Distance

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Elevation

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Vertical

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Time

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I started out this lovely and challenging day on 3N62 off Hwy 18; 3N62 is at mile marker 62.00 with a small sign indicating 3N62. It is next to a grove of pinyon pines. I started the day following the dirt road for a while, and didn't see any evidence of a way to start the HPS hiking route (the "cable" scramble route), so I eventually left the dirt road, went down a gully to a canyon bottom apparently a bit east of the HPS route, and started up a gully nearly due south of the peak. I scrambled that gully, at times class 2, and met an old abandoned road bed, and followed it east to see where it could lead. It petered out at a very precarious ledge which would mean a class 3 climb, so I turned back down the road bed and found a slope near a gully, again almost due south of the summit but going slightly northeast to a shelf below the summit. I started up the very loose scree, and it was a tough haul! I then made a diagonal move to the nearest gully (very close by) hoping the soil would have better hold. It did a little! I scrambled up the 40-45 degree gully, class 2, with some deadfall to circumnavigate, and some very loose areas of decomposed granite to the top of said gully, at the shelf about 200' below the summit area. I then scrambled up to the dirt road on the ridge just east of the summit, took it about 50 yards to the spur, and then up to the top! After that, I took the dirt road west to see if I could find the HPS route down. I did find the "cable" route and descended the steep and loose soil with rock ducks here and there to lead the way down to an old road bed with some mining equipment, and then I did not see any other evidence of the route, so I followed a canyon bottom for a while. I then made a generally southwest ramble cross-country, and then eventually met up with 3N62 to lead me back to the car. For such a short hike (roughly 5 mi r/t), it sure packed a wallop! That gully climb was tough, but worth it. I am blessed with a decent sense of direction apparently. I basically spent 75% of the time on trailless terrain blazing my own route up this awesome mountain! Yeah, the views up there are amazing, and the pinyon-juniper woodland is gorgeous! I was exhausted well before making it up to the top, but toughed it out with my often stubborn tenacity, and I would not trade hiking this mountain for anything! I would not recommend this in summer, as even in January, this south-facing exposure can be warm!

Obstacles

blowdowns, rockfall/loose rock

Key gear

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