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Overview – Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge Loop | Mt. Charleston Wilderness, Nevada
Spectacular Views from Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge
There is an isolated, relatively unknown ridgeline in the Mummy Mountain Head area between Mummy’s Chin and Mummy’s Forehead. From this spectacular vantage point at 10,800ft elevation, you have a unique perspective on a huge number of reference points in Southern Nevada and beyond. These include (clockwise):
- Charleston Peak
- Lee Peak
- Bonanza Trail Ridgeline
- McFarland Peak
- South Sister
- North Sister
- Bonanza Peak
- Wheeler Peak
- Macks Peak
- Telescope Peak
- Sheep Range
- Gass Peak
- Angel Peak
- Northern Las Vegas Valley
- Las Vegas Strip
- Frenchman Mountain
- Muddy Mountains
- La Madre Mountains
And this is just a short list!
Close Access to Mummy’s Chin and Forehead Summits
Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge gives direct, close access along it’s ridgeline to Mummy’s Chin Summit to the East (11,040ft elevation) and Mummy’s Forehead Summit to the West (11,043ft elevation) for those who enjoy engaging in rock climbing. These summits are each approximately 100 yards (a football field length) in either direction.
The Streamlined Route
Over a few previous adventures I’ve streamlined a route to Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge from the Deer Creek Road Catch Pen Loop trailhead. This, I believe, is the fastest, most streamlined and direct route to Mummy’s Chin, Saddle Ridgeline and Forehead. And the route is entirely at the class 2 climbing level: Basically a walk, though on some steep loose rock slopes in places.
Adventure Route Summary
The entire route is through an incredibly beautiful, pristine, pathless alpine wilderness. The approach route begins at the Deer Creek Road Catch Pen Loop Trailhead. From there, ascend the Eastern ridgeline of Seven-Mile Canyon to 9,400ft. Then, keeping the 9,400ft altitude, skirt the Eastern base of Mummy’s Nose Cliffs until you reach Mummy’s Chin and Forehead Summit Approach Gully, still at the 9,400ft level. Ascend that gully to the base of the cliff line near its summit (about 10,600-700ft). Angel left along a steep slope to reach Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge. This adventure became a loop when during the return descent, I inadvertently left Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully at the 9,800ft point rather than the 9,400ft point (I’ll explain below how to miss this mistake, along with some interesting discoveries along the way.). This sent me up a slope to the Lee Canyon approach saddle (10,300ft elevation). From there I descended to Lee Canyon Road, then Deer Creek Road and ultimately ascended that road back to the Catch Pen Loop Trailhead starting point.
Best Time of Year for This Adventure
The best time of year to reach this spectacular vantage point is during the Summer months. At this time you have the longest span of daylight, comfortable temperatures and absence of snow. However, watch the weather and the skies to avoid thunderstorms! I’ve experienced thunder and lightening along the approach route.
Route Starting Point Directions – Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge Loop | Mt. Charleston Wilderness, Nevada
To get to this point from Las Vegas head North on I-95 taking a left at one of the last I-95 exits in the Las Vegas area, Kyle Canyon exit. Continue up Kyle Canyon road about 17 miles and a couple miles before Charleston Village take a right on Highway 158 towards Lee Canyon. You’ll wind around the hillside to the left and as the road briefly levels off before descending toward Lee Canyon. Pass the North Loop Trailhead, Deer Creek Picnic Area and the Camp Stimson turnoff. The trailhead is a small parking area on the right just before the Desert View Overlook Parking Area. It’s the trailhead parking for the Deer Creek Catch Pen Loop Trail.
Narrative Guide – Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge Loop | Mt. Charleston Wilderness, Nevada
Getting Your Initial Bearings
At the Deer Creek Road Catch Pen Loop Trailhead set your sights on the distinctive Mummy’s Toe Cliff across Deer Creek Road and up at the summit of Seven-Mile Canyon. Also note that Seven-Mile Canyon has two ridgelines: A Western ridgeline to the right and an Eastern Ridgeline to the left. With these reference points in mind, you’re going to head up the Eastern Ridgeline, then angle along the Eastern (left) base of Mummy’s Nose Cliffs.
Catch Pen Loop Trailhead to Seven-Mile Canyon’s Eastern Ridgeline
Now cross Deer Creek Road to begin on the unmarked Forest Road 092 which runs along the base of Seven-Mile Canyon’s Eastern ridgeline. Keep along the base of the Eastern Ridgeline to your left. Initially, there are some confusing additional routes to your right. Ignore these.
In about 500ft Forest Road 092 will divide. 092 branches off to the right toward the Western ridgeline. 092A continues along the base of the Eastern Ridgeline. At this branch, begin to angle to your left up the Eastern Ridgeline. As you ascend, search around for a nice wide ridgeline approach gully. You’ll know when you’ve found the gully. See the video for more detailed directions. Once in the gully (it’s pretty steep, but gradual) continue upward to take a right along the summit of the Eastern Ridgeline. Here you have a spectacular view of the ridgeline continuing upward to the Eastern cliffs of Mummy’s Nose, Seven-Mile Canyon below and the Sheep Range in the distance below. Keep these reference points in mind for the return trip.
Seven-Mile Canyon’s Eastern Ridgeline to Mummy’s Nose Eastern Cliffs
Once on Seven-Mile Canyon’s Eastern Ridgeline, just stay on the ridgeline as you ascend toward Mummy’s Nose Eastern Cliffs. There are a few high points along the way with spectacular views, but for the most part its a steady, gradual ascent. It’s important to leave the ridgeline and begin angling along the base of Mummy’s Nose Eastern Cliffs at the ideal altitude point. Fortunately pretty easy to determine. You’ll eventually reach a distinctive limestone pillar on the ridgeline. Continue up the ridgeline beyond the pillar for another 200ft elevation gain. Now you’re at approximately 9,400ft elevation. This is your optimal glide path along Mummy’s Nose Eastern Cliffs. At this elevation angle to the left off of the Eastern ridgeline and begin traversing the base of Mummy’s Nose Eastern Cliffs (actually you’re 2-300ft below the edge of the cliffs).
Traversing the Base of Mummy’s Nose Eastern Cliffs
At this 9,400ft elevation glide path there is a minimum of obstacles (limestone rocky sections, fallen trees, deep intervening canyons and high ridges). The slope angle is also much more navigable than at much steeper angles above. Try to stay at 9,400ft elevation as you cross some low intervening ridges and gullies and avoid obstacles along the way. It’s pretty easy, and always at a class 2 walk. During this traverse, note far below to your left a major canyon gully. This is the canyon, at the base of which is Camp Stimpson. This is also the Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully. If you keep to 9,400ft you’ll eventually reach the gully at that same altitude without having to do any descent and re-ascent along the way.
Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully to Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge
Once in Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully, begin to ascend the gully. You may need to navigate to the left above the gully near the beginning to avoid some obstacles. However, ascent in the gully is generally a matter of finding the stairway among the gully boulders. It’s still a class 2 walk.
Around 9,900ft there is an impassible vertical dry fall in the gully. When you see the limestone cliffs ahead in the gully, visible when you’re at 9,800ft, angle to your right up a slope and around a huge limestone cliffy area. At the top of the limestone formation, circle back into the gully. You’re now at about 10,000ft elevation in the gully.
At the 10,000ft elevation point the gully is more open as boulders begin to diminish. However the angle of ascent dramatically increases until the gully has become a very steep loose rock slope. Ahead to your left, around the 10,700ft elevation in the gully there are vertical limestone cliffs. At the base of these cliffs take a left turn out of the gully and begin angling slightly upward along the base of the cliffs through a beautiful bristlecone pine forest to arrive at Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge at about 10,800ft!
Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge
Mummy’s Chin Summit Ridge itself is a rocky ridgeline about a half-mile in length. There’s a distinctive high point on either end of the ridgeline. To your left (East) is Mummy’s Chin at 11,040ft elevation. The your right (West) not far some intervening rocky stretches is Mummy’s Forehead at 11,043ft elevation. I did not summit these high points, each only about a quarter mile away on this day. However, it looked as if the rocky limestone stretches to the high points might not exceed class 3 rock scrambling.
Descending Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully to 9,800ft
I thought the descent would be pretty straight forward with an arrival back at the Catch Pen Loop Trailhead on Deer Creek Road in about 2 and a half hours. I’d descended the gully from the 10,300ft level back to the trailhead previously in less than 2 hours. However, when I saw the magic 9,400ft elevation mark on my altimeter watch and began angling up along the Eastern base of Mummy’s Nose Cliffs as planned, I failed to remember my altimeter watch was 400ft off!! I was actually at 9,800ft when I thought I was at 9,400ft. This sent me angling along Mummy’s Nose Eastern Cliffs too soon. I soon found I was facing a perpendicular out-jutting limestone cliff blocking what I’d thought would be an easy traverse.
I could have descended again into the lower gully, but now I was curious. What would the terrain above look like? What new points of interest would I find. So I continued to ascend the increasingly steep loose rock slope. So steep was it, that once, when I slipped and found myself sitting on the slope, one trekking pole about 10 feet below, it took me about 5 minutes of maneuvering to recover the pole and then succeed in achieving a standing position again! Still I continued upward because the terrain above was beginning to look familiar!
Lee Canyon Summit Approach Saddle
There was an opening in the limestone cliff line above. Yes! That opening was the familiar Lee Canyon Approach Saddle from this previous Mummy’s Nose Summit Adventure. Only now, I could see the limestone cliff base below the saddle and it’s potential alternate route to Mummy’s Forehead! Great discovery for a future adventure! I continued to ascend to the saddle above at 10,300ft. By now I knew I didn’t want to descend back to the Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully, which by the way might have been a shorter route to the trailhead. Instead I descended to Lee Canyon Road, just for the enjoyable memory of a previous adventure.
Making This Adventure a Loop and Solving a Puzzle
Yes, this meant a very steep and long descent to Lee Canyon Road, then a right turn on that road to Deer Creek Road, then ascending Deer Creek Road all the way to the Catch Pen Loop Trailhead. I knew this, but by now was into the momentum of continuing on what had now become a huge loop adventure, looping completely around Mummy’s Nose. Besides, I love the feeling of connecting the dots: Mummy’s Chin and Forehead, Deer Creek Road, Lee Canyon. All these are now one huge unbroken spectacular wilderness area in my mind. And, much of the mystery of the features of Mummy’s Head (Nose, Forehead, Chin): Where they are located and routes to their summits, has now become more clear. The puzzle pieces are falling into place! Set me blindfolded into any part of the wilderness in this area and I’ll know where I am and how to navigate in a its now familiar terrain without a compass or GPS.
Disclaimer
Before you set out to navigate the wilderness without compass or GPS and wander off course in the joy of discovery, realize that my total pathless wilderness navigation experience includes the Pacific Northwest Cascade Mountains, the Northeast Hudson River Valley and the vast wilderness area surrounding Las Vegas. My total lifetime wilderness miles at this point exceed 30,000 reaching back to childhood. Still, as you can see, I occasionally get off-course and end up redirecting. And finally, I always plan my adventures to begin and end in daylight on clear days with lots of visibility. I’ve pushed my experience gradually forward level by level by very small increments, seldom exceeding my previous limit by more than the slightest stretch during any particular adventure. However, the sum total is pretty huge. You can do the same over time.