Gibson - W Face Route

Route up to the Gibson Peak massif from the Colonel Bob Trail on the west side. Leave the trail at the highest point shown and sketch up hard pan slopes to the alluvial corner. The ground under foot gets easier. A boot path forms after going back left above the cliff band. Continue up the rough, steep path. Follow it as it traverses hard left at 4,000 ft, leaving the gully. This leads to another open, grassy slope, then steeply to a notch just south of Pt. 4500. From the notch take easier slopes on the east side around to the east side of Pk 4517 for an easy final ascent. Note that there is a good boot path on the crest but it traverses across the very steep upper timbered west face of Pk 4517 maybe 100 feet below the top. It continues to places unknown farther south of the peak. I took the path all the way to the south end of the face then took the moderately brushy south ridge to the top. I went back down and over to Pt. 4500 via the east slope. August 27, 2006.