Esmeralda County High Point Trip Report
Boundary Peak
Date: September 29, 2001
Author: "Snow Nymph"
I left Los Angeles at 9:30pm on Friday, stopped for a 1 hour nap, and arrived at Boundary Peak Trout Pond
at 4:30am. Got up at 7am to meet the rest of our party at the trailhead. It was a beautiful cloudless day with
a little frost on the grass in the morning. We started our hike at 8:19am.
We encountered 3 cows on the trail and herded them along for about 100 yards before they turned off into a thicket.
After passing the Boundary Peak Wilderness sign, we walked through colorful aspens and meadows.
We found a cow or horse carcass, then later heard hunters hooting and howling (bow hunting season).
This is the best weekend to do this since deer hunting starts next weekend. High above in a canyon
we saw 10 wild horses. Walked through sage and brush, a faint use trail, and arrived at Trail Canyon Saddle
at 10:30. It was windy at the saddle, with views of Ritter Range and the Sierra peaks north of there.
From here we scrambled over steep boulder hopping terrain, with only traces of a trail to the next saddle.
Looking south, we could see 6 people on the summit. Looking north, we had views of Mono Lake (CA) and Walker Lake (NV).
Another 0.7 mile along a ridge, and more steep boulder hopping until we reached Boundary Peak (13,140 feet)
between 1:15 - 1:30pm.
From Boundary Peak, we had views of the Palisades, Crowley Lake, and Mammoth Mountain to the west.
To the south were excellent views of the White Mountains including White Mountain Peak (14,256 feet),
Mt. Hogue (12,751 feet), Mt. Dubois (13,545 feet), The Jumpoff (13,484 feet), and Montgomery Peak (13,440 feet).
Many of the flat areas around some of these peaks contain the remains of stone house circles used as
summer hunting camps by Paiute-Shoshone ancestors. These remote peaks are just begging to be explored.
We started toward Montgomery Peak and saw sheep on the southern ridge that connects Montgomery Peak
with The Jumpoff (13,484 feet).
After returning to Boundary, we followed the ridge down a way, then took the steep scree slope down,
one step down and ski three with each step. "Downhill" Dave left us in the dust and waited for us near the meadow.
Near the creek we startled a young buck that disappeared into the aspens. We got back to the trailhead 5:40pm.
The total distance was a little over 8 miles. The side trip over to Montgomery and back added almost a mile
to the total. The shortcut down the scree slope saved at least a mile.
Driving out, I saw a doe and fawn, then a camper in the aspens, with a cow and bull grazing near his tent.
Boundary Peak trailhead starts at 8,473 feet and summits at 13,140 feet. This is the highest point in Nevada.
The trail drops down to a saddle (CA/NV boundary) and ascends to Montgomery Peak 13,440 feet, which is
on the California side.