Feb 24, 2019 — I've been on a roll with these random peakbagging missions in Lake Mead, and this was no exception to my fun exploratory routes in the area. I first saw Pinto West Peak and the canyon to its east from the summit of Hamblin Mountain West, but I wanted to plan a multi-peak day rather than just get that one, so this route did the trick. Even though I deemed this route Class 3, that's only because of the descent from Pinto West Peak to the south - none of these peaks are more than Class 2 if approched directly.
Starting from Northshore Road, head to the saddle of Hamblin Butte and Basalt Peak. I decided to bag Hamblin Butte now and Basalt Peak later on the way back (see map), but neither are interesting (remove 1000 feet or so from the stats listed if you skip these). There are two ridgelines leading to Pinto West Peak, and the western one looked more reasonable from above on Hamblin Butte, learning this fact was probably the only benefit of going up there. Follow this ridgeline to the summit of Pinto West Peak (Class 2) and continue south on Class 3 stuff until you get to a gully leading east into the canyon that separates Hamblin Mountain West and Pinto West Peak. Follow this drainage all the way down until you hit a dry fall (marked on map). You'll notice I left in both of my routes. Initially, I didn't want to scramble down this dryfall because I thought there might be many more and it could be a waste of time, so I ascended to the dirt mounds above and followed animal trails on higher ground to Auxiliary Point. On the way back, I chose to explore that canyon and it turned out that dryfall was the only one. Both routes were nice for different reasons.
Auxiliary Point was probably the highlight of the day, and although it can be easily accessed by boat on Lake Mead, it was still a gorgeous spot that took a fair amount of effort to get to. I took a few minutes to enjoy the sights, something I rarely do unless the spot's really calling my name. Return via the same canyon.
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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!
