MOAPA & McCULLOUGH from the West: Dec 8-9, 1990, Van D & Gray

McCullough from the east is a difficult navigation problem for a nothing peak. From the west it's so trivial, we would submit it for deletion, but: If we can't get the Dull, Distant Driveup, Navajo, off the list, we probably can't get anything off. It is a pretty area.
Saturday, on a gorgeous, warm, sunny weekend, we did Moapa via the standard route; 4 of 7 made the summit; one strong new hiker froze on the knife-edge summit ridge. Including lunch and a leisurely pace, we took 7 hours, then headed for the Nevada Landing in Jean & had a good buffet dinner for a big $2.85, md tax. From Jean we headed SSE on an excellent graded road 5.6 mi to the first of 3 power line roads that cross this road, & camped. (The second power line & road are perhaps 100-200 yds further south. Third & fourth power lines are 1.7 mi further south & go through Beer Bottle Pass.) From Jean, take the paved road toward the Correctional Facility, then turn right onto the graded dirt road just past the railroad tracks. From L.A., the road from State Line is shorter, but a bit less easy to find. The AAA map "San Bernardino and Las Vegas Area" is very helpful. One goes NE on one of the power line roads to the Microwave Relay Station Road, then SSE toward McCullough. Following is a description of the route via Beer Bottle Pass, the southernmost of the power line roads:
Leave I-15 at State Line & turn right, east, past the Prima- donna casino. All mileages are cumulative from here. At .2 stay straight, east on graded dirt road. Road turns left, north, to power lines at 1.0, then straight N.E., following power lines. At 2.0, cross RR tracks. At 3.0, stay right at fork. (Left fork follows another power line, and can be used when Bear Bottle Pass road is washed out, but adds 2.1 mi to route.) Turn right, south, on Microwave Relay Station road at 8.4. At 10.6, turn left onto fair dirt road at some corrals & a water tank. After going NE for a quarter-mile, this road turns right & heads south. At 16.0, corrals appear on the left. 100 yards before the corrals, look for a faint track going NE. up a wash. We ducked this turn. This track is loose sand, 4WD recommended. Go left at any apparent forks in this wash. At 19.6, a cabin appears on the right, above the wash. This cabin is about 400 feet W of Railroad Spring. Park. Any combination of canyons & ridges will take you to the peak. We stayed left in the main canyon for about a mile, then went up a ridge SE to the peak in 1 hr, 25 mm. We came down a more direct route, about 280 degrees, & were down in 1 hr 18 min.
1800' gain, 3 mi r.t., 2 hrs 45 min r.t.
Another 4WD route from the NW was not checked out, but should be about 5 miles shorter each way driving, but would make this hike 7 mi r.t., 5 hrs r.t., 2500' gain.
Participants were: Bill Gray assisting, brother John Gray, Ron Lanyi, DaleMillie Bloombaum, David Campbell, Jack Archibald, Jay Holschuh, & Susan (one to go!) Leverton.
 
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