Wilson Ridge/ Sexton Ridge Circuit | Lovell Canyon, Nevada
Make a huge circuit of Lovell Canyon, Nevada taking in Wilson Ridge (East side), The Harris / Griffith Saddle (top), Sexton Ridge (West side). This is a total day-long wilderness immersion with spectacular views of Southern Nevada wilderness and beyond. Elevation gain: 8-9,000ft or more when gain and loss are added up. Best time of year for this adventure: Close to the longest day of the year. Click the image or title above for details.
Fletcher Canyon Trailhead / Harris Mt Griffith Peak Circuit | Mt Charleston Wilderness, Nevada
Make a circuit from The Fletcher Canyon Trailhead to Harris Mountain and Griffith Peak, then return to your start point. After accomplishing the most direct approach to Harris Mountain summit, cross the saddle to Griffith Peak, descend to The South Loop Trailhead and finally return on Kyle Canyon Road to Fletcher Canyon Trailhead. This route is half wilderness and half trails. Elevation gain is from 7,000-11,060ft plus additional ascent and descent along the way. Best time of year for this adventure: Summer through mid-Fall. Click the title or image above for details.
Griffith Crater? Exploration of a Potential Meteor Crater Below Griffith Peak, Nevada
While going over images I’d previously taken from the summit of Griffith Peak and refining the images using Photoshop, I noticed a curious formation on Sexton Ridge about a mile below Griffith Peak. There appeared to be a perfect meteor crater. From the image, the dimensions of the crater would be a near perfect circular shape, about 600ft in circumference, and about 75-150ft deep. Sexton Ridge is the ridge system that borders the West side of Lovell Canyon spanning the approximate 10-mile distance from the 11,060ft Griffith Peak to the Lovell Canyon Trailhead at about 5,500ft. Route Details: About 16 miles RT; *Some Trail, Mostly Wilderness* Click image or title above for more…
Sexton Ridge Descent from Griffith Peak | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
Sexton Ridge is rarely if ever traveled by humans in part due to the difficulty getting there. The route taken today from Griffith Peak Summit involves ascending Griffith Peak twice, beginning at the Charleston South Climb Trailhead at Cathedral Rock, ascending about 3,500ft to the 11,060ft summit of Griffith Peak, descending Sexton Ridge on the far side of Griffith Peak (I descended about 1,800ft today), then re-ascending back to the summit of Griffith Peak before heading back down to the South Climb Trailhead. Psychologically, it’s difficult to gear yourself up to ascend Griffith Peak twice!
Griffith Peak Southern Approach from Sexton Ridge Above Lovell Canyon, Nevada
Sexton Ridge is a 5-7 mile ridge South of Griffith Peak beginning at about 8,400ft and leading to the 11,060ft summit of Griffith Peak. However, it requires an additional 2,500ft ascent to get to the beginning of Sexton Ridge! The entire ridge including its access point from the summit of the Griffith Shadow Loop in Lovell Canyon is pure wilderness with some major brush navigation at points. Otherwise, this is a class 2 level climbing/scrambling experience. The views along the entire route are spectacular including Lovell Canyon, Griffith Peak, Harris Mountain and the saddle between, Potosi Mountain, Gass Peak, the Sheep Range, Las Vegas Valley and beyond, the Nopah Range, Telescope Peak, Mummy Mountain, Fletcher Peak, Lee Peak, Charleston Peak and too many more incredible points of reference to mention here! This could be a grand 2-day adventure with incredible nighttime views. Route details: 25 mi / 5000-11,060ft; *Some Trail, Mostly Wilderness* Click image or title above for more…
Griffith Peak South Approach from Lovell Canyon | Spring Mountains, Nevada
Overview at least 3 approaches to Griffith Peak summit from the Lovell Canyon Trail Trailhead. This approach to the summit will be longer than the traditional Kyle Canyon approach, with 2000ft more elevation gain, but the view is wide open all the way to Griffith Peak summit and the terrain snow-free for an additional month both earlier and later in the season! With this approach route you could be the first and last person to summit Griffith Peak this year. Click image or title above for more…
Harris Mountain Griffith Peak Circuit | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
The Harris Mountain Griffith Peak Circuit is largely untouched wilderness with spectacular views of all the peaks in the Mt. Charleston Wilderness: Harris Mountain, Griffith Peak, Charleston Peak, Lee Peak, Mummy Mountain and Fletcher Peak. In addition there are spectacular views up and down the entire length of Kyle Canyon and Lovell Canyon along with views of the La Madre Mountains Wilderness area including La Madre Mountain and El Padre Mountain. You can see the tips of Bridge Mountain, Rainbow Mountain and Mt. Wilson in the Rainbow Mountains Wilderness and even catch a glimpse of the Las Vegas Strip. And to the North, there are views of the Sheep Range and Gass Peak. Route Details: 15 mi / Approx. 7,713 > 11,060ft; **Some Trail, Mostly Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…
Griffith Peak Harris Mountain Circuit | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
The Griffith Peak / Harris Mountain Circuit actually takes over 2 hours longer than the entire Mt. Charleston Loop! I’ve completed the Mt. Charleston loop in about 7.5 hours including the run from the Trail Canyon parking lot to the South Climb parking lot. Adding in Griffith Peak, Lee Peak and Mummy Mountain, the Mt. Charleston 4-Peak Circuit takes me a little under 12 hours. On the other hand, the Griffith Peak / Harris Mountain Circuit took me 9hrs and 50 minutes! Why? Find out in this article. Route details: 15 mi / Approx. 7,713 > 11,060ft; **Some Trail, Mostly Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…
Griffith Peak & Charleston Peak Circuit | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
This out and back adventure involves starting at the Charleston Peak South Climb Trailhead, summiting Griffith Peak, taking the South Rim of Kyle Canyon from Griffith to Charleston Peak, then returning down the South Climb Trail back to that Trailhead. The South Climb Trail out and back is the most direct way to get to Charleston Peak if you’re pressed for time. Adding Griffith Peak to the adventure is a relatively short detour (about 1/2 mile each way off the main route) and well worth the effort. Route Details: 18 mi / Approx. 7,713 > 11,918ft; **Excellent Trails** Click image or title above for more…
Griffith Peak | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
At 11,056ft, Griffith Peak is the third highest peak in the Spring Mountain range and Southern Nevada. Though often overlooked by hikers whose destination is Mt. Charleston, the highest peak at 11,918ft, Griffith Peak is a great summit destination in itself. It has a unique view of the Eastern portion of Las Vegas, the Strip and the mountains bordering Red Rock Canyon and Calico Basin which are not visible from Mt. Charleston or Mummy Mt. The summit itself is more interesting than the barren Mt. Charleston summit. And finally, Griffith Peak makes a great out and back conditioning run for trail runners as the trail is a fairly good running surface, the incline is steady and steep and the round trip is just under 10 miles so one can travel fairly light and fast. Route Details: 9.3 mi RT / Approx. 7,713 > 11,060ft; **Excellent Trail** Click image or title above for more…
