NOPAH, PAHRUMP, STEWART, Feb 15-17, Van Dalsem & Lutz Last minute problems kept us from leaving L.A. until after 10 PM & the rain-soaked freeways were still not clear - and it poured until almost 3 AM and Shoshone as we drove to the Chicago Valley turnoff & got 2 hrs of Z's. The threat of rain kept a lot of folks away, (Eat your hearts out; we had no rain all weekend except for Friday night! I), but a dozen vehicles started to caravan in to Twelvemile Spring. About half a mile in we encountered Lou Brecheen, hiking out from the spring. He'd driven in with his VW bug Friday afternoon, then got stuck driving out to sign in. I assured him we'd have no problem with my 4WD; it does everything but walk on water. About a hundred yards later the Toyota ground to a halt in the stickiest gumbo I've ever seen!! We managed to rock the truck out, but aborted any plans of driving into Twelvemile Spring. We drove back out to the gravel road, parked and prepared to do the peak from the gravel road. We started at 7:35 AM & warned everyone to take flashlights, as this was probably a l2hr round trip. We squished across the Chicago Valley, found a very direct route (below), and summited in a whiteout in wind. Brief lunch and we decided not to do the northern, lower summit, as the southern summit had the VABM, was the true high point, and had the official register. We headed back down, got slightly off route in the whiteout, but were all back to the gravel road and our cars by 4 PM. Nopah: 13 mi r.t., 8½ hrs r.t., 4300' gain, 16 people. Nopah topo confusion: The 1958 Stewart Valley 15' topo showed VABM Nopah, 6394'. This is the Nopah that the DPS has been calling Nopah Peak, and has the official register. A point 6401' is shown about a mile to the north. The 1984 Nopah Peak 7½' topo calls this northern point Nopah Peak, 1946T (metric height: 6385'; shrunk 16 ft.) The southernmost point is still VA Nopah, 1948.9 (6394'; no shrinkage). Note that on both topos, the point called Nopah is the lower point! Our vote is to leave the list, and the register alone & write the USGS & tell them we think the label "Nopah Peak" should be on the south bump. The two are equally commanding; the northern point does appear sharper from the highway & beyond. Nopah climbing instructions: Drive Cal 178 5.5 mi from Shoshone & turn east on gravel road at sign "Chicago Valley". Go .6 mi on this road, which turns south. Continue due east on dirt road which bends north to junction 1.9 mi from pavement. Turn right & go another 1.3 ml northeast to prominent green tree (cottonwood?), 3.2 mi from pavement. This is Twelvemile Spring; all cars can reach this point when the dirt road is dry. High clearance vehicles can continue east .6 mi on a faint track. Walk to the mouth of the canyon that drains from the divide between the two peaks, about 110° bearing. Ascend the minor gully that starts at UTM 810851 and, when the gully disappears at "1200" on the 7½ topo, continue SE up the ridge to the saddle NE of 1519T & follow the ridge to the summit, contouring around 1587T. Other routes go, but aren't as easy or direct. 10 mi r.t., 4200 gain from Twelve-mile Spring. Saturday night most soaked in Tecopa Hot Springs & a few ate at the Miner's Diner in Tecopa (cheap; fair to good) & we had a good campfire at a sheltered spot a few hundred yards in on the dirt road, sheltered from the wind by mesquite trees. The first dozen bottles of bubbly bit the dust along with varied other libations. Several carloads of non-climbers & new arrivals joined us for the festivities and the big one: Pahrump. Sunday we caravanned out to Cal 178, then north to a point about 10.8 mi north of Shoshone, where a dirt road, easily seen in daylight and shown on the 7½ topo goes 1.9 mi directly for the peak, ending in the canyon that leads to the west Bide of the peak. All cars made it to within. 150 yds of the road end. Hike up the canyon, staying left at 1150 meters (3780'), then take the right fork at 1255 meters (4120'). Stay in this canyon until you climb around a 10-15' waterfall on the right, then turn right. (south) and

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