Foutz Peak and Unfinished Business

We saw this pretty little peak (600'+ prominence, about 1660' above the valley) on the trek to a much harder peak in the East Mormon Mountains of Nevada.
Anji and I thought it would be an easy first day for a trip a few months later, but we were driven off by a rainstorm.

This time, I made this one peak, but cold and fierce winds, gusting to 50+ mph, made me abandon the rest of my plan. I don't know how much my memory is colored by nearly being blown off of ridges and picking the hardest way to be slightly out of the wind, but this little peak was tougher then I expected. I think there is a totally class 2 way, but it will be very nasty class 2 with loose sharp talus and sticky plants.

Pics by Harlan W S
December 02, 2020

It looks soft and fluffy on USGS topo.	Back in 2019, as the peak looked on the way in to 5804. I took the path in blue; it might have been smarter to start west a bit farther.	Foutz Peak as it looked south of 5804 in 2019.
So back to a very windy Dec 2, 2020.	I kept hugging the lee side of ridges.	Magically, I'm on top!
Davidson to east	Moapa to SW	Upridge to treeline. There were lots of fires in these mountains in 2005-6, so some of the treeless area is unnaturally bare.
Views back at peak, on way down. Terrain is more complicated than it looks from afar.	The ridge to the peak is quite rough, but often the easiest walking (no steep talus) is right on top of the ridge	View back up at peak to W. Steep loose talus to L.
View to 5804. I had studied this peak for 16 years before we finally got there.		The very crest of the ridge, big drops at L occasionally.
The innocent-looking valley has a few dryfalls	5804 again	My car and 5804. The successful route is not visible here; I found a single class 5 route that broke through the upper cliff band, and needed 30' of sketchy chimneying, over a chockstone and below a roof.