Arch Mt(s) with LVMC

Arch MT & Friends with LVMC
(Lake Mead AZ)

Pics by Harlan W S & Kevin H
January 25-26, 2020

I first went to the Arch Range in Jan 2008 with CP. The Cohenour loop road was pretty sketchy for a car with 7.3" clearance back then, so we opted to start near the lake. That was a hard day, with about 5800' accumulated gain; the part near the shore was maddening, with so many washes to cross, and we stuck to the true ridge between Black BM and true Arch, which was tiring and sketchy.

The road is much improved, and this time (2020) we made life a bit easier on ourselves. Kevin and Anji had scoped out a route with less irritating terrain. The route to the ridge is still sketchy and loose, but it is rarely more than annoying class 2 (it looks much worse).

I went a day earlier than LVMC, and camped overnight about 1/4 mile below the pass in a BLM-designated spot, which gave me a chance to hit 3 little peaklets near Cohenour Pass.

This was the hardest hike I had done in 6 months, with ~4200' accumulated gain. I had a fairly routine surgery which led to a not-so-routine infection. It's amazing how weak one can get, losing 10 pounds in a few days.

context map	On the 25th, I took a stroll over some volcanic peaklets; the 2nd (northern 1051T) was the neatest	On the 26th, I joined LVMC for a nice trip organized by Kevin H. Kevin and Anji had scouted the route.
OK, back to 25th. I'm on the 1st peaklet, looking SW across 2nd (1051T) to mesa (also 1051T), with MT Wilson in back.	The N side of the 2nd peak was mostly talus, so I opted for a class 3 route on the cliffs
Top of 2nd peak, view to the mesa and Wilson Ridge. Route off this peak to SW was class 2.	The rock was good and I opted to climb the 1051T mesa by the cliffs.	Lots of helicopter traffic, probably Grand Canyon tours.
I was surprised to see a cairn on the mesa...	Turns out Kevin and Anji were there recently!	View E over 2nd peak, my fav of the 3.
My camp, as I wait for LVMC next morn	We head ENE up a wash; the Arch Range highpoint is in distance.	We had to surmount a separate peaklet on way to highpoint
View NNW as Rich arrives		View west to my hike on previous day. Wilson Ridge in back.
Out-of order shot of us all on range HP		Kevins pic of Anji and me on next pealet N
Anji heads N	Anji views true (USGS) Arch Mountain. We all decided to drop down, rather than take the annoying ridgeline.	True Arch. We lost about 600-700', but we would have had an accumulated loss of almost that much if we had stuck to the ridge and its knife-edges.
Magically, I'm on true Arch. Hamblin Mt is dark mass near center, Muddy Mts in back R.	View N across Guardian to the red on Sent Peakinel.	Snow on Charleston range
The nasty ridge I took in 2008, but avoided in 2020		Amber summits
On top of USGS Arch	Anji heads back W	The nasty ridge, as we head back down into the valley
Suddenly, I'm looking E at our ascent route up to HP.		Heading back, walking WSW in wash

Arch MT & Friends with LVMC (Lake Mead AZ)

Arch MT & Friends with LVMC
(Lake Mead AZ)