Backcountry Explorer

Zion National Park: Summit Routes

The first volume of my Zion National Park hiking, scrambling and climbing guidebook is now available!

Focusing on summit routes in the park, the book will be the first of its kind. Anticipate a 250-page guide covering routes to nearly 80 summits in and near Zion National Park, including photos and maps.

Just a handful of the summits featured in the book are The West Temple, Mountain of the Sun, Twin Brothers, The Watchman, Mount Kinesava, Mount Spry, South Guardian Angel, North Guardian Angel, Johnson Mountain, Bridge Mountain, Mount Moroni, Lady Mountain, Angels Landing, Cathedral Mountain, North Sentinel, Deertrap Mountain, Langston Mountain, Mount Majestic, Tabernacle Dome, Canaan Mountain, Pine Valley Peak, Red Butte, Checkerboard Mesa, Smithsonian Butte, Horse Ranch Mountain...

"That list one keeps in one's head of places to see and explore in the Zion area will surely get longer after one gets his hands on this book. "Knowledge is power" someone said or wrote. This guide is definitely powerful. The descriptions are concise and down to earth. 'Sheep turds as well as cairns will help lead the way.'" - Jeff Branin, North Carolina

"...the book [...] is clear and informative, yet has a homey, cozy style to it. Not nearly as dry as much of the genre. I am really enjoying the read so far. A must for any serious outdoor library." - Steve Ramras, Colorado

Cover photo by Rick Kent
Cover design by Michael Cressman

Rambles & Scrambles: The Definitive Guide to Peakbagging Around Las Vegas

***I'm currently hard at work on the 2nd edition! Vastly improved and expanded, the new edition is expected to cover some 500+ peaks! Look for it...in a couple years.***

My guidebook, Rambles & Scrambles: The Definitive Guide to Peakbagging Around Las Vegas, is currently available!

In the book, a total of 239 peaks in and around Las Vegas are covered. Heavily featuring hiking, scrambling and climbing routes in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Lake Mead National Recreation Area, it also covers mountains in Mojave National Preserve, Sedona, Grand Canyon National Park and Great Basin National Park...to name but a few! Dig it.

Photo courtesy of Michael Cressman/Design by Michael Cressman

Fleur de Lis Peak

Where: Elbow Range, Nevada
When: February 2010
Who: HW Stockman

I'd been up what some consider the highpoint of the Elbow Range a few years earlier, but never forgot the nice looking peak lurking right next door. I enlisted Harlan for a run up the thing. This is rugged country. Enjoy his photos!

Harlan getting funky on the summit

Atop a small peak on the hike out -- Fleur de Lis is left, Elbow Range HP is right

Summit pano

Another summit pano

Sloan Canyon!

Where: Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada
When: January 2010
Who: DB & HW Stockman

DB scrambling a dryfall in Sloan Canyon
I hadn't been to Sloan Canyon in several years; DB had never been; this was Harlan's second visit in a week. It was time to bag the aesthetic crags back by Sutor Benchmark. The road in hasn't improved any.

Belaying DB up the west ridge of Canine Crag

On the summit of Canine Crag

I found this on the side of a mountain a few miles away earlier that morning

Canine Crag, on the way to Feline Fang

Atop Feline Fang with Ecru Peak behind it

DB and I on Feline Fang

Descending Feline Fang on loose terrain

Crossing a quasi-knife-edge ridge on the way to Ecru Peak

Downclimbing a short band on the way to Ecru Peak

On the summit of Ecru Peak
On the way down from Ecru Peak, we spotted several fantastically aesthetic towers. I scrambled over to get a closer look. After surmounting a class 4 wall, I was able to stand at the base of the most awesome one. It was overhung on all sides, terribly loose, and absolutely impossible to climb. The next tower, which was right next door, was loose and tilted at a horrifying angle. There was a neat arch in the base of it. The backside, I learned as I scrambled away, was at a lesser angle (and therefore climbable) but still very loose and sketchy. I'll give these two a pass.

CP standing next to the inclimbable (for the sane) Ecru Towers
We looped back through Sloan Canyon on the way out, taking three seconds to enjoy some of the rock art there.

Rock art in Sloan Canyon

All photos courtesy of HW Stockman

Southern Utah Fun

Where: Zion NP & Hurricane, Utah
When: January 2010
Who: DB

Aaah, Zion in winter!
Some folks know that I've enjoyed the backcountry of Zion National Park immensely. Although access is severely limited in winter, I've made considerable effort to visit the park at its loneliest -- when it's snow-covered and empty. Dig.

Into the backcountry we go

This peak can't be seen from any road. I first climbed it about 5 years ago.

A new peak for us. We dubbed it 'Lost Teton'.

A bit of orange slickrock...and my next objective of the day

Views into Dennett Canyon from the summit

Recognize this view?

That little peak there gives up some of the most interesting and obscure views I've yet come across in Zion

Scenery on the way out

.........

And then it was time for some fun in the sun around Hurricane...

On the summit of Mollies Nipple

Finishing up a killer 2-peak loop at Red Cliffs

Der Tooth & Nine Others Around Gold Valley

Where: Mojave National Preserve, California
When: January 2010
Who: Matthew Holliman

Matthew had forwarded me a 1970 Andy Smatko trip report that spoke glowingly of Der Tooth and a plethora of other high-quality peaks around Gold Valley. Among these were North and South Tower, which we put first and second on our to-do list for the weekend. Here we go:

North Tower - A very ho hum peak, if you wanna call it that. Really just a subsidiary bump on a small peak next to Barber Benchmark. A touch of class 3 scrambling put us on top.

North Tower from South Tower
South Tower - Although the map shows otherwise, our observations (as well as the information in Smatko's trip report) determined that South Tower is a touch higher than North Tower. It's also a touch less interesting. A couple class 2-3 moves put you on the top, a mere 5-10 minutes from the summit of North Tower.

Columbia Mountain - This lame named peak stood between North/South Tower and Der Tooth, our next objective, so we decided to bag it. We were 30 minutes car-to-car via the southeast face.

Der Tooth - Based on Smatko's info, this was to be the highlight peak of the weekend. As it turned out, the single pitch of class 4-5 scrambling was fun but the peak was just too minor to really be considered a "peak." Der Tooth, frankly, is a crag; albeit a fine one at that!

Der Tooth from the trailhead

Matthew heading up Der Tooth

On the summit of Der Tooth

Der Tooth - the route essentially follows the right skyline

Woods Mountains Highpoint - With a quick four peaks already under our belt that morning, we headed over to the Woods Mountains to bag the unnamed highpoint. It was a quick affair. We noted the name of Bob Burd's friend, Evan Rasmussen, in the register. Evan is the only person to date to have bagged the highpoint of every mountain range in California!

Table Top - After the Woods Mountains highpoint, Matthew and I headed off to bag Table Top, the flat topped mesa that is so visible from the Mid Hills/Hole in the Wall region. Rather sloggy, it was over quickly and the views from the top were nice.

Twin Buttes - North (aka Tawoo Peak) - This peak looked really nice from Black Canyon Road, so we decided to bag it after Table Top. Little did we know, but this was to be the best peak of the weekend! Excellent class 3-4 scrambling put us on the top via the north face. On the summit, we found a Smatko register from May 1969, in which he claimed a first ascent. He dubbed the peak 'Tawoo Peak' and not a soul had signed in since! Ours was the first in 41 years!

Just below the summit, along the summit ridge

Matthew on the summit of Tawoo Peak

The Tawoo Peak summit register in Jan '10

Twin Buttes - South (aka Woota Peak) - After a spicy downclimb of the southeast face of Tawoo Peak, I traversed alone over to the south summit of Twin Buttes. With yet more interesting scrambling, I found another May 1969 Smatko register claiming a 'first recorded ascent'. It had been signed only one other time, by a park ranger in 1994, and Smatko dubbed the peak 'Woota Peak'.

The Woota Peak summit register

Returning to the car 1.5 hours before dark, I asked Matthew if he wanted to go off and bag Barber Benchmark (which I'd already done). He decided to call it a day and tick off Barber the following afternoon. After some dinner, we headed over to a fine desert car camping spot not far from Hole in the Wall.

Tortoise Shell Mountain - Rising casually Sunday morning, we decided to bag Tortoise Shell Mountain, which lies on the southeast corner of the Woods Mountains. With a few ups and downs as we crossed a couple canyons on the approach, the summit was soon bagged. It was not particularly memorable.

Views from Tortoise Shell Mountain

Wild Horse Mesa - Driving back up Wild Horse Canyon, we parked where we had for North/South Tower the morning before and started up the east ridge of the mesa. With surprisingly fun scrambling, we accidentlly passed right by the highpoint in pursuit of another point a bit away that appeared higher. Soon realizing our error, we backtracked to the true highpoint, where we found a cairn and register. We descended via the somewhat interesting east face.

The view toward Edgar and Mitchell from Wild Horse Mesa

Hole in the Wall - Since DB and I had already climbed Barber Benchmark via Hole in the Wall (the only decent way to climb it!) a couple/few years earlier, we agreed to hang out and explore Hole in the Wall and Banshee Canyon while Matthew bagged the peak. It was a fun time to scramble around and snag a few photos.

Banshee Canyon

Matthew climbing Barber Benchmark, from across Banshee Canyon

Where's Waldo?

By the time Matthew finished up with Barber, I'd polished off the last of my water, kicked off my shoes, and was in the mood to recline. So with a bit of sadness, we bid Matthew farewell and bee-lined it to Mad Greek in Primm (the one without the roaches on the counters).

New Orleans!

Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
When: December 2009

Mama Joy with some strange lizard
DB and I made a highly enjoyable return to the east coast, starting with a 4-day visit with her fun and hospitable family in New Orleans. After many hours spent chatting, sightseeing, stuffing our guts with etoufee, stuffed peppers, crawfish, pralines, gumbo and oyster po-boys, it was soon time to walk some of it off at the famous Audubon Zoo!