North Potosi Mt, NV

I normally don't put local peaks on this site, but the last two years have been tough, medical-wise. These two hikes were notable in that the first was a month after I dislocated my shoulder, and the second was 2 weeks after I had on operation on that shoulder. Both days were nominally warm (75F) at the low elevation start (about 10AM), but wind and cloud cover, plus the temperature drop with altitude, made the trips pleasant. The only route that is trespass-free, is the bottom blue route in the second map; the others wander onto high-altitude Boy Scout (BSA) land at some point. However, the BSA have erected signs and made changes to land that BLM owns, so the trespass rules become a little blurred; you will see no indication of property boundaries on these routes. Certainly the low-altitude roads on the west side are well-posted against trespass.

While Potosi itself is a higher and more impressive peak, the presence of radio towers and a road on the peak destroy much of the ambience. North Potosi is much more isolated and rarely visited.

April route is modeled after Anji's entry on peakbagger.

Harlan WS
April 24 & May 14, 2018

General location map. N Potosi is roughly W of Las Vegas, NV	Blue is the track for April 24, red is for May 14	Heading S to ridge April 24; terrain is rough, but class 2+
View W on ridge; N Potosi at R in back	The ridge leads over several bumps	Parts of the ridge have knifey characteristics
View back E over bumps I traversed
Lots of horn coral fossils	The last part of the route gets steep, and leads to class 3 that can usually be avoided	Pa's Rump to W
Potosi to S	Little snow on Charleston in this dry year	S edge of Red Rock Sandstone
		Heading down to N
View back S at N Potosi. This part of route has some scrub.	About to head E through brushy, loose-rock canyon. Meditation Point to L.	This is actually BSA land; I'm guessing this relay supplies cell phones.
	I enter the horrible canyon.	brush everywhere
	A last look back at N Potosi	View W, start of May 14 trip. I'll cut of the L side of hill at R.
Meditation Point in middle	View back E on benign ridge, class 2	Strawberry hedgehog cactus
Desert 4'oclocks	Evening Primrose	A bit higher, Meditation Point in middle
	I've just come over that lump, the only difficulty. Lose a few feet and bypass on W!	Cliffs ahead, on W side. Route heads L on quasi knife edge.
Quasi knife, class 2+		N Potosi is inconspicuous lump at L
The resister jar on Meditation Pt still has peanut butter in it... smells rather bad.	View to Windy Pk (L) in Red Rock
possible cave entrance	View S	Early Evening primrose (some call them suncups)
Cliffs bounding N Potosi
	The main Potosi	Hollow Rock Pk
I think Luba and I found a sketchy way up there, to L	Potosi, some routes on N side
Rte 160 to N, Mount Wilson near-skyline Madre range on far skyline	Cryptanth	Pa's Rump to W
	Meditation Pt, more benign view	asters
About to cross the rough "edge"	Now I'm descending NW through a gap in cliffs	There is a nice pack trail much of way N.
	I believe BSA erected this sign on BLM land	Claret Cup
Globe mallow	Descent canyon was tight, but not too brushy	Redbud
Close to road!	Globe Mallow	4x4 road is a bit too rough for some.
Sage	Cliffrose	Prickly Pear
Palmer's penstemons	View back to N Potosi