Overview – Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully | Mt Charleston Wilderness, Nevada

Adventure Slide Guide will appear on this page early in October, 2024

This is a streamlined approach from Deer Creek Rd. Catch Pen Loop trailhead parking area to connect with Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully midway to the summit. On the return trip we explore the large area of ridges and gullies between Camp Stimpson and the Catch Pen Loop trailhead.

Non-Stop Spectacular Views

Expect non-stop spectacular views from the pristine alpine wilderness you are traversing throughout this entire adventure! Some of the landmarks you will see along the way include:

• The Sheep Range
• Gass Peak
• Mummy Mountain’s Summit
• Mummy’s Toe
• Mummy’s Knees
• Mummy’s Chin
• Mummy’s Nose
• Bristlecone Pine Ridge
• Fletcher Peak
• The La Madre Mountains
• Northern Las Vegas Valley

Adventure Route Summary

From the Catch Pen Loop trailhead parking area on Deer Creek Road head up the Eastern ridgeline of Seven-Mile Canyon. Near the base of Mummy’s Nose cliff angle to the left along the East side of Mummy’s Nose. Angle downward to connect with the Mummy’s Forehead main approach gully around 9,500ft elevation. Finally, descend the approach gully to the upper edge of Camp Stimpson. Ascend the Western ridge along a trail, then navigate a series of ridges and gullies back to Deer Creek Road, finally to return to the original trailhead parking area.

Best Time of Year for This Adventure

This is a great adventure for the Summer and Fall months while the temperature in the Las Vegas Valley is between 85 and 115 degrees. Once the temperature drops below 80 degrees in the Las Vegas Valley (Fall – Spring Months) prepare for snow conditions in the higher elevations.

Route Starting Point Directions – Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully | 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 Forehead Summit Approach Gully | Mt Charleston Wilderness, Nevada

Note that I refer to a trailhead and a road. The road is unmarked and only lasts about 500 feet. Beyond that this adventure is totally pathless wilderness until near the end of your return trip!

Trailhead to the Eastern Ridgeline

From the trailhead parking area, cross Deer Creek Road and head up the unmarked Forest Road 092A for about 500 feet along the base of the ridge to your left (The Seven-Mile Canyon Eastern Ridge). In about 500ft the road will divide. Road 092 will branch off to the left; 092A will continue straight. At this fork in the road begin to angle up the ridge to your left, watching for the main ascent gully. You may need to poke around a bit to find that gully, but you’ll know when you’re in it. The gully is a nice, wide gradual ascent to the ridgeline summit.

Eastern Ridgeline to the Limestone Pillar

Once on the ridgeline summit continue upward. The area is wide open and beautiful. Watch for ever-expanding views of the wilderness ahead toward the cliffs of Mummy Mountain’s Nose and the wilderness behind toward the Sheep Range. These will be your basic guiding reference points for the initial approach and the final return trip. Continue up the ridgeline, topping a few beautiful limestone high points along the way, until you reach a tall narrow limestone pillar near the base of the Mummy’s Nose cliffs.

Limestone Pillar to the Ridgeline Descent Point

At the pillar, begin to angle to the left along the Eastern base of Mummy’s Nose Cliffs. Note that you have a few intervening ridgelines and gullies to cross along the way. Just find that sweet spot: Not too high where the terrain is real steep; Not too low where the gullies are deep. You’ll find that spot…it’s pretty obvious when you’re up there. The third of fourth gully you cross is pretty significant. It’s the site of a pre-2,000 air crash. You’ll see parts of the plane scattered in the gully. Cross the air crash gully and continue along below the base of Mummy’s Nose Eastern cliffs. Notice far below there is a nice wide gully heading upward toward the area of Mummy’s Forehead. This is the main Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully.

Descent to Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully

Now angle toward Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully choosing a route that involves the least altitude loss. The terrain is fairly easy, and if you gauge your route well, you’ll arrive in the gully at about the same altitude you were at when you began to angle toward the gully. You’ll notice that had you continued high along the base of the cliff line to your right the terrain would have been far steeper and eventually blocked by a cliff. You want to be in the approach gully. It’s a much friendlier terrain.

Descending the Approach Gully to Upper Camp Stimpson

On this day, when I reached the approach gully I turned around and headed down the gully, wanting to check out the terrain in the lower gully near the Camp Stimpson area and Deer Creek Road. Along the way down I made a few discoveries. I where the gullies I’d crossed above descended into the main gully I as now in. The largest was the air crash gully. I could have headed up that gully and fairly easily ended up at the base of the Mummy’s Nose cliffs above. I also discovered, lower in the main gully that there was a year-round flowing spring that must have been beneath me during my descent in the gully, only to emerge further down. Finally, there were signs that I was approaching the upper area of Camp Stimpson near the base of the gully. This terrain was familiar from an earlier adventure.

Upper Camp Stimpson to Deer Creek Road

At the upper end of Camp Stimpson there begins a very nice trail at the base of the West ridge (to your left) and the East ridge (to your right). Not wanting to traverse Camp Stimpson’s property, I headed up the trail ascending the West ridge to the left. That trail switchbacked to the summit of the ridge, then descended into the gully below to the West. I could see in the distance the Eastern ridgeline of Seven-Mile Canyon, though, at the time I thought I had arrived in Seven-Mile Canyon! Actually, there are a few intervening ridges and gullies between Camp Stimpson canyon and Seven-Mile Canyon. Now it was a matter of navigating these ridges and gullies in the direction toward Deer Creek Road.

Some of the intervening canyons and gullies are very steep, and I came across one class 3 limestone dry fall descent…surprisingly the most difficult stretch the entire day! Finally, I arrived at a large gully where there was a trail marked by a sign “Emergency Evacuation Route”. That trail eventually branched to the right and to the left. It appeared the right branch headed to the large Camp Stimpson parking area on Deer Creek Road. That parking area is large enough to accommodate an emergency evacuation helicopter and a Search and Rescue mobile headquarters van. So, the gully I was in appeared to be the main emergency evacuation route in the area for search and rescue teams.

Had I taken the right branch in that trail, I’d have easily ended up at the Camp Stimpson parking area. Instead, I took the left branch hoping to angle toward Deer Creek Road closer to the Catch Pen Loop trailhead parking. Actually, the left branch trail soon disappeared and I found myself in a huge dry lakebed below a high ridge. Sounds above on that high ridge indicated that this was Deer Creek Road. I ascended the high ridge to arrive on Deer Creek Road. Now it was a matter of taking a left on Deer  Creek Road and heading back to the Catch Pen Loop Trailhead. Turned out to be between a quarter and a half-mile down Deer Creek Road.

Learnings from This Adventure

The learning from this adventure is that there is a huge triangular region of ridges and gullies between the Camp Stimpson and Seven-Mile Canyon. You’re better off to stay high along the Easter base of the Mummy’s Nose cliffs and finally return to Deer Creek Road on the Eastern Ridgeline of Seven-Mile Canyon. So, from the point I arrived in the Mummy’s Forehead summit approach gully, I’d have been better off to retrace my steps all the way back to the Catch Pen Loop Trailhead parking area. However, I did get to explore that huge swath of land between Camp Stimpson and Seven-Mile Canyon. Note that there is some private property in that region near Deer Creek Road, so it’s not the best area for wilderness exploration. Stick to the high ridgelines and you’ll be okay!

The big pay-off was discovering a streamlined approach from Deer Creek Catch Pen Loop trailhead to the 9,500ft elevation of Mummy’s Forehead Summit Approach Gully that is all pristine wilderness, no private property, easy class 2 climbing (basically a walk).