The lesser-used gravel/dirt roads out in the desert are tricky to spot. And sometimes, there will be some road not on the map. I missed seeing the NW spur road heading off to the north end of Butte Valley to Arrastre Springs when we were heading in. We tried harder to find it this time and we were successful.
I was a little panicky on this road. It was very rocky and the area between the tire tracks were filled with mature shrubs. This road is barely used nowadays.
We set up camp about halfway up the alluvian fan below Mormon Peak. The next day we left the rig and walked a mile and a half below the springs.
driving north in Butte Valley
sunset at camp
the springs are in the cleft
Mormon Peak above the springs and rough road
Some of Arrastre Springs’ bigger cottonwood trees are dead. The foliage was less green than some of the other springs we saw. I wonder if Arrastre is drying up. It was a little tricky to find, but we listened to the water and found its drippy source. There were lots of animal tracks. There was a dead bird close to the water and feathers everywhere.
bone
desert squash
Arrastre Springs
death at the springs
foliage in the desert
dead cottonwoods
The gentle northwest shoulder coming down on the left of Arrastre was a pleasant hike to Mormon Peak. The rock was pretty consolidated for the most part and not too steep. It got a bit steeper and brushier as we got closer to the summit, but not bad. I think we had almost 4,000’ gain in 3 miles to Mormon Peak.
The summit is very broad and treed. The last hiker from Arrastre Springs signed the register a year ago. We ate lunch and ran around the summit to get views, which were stunning. We could see all of Butte Valley, Warm Springs and Anvil Canyon; the entire south end of Death Valley. Below to the south was Middle Park Canyon and Pleasant Canyons and east was the Slate and Argus Ranges and finally the Sierras and Whitney. It was fantastic.
view north: Porter Peak
Middle Park Canyon and Butte Valley (on left) - south view
Butte Valley and Pleasant Canyon
cactus
rock art
cool tree
not often visited
AT&T cell tower
Death Valley on the left
Mormon Peak benchmark
Butte Valley
Butte Valley Pano
Warm Springs Canyon
burro stare-down
We descended very fast. Towards the springs, burros eyed us. We made it back to the car, drove out of the mountains, and headed to Furnace Creek for a shower.
I was just on Porter last week looking down at Mormon. I could see the cell tower. I wanted to continue the traverse in the worst way, but I did the math and an added 4 miles would put me getting back to Sentinel in the dark and it's still a long way from there down to Panamint City. I'll do Mormon in the future, the same way you two did it and I'll use this report. Thanks!
Which side did you climb Porter from?
Yeah, that entire ridgeline looks sweet. Someone who signed the register was going from Manly Peak to Tucki Mtn. (Panamint Traverse.) That sounds pretty cool
Love the pics, Ree. Thanks for the ideas. Someday I may backpack Anvil Springs Cany to the area. Were other springs in the Butte Valley flowing? Headed home now. Too soon. Sad to leave.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
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“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
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