Nye County High Point Trip Report
Date: October 2000
Author: Adam Helman
I have not been to a more desolate and unfrequented corner of the lower 48. I saw nobody the whole time
up and down the trail from Pine Creek Campground even though it involved 8 hours of travel and 4,400
vertical feet gained.
During lunch by the electronic gizmos on the broad summit plateau I could see endless miles of nothing
but miles of nothing; however, I did read Bob Martin's inscription in the register as well as that of Scott
Surgent from earlier this year. It was ironic to see their handwriting when the only other signs of
humanity were a few solar panels; dusty roads way in the distance on the desert floor; and the
omnipresent dull roar from jet traffic out/inbound to the San Francisco Bay area to/from points east.
The broad alpine basin between the South (11,941 ft) and North (11,680 ft) summits was sufficiently
alluring that on descent I headed north rather than returning via my southern approach across class 1 rock
and talus (with some class 2 owing to route finding error which resulted in a needless traverse up 40
degree rock and boulder slope from 11,000 to 11,400 ft).
On my drive back to Reno (and Mt Davidson of Storey County),
I took a wonderfully cheap yet adequate motel in Hawthorne called "Anchor" ($25/night + 10% tax).
It's on the north end of town, near the Safeway supermarket along route 95.