Arch MT & Friends with LVMC
(Lake Mead AZ)

Pics by Harlan W S & Kevin H
January 25-26, 2020

I first went to the Arch Range in Jan 2008 with CP. The Cohenour loop road was pretty sketchy for a car with 7.3" clearance back then, so we opted to start near the lake.  That was a hard day, with about 5800' accumulated gain; the part near the shore was maddening, with so many washes to cross, and we stuck to the true ridge between Black BM and true Arch, which was tiring and sketchy.

The road is much improved, and this time (2020) we made life a bit easier on ourselves. Kevin and Anji had scoped out a route with less irritating terrain. The route to the ridge is still sketchy and loose, but it is rarely more than annoying class 2 (it looks much worse).

I went a day earlier than LVMC, and camped overnight about 1/4 mile below the pass in a BLM-designated spot, which gave me a chance to hit 3 little peaklets near Cohenour Pass.

This was the hardest hike I had done in 6 months, with ~4200' accumulated gain. I had a fairly routine surgery which led to a not-so-routine infection.  It's amazing how weak one can get, losing 10 pounds in a few days.

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On the 25th, I took a stroll
over some volcanic
peaklets; the 2nd
(northern 1051T)
was the neatest
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On the 26th, I joined
LVMC for a nice
trip organized by Kevin H.
Kevin and Anji had
scouted the route.
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OK, back to 25th.
I'm on the 1st peaklet,
looking SW across 2nd
(1051T) to mesa
(also 1051T), with
MT Wilson in back.
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The N side of the 2nd
peak was mostly talus,
so I opted for a class
3 route on the cliffs
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Top of 2nd peak, view
to the mesa and
Wilson Ridge. Route
off this peak to SW was
class 2.
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The rock was good and
I opted to climb the
1051T mesa by the
cliffs.
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Lots of helicopter
traffic, probably
Grand Canyon tours.
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I was surprised to see
a cairn on the mesa...
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Turns out Kevin and
Anji were there recently!
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View E over 2nd peak,
my fav of the 3.
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My camp, as I wait for
LVMC next morn
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We head ENE up a wash;
the Arch Range highpoint
is in distance.
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We had to surmount
a separate peaklet on
way to highpoint
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View NNW as Rich
arrives
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View west to my
hike on previous day.
Wilson Ridge in back.
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Out-of order shot of
us all on range HP
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Kevins pic of Anji and
me on next pealet N
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Anji heads N
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Anji views true (USGS)
Arch Mountain. We all
decided to drop down,
rather than take the annoying
ridgeline.
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True Arch.
We lost about 600-700',
but we would have had
an accumulated loss of
almost that much if we
had stuck to the ridge
and its knife-edges.
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Magically, I'm on
true Arch. Hamblin Mt
is dark mass near center,
Muddy Mts in back R.

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View N across Guardian
to the red on Sent Peakinel.
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Snow on Charleston
range
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The nasty ridge
I took in 2008,
but avoided in 2020
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Amber summits
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On top of USGS
Arch
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Anji heads back W
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The nasty ridge, as
we head back down
into the valley
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Suddenly, I'm
looking E at our
ascent route up
to HP.
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Heading back, walking
WSW in wash
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