Chemehuevi Peak

Hiked: 3/13/2024
Distance: 8 miles round trip cross country
Summit Elevation: 3694'
Prominence: 1774'
Elevation Gain: 2079'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.6
Round trip time: 6 hours
Recommended water: 96 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Hightower Road (BLM NS056)
Difficulty: Moderate

Chemehuevi Peak is an eastern Mojave peak with a view to Lake Havesu. My physical therapist told me to push the ankle this week. Boulders, scree, and scrambling on Chemehuevi met that challenge. From highway 95, I took the dirt Hightower Road to the approach wash. The road was in great shape with no ruts or deep sand. I started up the wash at 8:30 AM. In a little over two miles, I reached the main gully on the left. There were several boulder and brush choked channels at the base of the gully. I trended left and stumbled on a faded use trail. The trail was faint but useful to bypass some obstacles. The gully was mostly class 2.

Start

Entering the major gully on the left side

Looking back down the gully
When I exited the gully, I turned toward the summit. There was a steep ravine cut into the cliff wall, but I wasn't sure it was the easiest route. I was tempted to head to the ridge line, but I saw cairns leading into the ravine. When I got into the wedge, some class 3 was unavoidable. Reviewing the track after, I might have done better by moving left a litte. The rock and holds were solid and there was no serious exposure. I emerged from the ravine with the summit in view and was immediately blasted by strong winds. A simple ridge walk got me to the top. The register was new, placed in January, 2024 and nestled in a glass jar. I signed in and was mildy amused by a sticker left behind by Clint Baechle: Hiking Metal Maniac - Death to False Summits. Views were strong in all directions, but haze from high clouds blurred some of the distant attractions like Lake Havasu. I had hauled the drone up but was concerned about high winds, especially the gusts that felt above 40mph. I decided to try flying at least one helix, but as soon as I launched, I got a red warning on the controller that the winds were too much and it could not navigate home by itself. The warning said to manually land the drone immediately. I tried to bring it back, but every time it was above me for landing, a gust of wind blew it 15-20' away, where it would pitch wildly at 45 degree angles trying to right itself. On the third try, I got it within grasping distance. As soon as it cut rotors, another gust grabbed it and slid it along the summit until it hit a rock. It didn't look too damaged, but I would have to test it at home to see if it was still in working order. My ankle was doing OK, but I dreaded the down climb. I took a preventative aspirin before starting back. The scramble bits were fine since I could control my weight and foot placements. What sucked was the scree, talus, and slippery surfaces. Some of those slips put pressure on the ankle at all kinds of weird angles. Honestly, it was probably good therapy, like the bosu tricks in PT. I got back to the truck with only minor pain and swelling. At 10 weeks, I still feel 20% slower than normal and a long way from fully recovered.

Narrow ravine ahead

Summit

Lake Havasu in the distance behind of the mountains
Desperately trying to land the drone