Where: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada
Who: DB and Aron Ralston
When: May 2010.JPG)
It's always a pleasure to take the short hike up Red Cap. On a couple occasions, I've set aside more time to do a loop of the other two nearby sandstone peaks (what I've called White Calico Peak #1 and #2). With Aron in town, DB and I played host. The result was a fantastic weekend of Moroccan food, belly dancers, an enjoyable, motivational talk at Caesar's Palace, Thai food, and yes, scrambling around Red Rock!.JPG)
All but the top two photos courtesy of Aron Ralston
More Fun on Red Cap!
Finally, Sandstone and Fork!
Where: Red Rock Canyon NCA, Nevada
When: April 2009
Partners: DB and HWS
After a failed attempt (without an beta) by me, Harlan and Mark back about 2004 or 2005, Harlan had since returned to Sandstone and Fork Peaks and summitted in fine style. As I'd not yet made another attempt on the peaks, DB and I jumped at Harlan's offer to show us the way on a fine spring Saturday!
After retracing our original steps through the canyon, we soon left it and started scrambling up through brush and around boulders until we could gain steepening slabs that led to a notch on the northwest side of Fork Peak.
Scrambling through the notch, we traversed easily around toward the saddle between the two peaks, at which time we angled right to gain the ridge leading to the summit of Fork Peak.
After a shortish break, we dropped back down the ridge and made our way over to Sandstone Peak.
On the summit, DB dozed while Harlan and I chatted. Eventually, though, we began the hike back down to the canyon that would take us to Harlan's vehicle.
All photos by Harlan WS
Red Cap (5th Time's Still A Charm)
Where: Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
When: November 2008
Partners: DB, Tyler Scott & Ko Shuler
My little brother Tyler and my buddy Ko joined DB and I for another run up Red Cap. A great time was had by all!
Red Rock's Ice Box Peak
Where: Red Rock Canyon NCA, Nevada
When: August 2008
Partners: DB, Mike Cressman & Jason Pease
Route: North Chute (Class 4-5)
Ice Box Peak is a fine peak in Red Rock Canyon NCA. With a short approach and only a couple thousand feet of elevation gain, the class 4-5 north chute route is shady enough that the route can even be done (with an early start) in mid-summer.
Great scrambling in a sublime environment with astounding summit views, Ice Box Peak is good enough that I've done it three times!
*If returning via the ascent route, consider bringing a rope for the descent.
Photos courtesy of Jason Pease
A Few Things Around Calico Basin
Where: Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
When: Fall 2005
Partners: Rick Kent, Mark Beauchamp & a few others
Routes: Badger's Buttress (5.6+), Carrie Fissure (5.8) & a couple others I can't remember
With Rick Kent in town for a day or two after we'd come back to Las Vegas from playing around in Zion National Park, we decided to hit up a few single-pitch routes in Red Rock one Sunday.
For awhile there, I'd been the head coordinator of what was proving to be a highly enjoyable Sunday phenomenon - after I'd get my mountain fix on Saturday, a variable group of anywhere from 6-12 people would join me and mine out at Calico Basin for a Sunday of bagging single-pitch routes. This went on for quite a few weeks...
...but then the mountain bug bit me hard enough to insist upon both Saturday and Sunday being reserved for the big hills! So went Calico Basin!
Photos courtesy of Rick Kent
Indecision Peak, Visiting Colonel Markenson
In a last-minute change of plans, DB and I met up with Harlan, Alda, Steve and Val for a hike up Indecision Peak. I'd not been in a few years and DB had never gone.
Driving over to the First Creek Trailhead, we started down the re-worked trail that would take us to Indecision's east face. Eventually leaving the trail, we headed cross-country through wonderful desert terrain (the flowers were in full bloom and DB was delighted) toward the steep, loose gully that would take us up to the "smooth" cliff high on the face.
Reaching the top of the gully ahead of the others, DB and I sat down on a flat boulder for a bite to eat. When the others reached us, we learned that Alda had hurt her back and would wait for us while we all continued up.
Continuing on, we rounded the corner and started up a meandering face until we reached the key hidden tunnel that would lead us to the final gully that would take us to the summit area.
As we scrambled upward, the views got better and better. Much better, actually, than I'd remember from my last visit. As the gully narrowed and became more craggy, the scrambling improved and we found ourselves climbing a short but steep chimney and then traversing a narrow ledge near the top. And around this time, I spotted a herd of perhaps twenty bighorn sheep watching us from a crag above. Juveniles, babies and all.
After we all took photos of the sheep, we continued up the remainder of the gully until we could angle right and scramble to the summit. There, we took an extended snack, drink, photo and social break. I took a minute to scramble over to the lesser crag to the north to sign the register for DB and I. There, I even managed to find my old sign-in from my previous visit, back in the day when I used to sign bogus names (now, I use my initials).
Our descent was without incident. Moving ahead of the others, DB and I soon reached Alda in her spot near the top of the gully. We chatted for a few while the others caught up. From there, we bid farewell and started down while they took a break with Alda.
Thanks for having us along, guys!
*Harlan's pictures
Red Rock's Yoga Peak
Where: Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
When: Spring 2005 or so
Partners: Donnie B
One morning, Donnie B led me up the fabulous, locally-named Mescalito Canyon on an ascent of Yoga Peak, a high, obscure sandstone peak that he had made the first ascent of a few years earlier. Not really a peak by the typical standards, the incredible viewpoint becomes a classic when approached from the canyons to the east. They are fun and unbelievably scenic, lush with vegetations and waterfalls, good scrambling, and often, a nice breeze on a warm day.
Once on the summit of Yoga Peak, we admired the fine views of neighboring peaks, such as Bridge Mountain, Juniper Peak, Gunsight Notch Peak, Rainbow Wall and Rainbow Mountain, Magic Mountain and Ramp Peak, and signed the register, which only had a couple of sign-in's at the time, and we pondered what to do next. With hardly a word spoken, we decided to drop directly down the east ridge of the peak and explore a new way out via Fern Canyon.
Our route down worked like a charm. Downclimbing a chimney then walking steep slabs, we soon dropped north into upper Fern Canyon. A bit of interesting scrambling and downclimbing brought us to steep slickrock at the base of upper Fern Canyon's giant head. Below that, more fantastic scenery, then we were back on familiar terrain in lower Fern Canyon, that which we'd both used before on ascents of Mescalito.
A Mescalito Canyon-Fern Canyon loop via Yoga Peak makes a fine day out for those strong hikers and scramblers in good condition. A good eye for route-finding helps a bunch too!
Finding a Ringtail Cat on Windy Peak
Where: Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
When: November 2005
Partners: Solo
It wasn't long after starting from the car that I found myself in the vegetated wash that eventually leads to the ramp up Windy's easy south side. And then I was startled by a strange, striped, black and white tail between two boulders in the wash! What the...! I had no idea.
So I crept up on the tail, then noticed a body - dead. A small animal, a cat, of some sort. A ringtail cat, as I later learned they were called. Beautiful little animals with slender cat bodies and long, striped tails.
Snapping a picture, I continued on toward the peak. The ramp was easily gained and my travel up the slabs was fast. Wrapping around the backside, I gained the final mass leading to the summit and soon found myself atop the highest point...where I enjoyed an exchange amongst summit register entries as to whether this peak was truly Windy Peak or Black Velvet Peak. Hmmmm.
Eventually heading down, I simply retraced my steps, once again passing my departed little friend in the wash bottom and finished my journey back at my car waiting for me on the dirt road.
Bridge Mountain, A Red Rock Classic
Where: Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
When: Spring 2004
Partners: John Hayes & another John from Vegas
Bridge Mountain is undeniably one of the classic peaks of Red Rock Canyon. A high, stunning sandstone peak with a fun route to a viewpoint that lends justice to the entire NCA.
Myself and the two John's from Vegas set out one morning for a leisurely hike up the standard route of Bridge. In all, the trip was quick, the scenery incredible and the scrambling fun. A couple of nice tinajas were just below the summit, not to mention a lovely hidden ponderosa pine forest. Great stuff, and a terrific peak.
A Loop of The Monument, Hidden Peak and Black Velvet Peak...and More!
Matthew Holliman is well on his way to becoming the only person to ever dayhike all 248 peaks on the Sierra Club's 'Sierra Peaks Section' list. This is a notable endeavor. He and I made plans to meet up early one morning for his first trip to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. I was excited, as I'd come to know the NCA rather well and I enjoy leading folks to areas they'd never known before...and Red Rock Canyon is particularly special!
Meeting at the gas station at the junction of NV-160/159, we headed to the trailhead, arriving just as the sun rose and lit our objective up. It was spectacular. Making good time into Black Velvet Canyon, we gazed up at the massive Black Velvet Wall, home of Epinephrine, one of Red Rock's classic multi-pitch climbing routes, and soon reached our point of departure from the canyon.
The scrambling up the south face of Hidden Peak was enjoyable, and it wasn't long before we were on its summit. We then contoured around to the peak's north side and made the traverse toward The Monument. As it turned out, The Monument's route was highly enjoyable, the route-finding a blast, and the views among the best I've seen in the park.
Making the final push to the summit, we surmounted a short wall and found ourselves staring at a large and stunning tinaja (a water-filled catch basin in the sandstone). Just beyond, we scrambled up the final boulder that marked the highpoint of the mountain.
Returning to Hidden Peak, we decided that it would be fun to contour around the limestone over to Black Velvet Peak. I'd done Black Velvet Peak from the canyon a couple years earlier and found it enjoyable. Why not try this way?
The traverse went quickly, and before long, we were regaining the sandstone that led out to Black Velvet, climbing through a short tunnel leading to the summit ridge. Then a quick hike to the highpoint. Awesome views!
Dropping east from the summit, we picked up a use trail that dropped us down to the Black Velvet-Whiskey Peak saddle. We considered bagging Whiskey, but it looked uninteresting ('course I returned later that year and did it anyway). Instead, we continued down the good use trail to our vehicles. A fine day out...or, for Matthew, a fine half-day out.
After we parted ways and I headed home for an early dinner, Matthew went off and bagged Lone Mountain via the easy 5th class south ridge direct and then hiked up Frenchman Mountain in time to see the sunset. An animal!
