Sloan Canyon, Sutor, and Crags

pics by Harlan W. S.
Jan 25, 2010

My goals were to see the petroglyphs, climb Sutor (Benchmark), and view the crags, for a possible route.

If you walk up the wash past the kiosk and blockage, you are pretty much guaranteed to see some glyphs, unless you are blind. So far, the petroglyphs have pretty much escaped vandalism, probably due to the difficulty of access. The road in is unmarked (though described on the BLM website), and is too rough for most passenger vehicles and drunk yahoos. Next a fence keeps cars from driving farther up the wash, and finally, there are two mild class 3 dryfalls on slick rock, which would be tough to negotiate with a beer cooler and a rifle in hand.

The glyphs were made by pre-Columbian-to-recent natives; it is likely the area was wetter and cooler then. My guess is that they came here in the cooler months, to hunt bighorns. Even now, the wash is damp near the glyphs.

There is no trail, and this hike would be fatally hot much of the year.

Directions for the road in are given on the BLM sites.	My hike. I’ll refer to the top of Sutor, and the points A and B below.	Google Earth view to the S, as from a plane.
When one is about 3 miles west on the 4x4 road, the dominant peaks can be seen to the S.	This is the most significant dryfall on the way to the glyphs. I went up the L; the rock is quite slick.
	I climber a hillside to get a look at the route to Sutor (L).
		Hey I’m already on top!
Potosi is the snow-covered Mt in back.	The Red Rock bluffs (Mt Wilson, etc.) are visible in the middle distance at L, and Charleston Peak is visible at back.	To the N stretches the vast sprawl of Las Vegas. Black Mt is at R. There is a tele of the city in a few frames.
Clark Mt is at L, and Devil Peak at R.	McCullough Range to SW.	Oops, here I am again.
This is a tele N. You can see the powerlines along the main access road.	No entries, undoubtedly because there is no pencil. There were 3 non-working pens in the can.
Descending, Devil Peak again.	These are the crags, viewed from ~4000’ on the SW side of Sutor.	Typical terrain as I head to point A.
View of crags from A.		Next I climb this nearly-as-high peak, to get a view of crags.
This is probably the best route up the highest crag, at least to the base of the tough section. Nearly up to B.	From B, view ~ESE; Sutor on L.	Crags on ridge, way down.
	Possible andesite (or more solisic) core.	View back at crags, on way down. The wash makes for pleasant, easy walking.
Easy wash; Black Mt in back.	View back down a dryfall.
Kiosk near parking.