NOPAH PK, SMITH MTN (NOV12-13)........................		BILL T. RUSSELL JIM ERB
Nineteen climbers met at the Chicago Valley road junction with Hwy 178 on Saturday morning at 0715. This junction is about 5. 5 miles northeast of Shoshone. The Chicago Valley. road leads about due east for around 1-1/2 miles and then turns south and goes by some residences. At the turn a dirt road continues eastward and ends just beyond an abandoned water well, shack and the end of a power line. This road end, where we parked, is in the middle of Chicago Valley and is about due west of Nopah Peak. The roads are not as shown on the topo. We hiked across the east side of Chicago Valley to the base of the Nopah Range and then ascended a shallow but steep gully which is due west of the peak. After climbing perhaps 600 ft we came to a 30-ft pitch of high class 3 that brought us into an easy hanging gully that lead to the plateau at 5100'. From here it is a straightforward scramble to the summit. Three people turned back at the 3rd class pitch and 16 made the summit. We descended by the same route and returned to the cars at 5:00 p. m. Several carloads then went to Tecopa Hot Springs for a relaxing time. We all met for the evening at the dirt road junction (3090' on the topo) leading to Smith Mtn. On Sunday morning we drove into Gold Valley from the Greenwater Valley road, down to the junction at 3249', then southeast up the wash to about elevation 3800 ft, where we parked. The road is okay for moderate clearance, short wheelbase cars but would be quite tough for standard American sedans or low-slung imports. From our parking area Jim lead up the canyon which is south of poInt 5386' and then more or less directly up to the summit. We enjoyed the view and then descended down the side of the hill to the south of our ascent route. We returned to the cars by about noon and were back to Shoshone by early afternoon for the long drive home. It was a good weekend and 8eemed to be enjoyed by all.
Sheephole Mtn., Eag1e Mtn. No. 1, Dec 3-4 Banner/McRuer
From the micro-wave relay station at Sheephole Pass we hiked SE up an obvious canyon for about 1-1/2 miles and then climbed out of it to the East, gaining the ridge about 1/4 mile NW of Sheephole Mtn. We lunched on top and then returned to the cars on about the same route. After Saturday night in the Cottonwood Springs camground we drove about 3 miles NE from the campground on the signed 'Conejo Springs Jeep Road' and climbed Eagle from the NW. Back at the cars we met Ranger Ed Carlson who advised that in an area of 'NO OFF-ROAD DRIVING', such as we were in, parallel parking near the road is preferable to the perpendicular manner we had used because it is less likely to result in tracks that others would be tempted to follow and extend. Good advise! He also said that the area around Eagle Mtn had recently acquired wilderness status and therefore the Conejo Springs road would be closed in the near future. This will prevent use of this road for access to the short route on Eagle Mtn. Future trips might start the hike from either the Cottonwood Springs campground or the Lost Palms Trail, or use the road up the canyon from Chiriaco Summit on I-10 (day use only). And finally, he advised that the signed parking area along the Pinto Basin Road be used for access to Pinto Mtn., rather than attempt a closer approach on the soft sandy road leading into Pinto Wash. This road might also be closed in the near future. Dick Banner.

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