Wheeler Pass Summit - 09/20/2018 Trip

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This page last updated on 10/06/2018

(Fig. 01)

Description of Wheeler Pass and Wheeler Pass Road: The areas bordering both sides of Wheeler Pass are a very beautiful, quiet and serene high mountain desert environment located inside the boundaries of Toiyabe National Forest and the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area (SMNRA) (Fig. 02). The landscape in this area boasts of north-south mountain ranges up to 13,000 feet in elevation, separated by long narrow valleys ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 feet in elevation. The highest point in the county is the summit of Wheeler Peak in the Snake Range at 13,063 feet above sea level. The elevation of the “cross-over” point at Wheeler Pass is 7,700 feet (Fig. 01). Since I was last here some idiot has seen fit to shoot the sign at the summit full of bullet holes. Wheeler Pass Road runs east-west and north-south approximately 23 miles as it crosses over and through the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area (SMNRA) (Fig. 02). It is accessible from three locations; WP-1 on (Fig. 02), the town of Cold Creek on the east side of SMNRA, WP-2 & WP-3 on (Fig. 02) from the town of Pahrump on the western side. When approaching from the Pahrump side, the majority of this gravely dirt road is fairly well maintained and though a 4WD vehicle is recommended in places, it accessible with pretty much any type of high clearance vehicle. However, coming from the Cold Creek side is another story. The beginning of the road is well maintained, however, the last two to three miles up to Wheeler Pass sees a lot of land slides that leave many large rocks and boulders on the road, turning it into more of a trail than a road. Not only does this make driving extremely slow, it necessitates a high clearance 4WD vehicle for safe passage.

                          

(Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03)

Trip Notes for 09/20/2018: Today's trip to Wheeler Pass was with fellow hiking partners Jim Herring, Bob Croke, and Rod Ziance. Even though I have visited this area on at least four occasions since 2011, it was the first time for any of them. It is only the second time I have actually followed it all the way over the pass and down to the town of Cold Creek. As a result, I have three other pages with pictures and detailed descriptions of the sites in and around this area. For links to other pages, go to a summary of Wheeler Pass Road trips here ... Wheeler Pass Road - Summary Page. Today we approached Wheeler Road from WP-3 in Pahrump, behind the Preferred RV Resort next to the Golden Nugget Casino. About 10 miles out you come to the intersection of Wheeler Pass Road (left) and Clark Canyon Road (right). Pictures along Clark Canyon Road on the way to the mill site (Figs. 04 & 05). Click on the map in (Fig. 03) to enlarge. From here it is about 6 miles to the Younts (Clark) saw mill site. We spent some time walking around the mill site studying its remains and trying to envision what it was like 150 years ago.

(Fig. 04)

(Fig. 05)

(Fig. 06)

History of the Younts (Clark) Saw Mill: [The remains of the Younts (Clark) Saw Mill is located at the end of the Clark Canyon Road. This mill supplied wood to the Tecopa charcoal kilns as well as lumber to the Bullfrog mining district surrounding Rhyolite, Nevada, some 70 miles to the north. Prior to the railroad being completed the wood was hauled by wagons up to around 1905. There is evidence indicating that this site was in operation before the 1900’s. All that remains today is the large boiler that produced the steam that ran a large piston, which then turned a series of heavy steel wheels, connected by belts that eventually turned a large saw blade. It appears that some of the belt assembly is incomplete and that some of the machinery parts may have been carried off by collectors or thieves years ago. A stamping on the base of the boiler indicates that it was made by the Pacific Iron Works of San Francisco in 1876. There is another stamping on one of the large belt steel wheels with a date of 1880.]  From this site we headed to the Tecopa Kilns. 

Trip Notes Continued: Back tracking a couple of miles, Autumn Road branches west to the right. Along this short stretch you will find some amazing geologic structures (Fig. 07). Roughly 1.5-2 miles you come to a T-intersection. Turn left onto Wheeler Pass Cutoff Road and travel southwest about a mile till it intersects Wheeler Pass Road. Refer to the map in (Fig. 03). Turn right and head north toward the kilns. After a few more miles we reached the site of the kilns. We toured the remains trying to understand how they worked (Fig. 08). From what I've read it went something like this ... "workers would fill the air-tight kilns with the pinyon pine logs abundant in this area supplied by the Younts Saw Mill and fired them, The burning took about 6-8 days to reduced the wood to charcoal. It then took another five days for the charcoal to "cool". Then they were emptied and the charcoal was shipped to mine smelters used to extract silver and lead from the rich ore from surrounding mines.

(Fig. 07)

(Fig. 08)

History of the Tecopa Charcoal Kilns: [They were built in 1875 by Nehemia (“Red”) Clark for Jonas.B. Osbourne who was operating a smelter at Tecopa, a mining camp in Inyo County California. A single Lime kiln (Note 1) was built for Osborne in 1877. Today, these broken down beehive-shaped structures are all that’s left of the three charcoal making kilns and the Lime kiln. The location of these kilns was chosen because it was the nearest wood for the smelters. A single kiln has an estimated capacity of 35 cords of wood which would produce 50 bushels of charcoal, enough charcoal to produce one ton of silver-lead ore. Evidence shows only tree limbs were cut in fuel and no extensive tree cutting was done. The charcoal produced here was carried by horse drawn wagons about 50 miles to the Tecopa Smelter.  In 1878, back in the boomtown of Tecopa, California, Osbourne designed and built a furnace big enough to smelt over 20 tons of silver and lead ore each day. It took forty-four men to keep the furnace working by cutting and hauling the ore, and feeding and constantly repairing the furnace. Unfortunately, after less than a year’s use, it completely failed and was abandoned in the fall of 1878. The three charcoal kilns here were used up until 1910. Wood for the kilns was provided by Harsha White, who operated a saw mill in Clark Canyon, and was in partnership with Nehemiah Clark. In 1950 two had fallen down. Natural erosion, vandalism, and theft of the limestone blocks has ruined much of this site. The main kiln was partially restored in 1971 and 1995. The fence is a safety measure for both the kilns and for visitors.

(Note 1) The Lime kiln was used to produce lime which was utilized in making mortar. Limestone was crushed (often by hand) to fairly uniform 1 to 2.5 inch lumps. Successive dome-shaped layers of coal and limestone were built up in the kiln on grate bars across the eye. When loading was complete, the kiln was kindled at the bottom, and the fire gradually spread upwards through the charge. When burnt through, the lime was cooled and raked out through the base. Fine coal ash dropped out and was rejected with the "riddlings". Typically the kiln took a day to load, three days to fire, two days to cool and a day to unload, so a one-week turnaround was normal. The degree of burning was controlled by trial and error from batch to batch by varying the amount of fuel used.]  (Notes con't below)

Trip Notes Continued: From the kilns the road headed north through a half dozen switchbacks that winded its way to the Wheeler Pass Summit (Figs. 09 & 10). At the summit we took a group picture in front of its 7,700 sign (Fig. 01). The views in every direction (Figs. 11 thru 13) were outstanding. It appears that the town we saw from the Pass in (Fig. 13) was Indian Springs, with Creech AFB across the highway. Before heading down to Cold Creek (refer to Fig. 02) we took time to enjoy a picnic lunch at the top (Fig. 14). (con't below)

(Fig. 09)

(Fig. 10)

(Fig. 11)

(Fig. 12)

(Fig. 13)

(Fig. 14)

Trip Notes Continued: From previous experience, I knew the trip down to Cold Creek was going to be a tough, rough, rocky filled ride, and it was. There was even a place on the way down where we encountered the only wildlife we saw on the entire trip - a lizard sunning himself on a big rock in the middle of the road (Fig. 15). After completing the roughest part of the drive we actually encountered some great views to the east. It is always a good thing to get out and experience the fresh mountain air and the beauty of Nevada's wilderness areas. I want to take a moment to thank the three of my favorite hiking partners for accompanying me and sharing this bumpy adventure with me (Fig. 17).

(Fig. 15)

(Fig. 16)

(Fig. 17)

View the ... Wheeler Pass Road - Summary Page

Big Wash Road in the Cerbat Mountains

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This page last updated on 10/14/2018

(Fig. 01)

(Fig. 02)

Area Description: A series of peaks can be found towards the southern end of the range, including Packsaddle Mountain at 6,431 feet and Cherum Peak at 6,983 feet with the community of Chloride on the northwestern side. The northern section of the Cerbat Mountains is composed mostly of the Mount Tipton Wilderness, with Mount Tipton being its peak at 7,148 feet. The Dolan Springs community is at the base of the wilderness on the northwestern side of the Cerbat Mountains. Big Wash Road runs up the western side of the Cerbat Mountains on the southern end and across the ridge and then back down into the town of Chloride. The northern end of this road begins at mile marker 51 on US-93 and is approximately 22 miles long (Fig. 02). This well graded dirt road eventually provides you with dozens of sharp, hair-pin turns with extensive drop-offs, outstanding views and drop-dead scenery. As you drive south along the ridge-line you pass two well maintained campgrounds, Windy Point Campground and Packsaddle Campground, both with restroom facilities. The picture in (Fig. 01) is a view of the road across the top between the two campgrounds. After the campgrounds, the southern end of the road is merely a road, but more of a washed out wash and definitely requires a 4WD vehicle.

09/13/2018 Trip Notes: Today my brother Tom, visiting from South Tahoe, Jim Herring and I decided to drive the length of Big Wash Road. On a previous trip in the past, I drove this road to the trailhead for Cherum Peak (Fig. 02), but didn't attempt to go down the very rough southern portion of the road. On the way up the hillsides of the road were covered with Prickly Pear Cactus (Figs. 03 & 04). Click here to learn more ... Prickly Pear Cactus  (Opuntia phaeacantha). On the southern side of the road we spotted some water tanks and a working windmill that was feeding the tanks (center of Fig. 05) and (Fig. 06). About three quarters of the way up the crooked switched back road we stopped for a picture and noticed 7 jeeps coming up the road behind us (Fig. 07). Looking ahead (Fig. 08) the road cuts its way through the mountainsides until it reaches the ridge line at the top. The view in (Fig. 09) is looking east, while the view in (Fig. 10) is looking down on the town of Chloride to the west. (notes con't below)

(Fig. 03)

(Fig. 04)

(Fig. 05)

(Fig. 06)

(Fig. 07)

(Fig. 08)

(Fig. 09)

(Fig. 10)

Trip Notes Continued: Next we came to the Packsaddle Campground (Fig. 11), followed a few miles further by the Windy Point Campground. From here we started our decent down the very rocky, boulder filled and washed out portion of the road. After we had let the jeeps pass us, we caught up with them again (Fig. 12) at the site of an old abandoned mine (Fig. 13). As best I can determine, this was the Lucky Boy Mine, a gold and silver mine. Before leaving the mine, Jim and I hiked around the area taking pictures (Fig. 14). As we continued down this rocky decent, a deer crossed the road right in front of us (Figs. 15 & 16). When we neared the bottom of the road, we came to the site of Roy Purcell's murals (Fig. 17). We stopped here and had a picnic lunch. When we reached the town we went to "Yesterdays" restaurant and ordered hot fudge sundaes (Fig. 18). The car in (Fig. 19) was parked in front of the restaurant.

(Fig. 11)

(Fig. 12)

(Fig. 13)

(Fig. 14)

(Fig. 15)

(Fig. 16)

(Fig.17)

(Fig. 18)

(Fig. 19)

Go to page on ... Chloride, Arizona

Mormon Well Road - DNWR

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This page last updated on 09/10/2018

(Fig. 01)

DNWR Access: Today, Jim Herring and I decided to drive the entire length of Mormon Well Road in my new Jeep Cherokee. After driving approximate 30 miles north of Las Vegas on US-95, you turn right and head east onto a 4-mile paved road that leads to the Corn Creek Station ... Corn Creek Station Visitor Center - DNWR. Just past the visitor center you come to the t-intersection of Alamo Road and Mormon Well Road (Fig. 01),  the two main dirt roads that run through the range.

The more traveled Mormon Well Road is a 47-mile long expedition through a desert basin known as Yucca Forest, filled with thousands of acres of yucca, Joshua trees, and creosote bush. After winding across this basin you begin to climb into a high desert landscape filled with junipers and pines. About 28 miles out you reach the Mormon Pass Campground and historic Mormon Well, located in a grove of Ponderosa pine. Alamo Road heads north from Corn Creek and provides access to a number of roads that climb into the western base of the Sheep Range, one of which, Hidden Forest Road, leads to a historic backcountry cabin where hikers can spend the night. Visit the following page for a history of the Desert National Wildlife Range ... Desert National Wildlife Range - Summary Page. The map below (Fig. 02) covers the majority of the 60 mile journey we took across the Range and shows the locations of the areas of interest on the sign in (Fig. 01). 

(Fig. 02) - Map of Mormon Well Road

Mormon Well Road: In the mid 1850's Mormon settlers moved into southern Nevada. Around the turn of the century, one of the wagon trails, now known as Mormon Well Road, refer to (Fig. 02), was developed as a travel route by pioneers in this region. This trail served early efforts at mining and ranching in this part of the state. Not shown on the map, the picture in (Fig. 03) shows the first 5 miles of Mormon Well Road leading to Yucca Gap with the Sheep Range on the left. (con't below)

(Fig.03) - Mormon Well Road

Yucca Gap: At Yucca Gap is the point where the road passes between the Sheep Range on the left and Fossil Ridge on the right. We have actually passed through this area several times on previous hiking trips to Fossil Ridge and the fossil filled ridges below Yucca Peak in the Sheep Range. The Yucca Fossil Ridge Trailhead Parking Area is shown on the map in (Fig. 02). The view in (Fig. 05) is pointing due East parked at the Yucca Fossil Ridge Trailhead Parking Area. (Fig. 06) is a view Southwest across the Yucca forest towards Yucca Gap in the center of the picture. (con't below)

(Fig. 04) - Yucca Gap

(Fig. 05) - Yucca Fossil Ridge Trailhead Parking Area

(Fig 06) - Yucca Forest looking Southwest from the parking area

Pine Nut Road: After crossing about another eight miles of desert playa filled with thousands of yuccas (Joshua trees), we came to Pine Nut Road (Fig. 07). This road heads Northwest, six miles to the Pine Nut Campground at the base of Sheep Range. It crosses an old burn area that burned in the early 1990's. It is amazing how long it takes for the vegetation to come back to what it once was. The road eventually gains enough elevation to climb out of the Mojave Desert Scrub zone and get into the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland zone where trees begin to provide shade (Fig. 08). Once you reach this traditional camping area, the campsites are shaded by Single-leaf Pinyon and Utah Juniper trees.  There are 6-7 campsites variously tucked under or around the trees (Fig. 09). One campsite has a nice cliff-edge view to the south (Fig. 10). This side road (Fig. 11) is a nice drive in the desert and an easy way to get away from town or camp out in the desert with some shade, but it is wild and remote country without any services. (con't below)

(Fig. 07) - Beginning of Pine Nut Road

(Fig. 08) - View toward the Pinyon-Juniper trees at the base of the Sheep Range

(Fig. 09) - One of the campsite parking areas

(Fig. 10) - Campsite with a cliff view

(Fig. 11) - Pine Nut Road Yucca Forest heading south on the return

Peek-A-Boo Canyon: After we backtracked to Mormon Well Road we continued north two more miles to Peek-A-Boo Canyon (Fig. 12). This was a nice canyon with some unique geology and a wide variety of trees and vegetation (Figs. 13-16). We actually got out here and hike around a little before continuing on. (con't below)

(Fig. 12) Entry to Peek-A-Boo Canyon

(Fig. 13) This canyon had some nice geology (Notice the cave center)

(Fig. 14) Peek-A-Boo Canyon

(Fig. 15) - Peek-A-Boo Canyon vegetation 

(Fig. 16) - Peek-A-Boo Canyon trees 

Mormon Pass Picnic Area: The Desert Pass Campground is located at Mormon Pass, elevation 6,640 feet (Fig. 17). This campground is a pleasant area with tall ponderosa pines and wide open skies, and makes a nice place for camping or just having a picnic. There are three family campsites, one group campsite, and two picnic sites that easily could serve as over-night campsites. Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table, and there are two vault toilets (Fig. 18). We selected one of its sites that had a fire pit designed for using charcoal (Fig. 19). We stoked up a nice fire and had a great picnic lunch. Waiting for the charcoal to heat up we hiked around the area and got several pictures of various wildflowers (Fig. 20). We had a nice lunch of hot dogs with all the condiments. (con't below)

(Fig. 17) - Desert Pass Campground

(Fig. 18) - Site with toilet facilities

(Fig. 19)

(Fig. 20) - Flowers around the Mormon Pass Picnic area

Mormon Well Spring & Corral: Our next stop was an unmarked spur road on the right about two miles past the Mormon Pass Picnic area (Fig. 21). There is a parking area with an old watering trough (Fig. 22). From the watering trough, the route runs south-southeast on an old, closed road. The hike is only about 3/4-miles round-trip,  After a few hundred yards, the old road turns east and cuts up a steep hillside. Halfway up the hill, the trail passes the foundation of what was a water tank (Fig. 23). Atop the hill, the corral sits on a flat area (Fig. 24). This historic site was developed by Mormon ranchers around 1900 as a summer pasture. It was abandoned about 1924. The corral was made from Singleleaf Pinyon Pine and Utah Juniper branches, with the uprights wired together into a circular structure (Figs. 25 & 26). There are open gates on the north and south sides of the corral, making it easy to climb inside. The Mormon Well Spring itself is located about 25 yards at the base of the hill on the south side of the corral (Fig. 27). The area surrounding the spring is covered with thick shrubs and bushes (Fig. 28). Its year-round source of water attracts wildlife from near and far and there is evidence of Bighorn Sheep scat, dozens of birds and lizards (Fig. 29). (con't below)

(Fig. 21) - View on Mormon Well Road at Mormon Well Spur Road

(Fig. 22) - Mormon Well trailhead parking and watering trough (view NE)

(Fig. 23) - The old water tank foundation

(Fig. 24) - The old round corral

(Fig. 25) - Wired uprights of the corral

(Fig. 26) - Wired uprights of the corral

(Fig. 27) - The spring

(Fig. 28) - Thick shrubs and bushes surrounding the spring.

(Fig. 29) - Well camouflaged Lizard

Sawmill Canyon and Elbow Canyon: The road to Sawmill Canyon looked rather rough and we decided to take a pass. For the next 12-15 miles of driving, the road winded its way through the wooded mountain tops (Fig. 30). As we began to decend we came to Elbow Canyon. This is a very deep wash about 75 feet below the road (Fig. 31). As we dropped down even more from the mountains we had some nice views on the way to highway 93 (Figs. 32 & 33). With all our stops, picture taking, hiking and lunch at the picnic area, the trip took us nearly 6 hours to reach Highway 93. Though this is a rough road, there were only a couple of spots where we had to engage the 4WD. We both enjoyed the ride, scenery, peace and quiet, and the fresh country air. It was wonderful, we never encountered another person for the entire trip.

(Fig. 30) - Road follows a deep wash for several miles

(Fig. 31) - Part of Elbow Canyon

(Fig. 32)

(Fig. 33) - On the way down to Highway 93

Go to the ...  Desert National Wildlife Range - Summary Page