Distance: 5.3 miles round trip cross country
Summit Elevation: 4252'
Prominence: 1218'
Elevation Gain: 2088'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.6
Round trip time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 72 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on South Powerline Road
Difficulty: Moderate
I decided to endure the long drive to the Mohave for an attempt on Old Dad (DPS #79). I wanted to get it the same year I bagged Old Woman Mountain. I left the house around 3:15 AM with a planned start around 7:30 AM. I followed the driving directions from the Desert Peaks guide from Kelbaker Road. I timed my arrival to drive the dirt road section in daylight so I could assess any danger of deep sand. The road turned out to be in good shape with only a little deep sand the last mile, easily devoured by the Tacoma 4x4.
I parked at the entrance to the wash running along the eastern side of the mountain. I followed the flat, open desert hugging the base of the mountain. Staying close made for some unnecessary ups and downs over minor gullies. I continued until I found the main ascent gully, though climbing the east face looked improbable. Once I started up, I spotted cairns that did a fine job of marking the route. The rock on Old Dad was weathered limestone. Mostly solid, though some bore sharp edges. Sharp rock ended the career of my gloves and also punctured my puffy jacket. The main route followed a series of ledges, with bits of scrambling to reach the next ledge, Chutes and Ladders style. I couldn't always spot the next ledge and got off route a few times. Off route usually meant cliffing out or making exposed class 3 course corrections. Half way up, there was a long traverse north to skirt under cliff bands, all marked with cairns. When I reached the ridge, it was an easy walk over to the summit that jutted out slightly from the mountain side like a small pyramid. I got a glimpse of either a deer or a bighorn on the west side of the summit. It ran over the edge before I could identify it. Views were impressive in all directions. The benchmark was in great shape and several registers were found in an ammo box. The oldest one went back to 1975 and was falling apart. The newest one was placed in 1994. I hung out on top for a while to absorb the desert goodness. Descent was uneventful. I highly recommend taking a GPS track as a route finding aid. Old Dad was an immensely satisfying hike, engaging with expansive views as a payoff.
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