Hike Keystone, Kirby, Whale Peaks Potosi Mountain BLM, NV

Oct 31, 2021 — These peaks just outside of Goodsprings, Nevada are located in an area with a rich mining history. The peaks themselves aren't all that exciting, but it was a nice loop to some lesser-visited bumps in the desert. Although technically Kirby Peak and Keystone Peak are unnamed peaks, since Whale Peak was named after a nearby mine, I decided to name the other two on this hike after adjacent mines to those peaks.

The route-finding ended up adding some fun to the mix. I parked just off Sandy Valley Road and started hiking north along a dirt road, but with high-clearance you can drive farther to get out of sight of the traffic on Sandy Valley Road. The walk north follows a road for a bit as it weaves through a wash, and then I left the road/wash system and ascended a sensible-looking ridgeline up to the east ridge of Keystone Peak. Light Class 2 to its summit. Initially I intended to head farther west along the ridge to get to Peak 5387, but a significant sheer cliff face would have prevented this. Instead I started south, onward to Kirby Peak. This peak looked really intimidating from Keystone Peak, and I started thinking of potential bail points, but I'd soon learn I wouldn't need them.

It was low Class 2 down from Keystone Peak to its saddle with Kirby Peak, mostly due to side-hilling to the left of a cliff along the ridge, and then the ascent to Kirby Peak began as low Class 2. If you stick to the ridge crest, it might go as high as Class 5, but I didn't experiment. Just left of the scary-looking ridge was a pleasant slope with some not-too-bad side-hilling on the ascent, just along the base of the cliffs. More Class 2 led to the summit, and Kirby Peak ended up being not nearly as scary as anticipated. Whale Peak to the south was next on the list, about a mile away. Class 2 brought me down from Kirby Peak. Halfway between Kirby and its southern saddle is a small bump that I wrapped around, Class 2 side-hilling. Along this section fo the route I found a historic mining claim danging back to 1953! If you do find this, please leave it as you found it so others can enjoy.

Now at the base of Whale Peak, I decided the ridge was too scary and keeping to the right would likely result in significant cliffs. I kept to the left and ascended on a Class 2 slope with a couple of short, easy cliff bands. Wrapping around a minor sub-peak on the northeat side of Whale Peak, I was able to keep the route Class 2. I continued along the ridge crest, encountering some more Class 2/2+ stuff, and then I got to the crux of the day, a short, solid, fun Class 3 move with some exposure. You can likely avoid this move by side-hilling on unpleasant terrain. Class 2 Whale Peak's summit. From Whale Peak's summit I decided to descend via its southeast ridge, making my way on Class 2 with one steeper section down to Sandy Valley Road, which I followed back to my car.