Snow Creek Peak 10459 (NV)

Setting up a Nevada finish

The day before, Dennis and I had climbed seldom visited Shingle Peak to the south of Ely. We needed to do this one because all Dennis had left in the state of Nevada to do was Toiyabe Dome Peak (link), which we would do so he could finish up the state. This peak is an interesting one because it sits on the "edge" of being fully recognized as a peak with 2000 feet of prominence. Peakbagger.com has it at 1994 feet of "clean"prominence which makes it an "error" range peak (meaning it has the potential of being re-classified at a higher prominence) and Lists of John has it at 2011' of prominence HERE. It might sound confusing but we feel in order to claim all of the Nevada P2K list, "error" range peaks should also be done and there are 9 of them in Nevada which makes the total needed 169 plus 9 for 178. Two of the 179 are not approachable for climbers since  they reside in off limits area 51 so subtract 2 from that number. Also note that this peak is referred to as Cherry Creek Peak on peakbagger but we'll use the name given to it by others as "Snow Creek Peak".  OK, moving on.....

Our objective

Turn east at this sign

Head for the canyon

In looking at the fine summitpost page that Victor (castlereagh) had put up (that this trip report is attached to) and the information provided by Adam Helman (see below), we elected to go via Adam's route since it entailed a bit less on the elevation gain aspect. The roads we went up were fine for high clearance vehicles and we were able to park at 8100 feet. Our first obstacle was a 600 foot very steep slope of bushwhacking through knee and waist high brush but once we got onto the ridge, the hiking was pretty easy going from that point on.

Looking back

Up the slope

Beginning a long traverse

On the way in, we did sidehill through a burned area and elected not to do that on the way out. Dennis has posted a GPS track and I'd suggest using the right hand portion of the track on both going up and down. Its the part of the track that goes over point 3173.

A forest

Getting closer

Summit is in view

We found our selves dealing with hardly no scrambling but that is thanks to route selection, once again, check out the GPS track. The summit was a great spot to sit and just look over all the peaks in the area, a good many of which we had climbed at one time or the other.

Dennis on the summit

John vitz register

Register page 2

This is a wonderful part of Nevada and as the register confirmed yet again on this one, most are rarely visited. At the time of our visit, only 6 others had been there since the register was placed by John Vitz in 2003. It was 9 years before Victor Zhou and Greg Jagielski did their route up from the west (see the summitpost page for this mountain) and then the three legendary climbers, Richard Carey, Adam Helman, and Bob Packard who were there 5 months earlier. No one has climbed this one since Dennis and I visited.

Register page 3

Looking south

Looking at our route

Summit views

Dennis

Looking east

Looking northeast

Looking northwest, west and north

Nearby peaks

As we sat on the summit, I tried to figure out what peaks we could see that we had climbed in the area that were P2K's or close to it. This is what I came up with:
Cherry Creek BM
North Lovell Peak (error range)
Ray Peak
High Bald Peak
Butte Peak
Telegraph Hill
Becky Peak
Big Bald
Pearl Peak
Spruce Mountain
Goshute Peak
Dolly Varden

At least I believe thats what I saw which really indicates what a great view point the summit of this one is.

Adam Helman route information

Dennis and I used this information to get to the summit of this one.  Sadly, Adam Helman passed away in January of 2015 and he
will be missed.

PEAK 10459 APPROACH AND ROUTE INFORMATION

Along north-south Butte Valley Road get to this junction at (40.00630° N, 114.95950° W) west of the mountain. Drive northeast to this junction at (40.01230° N, 114.94813° W) and bear right (east) on a lesser road (shown only on the satellite image).

Follow the road into and up a canyon, generally east northeast. A fence is opened and closed soon enough. Reach a key junction at (40.02959° N, 114.89936° W), elevation 7,712 feet.

Here the topo chart shows the left fork only going to a spring. Take that fork nonetheless, the road deteriorating markedly, and proceed to just west of a badly eroded section at (40.03572° N, 114.89555° W) where the "road" climbs around the south flank of a hill. A few hundred yards prior to the undriveable section is the junction with a two-track at (40.03528° N, 114.89722° W), bypassing the eroded section to its south.

Bear right (south) at that junction and drive the track to a parking spot at (40.03897° N, 114.89162° W), elevation 8,308 feet - your trailhead.

(The final track and its junction are only visible on satellite imagery.)

It is 12:38 p.m. when we ascend north to the skyline ridge, topping-out roughly here at (40.04492° N, 114.89445° W), elevation about 9,100 feet.

We contour clockwise to avoid climbing hills to our north, leading to the base of Peak 3177's west southwest ridge. The latter ridge becomes snowy, predictably at around 9,700 feet - and we are again postholing along a summit contour's entire length just as with Telegraph Hill.

We see our goal one-half mile northeast, descending 4 ten meter contours to the intervening saddle under worsening weather. Only about ten minutes are spent on the summit of Peak 3188, our goal, before wind and a light snow suggest an early return. Conditions improve markedly after losing a thousand feet elevation.

Note: you can find all of Adam's Trip report for the trip HERE.

I'll add a map or two soon but the above information and Dennis's GPS track will get you to the summit.

Images

View Snow Creek Peak 10459 (NV) Image Gallery - 21 Images