LVMC to Umpah (2x), Mopah (3x) and Snaggletooth (2x)

Harlan WS, Jim E, Erica BV, and Jodie S
Jan 26-28, 2018

A great trip with a great group. Mopah and Umpah are the sharp peaks one sees W of route 95, as one travels between Vidal Junction and Needles CA.

00context
Context map		 0umpah0
First day we took
the S wash to do
Umpah, then Mopah,
so we wouldn't
conflict with the
Sierra Club trip
(who went to
Mopah 1st)		 DSCN6979
On the way down,
Jim and I checked
out the Snaggletooth
range. This is the
neat peaklet to W.
DSCN6981
View of sunset on
Chemehuevi to NE		 DSCN6983
View E as we start
up E ridge of Umpah		 DSCN6985
DSCN6986
Getting steeper!		 DSCN6988 DSCN6990
DSCN6991
we reach junction
with descent route
to L (N)		 DSCN6993
View NE.
Jodie comes around
E of summit cliffs,
heads S		 DSCN6994
Josef, view S,
on summit ridge.
DSCN6995
Mopah, next goal		 DSCN6997 DSCN6999
DSCN7000 DSCN7002 DSCN7004
Jim heads back S
to cliffs we used to
gain summit ridge
DSCN7005 DSCN7006 DSCN7007
Down worst part
of cliffs, Turtle
Mts in back
DSCN7009
View ENE as
others descend		 DSCN7010 DSCN7012
DSCN7013 DSCN7014
now we drop
into descent gully		 DSCN7016
Magically, on Mopah.
View S, LVMC in fore,
Sierra Club descends
at back.
DSCN7017
SC group led by
Lisa Miyake		 DSCN7020
View SE		 DSCN7022
Josef pops through
tight slot to SE
DSCN7023 DSCN7024
up the class 4		 DSCN7025
up the class 4
DSCN7026
Magically on top!		 DSCN7028
Umpah in back,
view S		 DSCN7029
View N
DSCN7031 DSCN7032 DSCN7033
DSCN7036 DSCN7038 DSCN7040
View N to N Turtle
Range
DSCN7042
View SE down
tight slot		 DSCN7043
Group waits below,
SE of slot		 DSCN7044
View ~N as
folks negotiate
steep, stair-step
class 3
DSCN7045 DSCN7046
descending
into "cave"		 DSCN7048
"Almost" done,
view SW to notch
DSCN7054
Mopah in back as
we enter N wash.		 DSCN7055eganSnaggletooth-from-95
Next day on way
home, we went
to Snaggletooth.
Pic by Jim E.		 DSCN7055ericaSnaggle
View S from parking
(HC) on N side. Pic
by Erica BV.
DSCN7055jodie1
Closer look at
route. One passes
E on S side of peak,
the N, then W again
to each "easy" rte.		 DSCN7056
View N to cars from
summit. Very windy!
I tried to fix an anchor
and handline as fast
as I could.		 DSCN7057jodie0
Jodie's view of Jim
as he grabs handline
and negotiates the
class 4 crux
DSCN7057jodie2
Jodie's view of
Amber as she
debates our
sanity.		 DSCN7058
Jim comes up. I
left a black sling
on boulder. I don't
like leaving stuff,
but the wind and
cold gave little
choice.		 DSCN7059
Jim on descent
jodie8
Jodie summited,
then went down
to document Jim
and me, as we pulled
handline.		 jodie9
The wind had
twisted the 2 strands
around each other,
and I had to reclimb
the crux 3 times to
unsnag!		 soxDSCN7060
2nd rinse of my sock
to remove blood. 1st
rinse looked like
red wine.