Hike Green Monster Benchmark Potosi Mountain BLM, NV

Mar 31, 2023 — Green Monster Benchmark is one of those desert peaks that sort of blends into its surroundings. That said, I had a nice time because I love newness and can't get enough, even if that means hiking lumps like this one near home. Though this hike is probably best done by folks with very little else remaining in the area, it's always a nice day in the desert and this route is overall straightforward and ascends relatively gradually when compared to the usual steep stuff found out here. To reach the trailhead, leave the graded Sandy Valley Road here (35.91037, -115.66972) and head northeast. This approach road is gross, garbage and discarded ammo rounds scattered everywhere.

I hiked east toward the major canyon draining from Green Monster Benchmark's west side. The desert was open and walking through it was trivial. The canyon was mostly a gravel wash for the first half, then introduced some light Class 2 and a tiny bit of brush. It then steepened a bit and the rockiness thickened, but was still pleasant rock-hopping. The geology of the south side of the canyon was neat, eroded limestone slabs rising from the canyon floor. There were also some cool pockets and slabby, colorful rock embedded in the drainage that seemed worth noting. After ascending most of the way to the summit, the canyon widened into a slope and led a short way to the high point on a steeper slope. I could see Potosi Mountain nearby, as well as a contrived loop we did of similarly amorphous lumps nearby, Ragged, Jagged, etc..

Peak 4825, an unnamed lump to the east of Green Monster Benchmark, was totally washed out by the afternoon sun, making it seem an even less interesting undertaking than the first peak, but I was here and it was there and I wanted to get over to it. Why? *shrug* I dropped east on the steep slope, happy I chose to descend this way rather than do the loop in reverse. Along the way there was a single small cliff that I avoided on the left (Class 2). The west ridge of Peak 4825 was just a steep slope, though less so than the descent from Green Monster Benchmark. That's sort of all I can say about this lump.

Rather than backtrack, I decided to take a spur ridge/slope off Peak 4825 and then just hike through the open desert and back to my car. Fortunately the desert here isn't riddled with arroyos and cacti, so it was a really nice sunset trek back.