Hike Mount Montezuma from Patterson Pass Schell Creek Range BLM, NV

Jun 07, 2023 — Mount Montzuma is a high-prominence peak with easy access, but it's far enough into central Nevada and away from any town so it gets very little attention. Located south of Mount Grafton, this peak caught my eye because of its cool-looking cliff band, but more so for its obscurity. With a morning to check it out I drove to Patterson Pass, which can be reached by any vehicle. I figured this was clearly the most sensible starting point, noting that the northern cliff bands might end up being be a problem higher up.

I started south along an old dirt road which ended after a few hundred feet. Continuing into the forest, the ascent began with a nice grade and small trees and bushes that I could easily avoid. I followed an old fence, resulting in an unfortunate trip on a piece of downed barbed wire, a new and significant gash reminding me that I need to get my tetanus shot. The slope continued at a progressively steepening grade as the greener brush gave way to dirt terrain and pines, the bushwhacking never notably annoying. I saw a promising-looking weakness at the top of the slope that I hoped would serve as a break in the cliffs, but to reach it I needed to stay slightly to the left and away from a sheer face. After some more ascending with a bit of traversing along the slope, I reached a bout of scree and ultimately made it to the top without exceeding Class 2.

Mount Montezuma's summit came into view, but its substantial east face had a long and daunting limestone cliff that I hoped I could overcome by sticking to the ridge crest. After some hiking on slightly brushy terrain, I reached the surprisingly interesting limestone ridge and its intial stretch of Class 2. Some Class 2/3 brought me several hundred feet to the base of the daunting cliff, where I stood below a wannabe knife-edge. Here the rim overlooked the mountain's mesmerizing cliffs, stretching away into the flat desert to the west. I scrambled up the fun, solid knife edge, really just Class 2/2+ with one Class 3 move. I reached the summit more easily than I thought the undertaking would be, and took in the views for a bit. Mount Patterson to the north looked impressive from this angle. I wandered south a bit to enjoy the limestone cliff from above, plus I wanted to be sure the southern point was definitely shorter than the northern one.