Mitchell Point CA (Mojave) via Bonanza King

pics by Harlan W. S.
Oct 27, 2007

This DPS summit is on the north end of the Providence Mountains; the peak is quite impressive when viewed from the northern Mojave peaks. The hike has ~3000’ net elevation gain, but the accumulated gain may be more like 3700’ if you traverse the knife edge, since there are many ups and downs. The route is largely brush-free, but you must be alert for cacti, catclaws, and yucca-family plants.

The approach from Vegas is detailed at the end of the page.

GPS trace in red, 100k map.	GPS trace in red, 24k map	Morning at Mid-Hills campground.
Smoke from the Sand Diego-area fires still tarnishes the moon.	At Bonanza King, the sharp peak to the SW is Edgar.	Windmill.
The route takes the ridge on the extreme R side of the photo.	The ruins of the town, and our parking spot, are visible near the upper middle of photo.	View SE from ascent ridge.
We break through to main E-W ridge of Mitchell. The mine site is still visible, just left of center.	Traversing the rough ridge, ~5700’.	Desert four-o’clock.
	Near this spot, Ali seriously injured his ankle when a huge boulder rolled over his foot. He decided to wait at 6100’.	I’ve just come over the point labeled 2024T on the USGS map, and am looking W over the N side of the Mitchell cliffs.
Now I’m near 6800’, looking back E over the “knife edge”. I walked along the very edge, but is safer to traverse on the right (S) side, as recommended in the DPS guide.	A window in the cliffs provides a view to the NW.	View ~S. Mitchell is out of view, at R.
Finally, the roughest part of the ledges is over. Mitchell is the left-most high point.		From the summit, view ~SE over Edgar.
		From the summit, view ~SE over Edgar.
Descending, another view E over the knife edge.	Snail fossil.	At ~5200’, Ali descends.
		The next day, this is the view S to Mitchell, from near Cima.

First, an excellent area map can be obtained at www.mojavenp.org.

From Vegas, take i-15 S to the Nipton-Searchlight exit, and take the exit E. In ~4 miles, turn S on the Ivanpah Road. Take The Ivanpah Road S for ~3 miles, then veer R on the Morningstar Rd. Take the Morningstar Rd SSW for 18 miles till it merges with the Cima Rd. Take the Cima Rd S for 5 miles, then turn L (E) on the Mojave Road, following signs for the Mid-Hills and Hole-in-the-Wall Campgrounds. After 5 miles on the Mojave Rd, take a R (S) on Black Canyon Rd. (You will pass Mid-Hills Campground – a decent camp with water and outhouses – along the way.) Take the Black Canyon Rd all the way till it intersects the Essex Road (~20 miles). Turn R on the Essex Rd NW (toward Mitchell Caverns State Park), and in 0.8 miles turn R and take the gravel road for “Blair Bros. Ranch” ~5 mile NNW to a fork. Up to point the road is bladed and in good condition (Oct 2007). At the fork, bear L to Bonanza King Mine (signed); do NOT go R on the PRIVATE rd. to Blair Bros. Go ~0.8 miles, to another fork. At this point you have two choices; the left road goes to the deserted “town” of Providence; the road is in terrible shape. The right fork leads to the N side of the Bonanza Mine; if you go this way, you will drive a bit longer, and hike a bit farther S to reach Providence; this road is also rough, but doesn’t have the very rough wash crossings. You may want to park your car somewhere convenient, and just hoof it to the mine.