Sunday, November 17, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Bridge Mountain Solo
Bridge Mountain is considered the crown jewel peak in Red Rock Canyon. It's not the highest, nor the furthest hike, but it's got a great balance of incredible vistas, stunning exposure, and fun scrambling. Not to mention the namesake arch near the top.
The biggest problem with Bridge Mountain is getting to the trailhead. The most popular route starts behind (to the West of) Bridge Mountain, hikes over the escarpment of limestone and sandstone, and continues to the peak. However, reaching the trailhead involves 5 miles of incredibly rugged driving on a washed out road. You can see the conundrum: risk your vehicle on this crazy road, or add 10 boring miles to the 7 mile round trip hike.
Karen and I have a brief history with this very road. A couple years ago, we tried to drive it to get to the same trailhead to try a different hike, but had to turn around less than 2 miles in. We vowed to return when we had more capable transportation.
Fast forward two years, and Karen's car, an Xterra Pro-4x, is our outdoors vehicle. It has extra skidplates, extra clearance, and extra tough tires. We both thought this drive would be a cinch in our outdoor tank, so when I asked to take it while she was working, she didn't really protest.
Long story short, Rock Gap Road is a BEAST. I am not a 4-wheel/rock crawling hobbyist, so I was literally sweating bullets as I navigated this vehicular obstacle course. I actually had to stop the car, get out, and inspect the route ahead, lest I hastily charge forward and get stuck on an impassable boulder or in an especially deep pothole. I held my breath as the horizontal angle of my vehicle approached dangerous levels. I prayed as I rolled over an especially tall limestone protuberance that I wouldn't hear a terrible grinding noise. I watched my side mirrors like a hawk as I squeezed the car between a razor sharp limestone wall and a 25 foot drop. After 45 minutes, the road eased and I was at my destination. Reportedly, the roads gets even tougher past this point.
Now I could start the actual adventure. I made quick work of the approach trail, up and over the limestone ridge behind Bridge. My first views deep into Pine Creek Canyon were breathtaking. These views are easily some of the most dramatic I've yet seen in Red Rock.
As I approached the toughest part of the route, I ran through it in my head for the thousandth time. The Bridge Hike is known for a roughly 100 foot tall crack that you need to climb up in order to proceed. You then climb out of the crack, step over it, and on to an airy ledge that has precipitous drops a few feet to your left. The rest of the hike is no picnic, but in performing my pre-hike research, this was one of the areas most people mentioned as the crux of the route.
Over the course of my hiking and snowboarding careers, I've gotten used to the concept of terrain appearing forebodingly steep when viewed straight on. It's only when you get up close, or view it from an angle, that you get to see the true degree of the steepness. The Bridge Crack was no exception to this rule. I kept looking up to it, and saying, "Yup, still looks vertical."
It was only when I got close to it that its true verticality was revealed. Most people report that hiking in the crack is safer, but makes for tougher climbing. Hiking the sandstone to the RIGHT of the crack is more exposed, but the climbing is easier.
In practice, I found the first part to be true. The crack was plenty safe from the pucker-inducing exposure on either side of this rib I was ascending. I also found that the climbing inside the crack did prove to be tricky, especially for someone as short as I am. At one point, I did climb out of the crack and ascend the sandstone to the right to bypass a tricky part, but I quickly got back into the crack. I was uncomfortable with the exposure not to my right, but behind me. Slipping and falling back would.....not be very good at all.
The crack is over in just a few minutes. It was fun, and not as scary as some made it out to be. I stepped over it, on to the airy ledge, and snapped a photo. The ledge, like the crack, wasn't as bad as it had been reported.
A couple minutes later, I was at the bridge for which Bridge Mountain was named. It is large and really impressive. The route takes you under it, into the water hole that created it, and up the other side.
The rest of the route is pretty basic, especially if you're comfortable with friction scrambling on sandstone.
The summit was windy and I found shelter in a hole nearby. After eating and taking photos, I started back down. After all, I had determined that by far, the toughest part of the day laid ahead: the drive back out of Rocky Gap Road.
While descending the infamous crack (slightly spookier than ascending it), I met a couple who had climbed up from Pine Creek Canyon. We exchanged banter on the various route options for this peak, and I advised them that they were probably 20 minutes away from the peak (maybe a little optimistic, but I have a habit of quoting overly optimistic times to fellow hikers). What stood out most to me about this conversation was the setting: I was perched precariously above the toughest part of the crack, and the couple were standing on the exposed sandstone to the right of the crack. Clearly, none of us were rookies to this type of terrain.
I actually jogged parts of the trail back to the car, because I was feeling great, and I was also very anxious to get Rocky Gap Road over with.
Why no pictures of this terrible drive? Because it was terrible, and I would prefer to not relive it. I'm being a touch dramatic, but I am not an offroad enthusiast, and I literally had the fear of God in me that if I damaged Karen's car in ANY WAY, I would probably meet an end far worse than any I may meet in the mountains.
In the end, the Xterra performed most admirably. It was undoubtedly the reason I escaped the drive unscathed, rather than my superior offroad driving skills. As I got closer to civilization on the road, I passed many people walking, who were forced to pull over lest they damage their vehicles. That was a proud moment.
As for the hike itself, it lived up to every bit of its sterling reputation. It's not a hike for kids or dogs, but now that I've done it, I'd be happy to lead anyone interested in jaw-dropping views and a real sense of achievement. I only ask that you take your car on Rocky Gap Road, not mine ;)
The biggest problem with Bridge Mountain is getting to the trailhead. The most popular route starts behind (to the West of) Bridge Mountain, hikes over the escarpment of limestone and sandstone, and continues to the peak. However, reaching the trailhead involves 5 miles of incredibly rugged driving on a washed out road. You can see the conundrum: risk your vehicle on this crazy road, or add 10 boring miles to the 7 mile round trip hike.
Karen and I have a brief history with this very road. A couple years ago, we tried to drive it to get to the same trailhead to try a different hike, but had to turn around less than 2 miles in. We vowed to return when we had more capable transportation.
Fast forward two years, and Karen's car, an Xterra Pro-4x, is our outdoors vehicle. It has extra skidplates, extra clearance, and extra tough tires. We both thought this drive would be a cinch in our outdoor tank, so when I asked to take it while she was working, she didn't really protest.
Long story short, Rock Gap Road is a BEAST. I am not a 4-wheel/rock crawling hobbyist, so I was literally sweating bullets as I navigated this vehicular obstacle course. I actually had to stop the car, get out, and inspect the route ahead, lest I hastily charge forward and get stuck on an impassable boulder or in an especially deep pothole. I held my breath as the horizontal angle of my vehicle approached dangerous levels. I prayed as I rolled over an especially tall limestone protuberance that I wouldn't hear a terrible grinding noise. I watched my side mirrors like a hawk as I squeezed the car between a razor sharp limestone wall and a 25 foot drop. After 45 minutes, the road eased and I was at my destination. Reportedly, the roads gets even tougher past this point.
Now I could start the actual adventure. I made quick work of the approach trail, up and over the limestone ridge behind Bridge. My first views deep into Pine Creek Canyon were breathtaking. These views are easily some of the most dramatic I've yet seen in Red Rock.
As I approached the toughest part of the route, I ran through it in my head for the thousandth time. The Bridge Hike is known for a roughly 100 foot tall crack that you need to climb up in order to proceed. You then climb out of the crack, step over it, and on to an airy ledge that has precipitous drops a few feet to your left. The rest of the hike is no picnic, but in performing my pre-hike research, this was one of the areas most people mentioned as the crux of the route.
Over the course of my hiking and snowboarding careers, I've gotten used to the concept of terrain appearing forebodingly steep when viewed straight on. It's only when you get up close, or view it from an angle, that you get to see the true degree of the steepness. The Bridge Crack was no exception to this rule. I kept looking up to it, and saying, "Yup, still looks vertical."
It was only when I got close to it that its true verticality was revealed. Most people report that hiking in the crack is safer, but makes for tougher climbing. Hiking the sandstone to the RIGHT of the crack is more exposed, but the climbing is easier.
In practice, I found the first part to be true. The crack was plenty safe from the pucker-inducing exposure on either side of this rib I was ascending. I also found that the climbing inside the crack did prove to be tricky, especially for someone as short as I am. At one point, I did climb out of the crack and ascend the sandstone to the right to bypass a tricky part, but I quickly got back into the crack. I was uncomfortable with the exposure not to my right, but behind me. Slipping and falling back would.....not be very good at all.
The crack is over in just a few minutes. It was fun, and not as scary as some made it out to be. I stepped over it, on to the airy ledge, and snapped a photo. The ledge, like the crack, wasn't as bad as it had been reported.
A couple minutes later, I was at the bridge for which Bridge Mountain was named. It is large and really impressive. The route takes you under it, into the water hole that created it, and up the other side.
The rest of the route is pretty basic, especially if you're comfortable with friction scrambling on sandstone.
The summit was windy and I found shelter in a hole nearby. After eating and taking photos, I started back down. After all, I had determined that by far, the toughest part of the day laid ahead: the drive back out of Rocky Gap Road.
While descending the infamous crack (slightly spookier than ascending it), I met a couple who had climbed up from Pine Creek Canyon. We exchanged banter on the various route options for this peak, and I advised them that they were probably 20 minutes away from the peak (maybe a little optimistic, but I have a habit of quoting overly optimistic times to fellow hikers). What stood out most to me about this conversation was the setting: I was perched precariously above the toughest part of the crack, and the couple were standing on the exposed sandstone to the right of the crack. Clearly, none of us were rookies to this type of terrain.
I actually jogged parts of the trail back to the car, because I was feeling great, and I was also very anxious to get Rocky Gap Road over with.
Why no pictures of this terrible drive? Because it was terrible, and I would prefer to not relive it. I'm being a touch dramatic, but I am not an offroad enthusiast, and I literally had the fear of God in me that if I damaged Karen's car in ANY WAY, I would probably meet an end far worse than any I may meet in the mountains.
In the end, the Xterra performed most admirably. It was undoubtedly the reason I escaped the drive unscathed, rather than my superior offroad driving skills. As I got closer to civilization on the road, I passed many people walking, who were forced to pull over lest they damage their vehicles. That was a proud moment.
As for the hike itself, it lived up to every bit of its sterling reputation. It's not a hike for kids or dogs, but now that I've done it, I'd be happy to lead anyone interested in jaw-dropping views and a real sense of achievement. I only ask that you take your car on Rocky Gap Road, not mine ;)
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Mt. Wilson via First Creek - Solo
Mt. Wilson is the highest sandstone peak in Red Rock Canyon. More importantly to me is the beastly-looking cliffs near its summit you can see from Vegas.
Vegas view from Mt. Wilson:
Like most Red Rock peaks, you can approach Wilson from either the West (backside) or the East. Both routes are tough, but approaching from the West is simpler and easier. Something appealed to me about starting way down at the desert floor, at the foot of the mountain, and working my way all the way to the top, so I chose the East route. The fact that it's considered one of the hardest hikes in Red Rock sealed the deal.
First Creek Canyon:
I got on the trail at about 7:20 and made quick work of the short approach across the desert to First Creek Canyon. First Creek would be my home for the next 3 and a half hours. It is full of massive boulders and slabs of sandstone, and there is no trail. I needed to scramble up, over, and around the boulders to make my way up, all the while avoiding the worst of the terrible brush that grows in the canyon. At a couple points, I even climbed through some chimneys that were so narrow, I had to pass my pack ahead of me.
Shortly after entering the canyon, I had a bit of a GPS mishap. It's no secret GPS units struggle in deep canyons, but in my experience, they just start throwing random points all over the place. This time, however, my GPS created a nice, neat, authentic-looking GPS trail of my progress. The only problem was, it made it seem as though I was heading off course. Due to the structure of the canyon, I thought this was highly improbable, but I figured I had plenty of time, so to be safe, I scrambled back down the 400 or so vertical feet to the mouth of the canyon, where I could reliably figure out my position.
I'm still not sure what happened, but I believe I was on the correct route the whole time, and my GPS just got confused. The set back caused me to climb an extra 400 vertical feet, and travel an extra mile. However, I could proceed knowing that I was on the correct route, and I bouldered the additional 1500 or so vertical feet to the end of the canyon.
From that point on, the going was easier since I was out of the canyon and on steep sandstone.
When I reached the summit, I was really beat since the canyon was so hard, and since it was over 80 degrees with no shade that day. I took enough time to change my socks and dry my feet, sign the summit log, and take some pictures. I also forced some food down, even though I wasn't hungry (loss of appetite seems to strike me on long, tough hikes).
Heading back down was painful on my feet and I was tapped of a lot of my strength, but I made quick work of the wash. Though it was getting dark in the canyon, it was still only about 3PM when I finished.
Now on my morning commute, I can't help but look up at those beastly cliffs in the distance on Mt. Wilson, knowing I've been to the top. It feels great to know that I could've easily given up on this hike, but I pushed on and finished.
Stats:
Ascent time: 4:46 (including 45 minutes lost to the GPS snafu)
Descent time: 3:15
Vertical gained: about 4000 (including the extra 400 from the GPS snafu)
Distance: about 11-12 miles
Vegas view from Mt. Wilson:
Like most Red Rock peaks, you can approach Wilson from either the West (backside) or the East. Both routes are tough, but approaching from the West is simpler and easier. Something appealed to me about starting way down at the desert floor, at the foot of the mountain, and working my way all the way to the top, so I chose the East route. The fact that it's considered one of the hardest hikes in Red Rock sealed the deal.
First Creek Canyon:
I got on the trail at about 7:20 and made quick work of the short approach across the desert to First Creek Canyon. First Creek would be my home for the next 3 and a half hours. It is full of massive boulders and slabs of sandstone, and there is no trail. I needed to scramble up, over, and around the boulders to make my way up, all the while avoiding the worst of the terrible brush that grows in the canyon. At a couple points, I even climbed through some chimneys that were so narrow, I had to pass my pack ahead of me.
Shortly after entering the canyon, I had a bit of a GPS mishap. It's no secret GPS units struggle in deep canyons, but in my experience, they just start throwing random points all over the place. This time, however, my GPS created a nice, neat, authentic-looking GPS trail of my progress. The only problem was, it made it seem as though I was heading off course. Due to the structure of the canyon, I thought this was highly improbable, but I figured I had plenty of time, so to be safe, I scrambled back down the 400 or so vertical feet to the mouth of the canyon, where I could reliably figure out my position.
I'm still not sure what happened, but I believe I was on the correct route the whole time, and my GPS just got confused. The set back caused me to climb an extra 400 vertical feet, and travel an extra mile. However, I could proceed knowing that I was on the correct route, and I bouldered the additional 1500 or so vertical feet to the end of the canyon.
From that point on, the going was easier since I was out of the canyon and on steep sandstone.
When I reached the summit, I was really beat since the canyon was so hard, and since it was over 80 degrees with no shade that day. I took enough time to change my socks and dry my feet, sign the summit log, and take some pictures. I also forced some food down, even though I wasn't hungry (loss of appetite seems to strike me on long, tough hikes).
Tranantula whisperer:
Heading back down was painful on my feet and I was tapped of a lot of my strength, but I made quick work of the wash. Though it was getting dark in the canyon, it was still only about 3PM when I finished.
Now on my morning commute, I can't help but look up at those beastly cliffs in the distance on Mt. Wilson, knowing I've been to the top. It feels great to know that I could've easily given up on this hike, but I pushed on and finished.
Stats:
Ascent time: 4:46 (including 45 minutes lost to the GPS snafu)
Descent time: 3:15
Vertical gained: about 4000 (including the extra 400 from the GPS snafu)
Distance: about 11-12 miles
GPX: https://www.dropbox.com/s/n0rnqkv9rux6rit/Wilson%20Phil%20Solo.gpx
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Windy Peak - Solo
Windy Peak is in the less popular southern region of Red Rock. This area is outside of the scenic loop and visitor center area that most people visit when they come to Red Rock. I like it because it's closer to my house, easily accessible, and doesn't require a fee to access.
Windy Peak is a quick, easy hike with one pseudo-Class 3 section of scrambling. It's Class 3 with almost no exposure, so my cup of tea. Exposure is what gets me nervous. Though don't get me wrong, it's no problem to find exposure on this route. It's easy to find, and easy to avoid. I dispatched the scrambling part with ease, and then it was a 10-15 minute scramble to the summit. Along the way, I saw several pools of water (tinajas) and even a nice little slot.
Since I approached from the West (behind), I hiked over the famous keystone thrust, where limestone and sandstone were violently thrust together who knows how long ago. It's really neat to hike from limestone to sandstone in just a few steps.
As with all the peaks along the keystone thrust, Windy Peak has phenomenal views East, towering over the desert below.
Since the hike was pretty tame (95% trail, 5.2 miles, 1800 ft gained), I was able to make quick time up, and even jog a little down. Great day in the mountains.
Peak name controversy in the summit log:
Tarantula whisperer:
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Charleston Peak- We did it!!
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After many years of wanting to get to the top of Charleston, we finally did it on the last weekend before the snow fell. It was a challenge, especially for K but we had clear weather and made the most of our opportunity. We have now completed all the highest peaks of Mt. Charleston.
More observations will be written later, but here are the stats and our peak photo for now.
GPX: https://www.dropbox.com/s/opp9onlnzf8d5r0/Charleston%20Peak.gpx
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Fletcher Peak via Trail Canyon
Karen and I had been to this peak before, but we decided to tackle it from a different direction, since our options were so limited from the Carpenter One fire. I'm rarely dead-on when it comes to estimating how long my hikes will be, but I was way off on this one. I planned for 7.5, and it ended up being 9.5. Still, it was nice to be out there.
Monday, April 1, 2013
2012-2013 Snow Season Resorts
When a time comes that we are not living life we may write more about each resort, but for now here's a summary of our snowboarding season '12-'13:
November 2012
Mammoth
December 2012
Mammoth
Brighton
Snowbird
Solitude
Eagle Point
Canyons
Snowbird
January 2013
Brian Head
Brian Head
Brian Head
February 2013
Snowbird
Snowbasin
Brian Head
Solitude
Brighton
March 2013
Park City
Brian Head
November 2012
Mammoth
December 2012
Mammoth
Brighton
Snowbird
Solitude
Eagle Point
Canyons
Snowbird
January 2013
Brian Head
Brian Head
Brian Head
February 2013
Snowbird
Snowbasin
Brian Head
Solitude
Brighton
March 2013
Park City
Brian Head
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Griffith
Updated 2015:
Looking back now, we are very lucky to have decided to do this hike when we did. Since the Carpenter 1 Fire (google images) in 2013 the South Loop options have been closed. You can check the current status of trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, and roads here: http://www.gomtcharleston.com/condition.html
View of Charleston Peak from atop Griffith:
Griffith Peak is the 3rd highest mountain in Southern Nevada. The hike was very pleasant with an easy to follow route and some really cool cliffs and an avalanche chute. It ended up being about 10 miles round trip with about 3800 ft. of elevation gained.
The hike was one of our longest at that time and we were happy to be starting at the South Loop instead of Trail Canyon or North Loop. I battled with my boots on this hike and had terrible blisters. This was early on in our hiking adventures and I was plagued with blisters and was constantly on the hunt for boots or a solution to prevent the raw,mangled feet I was experiencing after only a few miles. I honestly should write a blog on my boot, sock, and liner trials and tribulations. Luckily, I finally found the perfect solution, but this hike was one of the painful ones.
This was our last hike in the LV area before Phil had his major shoulder surgery. His surgery would prevent him from dressing himself, driving for many weeks, and definitely prohibited his carrying a backpack. He also had a about 5 - 6 months of physical therapy in his future. Being our last hike, it was a good one and a great new challenge for us.
Looking back now, we are very lucky to have decided to do this hike when we did. Since the Carpenter 1 Fire (google images) in 2013 the South Loop options have been closed. You can check the current status of trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, and roads here: http://www.gomtcharleston.com/condition.html
View of Charleston Peak from atop Griffith:
Griffith Peak is the 3rd highest mountain in Southern Nevada. The hike was very pleasant with an easy to follow route and some really cool cliffs and an avalanche chute. It ended up being about 10 miles round trip with about 3800 ft. of elevation gained.
The hike was one of our longest at that time and we were happy to be starting at the South Loop instead of Trail Canyon or North Loop. I battled with my boots on this hike and had terrible blisters. This was early on in our hiking adventures and I was plagued with blisters and was constantly on the hunt for boots or a solution to prevent the raw,mangled feet I was experiencing after only a few miles. I honestly should write a blog on my boot, sock, and liner trials and tribulations. Luckily, I finally found the perfect solution, but this hike was one of the painful ones.
This was our last hike in the LV area before Phil had his major shoulder surgery. His surgery would prevent him from dressing himself, driving for many weeks, and definitely prohibited his carrying a backpack. He also had a about 5 - 6 months of physical therapy in his future. Being our last hike, it was a good one and a great new challenge for us.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
The Sisters (North and South)
The Sisters are two peaks next to each other in the Spring Mountains. We found a route that includes both at the same time. It was VERY sketchy scrambling between the South and North peaks. I don't think we will ever hike the two sisters by linking them together the way we did on this trip.
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