Ninemile Peak (NV)

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 39.14650°N / 116.2513°W
Additional Information County: Nye
Activities Activities: Hiking
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Elevation: 10080 ft / 3072 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Nine Mile Peak in Nevada is the highpoint of the Antelope range was once known as Sharp
 
Ninemile Peak (NV)
Wild horses on way in

Peak according to the book "Place Names in Nevada" by Helen Carlson. It took its name from Ninemile Canyon which is found on the north side of the peak.

With a nice lofty elevation of over 10,000 feet, it is one of the highest peaks in the area and is garnering attention from prominence peakbaggers since it is the 122nd most prominent peak in Nevada with almost 2300' of prominence.

It is in an area frequented by hunters and cattle ranchers but is isolated enough to see few others since the roads in the area are primitive and require high clearance and 4WD.

 
Nine Mile Mountain (NV)Dropping down from pass
 
Ninemile Peak (NV)Sheep Spring ahead
 
Nine Mile Mountain (NV)Cross county from end of road

Getting There

Getting to this peak:

Until Andy Martin posted a trip report on how he and Mark Nichols found a great way to access the peak from the north side, we had thought seriously about trying to find a way in from the west. Kudos to Andy for providing his info on the prominence yahoo group as it made a world of difference to our route finding efforts. We were able to find our way over from Moody Peak but the easiest way to get to this mountain area is as described below:

From Eureka, drive 10 miles easterly on US 50 to the signed "Duckwater/Currant" road, which is on the south side of US, just past milemarker 47. Head south for a bit over 8 miles on paved road and when you come to a fork in the road, take the right fork that swings around the south side of the Fish Creek Ranch. From the fork to key junction (1) shown below, it is roughly 14 miles. Note that the pavement ends at the fork but the dirt/gravel road is good as it heads west toward the Fish Creek mountain range (do not take the road that enters into the Fish Creek Ranch). Follow the road up into the small range (the road was rough in spots due to washouts) as it traverses it to the next valley where you need to find this key junction:
(1) 39.2718 -116.1604
This is where you leave a major dirt road and start
a long drive south on lesser roads. It is 6 miles to Number 4 Spring, making sure to take a left fork that goes uphill at an elevation of 6850'. Continue on this road, with a switchback at the 7400' mark. Number 4 Spring is found at 7600',
(2) 39.20145 116.2036 / 7600'

Continue past Number 4 Spring and head another 3 miles to a pass at near the 8400' foot level. The road gets rougher as you head for the pass. If you have encountered any snow, or see any snow on the road as it drops down, this would be a good spot to park and not push your luck.
(3) 39.16875 116.2304 / 8400'

If you continue on and drop down the hill, you'll lose about 200 feet before heading up toward Sheep Spring. We went past the spring and parked at the first decent wide spot about 8800' where we could park two trucks rather than pushing up the road any further. We then walked up the road and took a left fork to the end of the road where we went cross country from.  Waypoint for where we parked was 39.1545  116.2481.  All my waypoints are lat/long nad 27

Overall, it is about 10.5 miles from (1) as listed above. This is an isolated area so alert others of your plans and have plenty of fuel, water and good maps. Topo maps were a big help to us even though we had pretty decent directions from what Andy Martin had provided.






 
Ninemile Peak (NV)Looking back at 9 mile canyon
 
Ninemile Peak (NV)Summit up there
 
Nine Mile Mountain (NV)Working my way up


Route

Simple routefinding for this one will do the trick if you are able to drive up past Sheep Spring. If you park before Sheep Spring, it is just a matter of following the road till it ends and working your way up cross country from there.
For us, it was a round trip hike of about 3 miles with over 1300' of elevation gain.

We found a register on top that gave proof that this was another of those truly neglected Nevada mountains. The register was placed in 1994 by Gordon MacLeod and Barbara Lilley but there was an additional sheet included. This sheet included signatures from 1989, 1991 and 1992. The peakbaggers we knew went like this:
1994 - Gordon MacLeod and Barbara Lilley
2004 - Tom Roundtree
2006 - John Vitz
2013 - Brad Boester / Andy Martin / Mark Nichols / Dennis Poulin / Myself
2014 - 4 more  (see peakbagger.com)
2015 - 2 more

Several locals (hunters) had signed the register off and on over the years.


 
Nine Mile Mountain (NV)Dennis getting closer
 
Ninemile Peak (NV)History on a paper
 
Ninemile Peak (NV)Dennis looks for benchmark

Red Tape

No red tape on this one as the peak is located on BLM land. We found no gates to open and close and did see three hunter's trucks on the way in so be aware that it'd be a good idea to wear orange during hunting season.

Need more information? Try the BLM field office in Ely

Ely District Office
Employee Directory
702 North Industrial Way, HC 33 Box 33500
Ely, NV 89301
Phone: 775-289-1800
Fax: 775-289-1910
Email: eyfoweb@blm.gov
Office hours: 7:30 am-4:30 pm, M-F
District Manager: Rosemary Thomas

Or in Tonopah

Tonopah Field Office
1553 South Main Street
P.O. Box 911
Tonopah, NV 89049
Phone: 775-482-7800
Fax: 775-482-7810
Office hours: 7:30 am-4:30 pm, M-F


 
Nine Mile Mountain register Register
 
Nine Mile Mountain witness markerWitness marker
 
Ninemile Peak (NV) Just getting to summit

When to Climb & current weather conditions

It is probable that this mountain could be climbed during any season depending on the snow pack and road conditions. If raining, save this one for another day.

Find more about Weather in Eureka, NV
Click for weather forecast


Find more about Weather in Eureka, NV
Click for weather forecast


Camping

Car camping is allowed on BLM land. Pick your campsite wisely and with an eye to creating minimal impact. There is a BLM office in Tonopah

 
Ninemile Peak (NV) Looking North
 
Ninemile Peak (NV)Looking SW
 
Ninemile Peak (NV)Looking south


Disclaimer

As road conditions can change and hiking or traveling in this type of country can be inherently dangerous, the above information is provided only as a courtesy. You accept all risk and responsibility for your activities in this area and I recommend that you let others know of your plans and where you will be hiking/climbing prior to heading to this area. Be self sufficient and carry plenty of food, water and shelter in the event of a breakdown. Good quality tires are a necessity on the rough and rocky roads you will encounter as is a vehicle in good condition. Having said all that, have a good trip and please let the author of this page know of changes that you encounter.