Black Velvet from Mountain Springs

pics by Harlan W. S.
Sept.27, 2008

This is probably the easiest way to reach the summit of Black Velvet Peak in Red Rock (near Vegas), especially if you want

to summit “Mountain Springs” Peak on the way. All the class 3 is compressed into about 200 horizontal feet; but that section is very

tricky, and you have to be willing to back up and look for the cairns, whenever the terrain seems too difficult. I’ve seen this route referred to

as class 5 by very competent climbers – and I’m sure that’s just because they didn’t find the crux solution – a partially hidden tunnel, originally

discovered by Branch Whitney.

I continued on to the north, then came back on the west, to explore more of the ridge. I was ill, but made the 9 mile, 3200’ accumulated elevation gain

hike in 5.6 hours; I probably spent at least 2 hours just finding the way to, and back from, the sandstone Black Velvet peak

Click for NOSTALGIA

GPS trace. The gravel road was badly washed out in one place Sept. 27/08.	View NE from top of Mountain Springs Peak – really a big, pleasant hill.	Mountain Springs Peak actually has a MacLeod/Lilley register!
View east, to Black Velvet from Mountain Springs Peak. Most people consider the peak to be the lower summit at left, as that northern crag is atop the huge climbing wall/	View ~NE – don’t miss this gulley to the cruxtunnel.	View back west at the top of the crux.
View S to Windy Peak.	View ESE as I cross to northern peak of BV.	Me and Monument (to N).
On return; S to west end of Windy.	View back toward Mountain Springs Peak. You want to travel L (S) around the subsidiary peak.	I’m back on top of Mountain Springs Peak, about to head N.
On ridge, view back E at Black Velvet.		More views E.
View E to Monument and Hidden.		BV again, as I head N.
Now one can see Hidden (L), BV(R).
View S to Potosi.		Hidden and Monument to E
View N along limestone ridge, with Spring, Wilson and LaMadre peaks.	Now we see the back side of Hidden.	Al, Ali, Lori, and Britta are off that way today, but the haze and 200 miles of rock are in the way.
View NE again, as I head N.	Back SE at Monument (L) and Hidden.	I hear thunderclaps, and can see rain over Pa’s Rump.
Stormy weather over Potosi.	The descent wash was brushless all the way back.	The route S, on the west side, is on a rough road.