[Gimpilator]

Tracy invited me to join him for some peaks south of Gold Butte National Monument, where the Colorado River exits Grand Canyon and becomes Lake Mead. It had been 5 years since we last hiked in this area. It’s so far off the beaten path, we agreed to take two cars, for added safety. I always enjoy hiking with Tracy. He’s probably done more peaks in the area around Vegas than anyone else, and we share an interest in obscure locations. He’s working on an interesting project, to climb all the peaks in Lake Mead NRA. At the start of this trip he had 19 remaining. Peak 3589 We started hiking up a side road out of Cottonwood Wash. My car was not able to make it to that starting point. The old road proceeds further than the map indicated, ending at a saddle. From there we traversed into another wash and then crossed some steep terrain to reach the north ridge. Overall only a few class 3 moves on this route. No sign of previous ascents.

Indian Hills – 3356' Descending to the south and then east, we lost as little elevation as possible as we made our way to the south ridge of Indian Hills. There are 3 high points, and as the map indicates, the northern one is probably highest. Following the long limestone ridge is was very pleasant and there was an interesting narrow section with exposure. A register indicted that we might be the 2nd party in recent history to visit the peak.

Iceberg Canyon Peak – 3360' Passing through a saddle, we gained the north ridge of Iceberg Canyon Peak. Stunning views of the Colorado right below us. The USGS has clearly been to this peak, if nobody else.

Colorado River

North Indian Hill - 3284' It was late in the day, and hot. We descended to the northwest to reach North Indian Hill, ascending it’s south ridge. This ridge was riddled with typical limestone complexities which slowed progress and was tedious in the afternoon heat. Again, no sign of previous ascents.

I wanted to continue to Peak 3940, which looked like the toughest in the group, but I knew that would require more daylight than what remained. Dropping off the west side, we knew there was a major cliff guarding the lower face, and it seemed like we might need to use the rope, but we found some class 3 chutes and ledges. Peak 3940 On day 2 we started in the same area where we left off, ascending right up from our camp area. Getting to the first peak was more pleasant than anticipated. We made some adjustments to our route idea when we saw the large brown cliff at the base of the mountain. Many routes reveal themselves when you get a closer look. The upper southwest ridge presented no real difficulty. We placed another register.

Peak 3658 We could see the ridge going over to our final peak in this area looked rather a hassle, so we bypassed that by dropping down a gully and following a wash over towards the connecting saddle. This last peak looked like a real challenge, with no obvious way up the fin shaped summit block, which we had now seen from all sides. At the base of it, I explored a steep class 4 chute below a notch, but the rock quality wasn’t great, so I backed off and decided to look at the notch from the other side of the fin. On this side there was an easier chute with no real exposure, class 3. A wide ledge traverse went from the notch to the summit. No sign of previous ascents on this proud little peak.

3658

Tracy scrambling

In the afternoon, Tracy showed me a sink hole named Devil’s Throat and then we spent some time looking for the petroglyphs at Whitney Pocket, but didn’t find them. After the previous windy night with little sleep, I put my tent in a sandstone alcove, and Tracy set up his cot in a cave.

Lime Kiln Mountain – 6464' After two days in the heat, we were both feeling a bit worn out, so we abandoned our original plans and tried to think of something easier. I thought I recalled reading a report claiming you could drive up Lime Kiln, with the right vehicle. The big unknown was if my Subaru could make it to the pass above Lime Kiln Canyon. It would be a long back-track around the Virgin Mountains, if not. The road was rough at the end, and near the limit of what’s possible.

Tracy drove us up the spur road in his Jeep Mojave, reducing the round trip distance from 8 miles to less than 4. It was cold and windy at this elevation, a pleasant change for us. After the hike, driving down the north side into Lime Kiln Canyon tested my driving experience to the max. It’s by far the most serious thing I’ve ever attempted in a Subaru, and at one spot, it didn’t seem I could make it around the huge boulders, on steep loose dirt. Only one chance to do it right, that sinking feeling in your gut. The car slid and bottomed out on the left side with a bang, but somehow didn’t get stuck, and I got through with no damage. Big sigh of relief. Thanks for an excellent trip Tracy! Only 13 left now. You’re a desert summit pioneer, and it’s a real pleasure to join you.

[ree]

Thanks for the great report, Adam. We finally visited Gold Butte a year ago, mostly checking out the ancient rock sites that were fantastic. Loved Ice Berg Canyon Peak. That view of the CO River looks spectacular.

[Gimpilator]

Thanks! Tracy and I looked for the rock art, but we weren't in the right place. Did you see "falling man"? This is area is not well known yet, and seldom visited except for a few locals.