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May 07, 2018 — This route summits Mummy Mountain and tacks on a couple of smaller peaks, Cockscomb Peak (or Cockscomb Ridge) and Fletcher Peak. The loop is quite nice even if you decide to just do Mummy Mountain. It's a bit of a low-risk off-trai adventure just outside of Las Vegas. Note that I documented this hike in May of 2018 and then revisited in September 2021, so there will be a section of photos ascending/descending Mummy Mountain where I documented the route better and the landscape will look a bit different.
We took the North Loop Trail up its many switchbacks and hints at views of the surrounding peaks to the junction with the Mummy Springs Trail, where Rain Tree is rooted. The large bristlecone pine seems like a solid turn-around spot for many hikers. We continued along the Mummy Springs Trail and took the minor detour to see the trickling spring. Past Mummy Springs, we followed what is now a very well-defined social trail as it leads north and then starts to switchback tightly as it heads west up the slopes of Mummy Mountain. I'm not sure where the "official" trail ended, but the social trail slowly gets more difficult to follow as it ascends past the switchbacks. It was quite steep and sometimes a little loose. We also encountered a couple of Class 2+ moves. Cairns were helpful in staying on-route.
After about 1000 feet of vertical gain, the social trail reached just below the rocky ridgeline of Mummy Mountain. Rather than get to the crest, continue to the right around a rocky cliff and descend 20+ feet where a nice viewpoint of the route to come becomes visible. From here we continued along the east side of Mummy Mountain, at the base of its limestone cliffs. There are ample cairns and at leat to possible routes. It seems like the higher route requires more Class 2/3 scrambling, while staying lower means a bit more elevation loss, but less scrambling. We did a combination of these options, sticking mostly to the base of the cliffs and making slight ascents/descents to avoid trickier sections. You can't go too wrong at this section as long as you stay more or less next to the cliff face. We eventually got to a key gully leading west up Class 2 scree. This gully would serve as the standard route to Mummy Mountain from this direction, just south of Mummy Mountain's high point.
Once on the Class 2 scree, we ascended the gully. Alternatively, you could stick to the left side of the gully and use the solid limestone for Class 3 fun rather than slogging up the scree. It will be tempting to ascend to the ridgeline, but that would result in Class 4 stuff to gain the summit. Instead, after pulling a Class 3 move on limestone just below a tiny cave, a short bout of scree leads to a nice ledge on the right. Take this flat ledge as it parallels the ascent gully and wraps around the base of more limestone cliffs. A short Class 2+ move leads to more ledge and then wraps around to another scree slope that leads to the summit. Follow the base of the cliff until just below the summit.
From the Mummy Mountain summit, we follow the well-traveled social trail down the more popular ascent route for Mummy Mountain. This requires hading west from the summit and descend a western gully. A social trail makes this section very easy to follow as it more-or-less follows the west ridge of Mummy Mountain. An extremely steep and loose descent from the ridge leads down to the North Loop Trail.
Once back on the North Loop Trail, we descended to the junction with the Trail Canyon Trail. Now for a quick detour to bag Cockscomb Peak. From the junction with the Trail Canyon Trail, I headed south along the ridgeline, which approaches an intimidating-looking limestone face, the north buttress of Cockscomb Peak. Rather than go all the way to the base of the outcrop, drop left and lose 50+ feet of elevation on somewhat loose Class 2/3 terrain, wrapping around on the peak's east side. Circle around and ascend Cockscomb Peak from its south ridge.
Back along the North Loop Trail, the route ascends a few hundred feet along the trail to get to the saddle with Fletcher Peak. A social trail leads east from the official trail and up to Fletcher Peak. The views were great from this minor summit. I headed back to the official trail and descended back down the North Loop Trail to the trailhead.
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