Stopped in the local 'gear shop' the day earlier to pick up a few items. Asked the guy workin' the shop about the 'route' - "Man, that's a long, steep hike - you guys better get at least a 4am start - if you want to make it back before dark (was currently 'Eastern Standard Time' hours) if you make it at all... considering your just off the plane from back east, you're gonna' have problems with the altitude!... you better take along plenty of water!"... and on and on... the only thing he left out was "yer gonna die!". He kind of talked me out of the 'venture' - didn't feel like having to rush things. Mentioned this to buddy 'Matt'. Didn't have anything else planned, so we figured we'd check it out anyway, for a later full scale trip the following spring. Planned on getting to the trailhead by 9am with 12 noon being the 'turning back' point. Was Thanksgiving Day and we wanted to later hit the 'MGM Casino' downtown for the 'turkey buffet'.
We hit the trailhead at 9am on the dot and headed out at our normal pace. Some great hiking through an alpine forest of fur, spruce and pine. Steep, but not as steep at all as anticipated (or "warned" at the shop). By 12 noon we're well above treeline and setting in an open field just above the ridge 'saddle' and staring at the summit cliffband of limestone rock. Can't be more than another half hour to the summit - what was that guy talkin' about? Here comes two other guys just off the summit. "Hey, how much further to the top?" "About a half hour" was the reply (?). We went for it - made the summit and hung out checking out the views 'till 1:30pm. We're back at the vehicle at 3:30pm on the dot. Total trip time 6-1/2 hours with about a 40 minute break at the top. At 5:30pm we're showered up and in line at the buffet.
Some photos - didn't take many on the way up as we didn't expect to make it - took most on the way
back down...
... the steep 'scree slope' ascending the ridge 'saddle' - pretty loose, was two steps up and one step back...
... lookin' back across the 'saddle'...
... at the top of one of the several hundred foot, east facing limestone walls...
... approaching the summit cliffband...
... a steep '3rd Class' break in the cliffband to access the summit...
... summit photo....
...summit viewing east - that's an observatory on the next ridge over - 'Las Vegas' off in the distance...
... summit viewing west toward California...
... here comes some guy (or girl) in a glider (photo center - just below the "lens flare") - the far ridge is Mt. Charleston...
... this section was a bit 'hairy' on the way back - not seeing any sun, a little steep (more so than indicated by the photo) and completely covered with a thin layer of 'verglas' ice - ya' actually had to 'glissade' on your 'butt' from just beyond the shadow line and hope ya' grab that big tree to stop...
... completely iced over and hairy as hell - and that's a several hundred foot vertical drop on the other side of those trees. The guys we ran into earlier said that they were turned back the previous two weekends because of icy conditions - they both had crampons with them this time. I eventually picked up a set of 'trail crampons' and keep them in my pack. A company called 'Hillsound' makes a real nice pair...
... back in the 'saddle' again...
... you could 'standing glissade' the scree slope - a lot of fun...
... descended several hundred feet in a matter of seconds - actually got movin' pretty fast - lots of limestone walls off in the distance...
... base of the scree slope and below treeline...
... pretty cool trough of springwater...
... back at the lower 'saddle' at El 9,390ft and intersection with the 'Canyon' and 'North Loop' trails - lookin' back at the 'Mummy' and massive limestone walls...
... subalpine zone...
... final approach descending the 'Canyon Trail' and the limestone walls buttressing 'Mt. Charleston... the buffet was excellent...
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