Pre-Surgery Calico 5-Peak "Hike"

This route goes over 5 "peaks," but two have only 200' of prominence. Nonetheless it's a nice truck over a variety of rock types,
with everything from balancing on limestone knife edges, to water-filled tanks, and descent down a rocky deep slot.
I won't be able to do much after tomorrow (for a while), so I wanted to do something aerobic and memorable to tide me over.


Harlan W S
Nov 03, 2013

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The route is shown on the aerial photo.
I was back to my car by 10:49 PST.
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I was the first person to park in the Kraft Mt lot,
 just as the sun was rising. I will eventually
 cross over the peaks on the skyline... but first...
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... I went up the NE side of Kraft Mt,
out of Gateway Canyon.
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I was being careful, but this is not
a real route, and I kept finding
 little fun problems.
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View back down to Gateway Canyon;
it's hard to express how vertical
this route is.
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On top of Kraft; in the distance are
the limestone peaks of Turtlehead (L)
and El Padre and La Madre (to R).
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In Distance: Mt Wilson at L,
then Rainbow and Bridge.
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Descending on the E side of Kraft.
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I recall showing this "mushroom"
 to Alex Leef in 2006.

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Near top of New Peak, view W.
I put a register on this peak in
 2003-2004; but I gave it no name.
Eva Pollan signed the register, saw
there was no name, and wrote in
"New Peak" as a joke. The name stuck!
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Red Cap (next destination) at L.
I'll take the Comatose Giraffe Gully route.
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Calico Tanks "Peaks" with big Red Rock
Canyon sandstone peaks in back.
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Red Cap in distance as I descend New.
It doesn't look like much from here,
but lots of cliffs block the way.
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Up Comatose Giraffe Gully.
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I'll head hard right and climb the wall.
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Shrinking tank near top of Red Cap.
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View E from RedCap;
Gray peak at center is "New."
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The whitish-gray peaks are the "Calico Tanks"
 peaks; I'll head SE over them.
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View over Red Cap tank to
White Rocks Hills Peak.

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A deep tank on the way to
the next two peaks.
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Another tank on the way.
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I've been taking this slot for years;
a semi-official route sprang up a
few years back, but I still prefer this way.
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RedCap in distance, Turtlehead to R.
Some faint dots below and to right of
Red Cap are folks from the LVMC!
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Now I'm looking S at the next
Calico Tank "peak."
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As I descend N Calico Tanks Peak,
I get a view down to the popular big
Calico Tank (to which there is a trail).
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Now magically, I'm on top of
S Calico Tanks Peak, looking
down into a deep tank.
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Damsel/Pincushion is the gray peak in distance.
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Fuzzy frame from movie. Unfortunately,
the camera focused on the rock
right in front of it.
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Across the valley (holding the big
Calico Tank), my compadres from LVMC are
now on top of N Calico Tank Peak...
you'll have to wait for a zoom...

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....among them are Susam M, Kay K,
Jim M, Lazlo H., Lori C, Chris M
 and Jennifer.
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As I descend off the E side of S Calico,
I look back and see curious LVMC folks...
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...here they are in a detail (zoom in).
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That's Red Book Peak ahead.
I once came down that prominent slot.
Not today.
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About to descend into the Abyss.
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That's a view of Downtown Vegas.
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I saw these big footprints;
can't ID the sole print.
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It is not trivial to descend the Abyss.
Here, one has to squeeze through
 a very narrow tunnel...
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...look back up at the "tunnel."