Bat Mountain (north peak)

Bat Mountain (north peak)

Bat is the dark distant bump in the middle of this photo taken from the summit of Perry
Bat is the dark distant bump in the middle of this photo taken from the summit of Perry

Near the town of Death Valley Junction a distinct peak rises from the desert floor. This peak is part of the “Bat Mountain” range, and has always been on my radar due to its interesting profile. Topo maps label Bat Mountain as a smaller bump on the north end of the short range, but the true high point of the range is on the southern end. Furthermore, two peaks are often confused as the high points, and are usually referred to as Bat Mountain (N) and Bat Mountain (S).

The peak with the interesting profile, Bat Mountain (N), is the true high point by a few feet. This is a very infrequently climbed peak and it was difficult to find beta. Fortunately we got just enough that we felt confident enough to spend the day after Thanksgiving hiking to the summit.

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Speed Goats and other Wildlife in Grand Teton

Speed Goats and other Wildlife in Grand Teton

We left West Yellowstone Monday morning at sunrise, heading south to Jackson. It was a beautiful sunrise, but it was so cold outside!

We took the short scenic drive to Mesa Falls and found the place deserted. The 28 degrees and misting fall water kept us from enjoying the place too long. Brr!

Upper Mesa Falls:

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Elf Country, i.e. Yellowstone and Big Sky, MT

Elf Country, i.e. Yellowstone and Big Sky, MT

We woke up on Sunday morning and did a double check: nope, not dreaming, parks still closed, Congress still run by selfish asses. Grr. So instead, we decided to head out on a recommended wildlife-spotting loop for spring when the snow has not yet melted, followed by a visit to Big Sky. We drove around Hebgen Lake and did not see any wildlife, but we did see the fascinating remnants of an earthquake that decimated a local recreation area and essentially created a new lake. It was windy and 25 degrees, though, so we didn’t linger.
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Excelsior Mountain (12,446')

Excelsior Mountain (12,446')

Poor Excelsior Mountain, always in the shadow (literally) of its bigger and more popular neighbor, Mt Conness. The next highest point to the north, Excelsior doesn't have any dramatic cliffs…

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West Mojave Peaks Part 2: Kelso Peak
Trip Inspiration

West Mojave Peaks Part 2: Kelso Peak

After a night at the great campsite we found between the two Cowhole Mountain ranges (and just off the Mojave Road), we backtracked to the paved Kelbaker Road and headed south to large pullout on the right side of the road. Our destination? Kelso Peak.

Kelso Peak, as seen from Cowhole Mountain (the point on the left)
Kelso Peak, as seen from Cowhole Mountain (the pointy peak in the middle-range on the left)

Why Kelso? For that matter, why the Cowhole ranges the day before? Here’s the thing: there are tons of peaks and ranges in the desert. Browsing around a topo map reveals all kinds of remote places and appealing peaks. But you have to start somewhere, and when it comes to the desert that somewhere (for me), was Andy Zdon’s Desert Summits book. I’ve gotten completely hooked on climbing desert peaks thanks to this book, and although I’ve also climbed plenty of summits not named in the book, I turn to it for inspiration and feel weirdly compelled to climb everything in it.

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Kayaking Elkhorn Slough
Kayaks on the Outback

Kayaking Elkhorn Slough

A couple of weeks ago my husband stumbled across a great SteepAndCheap.com deal - Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 kayaks for a killer price and only four available. He could ship…

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