Peak 4184

Over the last seven months, Kent has been planning/dreaming of a route to the top of Peak 4938.  This white Navajo Sandstone capped peak is viewable, not only from our home, but just about any road that one might take into the Green Springs neighborhood.  Although there's a route from the top of Broken Mesa, Kent wanted to ascend this mountain, from the bottom, by following a series of smaller peaks, along a ridgeline, that leads to Peak 4938.  Could we do it?  Only one way to find out . . . so off we went!

Starting out in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve on the Icehouse Trail . . .
 It's so nice to have access to this trail just up the road from our home!
(Our goal is the white bump just to the right of the white cliffs on the left side of this picture)

Now we're on the Mill Creek Trail and our destination comes into view . . . it's the red arrow, Peak 4938
The white arrow is Peak 4184 . . . more on that later!
(Looks can be deceiving . . . while the two peaks appear next to each other,
 they are separated by 1½ miles and nearly 800 ft of elevation)

Now we are leaving the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and moving into the Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness

It's cross-country the rest of the way . . .  no more trails or roads to follow . . . just a ridgeline to navigate
First up is Peak 4183 (directly in front of Kent) . . . again distance is deceiving . . . this peak is a mile away

The ridge is quite rocky, but not difficult . . . it just takes some time to pick a path around obstacles
(Actually, this section made for an enjoyable stroll while we gently gained elevation)

Here's an example of the colorful sandstone that made up many of the rocks on the ridge

At the base of Peak 4184, we were greeted with one of the two cruxes of this hike . . .
 a 500 ft vertical sand dune, it made for a good workout!

Kent jumped when he saw this gopher snake sunbathing in the sand!
(Again, looks are deceiving . . . he was at least five feet or more long)

Since he wasn't a "rattler",  Allison snuck in for a close up of this mostly lethargic snake
(She's getting quite brave . . . Kent kept his distance and looked for a path
 that headed in the opposite direction!) 

On the top of Peak 4183 we found a handmade bow . . . the string was made out of paracord
I guess we aren't the first ones to try this route . . . nuts!

       From Peak 4184 we can see Peak 4938
 (It's the white dome peeking out from behind the red knob in the center of the picture)
With still needing to hike another 1½ miles and facing another 800 ft vertical crux, we decided this was going to be our turn around spot, to continue on would turn our 7.5 mile hike into 10 miles and to be quite honest . . .
that would be "taxing" our limits!                 

Looking off, to the east, at another interesting ridgeline . . . Washington Hollow separates us from them

Heading back down Snake Sand Dune!

Colorful swirled sandstone

Down off the ridge and back on the Mill Creek Trail, we kept seeing quail tracks . . .
Then we saw 2 run across the road . . . all of a sudden 50-60 quail flew from a damp/reedy area in Mill Creek

One last view of the ridgeline we walked and Peak 4184

The Middleton Powerline Trail . . . almost home

Here's a Google Earth view of our route . . . from this angle you can see how far we still had to go
(Click on the picture for an enlarged view)

Okay, so we didn't make it to Peak 4938 . . . but that hasn't stopped Kent from figuring a way to make this ridgeline walk a reality!  He's already begun a plan, where someone will drop us off at the top of the upper Icehouse Trail on Broken Mesa. Then we'll come in from the top and make our way over to Peak 4938 and work our way down the ridgeline to our home.  For this hike we traveled 7.5 miles and gained 1500 ft of elevation . . . most of which came in the last 1½ miles.  Stay tuned . . . we're going to make it!