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Dec 19, 2020 — Funeral Peak is really only worth doing if you're interested in getting high-prominence peaks. While the summit view is nice and the long and gradual slope to the summit has its charm, I thought the approach to Funeral Peak would be... the death of me *cringe*. Sam Grant told me the brush is heavy and will slow progress, so I wore gaiters and was thrilled and greatful for the warning. Pants would probably do the trick, but I legit don't own any at the moment. Anyway, I parked on the side of Furnace Creek Wash Road and headed west into the desert. The terrain is mostly flat and started out very pleasant. Slowly the brush began to encroach and I had to zig-zag a bunch to avoid the worst of it. Funeral Peak just looked and felt so far away, but I made it to its eastern slope eventually and started up. The brush mostly dissipated, but the slope is riddled with clusters of black boulders. I did a better job of keeping my route on grassy terrain rather than Class 2 boulder-hopping on the way down than on my ascent, but really it's hard to go too wrong. You'll encounter the occasional Class 2, but as long as you stick more-or-less to the high point (or just to the south) of the ridge, it'll be a pleasant stroll through the desert to the summit of Funeral Peak. The final hundred feet had a minor cliff band impediment, but you can avoid it by keeping to the left and finding a slope with some Class 2. The view toward Smith Mountain and down into Death Valley from the summit of Funeral Peak were lovely.
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