Spirit Mountain, Nevada is one of the most beautiful summits of a very mountainous state. The mountain is an isolated granite monolith that looms over the Mojave Desert and the Colorado River. Its altitude serves as a refuge from the scorching surrounding basins and hold profound cultural value among many local tribes. Though the summit has long been protected by Lake Mead National Recreation Area, it was more recently designated as part of Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. For a peakbagger like me, Spirit Mountain is sought after for its prominence and rugged desert beauty. Here's my take and trip report on the route.
Spirit Mountain, Nevada Overview
Spirit Mountain is 5,641-ft and has 2,908-ft of topographical prominence. Considered a classic scramble in Nevada, it shows up on many peakbagging lists. It lies about 1 hour south of Las Vegas nearby Searchlight, Nevada. The closest populated place is the map dot of Cal-Nev-Ari. Access is through Christmas Tree Pass Road, a class II dirt road that most passenger cars may access. The road has plenty of ruts and is steep in some sections; I was happy to have a 4x4 but I saw two sedans make the road fine.
The range itself split between BLM land and NPS land but there are no permits nor fees required. Though the route I'm describing is well known, it is not marked and it can be ambigious in some sections. I recommend having a pre-loaded GPS as you travel. Here's my map-
Hike overview:
Here's an idea of the road-
Trip Report
Approach
The trailhead (elevation 3,760') for Spirit Mountain is obvious if you're looking for it but it's otherwise a nondescript pull out on Christmas Tree Pass Road. From there, a social trail leads in a north by northwesterly direction towards a small pass between ridgelines. The trail is not obvious in sections and there are plenty of bootleg trails going various directions. I quickly realized the necessity of using a pre-loaded GPS.
After about 0.5 mile and a few hundred feet of climbing, I gained the pass and a lovely view of Spirit Mountain's rugged slopes. I then descended a few hundred feet and got off route a few times. Parts of the route were cairned but it was really messy at first. Eventually my path coalesced with the proper route and things became more obvious.
Scramble to the Summit
The notch in the photo above was a good reference point. A social route took a fairly direct approach to a small pass just to the right of the notch. It was steep and loose but not technical. The notch was at 4,230'. The route descends slightly with a great deal of side-hilling before taking a consistently class II climb to the ridgeline.
If you remain entirely on route, it never gets more than tough class II scrambling. If you get off route, it instantly becomes a much more challenging scramble. I doubled back several times to avoid nastier scrambling. After about 1.8 miles of climbing, I reached the ridgeline at 5,400'. It was slow going.
Most the difficult stuff was done by the time I gained the ridgeline. A glorious panorama of the tri-state area opened up. Lake Mojave's deep cerulean appearance contrasted the stark landscapes of the valley. The much flatter and more straightforward nature of this section was pleasant and enjoyable. I saw why people consider the place sacred.
A few tricky but short scrambling sections eventually lead to the summit. It was plaqued but there wasn't a summit register.
Wind precluded more than a few minutes on the summit. I began the equally challenging descent back to the trailhead. Overall route-finding was easier; cairns are more visible from above. But the pace was essentially the same. I was back to the car about 4 hours and 10 minutes after the summit.
All together Spirit Mountain is one I'd totally hike again. The views and challenge made it all the more worthwhile.
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