West Ridge

Getting There

please see the "Getting There" section on the main page for Mormon Peak

Route Description

This hike is an entirely off-trail desert-style venture. Rocky, brushy, and stickery. Wear tough boots, long pants, work-style gloves, brush gaiters if you'd prefer, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat. Allow up to eleven hours for the round-trip. Experienced and strong desert hikers used to elevation gain can go car-to-car in less than seven hours. Depending on where you park, the cumulative elevation gain will be around 3900 feet. From our car, we hiked south to an easy-to-approach saddle between Points 4390 and 4738 on the Points 4738-5215 ridge as seen on the topo. Remains of a plane wreck were nearby just over the SW side of this saddle we climbed to. From this saddle, climb steadily up the ridge east, passing Point 5215 on its south to avoid a minor cliff, passing north of Point 6190 thru an orange-ish saddle with a minor drop east of this saddle to regain the ridge, passing Point 6211, and just choosing your path of least resistance as you approach the top from its northwest shoulder. You will not always be able to stay on the ridgetop, so be ready for steep and brushy side-hilling along much of the route.

Essential Gear

long pants, brush gaiters, work gloves, tough boots, sunglasses, wide-brimmed hat......and there's no water along the route unless it rained heavily within the past few hours