2024 peakbagging and other activities

[Beardilocks]

Tacoland: is your 1st Gen 4wd? I’m sure you’ve answered that but I’ve forgotten.

If you’re 4wd, I like to camp up Denning Spring Rd or one of its offshoots to the south. As long as no one is at the stupid homemade gun-range up in there.

[TacoLand]

Yep, 4wd w/ rear locker, lift, suspension, yadada. I planned on checking out that area, and returning to zones to the west, with the understanding that I might be running into some backcountry shooters. I'm used to it in rural Nevada, but always a drag that some folks are so lousy when it comes to observing gun-related restrictions. Anywho, I'll be keeping an eye out for your LC.

[Brice]

Spent a few days in Butte Valley to bag some of the surrounding highpoints.   I didn't take any photos until the very last summit so I tried to make up for that by taking more than one.

The last climb was Between benchmark and it has a good view of the whole valley (maybe that's why it has the name Between?), so I can summarize with photos from that one summit.  The day before Between, I went up Manly peak and Anvil benchmark (center).   A nice climb, with a tricky summit block of granite boulders at the very top to gain the true summit.  A particularly uninspiring angle of Striped Butte can be seen just right of center.



The day before Manly, was Striped Butte and Needle peak shown here.



And the day before Needle was Gold hill (right of center).  I liked this little little bonsai growing out of the rock. 



Mormon peak is just out of frame on the left.  I recommend reading this interesting page regarding the microwave repeater on top of Mormon peak.  I especially enjoyed the last question in the FAQ.  https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/mormon-peak.htm

And I found a tiny delicate arrowhead, only slightly broken.  So that was pretty neat.

[TacoLand]

Neat! That's a nice arrowhead you found there in a nice area of the Park.

How was traffic in Butte Valley? After my last trip there in March 2021 I've been kind of avoiding the area ...

Interesting FAQ as well. A 300ft tower would be wild. Fiber into the Park seems inevitable (and tentatively scheduled).

[MojaveGeek]

Well you still got some nice pix! I'd like to spend more time in the area. Was pretty busy when I was up there a year ago, though.

[Brice]

How was traffic in Butte Valley? After my last trip there in March 2021 I've been kind of avoiding the area 

Had the entire valley to myself (and one other weirdo), though I know there were other people passing through the day before I arrived and the day I left.  So I guess I got lucky!

[Beardilocks]

I’ll keep an eye out for you Taco. When are you coming?

It looked like the 3-day weekend was pretty busy in Butte Valley but I only saw one raggedy 4Runner the whole 3 days I was in there. Kinda surprised me.

Well, other than burros. Which seem to double every year. Although I did see some signs of the efforts to round them up.

Amazing view from Between. Nice!

[TacoLand]

Headed down on Sunday ... not sure where we're going to camp after driving down 395 since Lemoigne is closed. Sigh!

After that we'll be down in the Owlshead / Ibex / Butte Valley region for five nights probably. Looks like some weather blowing in on Monday so maybe something with a little elevation and gravely.

[Brice]

I tried to find Sexton Benchmark this week and failed.  It's on the eastern border of the park.  On the USGS map it's marked near the top of a small mountain, a bit down the side.  It seems a strange place for a benchmark, but what do I know?  I wandered around for a good 20 minutes with no luck.  Oh well.



But it was not all for nothing.  I found a classic looking cave below where the benchmark should have been.  Tall and deep.  It has clearly been occupied in the  past as many artifacts are scattered on the slope below in the form of pull-tab beer cans and bottles...



Looking out through my sweaty fingerprint covered lens.


 
A small desert tortoise shell the size of my palm, near the benchmark location.  Probably carried up there by a bird of prey.



Lots and lots of fossils.  Not surprising given its proximity to a certain mountain.



Next I was off to Leaning Benchmark.  It's a 5 mile trek across the valley from North Road to the base of the mountain.  Leaning benchmark on the left, Peak 2175 on the right.



A desert shaggy mane mushroom popping out of the desert floor.   Apparantly the dark colored spores inside can be used as a dye to color cloth or grey hair.



The last entry on the summit log was 3 years ago.  From the summit looking at Grapevine Peak and Mount Palmer.  My car is somewhere down there too.



Looking south down the Cottonwood mountains.  Tucki Mountain on the far left.



Looking up Dry Bone Canyon with White Top Mountain above.

[Beardilocks]

“Certain mountain”. Lol.

I knew the views from Leaning would be nice. Especially with the dramatic sky lately. Bunkered I missed it but resting after my petro chasing.

I’m betting the same bird that got that tortoise got your benchmark.