Mt. Charleston Peak NRT

Date Hiked: 06 July 2019
Distance: 18 miles
Elevation Gain: 4900 ft
Difficulty: Hard
Trailhead: Cathedral Rock Picnic Area (Nevada Rt 157)

Mt, Charleston climbs to the high altitude of almost 12,000 ft through bristlecone forest

Located just an hour west of Las Vegas, Mt. Charleston feels like an alpine oasis from the surrounding Mojave Desert. The hike is long and has a thigh-burning amount of elevation gain, but I think the views rival those found further west in the Sierra Nevada's. If you have a free day in Las Vegas (and are feeling extra ambitious), I highly recommend bagging this peak.

After spending the Fourth of July weekend in the deserts of Southern California and Nevada, I was ready to get back in the mountains and see a little greenery. After a little researching, I found Mt. Charleston was super close to where I was staying and decided I was up for the challenge. I started the hike around 9:00 am and the parking lot was already filling up. This was a little late to start such a long hike and I rushed a bit on the descent to ensure I had plenty of sunlight left to finish up. The trailhead was significantly cooler than the weather in Las Vegas (due to it being around 7000 ft up), it was still a little warmer than I was used to.

I began the hike up and the warm weather didn't last very long, at 3 miles small snow patches covered parts of the trail. Trekking poles would have been useful for balance, but I was able to manage without any. The first four miles of this hike are steep and tough. The trail is mostly wooded and climbs mercilessly. Honestly, if all 8.5 miles of the ascent climbed with the same grade, I may have had issue finishing in time for sunset. There are plenty of points along the way where the trees open up to a beautiful view of steep limestone cliff sides and rock formations. These were great places to stop for a water and snack break.

The Mt. Charleston Wilderness is marked by sheer cliffs 

The trail traverses over an avalanche slide that still contained snow in July

After climbing steeply for about four miles, I arrived at the junction for Griffith and Mt. Charleston Peaks. Here I found backcountry campers sleeping-in and trail runner lacing up. Griffith Peak is to the left and adds an extra mile to the hike.  I chose to just continue you on to Mt. Charleston. Thankfully, the next three miles were much flatter. The trees also thin out into meadows here before turning into old bristlecone pine forest. This was all a sweet reward after the fist half of the ascent.

Wildfire damage is obvious throughout the bristlecone pine forest

The trail regained its steepness about 1.25 miles from the peak. The trail is mostly loose rock and the wind really picks ups as the trees and other vegetation disappear. At this point, you can see wreckage from a CIA plane that crashed on the mountainside here in the 1950's. You can't really make out much except for rusty metal, but still cool to see! After snapping a few pictures of the wreckage, I pushed onward. My legs were sore from the initial climb and I was having a hard time catching my breath in the high altitude (about 11200 ft at this point,) so I found this last push very difficult. I took several breaks in the final mile. I'm not used to hiking in such high altitude and did feel a little light headed, but nothing that I felt like I couldn't handle.

The wreckage from the CIA plane has been reduced to a few pieces of scrap metal

After what felt like a perpetual climb, I finally spotted the towers atop the summit of Mt. Charleston. I was met at top by a an American flag whipping back and forth in the wind (how patriotic), and about 7 other hikers. From the top, you can see snow-covered cliffs, desert towns that lie outside of the mountains, and even the skyline of Las Vegas. The views were awesome, but admittedly I didn't spend too long at the top. The wind was pretty rough, and while there was a pit that you can take shelter in, it was being occupied by others. So, I took a few pictures, ate a cliff bar, and headed back down for the long descent.

If you look closely, you can see the shine off the reflective buildings in Las Vegas

 Overall, this is a tough, but rewarding hike. The altitude and the grade of the climb can be taxing at times, but the stark contrast of the alpine scenery against the desert landscape is really incredible and worthy of appreciation. This is also a great hike to use in preparation for bagging steeper and higher peaks.