Mack's (NV) by Unusual Route

These routes originate in McFarland Canyon, at ~7100’. They are total unsuitable for people who just want to bag the peak, groups more than 5, and any group that rhymes with “VegasBikers.” My main aim was to explore connections for future mondo hikes, and to photograph the eastern route on McFarland. The access is via a rough gravel road that is nominally classed as 4WD.

The ascent route was over a steep, mainly-open slope in the lower section; the upper section was over a mainly-class 2, exposed ridge. There are occasional easy but exposed class 3 climbs. The final jog S to the summit requires negotiation of a crumbling edge with much exposure.

My descent route might be a good, very steep spring snow climb in years with lots of snow; if the snow isn’t consolidated, it will be an avalanche chute extraordinaire. In summer, the descent was a chaos of very steep scree, occasionally spilling over 10-20’ cliff bands; it didn’t get “pleasant” (i.e. not sucky) till below 8800’.

pics by Harlan W.S.
Aug 24, 2010

The latter part of the route on a topo map.	The upper route as seen from the walk in along McFarland Canyon. The canyon is surprisingly open and pleasant once one gets above 7300’. There were no human footprints, but several distinct feral horse trails.	View of McFarland from about 8000’.
	View upward, along the upper part of the ascent route.	View toward N Macks, ~9500’.
View upward (ESE), ~9700’.	On the summit ridge, view SSE to Charleston.	View back to N Macks.
On the summit ridge, view SSE to Charleston.	On the summit ridge, view SSE to Charleston. The official “summit” is in view; I suspect both these summit lumps are the same elevation, within error (neither is a real survey point).
Arrogance!	McFarland from the summit.	A northern summit (NOT N Macks).
McFarland, as seen from bottom of the descent route.	McFarland Canyon is fairly open and easy to navigate.