| Virgin Peak (8,075'). Our
now augmented party left the loop about 4:30pm, drove up I-15 to the Riverside
Exit, and crossed the Virgin River bridge where we unexpectedly met Gene Olson
who then guided us through the darkness for some 21 miles along the New Gold
Butte Road to the road junction just about at the end of the pavement. We
car-camped here, near Quail Point, amid large pock-marked boulders. The next morning we left Gene, after thanking him for his helpfulness the night before (he had climbed Virgin that same day and respectfully declined our invitation to repeat the climb with us). Our passenger cars made it up the left fork of the road for 2.4 miles and for another mile and a half along the graveled side road until we struck about 50 yards of a very narrow and rough section. Here we had to find a place to park our cars where very little space existed. Here Randy Bernard's 4WD Isuzu took over and ferried us in two loads on what was again relatively good road to the start of our climb at about 5,600 ft, a deserted homestead complete with rusting lawnmower. There appeared to be good campsites all around. Following Russell's advice, our route took us straight up to the prominent ridge to the W leading N to the summit (about by the R in Virgin on the Virgin Peak 15-min quad). The ridge was straightforward, fairly open with few steep sections, and we were on top by noon (We had left the campsite about 7:00am and the cars about 9:00am). We followed the same ridge down on our return except that we dropped off the ridge early down a rather precipitous gully to meet the road clearly visible below. Back at the Isuzu at 2:30pm, all eight of us managed to squeeze into the limited space for the ride back to our cars and headed for home, some via Las Vegas and others after a stop at Whiskey Pete's at the state line. Participants on what we believe to be the first scheduled DPS climb of Virgin since it was placed on the list, included Randy Bernard, Roy Bishop, Paul Bloland, Gail Hanna, Julie King, Ed Lubin, Barbara Reber, and Carolyn West. We were favored with perfect desert winter weather, the participants were both congenial and capable, and special thanks go to Randy for the transfer service and to Gene for escorting us to the Saturday night campsite. |
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FISH LAKE HOT WELL |
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An excellent hot spring to sooth the weary climber is located on the gravel road which heads east from NV Hwy 264, directly opposite the start of the Middle Creek Canyon road in Fish Lake valley (east of the White Mountains). The Middle Creek Canyon road is used for the approach to Dubois, etc. Drive about 7 and 1/2 miles to a fork, then bear left 0.1 mile to the hot spring. Water emerges from a well casing at 105 degrees F, which feeds a 6' X 6' cement pool with a gravel bottom. Water is 4' deep, and the pool will accommodate 5 or 6 people at a time. Well worth the drive. (Caution: road is subject to flood damage in heavy rains.) |
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(G. MacLeod/B. Lilley) |
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