Overview | Switchback Spring Pinnacle | Wilson Ridge | Lovell Canyon & Rainbow Mountains, Nevada
What is Switchback Spring Pinnacle?
Switchback Spring Pinnacle is a sharp rocky point on the
Wilson Ridge at the summit of
Switchback Spring Canyon in
Southern Nevada. The
Wilson Ridge is West of
Red Rock Canyon (NCA) and the
Rainbow Mountains and East of
Lovell Canyon. This area is very isolated, seldom visited and largely unknown. Thus, the detailed location description.
Position and Importance of Switchback Spring Pinnacle
Switchback Spring Pinnacle is positioned at a low point on the
Wilson Ridge that may be a cross-over point between
Lovell Canyon and
Red Rock Canyon (NCA). It looks possible on maps, but actual sight of the route from above shows a steep, loose rock surface with ledges over significant drop-offs. The cross-over is at this point a “no-go” to all but highly experienced climbers until it is tested. Once I’ve tested this stretch and verified that it is either a
Class 3 Rock Scramble or not, I’ll make a report.
Access Route to Switchback Spring Pinnacle
That said, the access route to the
Switchback Spring Pinnacle from
Lovell Canyon is easy, beautiful and holds some interesting discoveries. As with the many other approach ridges between
Lovell Canyon and the
Wilson Ridgeline, this approach ridge ascends fairly gradually to a high point or pinnacle on the ridgeline.
View from Switchback Spring Pinnacle
The view from the
Switchback Spring Pinnacle is spectacular including key stretches on the ridge to the North and South,
Lovell Canyon to the West,
Mt. Charleston Wilderness to the North, the
La Madre Ridgeline,
Rainbow Mountains,
Red Rock Canyon (NCA),
Las Vegas Valley and points beyond to the East.
Best Time of Year for This Adventure
The best time of year for this adventure is Spring or Fall in order to avoid treacherous icy conditions on the
Wilson Ridge in the Winter and high temperatures in the Summer.
Directions to the Start Point | Switchback Spring Pinnacle | Wilson Ridge | Lovell Canyon & Rainbow Mountains, 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. Proceed 12 miles up the well-paved road until the pavement ends and an unpaved road branches off to your left 1/4th mile from the official
Lovell Canyon Trailhead which will be on the right. There is ample parking across from the trailhead which will be on your right.
Views Along Lovell Canyon Road
Lovell Canyon Road is a beautiful stretch passing through a
Joshua Tree forest that soon becomes populated predominately with
junipers and
pines. There are ridges and meadows and many camping pull-outs along the way. This stretch reminds me a lot of the high desert area around
Bend Oregon. Very open and majestic. All the while you’re looking up at the Spring mountains with
Griffith Peak standing prominent. The road has very little traffic and would make a great bike, walking or running route. In fact, what an awesome backdrop for a marathon (pretty easy to add 2 miles to the 24-mile out and back stretch)!
Lovell Canyon & CC Springs Road Intersection
Proceed about 11 miles up the well-paved road. There is a large parking area on the right just before the
CC Springs Road intersection.
↓ Narrative Guide ↓
Narrative Guide | Switchback Spring Pinnacle | Wilson Ridge | Lovell Canyon & Rainbow Mountains, Nevada
Two Routes to the Wilson Ridgeline
Unlike the other
Wilson Ridgeline approach ridges from
Lovell Canyon, this approach ridge is tucked away closer to the base of the
Wilson Ridge. There are two routes to reach the approach ridge, and both begin at the start point just below the intersection of
Lovell Canyon & CC Springs Roads.
- Head East up the wide gully wash.
- Head East up a low, gradual approach ridge on the North side of the gully wash.
In both cases, once you reach the base of the
Wilson Ridgeline the incline on the approach route increases dramatically, but is still fairly gradual. And since the stretch of the
Wilson Ridgeline above is at a low point, the final approach is fairly tame.
Staying On Course to the Wilson Ridgeline
It’s important to sight your target on the
Wilson Ridgeline as early as possible. In the beginning, you’re in a forest so visibility of the larger area and your target is limited. You’ll see brief glimpses of a sharp descent in the
Wilson Ridgeline to the South. Aim for the base of this descent on the ridgeline. Another guiding reference is to follow a route just left of the rising sun. At any rate, you’re heading for a long low stretch on the
Wilson Ridgeline. You can see the ridgeline rising dramatically on either side of this stretch. The
Switchback Spring Pinnacle is on the Southern (right) edge of the long low stretch.
Gully Wash Approach to the Wilson Ridgeline
In this adventure I approached the
Wilson Ridgeline a little above and just South (to the right) of the wide gully wash. The terrain was very open, wide and gradual. Traversing about 200ft above the gully avoided the obstacles in the gully and revealed some fascinating discoveries.
Potential Camping and Ancient Dwelling Areas on This Route
There were many sheltered areas both all along the approach and up on the
Wilson Ridgeline that could have been camping areas. All appeared to have been modified with fallen trees or rows of stones for windbreaks, leveling of the ground and in many cases, fire rings. Some of the sites looked recent. Some looked as if they may have been historic
Native American Southern Paiutes or
more ancient peoples. In one case, there was what appeared to be a collapsed wooden structure reminiscent of the miner’s cabin at the summit of
La Madre Springs, but much older.
Curious Extensive Irrigation System Mid-Way
About mid-way between
Lovell Canyon Road and the
Wilson Ridgeline, about 200ft above the gully there was a very extensive irrigation system complete with a central PVC pipe and smaller tributary pipes with water nozzles similar to the irrigation systems most
Las Vegas area residents have on their property. The water source would likely be
Sheep Spring. The main pipe stretched over a hundred yards. There was a 3-foot high plastic netted fence enclosing a large part of the irrigated area and even a stack of plant stakes. The whole system looked as if it had been abandoned for 20 years or more. Why such an extensive irrigation system in this isolated forested area? It’s a mystery. My best guess is that this is an abandoned illegal marijuana farm.
Arrival on the Wilson Ridgeline
I arrived on the
Wilson Ridgeline at a distinctive bald hilltop about mid-way on the long low stretch of the ridgeline. The hill was a previous burn area. From there I headed South toward the
Switchback Spring Pinnacle. This stretch of the
Wilson Ridgeline is the widest, most level stretch on the entire ridgeline. It would have made a great location for
Native Americans who wanted to escape the Summer heat in
Red Rock Canyon (NCA) and
Lovell Canyon below. It’s known that the ancient inhabitants in the
Willow Spring area of
Red Rock Canyon (NCA), not far below, were nomadic, moving upward into the mountains during the Summer and down to
Willow Spring during the Winter. This long wide level stretch on the
Wilson Ridgeline is prime suspect for Summer dwellings. And, there are areas on this stretch that appear to have ancient rock borders and fire rings.
Potential Descent Route to Rocky Gap Road – Untested, Looks Risky!
The potential descent route into the
Red Rock Canyon (NCA) area is located just North of
Switchback Spring Pinnacle, actually between that and another prominent rocky pinnacle just North. There is a steep, loose rock channel with some exposure over ledges with significant drop-offs. I will not try this for the first time from above, but rather from below in
Switchback Spring Canyon or the ridge on the South side of the canyon. This way, if the obstacles become too difficult, you can simply turn around and stay safe.
Return Route to Lovell Canyon
Descending back to the
Lovell Canyon Road start point, I diverted to the long low ridge just North of the gully. This diversion provided some variety, a visit to
Sheep Spring, and the ridgeline had a better view with an easier route than the gully wash below.
Adventure Summary
In summary, the long, low stretch on the
Wilson Ridgeline is incredible. It’s wide open, level, has a spectacular 360-degree view of a large slice of
Southern Nevada wilderness and would make an awesome camping area under the brilliant night sky! And, there’s a potential cross-over point between
Lovell Canyon and
Red Rock Canyon (NCA). If that cross-over actually pans out, a grand loop route could be made that began at the intersection of
Lovell Canyon & CC Springs Roads, ascended to the summit of the
Wilson Ridgeline, descended from
Switchback Spring Pinnacle to
Rocky Gap Road below, took
Rocky Gap Road to
Lovell Canyon Road, finally returning to the start point at the intersection of
CC Spring Road.
Important Warning
But for now, I cannot recommend the descent from
Switchback Spring Pinnacle to
Rocky Gap Road. It’s untested and looks risky. It may not pan out. Definitely, at this point, it’s not for any but the most experienced climbers.
