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May 01, 2019 — Valley of Fire Peak is definitely a favorite desert scramble. Despite its short mileage and low elevation gain, the route and peak itself are a gem. Note that there are many different ways to get to the summit, but expect to encounter at least one dead end or other impassible obstacle. I certainly found some, and also did some weird route-finding to get into the more major washes, but I edited the attached map to describe the route I found worked best of my explorations from the day, excluding the strange side canyons/gullies I attempted to use.
From the lot opposite the Mouse's Tank Trailhead, I followed a major drainage into the wonderful red landscape west of the main park road. The wash zig-zags a bit, but I pulled a couple of Class 3 moves to avoid the additional walking. At some point, the wash seems to curve east, so I headed up a steep gully, then back down, and then back up, working west. I landed in another wash leading northwest, which I followed for a bit before locating another wash headed south. More obstacles and side-canyons make describing the route a bit difficult, so refer to the map or choose your own adventure, but I recommend definitely havinga GPS for this one. It's a real maze.
Eventually, I worked up and around a feature to the north of Valley of Fire Peak. On my way back, I located a short slot that led up a small Class 3 gully and served as a shortcut back. This was a much more interesting addition, but I left both options in the map. Anyway, a brushy canyon led me south to the north side of Valley of Fire Peak. From within the canyon, I really couldn't see the best route up, but I located a cairn that safely led up likely the only rock rib that would lead to the summit. A couple of Class 3 moves and I was up to a wide, slickrock landscape just below the summit. As expected from reading other trip reports, there was a picnic bench (apparently used for weddings via helicopter approaches). The summit views were amazing, and I was able to (mostly) trace my route through the maze I navigated through from above.
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