Turtlehead Peak proved to be our most difficult hike to date. It wasn't the 5 miles. I do that almost every day. It wasn't even the 2000 ft. climb. We did more two weeks ago. The difficulty was in footing. Loose gravel and dirt on the steep slope made navigation slow and difficult. It actually took us the same time to descend as it did to go up. We had to stop and plan our footsteps in advance to avoid becoming stranded on a slippery slope. There are many paths and a few times we found ourselves defining new ones climbing over rocks and using trees for support. No matter what path you choose or define, you eventually get up top on a saddle that lets you see over the mountain.
We were blessed with a cool breeze on an unseasonably cool day. Near the top, we were pleased to see the entire city and all the way out to Lake Mead through the city haze. The good breeze had failed to blow away the smog as we had hoped, but we were still very pleased with the panorama. The climb from the saddle to the top seemed never-ending. We noticed a steep uphill trail across the valley from where we were. It was once probably a road. It seemed to climb sharply way above us. In a short while, we looked at it again and to our surprise it was now way below us.
Two weeks ago, we tried to reach the summit of Bonanza Peak and were turned back by snow. It was really a pleasure to finally reach a peak we have been watching for a couple months. The spectacular view, cool breeze and feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming as we proudly signed Turtlehead's log book. But we still had to descend and this became the hardest part. We quickly lost the trail that brought us to the summit. Ken searched and found a new way down. It involved some serious boldering and straddling rocks and trees to avoid the slippery terrain. This was basically what we would face for the next mile and a half.
Following are pictures with some comments.
Turtlehead towers above the trailhead.
Access is to the left, up to the "saddle", then to the top.
The canyons between the peaks are, from left, Oak Creek, Juniper, Pine Creek and Ice Box.
Ken cuts his own path..
It gets steeper and slippery.
These "peaks" mark the saddle. Now, up to the true peak!
The scenic drive snakes through the desert.
Great view of the city and even Lake Mead - 30 miles away!
Mt. Charleston (center) still has a touch of snow.