Message posted by Gregos on July 31, 2018 at 5:15:39 PST:
Tom, Honestly, if your humping a heavy pack, I thought the trip DOWN the loose shale was the hardest part. I eventually slid down the worst part on my butt instead of falling ass over tea kettle and getting seriously injured alone in the desert. Be prepared and use common sense and it’s a piece of cake…
If I can make it up, so can you (you said you were in ok shape -good enough). The last few times I went up I actually did it at sunset / dusk. Someone marked the trail with 3M reflective tape. With a headlamp, I thought it was easier than finding the path in the day. I doubt the tape is still there but DLR's GPS coordinates are accurate. The brutal part is the first leg to the false summit. It's maybe a 45 degree climb on loose shale. After the false summit, the climb isn't so strenuous and actually fun. Leaving the trailhead at sunset, by the time I got near the top, it was dark. I camp at 37°20'35.40"N, 115°21'26.47"W which is just below Tikaboo Peak. I also did it on my birthday, which coincides with the Perseid meteor shower -free light show! You can also see the base from here, lit up in all it's glory. Not too windy like the top either. There is a fire ring and a bit of Pinon Pines to cook dinner on. I pack precooked frozen meat to throw on the grill to warm it up. Then the next morning at twilight, I finish the last 15 minutes of the hike. My favorite part -THE END! Just kidding, the last hill is covered with large boulders. Easy climb nothing like the shale! You arrive around dawn with a clear sky (usually) and unlimited visibility. I don’t recommend doing it at night the first time, but it’s a lot easier without the sun beating down on you and after sunset the desert temperature drops after dark. I left a cammo painted Homer Bucket & 2 person tent near the camp I mentioned. May or may not be there now but it has, WP matches, lighter, TP, etc.
In Reply to: Re: Tikaboo Peak posted by Tom on July 30, 2018 at 20:07:33 PST:
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