Indecision Peak Summit | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
Overview | Indecision Peak Summit | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
This is the perhaps the most streamlined summit route to Indecision Peak from Lovell Canyon. It’s a beautiful traverse of the lower East side of Lovell Canyon. You’ll experience the foothills of the Wilson Ridge and an important part of the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline, including discovery of a potential Little Zion loop adventure. However, its quite the marathon!
This adventure has everything: A wide lower canyon wash to gently pull you inward, slopes populated with pines, juniper, manzanita and other high desert plants that delight the eyes, spectacular expansive views of isolated, rarely seen sculpted sandstone terrain. From your vantage point on the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline, you’ll be able to view nearly all the great sandstone peaks both to the North and to the South, for one of the most complete immersive experiences of the Rainbow Mountains!
Adventure Route Summary
A great approach wash just East of the Lovell Canyon Road starting point will take you all the way to the base of the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline. Ascend a nice, fairly gradual ridge to Major Decision Peak at the summit of Indecision Peak’s long approach ridge. Descend the approach ridge passing Indecision Point, the colorful sandstone Indecision Plateau and finally reaching the saddle at the ridge’s low point. Now ascend the sandstone ridge past the false summit to Indecision Peak’s true Eastern summit. From the summit, return to Lovell Canyon Road by the same route. Alternately, if you have 2 vehicles you could descend from the summit to the First Creek Canyon Trailhead below. See the map and narrative guide below for more detail.
Spectacular Views Along the Way
From your unique mid-vantage point on the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline:
- Mt. Wilson
- Rainbow Mountain
- Tip of Bridge Mountain
- Sandstone Peak
- Hidden Peak
- Monument Peak
- Black Velvet Peak
- Windy Peak
- Potosi Mountain
To the East
- Blue Diamond Hill
- Las Vegas Valley and Strip
- Frenchman Mountain
- Sunrise Mountain
- Lake Mead
- Arizona Mt. Wilson
To the North
To the West
- Lovell Canyon
- Funeral Mountain Range
- Nopah Range
- Glimpses of the Panamint Range on the West side of Death Valley including Telescope Peak
Best Time of Year for This Adventure
Stick to mid-to-late Spring or Fall in order to avoid Summer temperatures that can easily exceed 110 degrees and Winter possibility of snow and ice. Make sure it has not rained within the previous 24-48 hours because the sandstone stretches become slick, hazardous skating rinks when wet or icy.
Directions to Route Starting Point | Indecision Peak Summit | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
Take Hwy 160 from Las Vegas toward Pahrump. The highway ascends over a “hump” (the Potosi Mountain area). There’s a saying around here, “Over the hump to Pahrump”. Well, you’ve just traveled over that hump. Around 4-5 miles from the point where the highway begins to descend toward Pahrump there is a well-marked sign on the right for Lovell Canyon Road.
Locating the Best Starting Point on Lovell Canyon Road
Proceed a about a mile up Lovell Canyon Road watching for a second road (looks more like a wash) branching off to the right (see the map for this important starting point). There’s ample parking there.
Narrative Guide | Indecision Peak Summit | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
Getting Your Initial Bearings
From the starting point look to the East to see a range of grassy, rounded foothills. These are actually the lower end of the Wilson Ridge. Look carefully to pick out an opening in the foothills (see the video). You’ll pass through that opening to the darker hills beyond on the horizon. Those darker hills are part of the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline. Now look immediately behind you to the West to identify the huge ridge I call Landmark Bluff. That ridge will be your reference point to keep you on course during the return trip.
Start Point to the Access Wash
Head up the brief road on foot from the parking area. In about 1,000ft the road will “T” out at a powerline cross road that parallels Lovell Canyon Road just to the East. Take a right on this road, quickly cross a very low ridgeline, then diagonally angle Southeast across the open sage/yucca desert toward the opening in the low rounded grassy hills far ahead to the East (see the video). In about 500 feet you’ll come across a wash. If you angle more toward the South than the East you’ll hit the wash sooner. Getting into this wash is important because it will take you all the way to the base of the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline.
Approach Wash to the Grassy Hills on the East Side of Lovell Canyon
Once in the wash, at first it’s a bit wonky as there are multiple branches in places. I found it helpful to stay with the branch that had the hoof marks. Wild burros are smarter navigators and have a way of picking out the best route along the wash. Eventually, the wash will widen and become more defined as you approach the grassy hills. This wash is actually part of an unmarked trail system that includes the Little Zion Trailhead. It would make a great part of a Little Zion Loop. More about that later.
As you approach the grassy foothills (the lower end of the Wilson Ridge), the wash will weave between the hills just to the right of one of the largest hills. Looking up that large hill, notice it ends in a pointed summit. Below that pointed summit is the upper end of Salt Grass Road. You’re not going there today. Just note the connections in Lovell Canyon. That hill is an important landmark on the East side of Lovell Canyon.
Through the Grassy Hills to the Base of The Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline
The now well-defined wash you are in circles around the lower right (South) end of the large grassy hill just mentioned as it continues toward The Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline. Once you’ve circled the base of the grassy hill, watch for a trail splitting off to the right marked by a cairn. You won’t take this right turn, but note that it leads to the Little Zion Trailhead — another important connection point on the East side of Lovell Canyon. Now you know how you could get to the Little Zion Trailhead to the South or Salt Grass Road to the North. But today, stay in the wash.
Approach Slope to Major Decision Peak
Continue in the wash until the wash begins to become narrow and clogged with obstacles. At this point, notice the beginning of a slope on the North (left) side of the wash. This slope will take you all the way to Major Decision Peak, a high point on the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline. Major Decision Peak marks the beginning of the long descent from the ridgeline to Indecision Peak.
For the best route, stay on or near the center of the approach slope all the way to Major Decision Peak. Only as you’ve almost arrived on Major Decision Peak, circle its right (South) side where you will soon see the sandstone Indecision Peak below to the East and it’s long descending approach ridgeline. I call this Indecision Ridge.
Indecision Ridge to Indecision Plateau
Indecision Ridge has 3 major reference points as it descends to its lowest point. The first is an obvious rocky high point about half-way down the ridgeline. That high point is, you guessed it, Indecision Point. You’ll experience a fun class 3 rock scramble over Indecision Point, then continue downward to the now visible red rock plateau below — Indecision Plateau.
As you’re descending Indecision Ridgeline, notice the huge broadside view of the South side of Mt. Wilson just to the North and First Creek Canyon below. You can see nearly the complete route from First Creek Canyon to the summit of Mt. Wilson. Beyond Mt. Wilson is a great broadside view of the South side of Rainbow Mountain. The tip of Bridge Mountain is visible just beyond. There’s also a great view of the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline with connects with all of these high points.
To the South, you can see Sandstone Peak below and Little Zion, Hidden Peak and Monument Peak further beyond. Even further, Black Velvet Peak and the colorful red sandstone plateau of Windy Peak are visible, all the the South. Observe the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline continuing above these peaks. A great trail spans that ridgeline all the way to the Mountain Spring Trailhead. These are more connections to note in the Rainbow Mountains Wilderness. The Indecision Ridgeline is a unique, key vantage point for the best view of the entire Rainbow Mountains Wilderness!
Indecision Plateau to Indecision Ridgeline Lower Saddle
As you stand on Indecision Plateau and look below, at first it looks impossible to continue downward. Everything looks like a vertical drop-off! Note that the South side of the plateau is a gaping vertical drop. However, notice a beautiful distinctive red rock formation on the North side of the plateau. That formation is actually the starting point for a fairly easy descent to the saddle on the lowest point of Indecision Ridgeline below. Angle downward from the red rock formation on the plateau to the saddle below. It’s all an easy class 2 descent.
Indecision Ridge Lower Saddle to the Peak’s Western False Summit
There are two good choices for ascending the sandstone from the lower saddle to the Western “False” Summit. The direct route has a somewhat imposing, somewhat exposed high class 3 scramble near the summit. I attempted the direct route, then turned back to circle around the South side of the false summit where I had seen a cairn. Curiously, on the return trip, I easily descended the false summit along that same direct route.
Circling around the South side of the false summit, where there’s the cairn, you’ll find a nice broad gully leading to the East side of the false summit where you can continue to the Eastern true summit.
Western False Summit to Eastern True Summit
Once you’ve ascended to the East side of the Western false summit, now a good route is along the North side of the ridgeline, weaving among the sandstone, trees and brush to the Eastern true summit now clearly visible ahead. Some cairns may help guide you along the way. Pretty exhausted by the time I reached the summit, and running out of time, the steep, class 4 exposed final 15ft ascent on the West side of the summit just seemed too much in the roaring wind. I believe, had I just taken a moment to circle the East side of the summit, I would have found an easier route to achieve that final 15ft ascent! I’ll return on the day I explore the route from First Creek Canyon below.
Return to Lovell Canyon Road
By the time you near Indecision Peak summit by this route, you’re feeling as if you’re running out of time. It took me about 6 hours to reach the summit. But you’re not running out of time! It only took 4 hours to return to Lovell Canyon Road by the same route. This is probably due to the route being more well-known. Much time was saved by not having to explore various route options…and over an hour was saved in not documenting pictures and videos along the return.
Adventure Summary
The route from Lovell Canyon Road to Indecision Peak is quite the marathon exertion. But the reward is huge! Along the way you’ve experienced a unique key midpoint view of the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline along with discovering connections to the major peaks to the North and to the South. In addition, you’ve gained a new familiarity of the lower East side of beautiful Lovell Canyon and various route connections in that region. You won’t soon forget this memorable adventure!
