| | | The route is shown on the aerial photo. I was back to my car by 10:49 PST. |
I was the first person to park in the Kraft Mt lot, just as the sun was rising. I will eventually cross over the peaks on the skyline... but first... |
... I went up the NE side of Kraft Mt, out of Gateway Canyon. |
| | | I was being careful, but this is not a real route, and I kept finding little fun problems. |
|
View back down to Gateway Canyon; it's hard to express how vertical this route is. |
| | | On top of Kraft; in the distance are the limestone peaks of Turtlehead (L) and El Padre and La Madre (to R). |
In Distance: Mt Wilson at L, then Rainbow and Bridge. |
|
| | | Descending on the E side of Kraft. |
I recall showing this "mushroom" to Alex Leef in 2006.
|
Near top of New Peak, view W. I put a register on this peak in 2003-2004; but I gave it no name. Eva Pollan signed the register, saw there was no name, and wrote in "New Peak" as a joke. The name stuck! |
| | | Red Cap (next destination) at L. I'll take the Comatose Giraffe Gully route. |
Calico Tanks "Peaks" with big Red Rock Canyon sandstone peaks in back. |
Red Cap in distance as I descend New. It doesn't look like much from here, but lots of cliffs block the way. |
| | | Up Comatose Giraffe Gully. |
I'll head hard right and climb the wall. |
Shrinking tank near top of Red Cap. |
| | | View E from RedCap; Gray peak at center is "New." |
|
The whitish-gray peaks are the "Calico Tanks" peaks; I'll head SE over them. |
| | | View over Red Cap tank to White Rocks Hills Peak.
|
|
A deep tank on the way to the next two peaks. |
| | | Another tank on the way. |
I've been taking this slot for years; a semi-official route sprang up a few years back, but I still prefer this way. |
RedCap in distance, Turtlehead to R. Some faint dots below and to right of Red Cap are folks from the LVMC! |
| | | Now I'm looking S at the next Calico Tank "peak." |
As I descend N Calico Tanks Peak, I get a view down to the popular big Calico Tank (to which there is a trail). |
Now magically, I'm on top of S Calico Tanks Peak, looking down into a deep tank. |
| | |
|
Damsel/Pincushion is the gray peak in distance. |
Fuzzy frame from movie. Unfortunately, the camera focused on the rock right in front of it. |
| | | Across the valley (holding the big Calico Tank), my compadres from LVMC are now on top of N Calico Tank Peak... you'll have to wait for a zoom...
|
....among them are Susam M, Kay K, Jim M, Lazlo H., Lori C, Chris M and Jennifer.
|
As I descend off the E side of S Calico, I look back and see curious LVMC folks... |
| | | ...here they are in a detail (zoom in). |
That's Red Book Peak ahead. I once came down that prominent slot. Not today. |
About to descend into the Abyss. |
| | | That's a view of Downtown Vegas. |
|
I saw these big footprints; can't ID the sole print. |
| | | It is not trivial to descend the Abyss. Here, one has to squeeze through a very narrow tunnel... |
...look back up at the "tunnel." |