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| One of the 40 rock rings I saw at peak 7826. How many did I miss? |
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| Dry BM and the 50 foot rock circle. |
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| The high lake near Dry BM in the Wovoka Wilderness as viewed from Bald Mtn. |
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| Indian rock ring at Dry BM |
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| Nugent Cabin |
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| Big ruins at Silverado Canyon |
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| The miners at the Kentuck Mine had a mountain paradise. |
⦁ DESERT CREEK RD departs highway 338 at mp 25.8. I didn't ride it but I know it has fords. It meets the 2wd Riuse Rd. Posted 2019.
⦁ LOBDELL BENCHMARK el 8220 has a decent high clearance road to the top. Take highway 338 to mp 21.4 and turn on FR 42192. It's mtn bikeable for anyone who can handle nearly 3000 gain in 7 and a half miles. I saw no reg. OHVs can run south on trails that follow the high country to Nye Canyon. Posted 2019.
⦁ DESERT CREEK PEAK el 8958 has an old coot route up the easy canyon from O'banion Spring. Take highway 338 to mp 19.3 and turn on easy but narrow 4wd and go 2 and a half miles to a shady camp area at the end el 6700. Take a hand saw to trim branches. The road is mtn bikeable. A thicket blocks the canyon, so use the right bank to skirt around it for a fifth mile then it clears up. A game trail goes along the left bank at N38 36525, W119 17556 el 7000 then merges back to the creekbed. It's remarkably easy to keep going west up canyon to a fork el 7800. Stay right in the creekbed to 36526, 18880 el 8350 then go right thru a passage at 36555, 18979 el 8550 then on to a passage at 36580, 19014 el 8600 that leads shortly to the saddle el 8650 which is a third mile south of the summit. Weave less than a tenth mile to 36657, 19065 el 8750 then it's clear walking left of center for the last quarter mile to the summit. I ascended using the tedious north rim and descended the canyon, but the canyon is way better. Going up and down the canyon would be less than a 4 hour hike with 2300 gain, never steep. Light brush is not an issue with long pants. Hiking from the highway would add 2 hours. Posted 2019.
⦁ BALD MOUNTAIN, PINE GROVE HILLS HIGH POINT, WILEY BM - Take highway 338 to mp 13.6 and turn at the sign for Nye Canyon. Drive east on the floor for 3.9 miles to FR 42031 at a sign for Sand Canyon. Go left for a mile and a half to where it tops out then go left for .8 mile along shady camps and park el 7550. Walk north on an OHV trail for 300 feet then take an easy angle up to a plateau at N38 35822, W119 10352 el 7750. An Indian rock ring is at 35758, 10443 el 7800. Another is 100 feet to the west. The Wiley BM el 7908 is 600 feet to the south, no sign of hikers. The best ring I saw is at 35814, 10583 el 7750. It took me 25 minutes to get to the BM with nearly 400 gain. I went up on peak 8128 to the east and found more rings. One is on the way up at 36134, 09150 then one is on top at 36439, 08877. A possible one is at 36398, 08435 and another for sure is at 36261, 08190. I saw a lot of flat rocks standing on edge.That's a pristine plateau and I didn't cover a quarter of it. Return to Nye Canyon and go up a third mile to FR 42193 and follow that up Dead Ox Canyon and it tops out on a nice plateau then it's obvious how to drive within a third mile of the Pine Grove Hills HP, which is at 38202, 05794 el 8648. No reg, but there was one of a different sort on Rockland BM less than a mile to the north. That made me think there is a 4wd road up Rockland Canyon that's still passable. The roads running north to Lobdell BM are now OHV trails. Return to Nye Canyon and take the other fork and it goes all the way up to el 9000+ next to Bald Mtn. One of the first eroded hills has a road bypassing on the right. At el 7800 is the end of easy 4wd. Only rock crawling jeeps and OHVs go beyond there for the remaining 3 and a half miles. It smooths out for the last 2 miles. The summit is at 32068, 06923 el 9544. 4wds no wider than jeeps still easily make these roads, but some are hard on paint. Posted 2019.
⦁ BALD MOUNTAIN WEST RIDGE - this is an easy route for hikers who prefer a natural setting. And there are darn few of us. Turn off highway 338 at Sweetwater Summit and go east on FR861 to the last fork at N38 31421, W119 10942 el 7050. If signs are down just stay left at forks to get there. Stay left at that fork for 2/3 mile to el 7200+ where the topo shows the road ends. It's easy 4wd to there with shady camps but OHVs can go another third mile on rocks to the end in a canyon on the SW side of peak 7511. I walked up canyon and found a rock ring on the right bank at 31905, 09960 el 7500. I went on up canyon until brush became a nuisance then went up the north slope at 31752, 09221 el 7950. I stayed on the high ground to 31832, 07362 el 9400 where I could see the summit a half mile away. On the return I wandered the flat at the rock ring and found several more, the best being at 31749, 10137 on the south side of peak 7511. It took 2 and a half hours to get to the summit with 2300 gain, mostly easy. I could do this in shorts but a few places are borderline. No sign of modern man except a few ancient cans. Mtn bikes could would work on these roads. Posted 2020.
⦁ PEAK 7826 is at the south end of Bald Mtn. It was an Indian hotspot. I counted 40 rock rings around it. I went in on the jeep road from Long Doctor Spring and walked up the easy canyon on the north side and on to the north saddle el 7650. I saw two rings there then went up to the NW slope and saw a bunch there. Two rings are tucked in a rugged area on the south side at N38 2920, W119 09580 el 7700. More are on the south ridge with a good one at 28995, 09375. Another good one is at 28749, 09312 and another 400 feet past that. Near the end of the ridge is one at 28463, 09259 and one 200 feet SE of that. Two more good ones are at 28383, 0925 and then I turned back north and cut over to the next ridge west. I saw several along the way but the only good one is at 28867, 09555. I retraced back to the north saddle el 7650 then dropped NW to the saddle east of peak 7487 and found two rings there. I spent 5 hours with 2000 gain according to the peakbagger app I was using. Good forest, no brush. Posted 2020.
⦁ MIDDLE SISTER, WILD HORSE MOUNTAIN are easy peaks for anyone with a jeep. Take highway 338 to mp 12.3 and turn on the bumpy, 2wd Riuse Rd. Go a little over 7 miles on that then go south on 4wd FR 22482 reading N38 35144, W119 19559. I saw 2 SUVs coming out. The first mile along Jackass Creek has rubbly patches then smoothes out at a small clearing el 7100. For DON BENCHMARK el 7942, I went up the ridge from the clearing by way of point 7619 and came down the next one to the east which is less cluttered. To go up that one, start up at 34434, 19679 el 7150 and soon it's best to stay low to the right of center until that ridge merges with the other one at el 7600 then weave on thru the pinyons to the survey junk at 34327, 18765. 2 hours, 900 gain, some light brush. I followed the road on up Jackass Creek to 32006, 22463 then turned right on a grassy road that soon joined a more used road that tops out at el 8300 north of WILD HORSE MTN summit. I walked thru light brush to a clearing east of the summit and circled to survey junk at 31713, 23563 el 8690, no sign of hikers. I then followed the road east and it merged back with the main road and on to a fork at 30576, 21204. A bad spot just before that can be passed on the left. I went left at the fork down to Desert Creek where a cowboy was parked in a pickup. Then I stayed on the road going down along the creek and it took me into Coyote Creek to el 8700 where the road goes to hell. I hiked on up the road and it tops out on the west ridge of Middle Sister next to peak 9135. It's a bald ridge then nice forest to the summit at 30468, 17714 el 10854. That took 3 hours with 2100 gain. It can be done in shorts. The cowboy told me he drove in from the west on the Riuse Rd then turned off at Upper Risue Canyon Spring. I rode a cycle in but could have drove a jeep the whole way, but that will change. I didn't check the road on to Lobdell Lake. The topo shows all the roads. Posted 2019.
⦁ MYSTERY PITS - these are off the Riuse Rd and took a lot of work to make. If the Indians did it, it's the first of their kind I've seen. Take highway 338 to mp 12.3 and turn on the bumpy, 2wd Riuse Rd. Go about 4.3 miles on that then go right on FR22502 and drive a across a lake bed. The pits are on the far side in the trees at N38 34506, W119 16898 el 7150. A rocky OHV trail keeps going to an upper lake el 7400 with more bear poop than I've ever seen. It was a poop-a-thon. Posted 2019.
⦁ MOUNT PATTERSON EAST APPROACH - a trail in Sweetwater Canyon makes for the most enjoyable hike to the peak for poor people who don't have a rig they can drive to the summit. The trail is close to what the USGS topo shows. Turn off highway 338 at mp 9.9 and follow the main road into the canyon. The first good camp is at N38 28721, W119 15189 el 7450. It's easy 4wd that far but gets harder, though nothing serious, to the well kept Nugent Cabin at 27977, 16349 el 8100+. 4wds and cycles can go another quarter mile and park at 27932, 16584 el 8300 where the road turns into a soft OHV trail. It's a half mile to the end of the OHV trail where the foot trail starts at el 8800. It switches up and goes on to the only stream crossing at 27145, 17367 el 9300 where there is a good forest for a basecamp.I don't filter the stream water because it rises a short way up canyon and nothing is around to pollute it. The trail fades but I found it again at 27049, 17474 el 9400 then it enters another forest with cabin ruins. I picked it up again at 26859, 17887 el 9800 then it fades at el 10000 near the Angelo Mission Mine but isn't needed anymore. It's obvious how to go on up to the head of the canyon and use a road segment for the final stretch to the ridgetop to the left of peak 10970. But it's hard to get on the road segment. I had to cut steps. It's better to follow along under the road and top out where the road does. Then a jeep road goes to the summit at 26199, 18312 el 11673. 5 hours, 3400 gain, rarely steep. I wore shorts but a pocket saw would be handy to trim scrub. I saw a car at the mouth of the canyon. Starting there would add about 3 easy miles each way. The road is mostly mtn bikeable. If the cabin is available then that's just icing on the cake. I doubt there is a weekend all summer when the cabin is vacant. This is the second best canyon in the range. I was only planning a hike to the mine then saw how it easy it was to go on up to the peak. ALTERNATE DESCENT - in 2020 I used the east ridge for the descent. I walked off the summit following the main road that is still in use. It drops along the south side of the ridge and ends just before peak 10831 where a rough section blocked the miners' bulldozer. But a game trail makes it easy to drop to the saddle next to peak 10831. I could see that it would be easy to drop north from the saddle and follow a scenic fork of Sweetwater Canyon back to the trail, but I stayed on the ridge and came to peak 10943. I went halfway up that then cut along the right side and came to peak 10958. I went level along the left side of that one. The ground was just right, not too soft, not too hard. I hit the north ridge of that peak at 26579, 16603 then went down to 27096, 16467 el 10050 and on down the ridge to the final leg at 27638, 16685 el 8950. I crossed the creek next to the parking spot. That makes for a 6 hour hike but well worth it. It provides a colorful glimpse of what these high ridges looked like before the miners carved them up. No brush, no wading. I'll post a track on peakbagger.com. Posted August, 2019, 2020.
⦁ MOUNT PATTERSON TRAVERSE - in 2020 I went up Sweetwater Canyon to the peak then down Ferris Canyon. I left a cycle at the mouth of Silverado Canyon then rode another one up Sweetwater Canyon to el 8300. I repeated the hike to the peak that I did in 2019 then walked off the summit to a mine road in a fork of Ferris at N38 26186, W119 17968 el 11300. I followed that down to a mega spring el 10150 on the main canyon floor which is where I ended my first hike into that canyon in 2019. Then I climbed up onto the high right bank at 25795, 17252 el 10100 and walked thru a rock field. I avoided drifting too far left where it's rougher. That lasted half a mile then I crossed to the left bank at 26011, 16568 el 9500 then in a tenth mile went back to the right bank. After another tenth mile or so I crossed again then up the right side of a gully at 26063, 16305 el 9500. I gained 300 feet to a cabin el 9800 at the Kentuck Mine then went up a few feet behind the cabin to a road. I followed that down canyon to a metal cabin where the road forks. I stayed on the high road which is still used by OHVs and followed it down to my cycle. That took a bit over 7 hours with 4000 gain, 700 of it being on the descent leg. Not much is steep. I wore shorts the whole way and the creeks were easily jumpable. The next day I walked for an hour up Sweetwater Canyon to retrieve the other cycle. The canyons are the main attractions as the summit plateau is covered with tire tracks. Posted August, 2020.
⦁ SOUTH SISTER el 11300+ - a loop can be done up the trail in Sweetwater Canyon then down a dirt bike trail on the east ridge. Turn off highway 338 at mp 9.9 and follow the main road into the canyon. Some shady camps are near the first crossing. Drive on to the end point of the hike at N38 28465, W119 15724 el 7700. A small camp is 200 feet more up the road. I started walking there on up the road to the end where the foot trail starts at el 8800. It switches up and goes on to the only stream crossing at 27145, 17367 el 9300. It fades but I found it again at 27049, 17474 el 9400 then it enters another forest with cabin ruins. I picked it up again at 26859, 17887 el 9800 then it fades at el 10000 near the Angelo Mission Mine but isn't needed anymore. It's obvious how to go on up to the head of the canyon and use a road segment for the final stretch to the ridgetop to the left of peak 10970. But it's hard to get on the road segment. I had to cut steps. It's better to follow along under the road and top out where the road does. Then I headed for 27392, 18547 el 11050 and leveled off just above a handy snow patch. I soon merged with a jeep road and went downhill then up to 27693, 18201 el 10850 where I left the road and walked an easy angle to the right to get on the ridgetop where the rest to the peak was in view. A dirt bike trail goes to the summit at 28975, 17996 then down the east ridge on rubble and scree. It's easy to walk but I wouldn't ride it. At 29088, 16689 el 9900 the trail goes down the final leg to a road el 9000. It's all chewed up along there from riders trying to go uphill. That's a lost cause. I walked the road to a T el 8950 and went right to the end then down a clearing to 28874, 16119 el 8850 where I started weaving to the left to get to the final ridge down at 28699, 15924 el 8500. That part was soft like going down a sand dune. That took 7 hours with a little over 4000 gain. I wore shorts but the final descent ridge was getting dicey. Posted August 4, 2020.
⦁ FERRIS CANYON is the best canyon in the range, 99.9 percent pristine. One way in is to drop down from the Kentuck Mine. Take highway 338 to mp 6.3 and turn on the Atchison Road and follow it straight out to Silverado Canyon. The road crosses the creek near the mouth then 50 feet after that is a road climbing up the south rim. 4wds and cycles have to park at N38 26837, W119 14083 el 7750 but OHVs can go on up. I walked up the rim to el 9150 where an unused road forks left, but it was unwalkable so I stayed on the main road to 26404, 15473 el 9750 where a left fork took me downhill to another fork. OHVs go left to a metal cabin, the barely walkable right fork goes on to the mine in a gorgeous stand of trees el 9800. One cabin remains standing in a wide gully. I dropped down the gully straight to the creek and got on the left bank el 9350 then went along and crossed back to the right bank then back to the left bank at 26020, 16602 el 9550 and then directly up to a higher level at 25927, 16715 el 9750. The creek was barely jumpable. It was easy walking for just over a half mile to a mega spring at 25793, 17393 el 10150. Miners had a road coming down from the north rim which is the only human impact I saw in the upper canyon. They didn't miss anything. It looked easy to go up canyon to Patterson. I retraced back out and tried to stay on the south bank and avoid crossings but that backfired. That took 6 and a half hours with nearly 4000 gain, 700 of it on the return. I did the whole enchilada in shorts but almost used long pants along the creek. This is an easy hike with an OHV allowing for a start at el 9600 near the Tiger Mines. The OHV trail had hardly any erosion. Posted August, 2019.
⦁ SILVERADO PEAK el 10958 is what I call the one at the head of Silverado Canyon. The OHV trails on the rims of the canyon can be used. Take highway 338 to mp 6.3 and turn on the Atchison Road and follow it straight out to the mouth of the canyon where there are large ruins el 7600. It's easy 4wd that far then OHVs only up the north rim. I got a cycle to N38 27088, W119 15534 el 9000 where the trail turned steep and loose. I walked on up the main trail and stayed left at the next fork then right at the one after that to get on top of the rim. The trail faded at el 10200 then it was simple to go on up to the summit at 26513, 16603. Hikers who start at the mouth could descend the OHV trail on the south rim making for a good loop. The road along the north slope of the peak cannot be used to connect a loop. A gap at el 10000 shown on the topo is not a mistake. It has slid out there and only helicopters can get across. How many hikers have helicopters? Posted 2019.
⦁ DRY BENCHMARK el 8136 sits in an area of dry lakes 3 miles east of Bald Mountain. The lakes have rare plants so tread lightly. Camping is banned on them. One route is to come in from the SW. Take highway 338 to mp 2.7 and turn on the graded Sweetwater Rd. Go a mile and a third then go left thru a metal gate just before a bridge. Follow easy 4wd along the north bank of the river for 3/4 mile then go left for 2 and a half miles and park at point 6398. There are no issues until the last mile where there is a sharp dip and more erosion. Jeeps easily make it thru to point 6398. I walked the flats to the south canyon at N38 29218, W119 05091 el 6550 then had an easy stroll up canyon to a mini lake el 7300 with a rock circle 50 feet across at the west base of the peak. Then I walked half a mile NE to el 7250 where I had a view of the lower lake. Next, I turned SE to the north ridge of the BM. I found 2 possible Indian rock rings then a third which is a sure thing at 31515, 03283 el 7400. The others are at 31521, 03267 then one with big rocks around a tree at 31547, 03259. Then I went up to the BM at 31145, 03354 which had no sign of hikers then over to the south summit and found nothing. I descended to the mini lake but might have saved a little effort by heading straight down to good rock rings at 31025, 03796 el 7400 then 31053, 03837 el 7400. Then I found another possible ring with a view at 30896, 03773 el 7450. I dropped back to the canyon and retraced out. It's a 5 or 6 hour hike with only 900 feet of noticeable gain. 99 percent can be done in shorts. The high lake to the west is the most scenic one and could be included, but would add an hour and 600 gain. BACKPACKERS VERSION - backpackers could start out using the Bald Mtn hike then drop to the high lake and go on thru one way. I dropped off where the road barely dips below el 9000 about half a mile south of the summit. Then I went straight down for a third mile then curved to N38 31534, W119 06021 el 8250 then on to the bottom at 31444, 05648 el 7800. I easily weaved thru sagebrush to the lake then on to a passage at 31507, 04663 el 7800. I stayed along the right side of that in the trees to 31310, 04480 el 7900 where I dropped down to the left in a perfect pinyon forest. I hit bottom at the mini lake el 7300. This route needs long pants for light brush. Posted 2019.
⦁ RIUSE ROAD is a bumpy 2wd road running east/west across the range. Turn off US 395 at mp MNO 114.7 and go 3 and a half miles to the end of pavement to a T. Go left on a graded road that soon becomes high clearance only. After about 8 miles on dirt there is a maze of forks. The right fork is how ranchers drive to Jackass Flat. Stay left thru a cattleguard on FR 42050 and in less than a mile the road will top out where FR 42152 goes left for a mile and a half to Pine Nut Benchmark reading N38 36650, W119 21915 el 7865. A spur road goes up the north ridge of it. Back on the main road, it drops down to Desert Creek where there are shady camps and goes on to highway 338 at mp 12.3. There are long sections of bumpy road where small rocks are embedded, but that doesn't stop large travel trailers being hauled in. Posted 2019.
⦁ LOBDELL LAKE el 9200 is the standard route for the Mount Patterson ascent. Take US 95 to mp MNO 91.6 and turn at a sign for Burcham Flat. Go 4 and a half miles on graded road to FR 32067 then it's nearly 7 miles to the lake on a packed dirt high clearance road. The road soon goes to hell beyond the lake and some people walk to the summit. PEAK 10452 is a peak with a gorgeous forest south of the lake. A road goes a mile from the lake to a closure el 9450 on Deep Creek. I walked a fifth mile up the closed road then up a ridge at N38 25651, W119 20786 el 9600. At el 10200 I curved toward the reg at 25184, 21173. That took 90 minutes with 1000 gain. There ought to be a law that says every forest has to be as good as this one. Shady camps are along FR 32067. The Burcham road goes on north for a dozen miles to Walker but is not good for cars even though it is maintained. It has shady camps along it. Posted 2019.
Mount Patterson on August 18, 2019. The couple on the left were married on the summit exactly 2 years earlier. The rest came from the Bay area and drove up the west side in a Lexus and 4runner. They drove down the east side.
