Hiked: 7/29/2024
Distance: 0.8 miles round trip on dirt road
Summit Elevation: 6640'
Elevation Gain: 425'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 0.3
Round trip time: 25 minutes
Recommended water: 0 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on Mountain Loop Road
Difficulty: Easy
It was hot in Tonopah, NV when I arrived. I was passing through and thought I might be able to get one of the local peaks close to sunset. I decided to hit Mount Oddie. I drove less than half a mile on a dirt road to reach the shaded east side. I parked at the start of the steep part of the road and set out with no pack and no water. After 7 PM, it had cooled off to around 70F and I completed the round trip in 25 minutes. A small rock outcrop near the tower was the high point. No marks, no register. I had a nice view of Tonopah and the other peaks.
State High Point Hiked: 7/21/2024
Distance: 8.6 miles round trip on trail and use trail
Summit Elevation: 13141'
Elevation Gain: 3835'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 3.0
Round trip time: 7 hours 15 minutes
Recommended water: 128 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at Queen Canyon trailhead
Difficulty: Strenuous
Day two of my White Mountains weekend featured Boundary Peak. It's the state high point of Nevada, even though it's a lesser peak in the White Mountains that spilled over the border. Unlike the previous night, I had a restful stay at Best Western in Bishop. I started a little before 7 AM from the Queen Canyon trailhead. The drive on Queen Canyon Road was about 6.3 miles, but rougher than White Mountain Road. The last two miles especially featured very deep ruts and huge rocks. I recommend 4x4. Boundary Peak was appropriately named, less than a half mile from the California border. I broke this hike into a three act play.
Act 1 (The Setup): Trailhead to resting rock
There was a hiking register at the trailhead that was unmaintained. No register and no lid. The start of the trail was very steep, but was smooth as silk. The first part of hike consists of gaining the approach ridge, then dropping to a saddle where Boundary Peak can be accessed. The terrain started out as low scrub with a few bristlecone pines that soon disappeared. I caught a glimpse of three mule deer hopping into the trees, too fast for me to photograph. When I reached the top of the ridge and saw Boundary, it hit me right between the eyes. With granite spires and towers, it was majestic, medieval, Game-of-Thronesy, and daunting. Sometimes, it pays not to do too much research and be pleasantly surprised. At the saddle below the start of the first big slope, there was a single granite rock I named "resting rock". I sat on the rock hydrating, studying the trail, and getting ready for the meaty part of the hike.
From Queen Canyon Road
Trusty and reliable partner
First look at Boundary
"Resting rock"
Act 2 (Confrontation): Resting rock to Hosebag Saddle (11,960')
The trail went up the barren, dirt slope to a saddle below the sub-peak unofficially named Hosebag Peak (Peakbagger). The trail was sandy, but larger rocks were available for assistance. About 1/3 of the way up, splinter trails started appearing. There seemed to be many ways up. I tried to follow the most used trail, which led me to loop left, then right to angle for the saddle. It was a slow grind, but there were no other obstacles. Some useful cairns were set up, but also some questionable ones that led to splinter trails. I may not have always been on the best path, but it went. When I hit the saddle, I got an astounding view of the rest of the ridge and the peak. It was clear the ridge climb would be the crux.
Wow!!
Act 3 (Resolution): Hosebag saddle to the summit
The trail cut below Hosebag into a ridge of boulders. The trail split in front of the bump, one leading directly over the boulders, one cutting sidehill about 100-150' below the ridge, and variations in between. I took the sidehill trail, which maintained a good angle. Cairns appeared occasionally. There were many chances to regain the ridge, but I stuck with the sidehill trail until it merged higher up. Some class 2 was required. At the top of the ridge was a final obstacle with a couple of giant overhanging boulders. I went around the left side, more class 2, but I suspect the right side would have worked as well. After that, it was a short walk to the summit. The benchmark was intact, only placed in 1950. New and old registers were in a large ammo box. I spent some time reading the entries and enjoying the summit. I never saw anyone else all day, but another party had signed in 40 minutes before me. Their only comment was: "we should have taken the other trail". Since I never saw them, I surmised that they took the Trail Canyon trail, a different ridge notorious for bad scree. Views were incredible. Montgomery Peak, slightly higher, was a spiky threat less than a mile away. Montgomery was a game time decision but dark clouds were building. I didn't think I had 2-3 hours to make the round trip in time. The descent went faster than planned and was uneventful. I absolutely loved this mountain. Everything went right and it hit the sweet spot for difficulty and moments of awe.
Hiked: 7/20/2024
Distance: 14.9 miles round trip on trail
Summit Elevation: 14246'
Prominence: 7196'
Elevation Gain: 3450'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 2.7
Round trip time: 7 hours 30 minutes
Recommended water: 128 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free at White Mountain Road locked gate
Difficulty: Strenuous
White Mountain Peak (DPS #1) is California's third highest peak and easiest 14er. That's not to say it was easy. It was the first hike of a planned two-day outing in the White Mountains. The normal trailhead is at a locked gate (11700') on White Mountain Road. To reach it, I followed White Mountain Road for 25 miles after it turned into a dirt road. I'd read reports of people getting flat tires on this road, so I drove it a little slower than I would have otherwise. Most of the road was OK until the final 4 miles, where the National Forest Service recommends high clearance (I concur). To acclimate, I decided to drive halfway up the road the night before and sleep in the truck at 10500'. The acclimation part worked great, but I was quite uncomfortable and got poor-quality sleep when I could sleep at all. I'll stick to a campground in the future, if possible.
Home for a night
Blinding full moon
The forecast was for PM t-storms. The night I drove up, I got thrashed by thunder, rain, and sleet. I felt motivated to start very early to make sure I was down before the mountains brewed more storms. From my parking spot, I needed an hour to drive the final 13 miles, so I was up at 2:30 AM and on the dirt road trail by 4:15 AM. I hiked in darkness for about 90 minutes before the sun made an appearance. By then, I was already past the UC Barcroft Lab and well on the way. White Mountain looked impressive from most angles with two significant sub-peaks. As an aside, there were dozens of marmots everywhere. Marmot heaven. The trail circled around a deep gully to reach the base. From there, a series of switchbacks carved Z patterns on the eastern face. A lingering snow field covered one of the switchbacks, but multiple use trails had sprouted to bypass it. While I had no AMS symptoms, the grind at elevation made it hard work.
When I reached the summit, a group was there milling around. The register box was filled with toys, a few registers, and extra water. I don't think I've seen anything like it. A research building stood on the summit, its secrets padlocked behind doors. I was blown away by the views. The eastern Sierra Crest was a fortress with towers to deny any passage. Other peaks in the White Mountain range stood out, though most had soft rounded slopes and summits that contrasted with the sharp edges in the Sierra. I took some time to wander around the summit. On the way back, I met a stream of hikers heading up, obviously less concerned about fickle weather. The mountain ended up being kind of busy. Not really a surprise on a Saturday in July. I took a shortcut that shaved a little distance by cutting a U-turn in the road. My two takeaways were that the hike was harder than expected, and the views much, much better than expected. I left realizing I had not previously given White its propers.
