Eldorado Peaks, NV: Stalker vs. Stocker

Harlan W S & Paula R
December 2, 2019

I first saw peak "1173m" from Mt Stocker (which is on the W side of the valley between the two peaks). Both 1173m and Stocker have the same final closed contour of 1170m. Mt Stocker was given an elevation of 3871' (1180m) on the older 1958 USGS 15 minute map, but there is no record of a formal survey, and the peak never had a benchmark. The current map was issued in 1984, with a different geoid to define "sea level," the newer USGS map removes the 3871' elevation for Stocker, and instead denotes the eastern peak as 1173m. There is no indication of a survey station on either peak. Note the true summit block is about 1m higher than the point assigned "1173m" by the USGS.

I took telephoto pictures, from the summit block of "1173," over the top of Stocker. I identified features in my photo and Google Earth, as well as the ExpertGps topo and aerial modes. I conclude that Stocker is the same elevation as 1173m, to within 1m, accounting for 1.5m of earth curvature.

I went alone this day, as I had just injured my ankle badly, and needed to set my own pace. I put the photos on FaceBook, with a suggestion that one could protect the climb of the summit block with a piece of webbing thrown over the top, anchored to a rock on the far side. Ms. XX read my post, and went to the peak the very next day, and used that method. She wanted to call it "Stockman Peak," but I asked her to call the 1173m peak "Mt Stalker" on Peakbagger as something of a joke, because she would stalk my trips.

There is a register placed in 2001 by Tom Roundtree, declaring the 1173m peak as the highpoint of Eldorado Mts. Since the Ireteba peaks are also considered part of the Eldorado Mts by some, and there is a 1176m peak 2 miles to the NW, clearly this label is incorrect. The area was declared as the Eldorado Wilderness in 2002. I was unable to pull Tom's register out of the bottle, so I added a thinner notebook. Again, note the top of the block is 1m higher than the point indicated as 1173 by USGS.

I took the route from the pavement on Rte 60/165 to Nelson. The first 1-2 miles is a confusion of washes. It looks like there is an easier path from 4x4 road to the east.	First view of Stocker Ridge from west.
Arch to SSW of Stocker	We go up the R gulley. It's steeper than it looks.	Now on the E side of Stocker ridge, we see the true summit, a lone boulder. (USGS, using photogrammetry, put the 1173m mark on a spot to N).
This is the true summit block, view S. I needed to add 2" of cheater rock to reach the ledge at top of "7.5'" bar. A taller person might reach the ledge easily, but would need some upper body strength to mantle. Look here and here to see how Ms. XX used webbing.	View S, with snowy Charleston at L, Black Mt ridge in mid-distance, and Lonesome Peak (Wilderness highpoint) as the tannish Mt on R in foreground.	View to Railroad Peak in Black Hills near Henderson.
View S to Spirit Mt	View over Stocker	Black Mt in back of Lonesome Peak.
	Bob Cable wrote rock- climbing books for California, and has climbed many of the harder summit blocks in Southern NV.	Fire Mt. near river, with Mt. Tipton and the Cerbat Ridge in back.
View S through some canyons at the S end of the valley between Stocker and Stalker.	All the S canyons had unseen, talus-covered cliff bands	So for today, I opted not to explore routes down the canyons.
View back at Stalker	Heading W from Stocker Ridge.	Nelson and the Nelson Rd.
The 1958 15 min. map.