Las Vegas area peaks, Sunday 4/18

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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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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:46 am

Neophiteat48 wrote:Standard rental car, low clearance. Exertion, I feel have pretty good stamina and alot of will power. Exposure, I guess I can't say untill I'm faced with it. I'm a newbie, so I'm not sure, easy class 3 is fine but the exposure part is another story. I'm very competitive, if that means anything.


You read my comments on the Moapa Peak road conditions?
The exposure on the "knife edge" of Moapa Peak drives many back. It's 3400' of hard elevation gain. If you do manage to get to the trailhead, have plenty of water.

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Marmaduke

 
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by Marmaduke » Tue Apr 06, 2010 2:08 am

MoapaPk wrote:
Neophiteat48 wrote:Standard rental car, low clearance. Exertion, I feel have pretty good stamina and alot of will power. Exposure, I guess I can't say untill I'm faced with it. I'm a newbie, so I'm not sure, easy class 3 is fine but the exposure part is another story. I'm very competitive, if that means anything.


You read my comments on the Moapa Peak road conditions?
The exposure on the "knife edge" of Moapa Peak drives many back. It's 3400' of hard elevation gain. If you do manage to get to the trailhead, have plenty of water.


Yes I did, thanks. I might up-grade the rental car to an SUV and the knife edge photos look like it's doable for me. If I get to it and say shit no, well I'll turn around. I'll give it a shot and see if I can find the trailhead. My sense of direction is good and from what I've read, there's alot to see around Moapa Peak anyways.

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Tue Apr 06, 2010 2:35 am

Dougb wrote:I've done Moapa Peak twice, and it's a great mountain. BUT, it involves a fair amount of dirt road driving and clearance is very helpful. The knife edge was actually pretty easy, at least I thought it was. Without a good dirt road vehicle it would be a very long day. Anyhow, Moapa Peak is excellent in my opinion.


I've been up Moapa Peak 5 times; despite my online name (which has nothing to do with climbing Moapa), I find it a so-so peak. Perhaps I'm jaded.

I also think the knife edge is easy, but I've also talked down folks who froze on the edge, after completing the hardest parts. One fellow had no trouble with 4th class walls (which he did for fun -- not required), but 2/3 of the way on the ridge, he froze up and went into panic mode. It took us 30 minutes to get him back to the flat at the N of the ridge.

The pictures of the edge generally do not show the drops on each side.

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Marmaduke

 
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by Marmaduke » Tue Apr 06, 2010 3:17 am

Dougb wrote:I've done Moapa Peak twice, and it's a great mountain. BUT, it involves a fair amount of dirt road driving and clearance is very helpful. The knife edge was actually pretty easy, at least I thought it was. Without a good dirt road vehicle it would be a very long day. Anyhow, Moapa Peak is excellent in my opinion.


Thanks! I really would like to be able to hit Moapa.

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by brianhughes » Tue Apr 06, 2010 5:14 am

You might check out my trip report on Moapa Peak:
http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/170671/Moapa-Peak-Just-Pure-Fun.html
I've got to say that my first glimpse of the knife edge froze me in my tracks, and I thought no way in hell am I going out there. But after taking a few deep breaths, and looking at the actual moves required, you see it's technically pretty easy. Just think yourself through the route a couple times, and then just do it. Don't underestimate the drive out to the Moapa Peak trailhead, it's a long bumpy ride and you'll need to be patient and take it easy.
Last edited by brianhughes on Tue Apr 06, 2010 5:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Marmaduke

 
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by Marmaduke » Tue Apr 06, 2010 5:27 am

brianhughes wrote:You might check out my trip report on Moapa Peak:
http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/170671/Moapa-Peak-Just-Pure-Fun.html
I've got to say that my first glimpse of the knife edge froze me in my tracks, and I thought no way in hell am I going out there. But after taking a few deep breaths, and looking at the actual moves required, you see it's technically pretty easy. Just think yourself through the route a couple times, and then just do it.


Thanks Brian, I did read your trip report. ?????? not too sure now but I guess I can get as far as my nerves will carry me.

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brianhughes

 
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by brianhughes » Tue Apr 06, 2010 5:43 am

You might consider taking it down a notch from Moapa, and doing this one:
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/153757/eagle-mountain-shoshone.html
There's no dirt road driving, and it's just overall somewhat easier than Moapa. You'll still get a really nice exposed ridge, but you can bypass the worst of it if it looks too intimidating. There will be some good 3rd class scrambling regardless.

Windy Peak is a good choice, and could be done in an easy half day. I got a pretty good scare up there, when I was very nearly trapped in a canyon overnight, but that was due to my own stupidity, and could happen on any one of these desert peaks if you're not careful.

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by cp0915 » Tue Apr 06, 2010 3:03 pm

Another great day would be a Muddy Peak>Muddy Highpoint>Colorock Summit loop via Hidden Valley. Another bumpy ride out to the trailhead (high clearance needed), but highly enjoyable. Muddy Peak's better than Moapa, in my opinion. And Muddy HP is a decent peak too. Colorock is just a bonus.

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Marmaduke

 
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by Marmaduke » Tue Apr 06, 2010 4:19 pm

cp0915 wrote:Another great day would be a Muddy Peak>Muddy Highpoint>Colorock Summit loop via Hidden Valley. Another bumpy ride out to the trailhead (high clearance needed), but highly enjoyable. Muddy Peak's better than Moapa, in my opinion. And Muddy HP is a decent peak too. Colorock is just a bonus.


Sounds like Muddy has class 4 and exposure as well? Not has hairy has Moapa?

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by cp0915 » Tue Apr 06, 2010 4:36 pm

Hmm, I've only done Muddy Peak twice, but don't remember it being all that bad. Comparable, I'd say, to Moapa, if perhaps a tiny bit harder (from a technical standpoint). Seems the exposure is less, but perhaps I'm wrong. It's been a few years for me. Remember what MoapaPk said about us desert rats kinda blurring everything together into a one, big limestone (or even good Red Rock sandstone) hunk of "scrambling" ~ we don't disciminate much between class 2 and class 4 out here, especially when it's short (as the difficulties found on Moapa and Muddy are). Zion or Sedona, now that's a different story. Am I making sense?

As Brian mentioned, Eagle Mountain is very, very good. Other nearby peaks include Pahrump Point, Brown Peak, Salsberry, Sheephead, Tecopa Peak, Shadow Mountain, Funeral Peak, Bat Mountain, Pyramid Peak, Nopah, Kingston, Avawatz, Old Dad, Kelso, Edgar, Fountain, New York, Clark, Tecopa, Kessler, Kokoweef, Striped, Stewart (isn't that what it's called?) Point, you get the idea... I've done them all. Each had its special quality.

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Tue Apr 06, 2010 4:43 pm

Eagle Mountain may actually be a faster drive, because there is pavement almost to the the base.

The Muddy Road is worse than the Moapa Road -- count on an hour on the dirt each way, especially if you don't have skid plates.

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by brianhughes » Tue Apr 06, 2010 5:14 pm

The drive out to Muddy is even more grueling than the drive to Moapa, and there are a couple of tricky turnoffs, so make sure you have good directions. Technically I'd say they are about equal difficulty, although Muddy doesn't have the wild exposure of the Moapa ridge. Nothing I'd call Class 4 on either of them, as long as you stay to the standard route. The hike up to Muddy is probably more scenic, with some very cool rock outcroppings.

Pahrump Peak is also good, with no dirt road driving required.
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/154048/pahrump-peak.html

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Marmaduke

 
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by Marmaduke » Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:16 pm

brianhughes wrote:

Pahrump Peak is also good, with no dirt road driving required.
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/154048/pahrump-peak.html


Pahrump looks great, Thanks. Now I'll try to pair another up with it and hit two. Thanks again!

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shilow

 
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by shilow » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:15 am

Does anyone know the current conditions on the routes up to Griffith, Charleston, or Mummy???

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