Las Vegas area peaks, Sunday 4/18

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cp0915

 
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by cp0915 » Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:45 pm

Off the top of my head, I can think of...

-a Turtlehead>Red Cap (might be a touch more than "easy class 3")>New Peak>Grey Cap>Kraft Mountain day would be physical and fun..(start at either Sandstone Quarry or Calico Basin);

-Juniper Peak and then Gunsight Notch Peak (from Pine Creek TH on the Red Rock Loop);

-less interesting, Summerlin Peak>Mount Woody>Mount Gottlieb...and you could even bag Cheyenne Mountain on the way out (start at the equestrian park at 215/Cliff Shadows Pkwy);

-out at Lake Mead, you could simply pick an area with a high concentration of peaks and ramble from summit to summit, all day long.

I'd be happy to show you around the 18th, except that I've already got plans in Zion. You're welcome to drive up to Zion and join us, if you're so inclined.

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:47 pm

cp0915 wrote:-Juniper Peak and then Gunsight Notch Peak;


Traversing from Juniper to Gunsight is more than class 3!

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Marmaduke

 
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by Marmaduke » Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:49 pm

[quote="MoapaPk" If you have a GPS, then I can send you a track that would be moderately helpful.

It's on my list for purchases, but no I do not. I have used maps and compass on boats for route finding before. Maybe that would be an option?

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cp0915

 
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by cp0915 » Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:50 pm

MoapaPk wrote:
cp0915 wrote:-Juniper Peak and then Gunsight Notch Peak;


Traversing from Juniper to Gunsight is more than class 3!


I know that, but meant to climb Juniper then drop back down to Brownstone Canyon, and then head up the notch to Gunsight Notch Peak. A loop down the backside into Pine Creek would be the way to go too!

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:02 pm

Neophiteat48 wrote:[quote="MoapaPk" If you have a GPS, then I can send you a track that would be moderately helpful.

It's on my list for purchases, but no I do not. I have used maps and compass on boats for route finding before. Maybe that would be an option?


There are plenty of maps for (e.g.) Juniper. There are also lots of confusing use trails in that area, and much of the routefinding is on a small scale. Mercifully there are lots of cairns once you get near the rock.

I've found that out here, a lot of people get lost in the canyons when trying to use maps. Much topography doesn't show up at all on the scale of maps.

Click below for two maps for Juniper.
Image

Image


IF YOU WANT to do this class 2+, take the southern part of the Juniper loops only. Routfinding on the backside (N and W of the peak) is difficult, and there are some class 3 areas with lots of loose rock and exposure.

I rarely use the GPS when I'm hiking by myself (though I nearly always record a track), especially for areas I know well. However, I find it easier to send people a track to a mountain, rather than try to describe in words the 10 significant route-finding decisions that one must make. Most of the peaks we've mentioned have no maintained trails; some don't even have cairns.

The east side of Kraft looks worse than class 2 in places, and you will have to do some wandering to find a route that will go. If you get off-route, it could take you a long time to do this little peak. If you want to string together 4 peaks in a day, I'm guessing that you don't want to spend that much time off-route.

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:18 pm

I love the loop over to Gunsight Notch via Juniper, and then down, but it gets a bit stiff in places.


This is the "trail" in a few places (click for larger):

Image

We call this class 3+; unless you are tall, you'll have to chimney in one place. There is at least 100' vertical of similar. If this looks fine, great; but we tend to sandbag people unintentionally, because we are used to this sort of rock.

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Marmaduke

 
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by Marmaduke » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:33 pm

cp0915 wrote:
I'd be happy to show you around the 18th, except that I've already got plans in Zion. You're welcome to drive up to Zion and join us, if you're so inclined.



Thanks, that would be great. But that looks like about a 5 hour R/T and I have Sunday and Monday till about noon, then my wife is out of her conference. So time is an issue.

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cp0915

 
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by cp0915 » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:34 pm

MoapaPk wrote:If this looks fine, great; but we tend to sandbag people unintentionally, because we are used to this sort of rock.


Indeed.

While Red Rock has the highest bang for the buck this time of year around Vegas, the Lake Mead stuff would probably be the easiest way to bag multiple ("easy class 3") peaks. Route-finding around Red Rock can chew up hours of precious time. Then again, why not focus on a single, high-quality peak and just do it! White Rock's great fun, Juniper's excellent, Gunsight Notch ~ I've done them all at least twice.

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cp0915

 
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by cp0915 » Mon Apr 05, 2010 9:37 pm

Neophiteat48 wrote:
cp0915 wrote:
I'd be happy to show you around the 18th, except that I've already got plans in Zion. You're welcome to drive up to Zion and join us, if you're so inclined.


Thanks, that would be great. But that looks like about a 5 hour R/T and I have Sunday and Monday till about noon, then my wife is out of her conference. So time is an issue.


Zion is classic through and through. Many a time, I've gotten up at 2am, driven to Zion, spent 10 hours climbing a peak, and then driven home. Worth it, man! Join us Saturday (if you can somehow manage it), and I'll show you one of the best peaks in Zion. Gonna be showing some friends how to get to it, while I angle off and climb a neighbor. Having to be back by noon's a problem though.

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Dow Williams

 
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by Dow Williams » Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:45 pm

cp0915 wrote:Many a time, I've gotten up at 2am, driven to Zion, spent 10 hours climbing a peak, and then driven home. Worth it, man!


Perhaps we should build an underground tunnel?

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cp0915

 
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by cp0915 » Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:59 pm

Dow Williams wrote:
cp0915 wrote:Many a time, I've gotten up at 2am, driven to Zion, spent 10 hours climbing a peak, and then driven home. Worth it, man!


Perhaps we should build an underground tunnel?


Or a Habitrail.

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by MoapaPk » Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:12 pm

The US attempted to dig a tunnel from Carmel Junction -- once the hotbed of Utah entertainment -- to Vegas in the 1930s. It was to be called "The Hoover Tunnel." However, only the section on Route 9, on the east side of Zion, was completed. Due to a clerical error (possibly involving priests), the money was diverted to the "Hoover Dam" which become a tourist attraction in its own right.

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Marmaduke

 
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by Marmaduke » Tue Apr 06, 2010 12:59 am

cp0915 wrote:
Neophiteat48 wrote:
cp0915 wrote:
I'd be happy to show you around the 18th, except that I've already got plans in Zion. You're welcome to drive up to Zion and join us, if you're so inclined.


Thanks, that would be great. But that looks like about a 5 hour R/T and I have Sunday and Monday till about noon, then my wife is out of her conference. So time is an issue.


Zion is classic through and through. Many a time, I've gotten up at 2am, driven to Zion, spent 10 hours climbing a peak, and then driven home. Worth it, man! Join us Saturday (if you can somehow manage it), and I'll show you one of the best peaks in Zion. Gonna be showing some friends how to get to it, while I angle off and climb a neighbor. Having to be back by noon's a problem though.


Again I appreciate the offer!

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Dow Williams

 
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by Dow Williams » Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:25 am

MoapaPk wrote:The US attempted to dig a tunnel from Carmel Junction -- once the hotbed of Utah entertainment -- to Vegas in the 1930s. It was to be called "The Hoover Tunnel." However, only the section on Route 9, on the east side of Zion, was completed. Due to a clerical error (possibly involving priests), the money was diverted to the "Hoover Dam" which become a tourist attraction in its own right.


What the hell were priests doing in Utah or Nevada?

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Marmaduke

 
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by Marmaduke » Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:38 am

Thanks MoapaPk, cp0915 & brianhughes. I think the most logical, from what you've all given me is that I'll go to Moapa Peak early morning, then drive and do Turtlehead and North Peak. Sunday morning Windy Peak. If it's easier as in saving time in terms of just slogging, I'll finish Turtlehead and then drive closer to North. Sounds like the best plan. Anf if there's no time for North, then I'll fan that one.

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