Keystone Thrust Summit from Willow Spring | Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
Summit the Keystone Thrust from Willow Spring in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Touch Two Additional Wilderness Areas: Rainbow Mountain Wilderness and La Madre Mountains Wilderness. Route goes along the North side of White Rock Mountain, up to La Madre Spring, past Miner’s Cabin and on to Keystone Thrust summit.
Hiking with Dogs | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
Two dog experts, Pug Society rescue owners and avid hikers give their best wisdom and tips for hiking with dogs. Click image or title above for more…
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!
Harris Mountain from Lovell Canyon | La Madre Mountains Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
Harris Mountain from Lovell Canyon is a challenging long distance adventure with an elevation gain of over 4,000ft. However, the elevation gain and the distance are not the main challenge. The greatest difficulty factor is the terrain covered which includes a 5-mile rocky canyon wash, navigating brush and burned out fallen trees and at least 2 miles of steep avalanche slopes – all with no trails.
However, even given these difficulties the rewards are great including:
*A unique high altitude perspective of Lovell Canyon from its East side
*Total peace and solitude – the experience of having a major canyon all to yourself
*Views of the entire expanse of Lovell Canyon all the way to Potosi Mountain, Griffith Peak, Sexton Ridge and the Lovell Canyon, Handy Peak, Griffith Shadow Loop trails area.
Sisters South to the Sisters North | Mt. Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
There is a popular circuit route including Sisters South, Sisters North and Black Rock Sister. The route can be taken in either direction and includes about a half day of challenging hiking and climbing (Class 3 at most) in a beautiful pristine wilderness setting. Route details: About 8-9 miles circuit; **Some trail, some wilderness.** Click image or title above for more…
Sisters North | Lee Canyon | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
Sisters North, located in Lee Canyon in the Mt. Charleston Wilderness is on a ridge system including Sisters South, Sisters North and Black Rock Sister. The ridge offers incredible 360 degree views with McFarland Peak, Bonanza Peak and Macks Peak to the West, the Sheep Range and Gass Peak to the North, Angel Peak, Mummy Mountain, the North Ridge of Kyle Canyon, Lee Peak and Charleston Peak to the East. There are far more reference points in the distance beyond, but these are the most obvious. A huge rock arch unexpectedly appears near the summit of the approach ridge along with the remarkable rock sculpture of Black Rock Sister. Route details: 8 mi RT/ 8,250 > 10,197ft; **Mostly Wilderness, Some Trails** Click image or title above for more…
Sisters South | Lee Canyon | Mt. Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
The Sisters South peak in Lee Canyon, Nevada, elevation 10,197 feet has a great trail, spectacular views and is relatively unknown as a destination. As a result, the entire area sparkles with pristine wilderness beauty and you have a good chance of being the only person on the trail, even on a weekend day. On a Saturday in mid-June I saw only 2 people the entire day. Route details: 8 mi RT/ 8,399 > 10,197ft; **Mostly Trail, Some Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…
Black Rock Sister | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Lee Canyon | Spring Mountains, Nevada
If you’re looking for a summit approach in the Spring Mountains with expanding non-stop spectacular views all the way to the summit after the first brief 1/8th mile, Black Rock Sister is unbeatable. Black Rock Sister, elevation 9,668ft, in the Lee Canyon area of the Spring Mountains in Nevada is the little-known orphan of the more popular and noticeable South and North Sisters. Sitting on a high point in its ridgeline, Black Rock Sister appears to be composed of a single solid mass of rock around 60ft high and 150ft wide. Route details: 8 mi RT/ Approx. 8,300 > 9,668ft; **Wilderness Route** Click image or title above for more…
Saw Mill Trailhead to Macks Peak North Base | Mt. Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada
This adventure began with the intent of doing the Mud Springs Loop trail from the Sawmill Trailhead in Lee Canyon, Spring Mountains, Nevada. Somewhere I went off course and ended up on a 9,235ft bluff near the base of the 10,036ft Macks Peak! Route details: 12 mi RT/ Approx. 7,591 > 9,235ft; **Some Trail, Some Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…
