Clinton and Presidential Friends, Revisited

pics by Harlan W. S. & CP
Sept 13, 2009

Nick N, Pierre M and I went up these peaks in June 2004; when we revisited more than 5 years later, our entry was the last in the register. Dr. Ed F had named “Clinton” and placed the register in 2002. “Reagan” is something of an ironic name; on the drive home in 2004, we heard that Ronald Reagan had just died.

These peaks are easily accessed by the Wallace Canyon Road; the northern road was in good shape (suitable for an Outback with 7.3” clearance, with careful driving) in 2009. The direct route up Clinton gains 2400’ in about 0.8 miles, and meets the cliff wall at the end of very steep talus. We looked for a better chute, but the one we eventually took, though very steep, had lots of texture and hold. The descent E off the saddle between the two peaks was a bit nasty, but had no cliff bands more than ~ 7’ high. The descent off the SE side of Clinton itself, before the saddle, is class 2.

	View from the NE, looking SW.	Amargosa Overlook is in back of DB.
Devil’s Thumb on Charleston.		DB is in the shadows, she has just climbed up very steep talus to the N face of Clinton.
	CP tries a Class 4+ wall; camera is pointed up. The holds got crappier and crappier, and there was no good anchor, so…	…he backed down.
	We finally came up this chute. It’s steeper than it looks, but the rock was reasonably good. There was some loose junk. High class 3, with lots of chances to get really, really hurt.	The Lewinsky Buttress is visible slightly above center; it snakes up and meets the summit at left.
	Panorama ~E to Charleston.	Toward beautiful Pahrump.
The SW side has a class 2 ramp that could be taken to the top of Clinton.
Heading up Reagan. The back side of Clinton is at L.		Chaz from Reagan.
The Sisters at L.		Returning home, after the nasty talus descent.