike 4 miles back to the start. 3 and a half hours for the hike and the bike ride was the only strenuous part. An ebike would make it easy but that's cheating. Good color, easy terrain, nearly pristine. Posted 2022.
• SALSBERRY PEAK el 4250+ makes for a good loop by way of Montgomery Spring. Take highway 178 to mp 34 and leave a car or bike there then drive over Salsberry Pass and park at mp 30 el 2800. Walk to a minor wash at N35 55357, W116 27486 el 2850 and follow along that on the low ground to a wide wash at 55776, 27551 el 3050. Follow that up to the east saddle at 56738, 27183 el 3950. About 500 feet before the saddle it's easier to climb up out of the creekbed and walk along the right slope into the saddle. A sheep trail goes up the ridge to the summit area where crags are easy to weave thru. The reg is at the south end. Retrace to the saddle and follow a sheep trail to get down into the canyon and walk to a sheep trail on the right bank at 56877, 26942 el 3500. It leads around the corner to a small cave containing the spring. It's a clear puddle with several drips into it and likely perennial. Go on down the canyon and exit on the right at 56972, 26638 el 3300. Keep going at that level for 400 feet to the next little ridge and go down that then it's obvious back to the highway. I went down the little ridge for 2/3 mile then cut thru a gap at 56774, 25548 el 2900 to get to my bike at mp 33. That loop took me 4 hours and there was only about 500 feet of gain that wasn't very easy. It's easiest to start at mp 30 for anyone wanting to go up and back the same way. Posted November, 2017.In 2019 I did the loop without a shuttle. I parked at mp 31.4 and dropped into a wash and walked down to 54751, 27056 where I cut over to the minor wash el 2850 and merged with the other route. That only took 4 and a half hours.
• EPAULET PEAK el 4765 - a loop can be made from Rhodes Spring to the NE ridge. Take the Badwater Rd to mp 54.2 and turn on easy 4wd. Stay left at a fork in a few feet then go on a mile to the end of the road at the spring el 1900, which is a hole with rough looking water. Hike NE up the valley to N35 56375, W116 20375 el 2300 then on to a canyon at 57405, 29895 el 2700. Go up canyon to a main fork at 58144, 30077 el 3000. Go left and stay right at main forks just past there in order to stay in the main wash. It bends left at 58557, 30258 el 3300 and goes up to a saddle on the NE ridge next to peak 1218 meters, reading 58757, 30714 el 3900. Go up the ridge right of center to skirt some outcrops then comes the final slope which is not nearly as rocky as it looks. A third mile before the summit, move left to skirt rocks. The reg is at 58365, 31466 in a plastic jar that won't last. It's obvious how to walk west on the main ridge for half an air mile and descend a bright ridge. I could see how I could drop to the right off the bright ridge into an easy canyon, but I had to be a hero and dropped into the canyon on the left side at a gully reading 58012, 31909 el 3350. Then I had two minor falls to skirt on their left side in that canyon. No big deal but the other canyon looked easier. Either way, once down at the flats get on a mine trail at 56265, 32672 el 2000. It goes over a saddle then down a wash and resumes at the flats and goes back to the start. 6 hours with nearly 3000 gain, but only 200 could be called steep. Top notch scenery. Sheep had just been in the descent canyon. The north side roads are closed, but that side is extremely boring anyway. I pity the hikers that walk in that way. A hiker using a phone with topo map on it wouldn't need hardly any coordinates. The route is obvious on the map. Posted 2018. LONG VERSION - from the summit the main ridge can be run to the Graham Mine then back to the start on the mine trail. I strolled to 58570, 31698 where I could decide whether to go over peak 1422 or skirt under it to the east. I chose the latter to avoid cold wind. I could see an easy ridge down to my right and so I took that down to a basin then up a fork back to the main ridge on the west side of peak 1422 then over the next peak. I went down to 59094, 32938 and could see the route below on down to a main saddle. I dropped to the right and stayed low to merge back on the ridgetop above the mine. The trail runs down a smooth ridge left of the mine at 58626, 33279 and goes to the wash. I walked the wash on down to the trail at 56723, 32982 and on to 56383, 32759 then 55915, 32162 and the last leg at 55878, 31747 near the start. That took 8 hours and the extra gain not very steep. I would not reverse this. I put a track on peakbagger in 2025.
• GRAHAM MINE TRAIL - miners laid out an easy trail from Rhodes Spring to the mine.  Take the Badwater Rd to mp 54.2 and turn on easy 4wd. Stay left at a fork in a few feet then go .6 mile and park. This road is mtn bikeable. Walk the flats to N35 55918, W116 32179 el 1800 where the trail is dipping into a major wash. Go NW up the wash for .3 mile where the trail exits up the right bank and goes thru a low saddle el 2000 then on to a valley where I lost it. I found it again at 56539, 32874 el 2000 where it crosses a low ridge into the next canyon where sheep had been hanging around. Go up canyon to a trail on the left bank at 57966, 33437 el 2850 that skirts minor falls then follow the main wash to a fork at 58485, 33185 el 3300. The right fork goes for 3 minutes to a clean tunnel in solid rock on the left bank. The left fork goes 300 feet to a mine camp el 3400. A trail goes up from there to the Graham Mine at 58660, 33346 el 3700, a bottomless shaft. It's only a short way up to a good view and the energetic could keep going to Epaulet Peak. 5 hours and only the last 300 feet of gain gets steep. It would be the same mileage to hike directly up from the highway, but very monotonous. Anyone starting at the spring could pick up the trail at 55875, 31649 el 1850 then 55924, 31853 el 1900 then on to the major wash. No one had walked this in decades, but someone started to fence off the shaft but stopped.  A heavy metal object is on the flats at 55795, 32001. Posted 2018.
• For the DESERT HOUND TRAIL, drive to mp 50.1 on the Badwater road in southern Death Valley. Turn on an easy 4wd road and go nearly a mile and a half to the end. Head for a bench at N35 56012, W116 34725  keeping to the left of a rock field. Go on up canyon to 57273, 34913 which is the trail to Virgin Spring. But go up the wash to the right of the trail to 57289, 35037 where you go up the slope on the right and pick up the Desert Hound Trail. Follow this as it goes along the right slope of the wash and up into a saddle. Keep going up the ridge and you'll hit the trail soon again. At about 3100 feet ignore a spur trail going left and don't be tricked by it on the way down. The trail eventually drops into a wash. Get on it again on the other side at 57784, 36062. Soon it drops into another wash then exits on the left about 200 feet upstream. It soon fades so head for 57802, 36300 where it goes up steeply then veers left to the right of a big cairn. Now it goes along on the level across a minor saddle to 57925, 36540 and then on to a wash nearly 200 feet deep. The trail goes down the nose to the left then into a wash and resumes on the left bank at 57952, 36817 and on to the mine at 57975, 37557 el 3900. Old artifacts here include a Coleman type stove. More stuff is further along. On the way back, detour over to the spring at 57217, 35122 and walk out on the right side trail back to the main Virgin wash. About 7 hours for the whole trip and about 3000 gain. A hiking book says you get all scratched up but I had no trouble. ALTERNATE DESCENT - in 2025 I returned down the canyon east of peak 1187 and on down past Charlies Mine. There is nothing harder than class 3. I dropped in at 57814, 36679 and went on down easily dealing with minor drops. At a big drop I went up a little on the left to 57314, 36396 then down a point to the next fall and then up to the west rim. I walked that to 57241, 36310 then down a gully on the left. More little drops are easy then at the mouth could have walked the east rim down to a second vehicle at mp 49, but I didn't have one so I walked down a ridge to a cleared circle at 55952, 35912, likely Indian, and then left on a trail to the next ridge and then on to my truck on the 4wd road about a half mile in from pavement. This whole hike took 8 hours and a dozen miles with a little over 3000 gain. But I didn't go all the way to the mine and went up Desert Hound Peak instead. My GPS tracking went out near the peak so I made a second track for the descent and put both on peakbagger in 2025.
• PEAK 1027 is SW of Epaulet Peak and is an easy loop. Drive to mp 50.1 on the Badwater road in southern Death Valley. Turn on a primitive rd and go nearly a mile and a half to the end east of peak 602. Ebikes might work. I walked up the canyon that leads to the east saddle. At the 860 line I got on the right rim and soon saw a cleared circle. Too big for sheep, but what else could it be? I soon saw a rock ring at N35 57565, W116 33745 then a suspicious one at the summit reading 57500, 34144. I walked back down the east rim of the canyon toward peak 602 and saw a fire ring size circle along the way. 4 hours, 11 minutes with 1900 easy gain. Don't let the rings get disturbed. Posted 2024.
• CONFIDENCE HILLS are along the west side of the Harry Wade Rd. A good loop goes up a mud canyon then over the high point.  Drive 4 miles from Ashford Well then walk to the canyon at N35 51165, W116 36381. Go up to a main fork at 50849, 36702. Left goes to mud slides blocking the way. Right goes to an exit at 50703, 37126 and just keep going up to the high point then back down to the start. 3 hours, 6 miles with 400 noticeable gain. Posted 2026.
• PEAK 933 meters is on the west side of Confidence Wash. I came up the wash from the Wade road intending to go over the summit then down the south canyon. But that canyon is blocked by falls at a main fork below the 500 line. So it's better to come in from highway 178 and head for the ruins on the topo which are 2 tunnel dwellings with furniture. Just up the wash is an easy ridge at N35 52549, W116 29472. It can be walked to get to the south saddle of the peak then up. I put a track on peakbagger showing the route and the the canyon specifics. It wouldn't take a lot of rope to rappell that canyon. Posted 2026
• SHEEP CANYON is best done one way with the option to go over Funeral Peak. I started along the Greenwater Road and took the standard route up the easy east ridge of the peak. Petroglyphs are at the foot of the ridge in a wash at N36 06768, W116 35456. Better ones are a tenth mile up the wash. I went on to the summit then down toward the saddle at the head of the canyon. It's easy downhill  travel on soft dirt. Just before the saddle I bent left on an obvious ridge that eventually enters the creekbed. Minor falls are easy to deal with then a bigger one is passed on the left using a sheep trail at 05302, 38540 el 4280. The next big falls are passed on the left thru a saddle at 05165, 39134 el 3700 then across a drainage and down a ridge at 05175, 39240 el 3600. That's the end of falls that have to be bypassed and then it gets rocky at the mouth. The left bank might work. I'll scout that later. I hit the Badwater Rd at mp 30.3 then had a 50 mile drive back to the start using the southern route, the last 16 being washboard that Subaru types can make. The hike took 8 hours, 23 minutes and 15 miles with 800 noticeable gain. A couple of drops 4 or 5 feet high could be called class 3, then the rest class 2 or 1. The big falls are all passed on the left. If a 70 year old can do it, how hard can it be?  The first part to the summit needs long pants. I intend to skip the peak from now on. I put a track on peakbagger. There was no sign of humanity until the 2400 line. But Michel Digonett was in there because I relied on his book. He made it sound a lot simpler. And of course Indians were in there. No water. Posted 2026
• MINE HILL el 2001 is what I call the one 3 miles north of Shoshone. A mine trail goes over it. Park at a wash a few feet north of mp 18.5 or drive down the wash a third mile to an old road going up the north end of the hill. It soon morphs into a trail and goes to a mine with timbers. The trail goes on another 5 minutes to a deep shaft. I went back to the timbers and took a trail on the right that goes on over the hill to a short tunnel facing south. The trail goes on down then I took a main wash back around the west side to the start. 1 hour, 300 gain. These mines aren't fenced. Posted 2026
• BROWN PEAK el 4947 - a loop can be done going up the standard west route then down the SW ridge. Take highway 127 to mp INYO 34.3 at N36 12592, W116 23366 and turn on an easy 4wd road. Go 7 miles on that and park. I parked at a camp spot reading N36 07338, W116 25851 el 3000. Walk to a canyon at 07407, 24502 el 2950. Go a tenth mile up that then angle up the left bank to get over into the next wash. Go on up canyon and take a left fork at 07037, 23837 el 3450. Follow that to the end at a saddle el 3750 then go up the ridge to 06887, 23366 el 4700 where you start up the summit dome. The reg is at 06917, 23138. Retrace back down to el 4400 and walk the SW ridge to a  saddle at 06489, 23592 el 4400. Go thru then down canyon and aim for a saddle at 05974, 24039 el 4200. Stay in the creekbed until reading .22 mile from that saddle then angle up to it and go thru and move left 300 feet to get on a smooth ridge down to the wash. Stay in the wash, no shortcuts, until another wash at 06928, 24781 3200 where you veer left back to the start. 4 and a half hours, 2000 gain, the last 400 is steep. This is a top notch hike. On my previous ascent, I went up and down the standard route and it took half an hour longer than the loop. Or maybe I'm just getting faster. Not likely. PEAK 4029 is the southernmost 4000 footer in the Greenwater Range. The north ridge is easy. Stay on the dirt road for 6.5 miles on over Deadman Pass and you'll hit the Furnace Creek Wash Rd. Go left for 6 miles then park and stroll the flats for 3 miles to a fork in a wash at N36 01586, W116 23746 el 3050. The rest is obvious. I went over the summit then down a ridge at 00920, 23336 el 3900 to get back down to the flats. 4 hours with 1000 noticeable gain. Some good pavement with big rocks dispersed on it is on the flats. Posted 2018.
• LEMONADE SPRING TRAIL - this trail is on the 1:100,000 topo. Drive up the Dantes View Rd for 4.4 miles from highway 190 to a small wash at 36 18358, 116 41114. Look for ducks on the ridge to the right of the wash. Follow this man made trail to the spring at N36 17683, W116 42562. Don't be fooled by the first pipe you see. The spring is in the next canyon to the right over the saddle. It had a trickle but it wasn't lemonade. Return down the canyon on smooth gravel with a couple of class 2 obstacles and one class 3 ten foot fall. You'll hit pavement  a couple hundred yards down from the start. 1000 gain, 3 hours.
•  MOUNT PERRY el 5700 is best done as a one way hike. Leave a car on the paved Dantes View Rd at N36 17108, W116 40560. Then drive on up to Dantes View and walk the rocky ridge trail to the summit at 16423, 43464. The trail skirts the biggest bumps. Come back a mile and go down at 15484, 43193 and walk smooth gravel back to the start. 5 hrs, about 1000 gain. ALTERNATE DESCENT- in 2026 I kept going from the summit on the main ridge to 16937, 43414 then followed sheep trails down a ridge to Lemonade Spring. Near the spring there are trails down to it which I missed, but one on the sat image is at about 17630, 42543. I filled up with cold lemonade then walked the wash down to Dantes road with on class 3 drop about 10 feet high a mile from the road. It's no big deal and can likely be bypassed. I had my cycle parked a bit over 4 miles in on the Dantes road at the canyon that drains down from the spring. That version took 5 hours and 8 miles and is way more scenic. A car and ebike that can do 15% grades is what's needed for the 9 mile ride up.  I put a track on peakbagger. 
• PEAK 4020 is one of the high ones on the east rim of Greenwater Canyon. A good route goes up the ridge from the Lila C Mine. At mp 40.6 on highway 127 there is a road with mild sand that goes over 5 miles to a roadblock at the mine el 2650. I walked on up the main road to a mine trail at N36 14134, W116 29685 el 2800. It goes to the ridgetop then levels off to the left to a 100 foot long tunnel el 3000. I stayed near that level sometimes losing a little to 13616, 29843 el 3100. I went straight up from there toward peak 3383 and soon hit pure rocks then bent left on easy ground to the ridgetop then at el 3450 it smoothed out. I went on to peak 3635 and dropped along the right side of that then on up the ridge dealing with a few bumps. I had a Verizon signal on to the summit at 12848, 32444. I took a direct path back in sandy washes.  4 hours, 8 minutes, 1700 gain. Posted 2023.

• PEAK 3600 is in the Greenwater Range just east of peak 3930. An ancient road goes to the top as the topo shows. A newer good road departs highway 190 at mp 134 and goes to a 4-way NW of point 2801. I could have drove a car that far but then it's 4wd going SE. In half a mile is a narrow spot that might stop jeeps. Ebikes and OHVs can on to N36 16582, W116 32459 then turn SW and go .7 mile then it's only half a mile to the ascent road. Or go only a fifth mile and turn up a wash to get closer than that. I had Verizon and could see everything. It's a 2 hour hike with 600 easy gain. Posted 2026  
• PEAK 4450 is on a plateau in the north part of the Greenwater Range. A loop can be done from the east. Turn off highway 190 at mp 134 and follow a good road to a quarry. Cars make it. 100 feet before the quarry, turn up a wash on an ebike or cycle and head for the canyon on the west side of peak 3930. An old road goes up the wash to a 4-way. I parked there and walked the road at N36 16828, W116 35319 and it goes into a wash. But I could have rode my 125 or an ebike up that wash and saved half a mile. But I walked on up it to get to the canyon. I stayed on the bank of the canyon to some bright rock where I could step down and walk the easy creekbed. I went up the main left fork to 16141, 35983 el 3640 where I went left an easy ridge to get on the rim near peak 3930. Staying in the canyon would mean hitting a large fall. It can be passed on the right but a lot of work. Once on the mesa I walked the east rim then south of peak 4260 and on to peak 4450. Peak 4480 is its neighbor and I put a track on peakbagger under that one. I followed the main easy ridge down to a chasm at 16779, 36332 and walked the rim of it back down to the flats and retraced back. Several pools are in that chasm that hold water for weeks. I walked up from the mouth to one at the first fall. 5 hours, 8 miles with 800 noticeable gain. Rocks weren't much of a nuisance. Posted 2026
• PEAK 5300 is east of Pyramid Peak. A class 2 route goes up the scenic west canyon. I parked on highway 190 at mp 130.2 and walked desert pavement to N36 20975, W116 34807 and followed the high ground into the  canyon then up to a fork at 22668, 33406 el 4300. I went right and stayed right at the next main fork then a third mile before the peak I got on the right rim. I stayed left of center and merged back to near the creekbed then on up to the summit at 22239, 33102. No reg that I could find. 5 or 6 hours, 2300 gain, not very steep. Posted 2023.
• NORTH GREENWATER RANGE TRAVERSE - a pristine one way hike can be done over peak 4450. The starting ridge is along the Dantes View road at N36 16500, W116 39876. I left my pack there and kept going to the Furnace Creek Wash Road and went 2.5 miles on that to a camp spot on the left with signs. I could have drove a car there that day. I then coasted back 3 miles on my Zizzo to my pack and started up. I stayed on center to peak 3780 then skirted high along the right side of that one then the ridge goes parabolic for 200 feet. But there are paths to zigzag up then on top I stayed low left around bumps then on to the west side of peak 4390 at 16221, 37418 then on to the high peak of the hike at 15490,37073. I then dropped SE to a smooth ridge at 15405, 36835 and stayed on that trajectory into a wash that led me around to peak 3930. I walked to the east rim near it at 16205, 35472 for a view then retraced back to a saddle on the rim at 14958, 36358 where I dropped down. But I soon saw that the north end of the saddle had a smoother descent. I hit a smooth wash at bottom and stayed in it most of the way to the road. Nearly 6 hours, 2000 gain, 11 miles. 3 miles and 80 minutes of that was the detour to peak 3930. Rocks are dispersed and rarely an issue. Reversing this would save 300 feet but it's an easy 300 so no big deal. Posted 2023 
• PYRAMID PEAK el 6703 has a steep hiker trail up the SE ridge. I did a traverse from the west and came down the trail. More gain but a lot more interesting. I parked at the west end of the trailer park slabs and coasted on my bike for 4.5 miles to mp 125.4 near Travertine Point. There is a sign to lock to. I walked up the main canyon to a fork. The right one goes to a good narrows. The left fork is the one for the peak. It has minor class 3 falls, the hardest being 8 feet high and nearly class 4. I went on up canyon to a right fork at N36 23472, W116 38656 el 4100. I went up that and it tops out and I went left to a saddle at 23358, 38466 el 4600.  Then up the ridge to a notch right of center at 23432, 38361. I leveled off for 200 feet then up along the right side of an arch to get on top. Then I went left of center and down a little thru a saddle and then stayed right of center to pass bumps all the way to the last saddle el 5000 before peak 6060. I then went up left to 23410, 37930 to get across a canyon then on to a saddle at 23379, 37622 el 5600. I went wrong here in 2026 by going too high and up to the rough main ridge. But the plan is to go thru the saddle and up the steep ridge to get on the summit ridge. Soon a crag is in the way ( I didn't try going over it ) so I dropped left to 23388, 37158 and up an 8 foot slab that is nearly class 4. Then there are options to go back to the top and over a knob then a game trail runs left of center. Or stay low to a rift that forces travel up to the game trail. The former may be easier. It's simple on to the summit then down the trail on the SE ridge. It goes right of crags then goes to center at 23313, 36573 then down to a saddle. It resumes behind the saddle at 23190, 36400 el 5950 and goes to a white saddle el 4600 and down to the right. At the flats is a faint road at 21837, 35841 that goes to the highway. In my notes from the 2012 trip it says 7 hours but that sounds off. More like 8 hours, 4300 gain and 10 miles. I put a track on peakbagger with notes where I went wrong near peak 6060. That's a major peak that seems to be missing from the peakbagger database.  I think I had a shot to make that peak if I wanted too. But it would be a real pain to go on to Pyramid from it. Posted 2012, 2026
• SCHWAUB PEAK el 6400 is east of Furnace Creek. Take the easy 4wd Echo Canyon road for about 10 miles to the end el 4100. Hike on up a mile to a big wash at N36 29978, W116 39990. Go up it as it curves right to a ridgetop at 29014, 40030 el 4900. The plan is to go up the ridge then come back in the canyon to the right of it but that descent route is optional. At about 5700 there is a minor crag in the way. Go left around it a short way then come back up and stay mostly right of crags to the reg at 28425, 39175. Come back down from the reg in a scree gully then at 28502, 39142 move right for a couple hundred feet to get on an easy little ridge that goes to the canyon bottom. Go on down canyon and out. 4 1/2 hours, 2400 gain. For WINTERS PEAK el 5000, park on the Echo Canyon road at a closure sign about 2 miles up from the narrows. Go up a smooth wash at 29893, 43985 all the way to the divide then go left to the summit at 31063, 45303. Easy grade to the divide then steepens at the last 400 ft. 3 hours, 1900 gain. Good views of the valley.
• THIMBLE PEAK el 6381 is accessed via the Titus Canyon road. Leave Beatty on highway 374 heading for Death Valley then turn just AFTER the sign for Titus Canyon. Go about 13 miles on a decent dirt road to Red Pass el 5300. This is the second pass. There is a hiker trail heading south up the ridge. It's easy to follow but there's a 300 foot deep saddle in the way. Go across the saddle then up to the summit. One 5 foot high class 3 step is the only obstacle. No reg in 2013. Under 3 hours, 1700 gain. All but the drivers would have the option of returning down the drainage heading north from the deep saddle, eventually hitting the road much lower. In April 2013 the Titus Canyon road was firm enough for mtn bikes, but that can change. I would start pedaling at the park entrance el 3600 about 2 miles in from 374. It's 11 miles and nearly all uphill to Red Pass with a little over 2000 gain then 15 miles of coasting to the highway on the floor. 
• GRAPEVINE PEAK el 8738 is the highest in the Grapevine Mountains. Take highway 374 from Beatty for 4 miles then turn at the sign for Rhyolite. Go 3/4 mile then left on another paved road. Follow that for 2 and a half miles to a main fork, which is right after a sharp right bend. You should be reading N36 53706, W116 51943. Go left for 8 and a half miles to a fork, staying on the main road which is decent high clearance 2wd. The fork is the Strozzi Canyon road at N36 58851, W116 55880. Go left for 2.7 miles and you'll see a road on the right climbing at a backward angle onto a bench. The Phinney Canyon road is on top of the bench. Follow that for nearly 9 miles to the best campsites in a pj forest at N36 57275, W117 06541 el 6600+. In another third mile is the short bad spot in the road el 6900. Rigs without lockers will have a tough time getting up. Then it's another 3/4 mile to the main saddle el 7500 with good camping. Hike the ridge from the saddle toward the peak. There are several bumps on the ridge, and you have to go nearly over the top of most. But one can be completely passed. At a saddle at N36 57668, W117 07590 el 7750,  just drop down a little on the left side to get on easier terrain and walk that level for a third mile where you then get into the next saddle which is 100 feet higher. There is spotty trail along the way. It's easier to find on the way back. Then stay close to the ridgetop all the way to the last saddle at N36 57808, W117 08321 el 7900. From there it's an easy ridge to the summit. 4 hours, 1600 gain, pj forest all the way. There is parking room near a mine just before the bad spot. That adds 700 of gain and nearly a mile one way if starting there. Some high clearance 2wds might make it to the bad spot, but it's over 20 miles to get help. No water. Wahguyhe Peak is not hard but Palmer is a tedious roller coaster. Posted 2013.  
• T89 HIGH BENCHMARK and it's higher south summit are worth a visit at the north end of the Grapevine Mtns, but I didn't keep a record of that hike. I'll get around to it again.

Rock circle at McLain BM

Peculiar figure on Epaulet

Devils Hole Hills

Chance BM

Indian trail running past Devils Hole Peak connecting Death Valley to the Spring Mtns.

• 
  This area of rugged little peaks is named on the USGS 5K map. Bell Vista Rd goes west from highway 160 at mp NY 13.8 and cuts thru the area and on to Death Valley Junction. It's paved but no mileposts. Ash Meadows NWR borders the west side. Sheep infest the peaks supplied with water by at least 4 guzzlers. Posted 2018.
• DEVILS HOLE PEAK el 4355 is what I call the rugged peak south of Rocky BM that is likely the high point of the range. A loop can be done up the west ridge and down the north. Turn off Bell Vista Rd at N36 18418, W116 11907 and follow a gravel road for 4 and a half miles to an easy 4wd road at 21744, 14545. Go 2 and a half miles on that to a wash el 2800 forking south. An Indian trail runs along that road. Walk up the wash then thru a low saddle and into the next canyon then up to a saddle at 22010, 11842 el 3100+. Now it's easy to follow sheep trails up the ridge to the reg at 21924, 11149. A guzzler is in view in the north canyon. To get down the north ridge, I retraced 150 feet from the summit to a gully then went a few feet down that then angled to the right to get on the ridge. I went on and descended a slope at 22356, 11277 el 3800. Soon I came to a fall then moved left on a shelf to get in the next gully and went down to an obvious trail exiting to the right to get back on the ridge. It was simple to walk the ridge past peak 3533 and down to the start. 3 and a half hours, 1600 gain. The north ridge has a couple of easy class 3 spots. A lot of dramatic cliffs are here. The road goes on another 8 miles to highway 160 at mp NY 22.8. Posted 2018.
• PEAK 4112 is south of Devils Hole Peak. A good loop hike uses the west canyons. Turn off Bell Vista Rd at N36 18418, W116 11907 and follow a gravel road for 2.8 miles to an easy 4wd road at 20331, 13672. Go east for 2.2 miles then walk a fifth mile to a canyon at 20723, 11470 el 2720. DON'T try to drive to it and make a big eyesore. It won't help on this loop anyway. Go up canyon and climb to the top of the left rim at 20330, 10970 el 3120 where the descent canyon is in view just below. Go up the rim to a sheep trail cutting left at 20216, 10639 el 3450. Walk that past a guzzler and on to a trail at 20141, 10333 el 3800 that goes up to the summit ridge then stroll to the reg at 20303, 10182. Placed by Vitz in 2007, no one signed in until 2018. For the return, walk west a short way to a sister summit and go along the right side of that on sheep trails and keep going west down the ridge to a saddle el 3620. Then drop left to the creekbed and walk down canyon and out. That's a pretty canyon. 2 and a half hours with 1100 noticeable gain. Posted 2018.
• ROCKY BENCHMARK el 4144 is at the north end of the range. Loop hikes can be done using the NW canyon. Take Bell Vista Rd to N36 20866, W116 18100 and follow the graded road east past Devils Hole for a couple miles and on out of the refuge on the graded road to a view of a lake bed. At that point, turn right on a crude road and follow that for 1.7 miles to N36 26988, W116 14392 then turn south and go about 3 miles to a narrows el 3050 at the end of the road in the NW canyon. Stay right at one main fork in the canyon on the drive in. A tricky 8 foot fall is the first obstacle. Use a ledge on the left then the next fall has a cave. Go left above the cave then get back in the creekbed and go a quarter air mile to a main fork. The left fork is soon blocked by a high fall. Take the right fork past 2 guzzlers and follow it up to the end at a saddle el 3900. Then go left to a reg at 24008, 12808. There is another reg a fifth mile SE that might be higher. For a loop back, there is a main sheep trail in view a half mile north of the BM that is cutting thru a saddle. Walk to that then go left on it for a fifth mile where easy slopes lead back to the creekbed downstream from the guzzlers. That took me 2 hours, 45 minutes with 1200 gain, never steep. It would be hard to hike here and not see sheep. I saw a herd near the summit. One I saw on the drive in seemed to be heading for the brothels at Crystal. There must be some good looking girl sheep there.  I followed the crude road on to Crystal and it's easy when dry. The brothels have a sign there that says " Gateway to Devils Hole". Some people might take that the wrong way. All roads easy 4wd. Posted 2018.
• ROCKY BENCHMARK LOOP 2 - another loop can be done using the NW  and NE canyons. Take Bell Vista Rd to N36 20866, W116 18100 and follow the graded road east past Devils Hole for a couple miles and on out of the refuge on the graded road to a view of a lake bed. At that point, turn right on a crude road and follow that for 1.7 miles to N36 26988, W116 14392 then turn south and go about 1.8 miles to a fork in the canyon. Go left for half a mile and park el 2850. Trying to drive closer won't help on this loop. Walk up the canyon to the main saddle at 24543, 13296 el 3500. Then go left to a main trail at 24483, 13148 el 3600. Walk that for a fifth mile then drop to the creekbed and go up to the main saddle at 24146, 12730 el 3900 where routes into the descent canyon are in view. I went up the ridge to the second reg at 23912, 12691 el 4100+. I could see routes down from there but chose to stay on the ridge. About 350 feet past the reg is a tricky class 3 chute. Then it's easy on down the ridge to 24182, 12232 el 3350 where I dropped to the creekbed. It opens up after a couple of interesting narrows then it's easy to walk the flats to a drainage at 25284, 13169 el 2600. Go up that to the lower saddle. A trail is on the left for the  final approach then it's a short walk back to the start. That took 4 hours with 1300 gain, not steep. All roads easy 4wd. Mtn bikes could make all but the last mile. Posted 2018.
• TRUMP BENCHMARK, HIGH PEAK el 4037 sits at the south end of the range on the east side of Stewart Lake. A loop can be done using the north canyon. Take Bell Vista Rd out of Pahrump to an easy 4wd road at N36 16303, W116 07160. Go south for a mile and park within a third mile of a canyon mouth which is at 15499, 07680 el 2950. Go up canyon a short way to a fall and pass it on the right. Next you come to a fork at 15349, 07714. Go up the right arm to a fall and pass it on the right. Keep going up the canyon to a saddle on the main ridge at 15289, 08131 el 3800. Now go left up the ridge to 15115, 08100 el 4000 where you can see the summit 400 feet away. A complete horse skeleton was on this last stretch. No reg. From there, it's obvious how to walk SE down the high ridge on sheep trails and drop back down to the main canyon. I circled as far as the first major peak el 3700 then strolled west down an easy ridge to the creekbed. It takes  2 hours with 1200 gain to go up and return the same way. The loop I did took 3 hours. 2 wds will have a 3 hour hike minimum. Mtn bikes would work part way in. Posted 2017.
•   CHANCE BENCHMARK el 4862 is at the south end of the Last Chance Range and is the best hike around Pahrump. Take Bell Vista Rd to Corbin at N36 15827, W116 05686. Go north on Corbin to a T then left to Cabo. Go right and park at the end of Cabo. 4wds can get 3/4 mile closer. At the T, you'll see a weird house on a hill in front of you. Use a road along the east side of their fence. In a mile and a quarter you'll be within a half mile of the ascent gully which is at 17588,05937. Go up the gully to the ridgetop and go up the ridge until you hit cliffs you can't climb at el 3900. Then go left on a skimpy game trail along the base of the cliffs. Aim for a wide gully at 18192, 05462 el 4100. Go up the gully to get back on the ridgetop. As the gully opens up, it's easier to go right to a viewpoint on a neck then on up the ridge to the summit at 18495, 05485. Stay on the center of the ridge for this last part. There is a gully to go up at el 4600 then some minor class 3 but easy to deal with. For a loop back, go north on the easy crest for .55 air mile to a minor saddle. Then go left down a ridge for a quarter mile to the descent point at 19107, 05538 el 4500. At the descent point, drop left down a gully. Soon you reach a cliff band. Move right just a little to get in an easy chute then it's clear sailing into the black canyon below that drains back to the flats. The hardest obstacle in this canyon is a 10 foot class 3 fall. Or as an alternate, from the bottom of the cliff follow an obvious sheep trail to the west rim of the canyon and on to the Giesler guzzler at 18960, 06047 el 4050. Then walk left of center down the rim on trails. The trails will fade but just stay on the rim all the way down to the wash then walk the flats back. 4 hours, 2000 gain. Some class 3 but not dangerous for the experienced. Near the descent point one year I came down on 9 reclining sheep. It was a Mexican standoff until I finally moved and they took off. I saw one sheep there in 2018.
• LAST CHANCE RANGE TRAVERSE - this route goes up the crest from the south end and over Chance BM then on to the high peak 4985 then down the east canyon. A few easy class 3 spots is as tricky as it gets. Take highway 160 to mp NY 17.5 and turn on Leslie St. Go about 2 miles to Mountain View then go north a bit over a mile to a T. Go right a  few feet then turn left and park on what the BLM map shows as public land. Then go back to Leslie and turn right and go 3 miles to a gas station. Turn right there on Bell Vista and go 2.5 miles to Corbin.  Go north on Corbin to a T then left to Cabo. Go right and park at the end of Cabo el 2700. Walk the flats to the ascent gully which is at N36 17588, W116 05937 el 2900. Go up the gully to the ridgetop and go up the ridge until you hit cliffs you can't climb at el 3900. Then go left on a skimpy game trail along the base of the cliffs. Aim for a wide gully at 18192, 05462 el 4100. Go up the gully to get back on the ridgetop. As the gully opens up, it's easier to go right to a viewpoint on a neck then on up the ridge to the summit at 18495, 05485. Stay on the center of the ridge for this last part. There is a gully to go up at el 4600 then some minor class 3 but easy to deal with. Keep going using sheep trails on the crest and it will drop below el 4400. The Giesler guzzler is in view on a west ridge. Then at 19498 04968 el 4350 ( 300 feet or so before that works too ), drop off the crest and directly down to the west to a shelf el 4100 next to the N on the topo. A sheep trail runs on that shelf on top of a bright layer. Walk it to the south gully of peak 4985 and go up that to 20039, 05015 el 4700. Then go directly up a short way and it levels off then it's a short stroll to the peak where sheep were patiently waiting for me. The descent route is posted on peakbagger.com as a GPS track. They saved me the trouble of scouting it. Retrace from the peak a few feet then drop to 20118, 05003 el 4850 where you're looking down a gully. Go down it until a fall near the bottom then angle to the right and walk on down to a major saddle. Then go east down the canyon to the flats. Be on the lookout for a right bend in the canyon near el 3600 where it enters a rough narrows. It's easier to walk the right bank around that. 6 hours with about 3000 gain. Using a bike for the shuttle would be 10 easy miles but there's no bike lane. I started hiking at 16639, 05992 and ended at 19357, 02981. Posted 2018. I put a track on peakbagger in 2025.

  

  The sign at Crystal where brothels are located. They didn't think that through.

  

  Giesler guzzler and Chance BM

  
  

  

  Sheep near Last Chance high point. They all seem to be unemployed and so they just lounge around all day chewing on the vegetation. It's a good life.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

White Mountains update

Upper Perry Aiken Creek as seen from the Leidy trail.

Upper Davis Creek. It would be easy to climb south to the crest, left of the snow. The falls are center.

The Leidy trail entering the grove near the end with a good campsite.

The spring at el 13100 near Dubois in September 2018

Looking down Perry Aiken Creek from the end of the Leidy trail

I spent over a week around Dyer. The Indian Creek road is washed out for a quarter mile at the mouth. A lot of jeeps are going around it, implying it's OK after that but I didn't ride it. All this info will be added to the original 2013 post.

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.. 
• 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.