Sheephead Mountain
We had some turkey and pie to work off on the day after Thanksgiving, so after a morning of hot breakfasting around the cabin’s wood stove, we headed towards Ibex Peak, the highest peak in the small Ibex range in southern Death Valley. It’s not a biggie, but it did have some great views of the surrounding ranges, as well as towards the snow-covered Telescope Peak and Mt Charlston.
We’d scoped out the route on National Geographic Topo the previous night at had an approach plan. After a few miles of two track driving, we left the trucks at a side road closure and continued towards the peak on foot. After climbing slowly across the desert along the old miner’s road, we finally reached the base of the peak and scrambled up to gain a ridge. It was a simple climb from here – an easy ~1000 feet of gain up the ridge straight to the summit. We enjoyed views towards Sheephead Peak the entire way.
On the summit we took our time taking photos, reading the logbook, and enjoying the view. It was actually warm and calm enough that we weren’t freezing to death – trust me, the desert isn’t always hot hot hot. While on the summit David took a look at the maps and suggested we head down the other side towards the ruins of the American Mine.
The route down was a bit steeper but still straightforward, and we quickly lost elevation and found ourselves at a cool old mine site. A couple of the guys explored down one of the tunnels for quite a ways while the rest of us wandered around exploring the surface ruins – an old food storage building, several other tunnel entrances, and some beautiful cobalt and lavendar glass that had been strewn around the old camp.
Back at the cars, we were ready to head back to camp for a cold beer and snacks. On the way out I spotted a tarantula in the road and warned Robin who had just enough time to swerve out of the way. We stopped and took photos of the little furball and got him off of the road so we wouldn’t run over him. After several Bay Area tarantula hikes with no luck in spotting the little buggers, of course we’d spot one when not even looking for them in Death Valley.
Style:
Loop Dayhike
Cross-Country
Distance:
6.25 miles
Elevation Gain:
+/- 2200 ft
Trailhead and Permit Notes:
National Park fee required when in Death Valley. When we did this hike in 2008 we drove an old mining road and left our cars at beginning of the loop on the map below. Old roads can easily become impassible or be closed by the park. Check with rangers for access conditions.
Camping Tips:
Ibex Peak is in the southeast corner of Death Valley National Park. There are no official park campgrounds down this way, though there are several opportunities for dispersed camping. While there are several detailed regulations about dispersed camping within the boundaries of Death Valley (for example, no campfires), the rules are not as strict on the surrounding BLM land. If you prefer something a little more civilized, the towns of Shoshone and Tecopa have private facilities.Useful Guides and Gear:
