Trip Date: October 25, 2022
2022 RED ROCK ADVENTURE VACATION
Bridge Mountain Day Climb
Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Summit
Lower Bridge Mountain Saddle
Bridge Mountain (~7000 ft)
Trip Report Summary
Region: Nevada
Sub-Region: Spring Mountains
Sub-Sub-Region: Sandstone Bluffs
Areas: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area & Rainbow Mountain Wilderness
Starting & Ending Point: Upper Willow Spring Trailhead on Scenic Drive (Elev. 4600 feet)
Way Points: Lower North Peak Trailhead & Switchback Spring & Red Rock Summit & Upper North Peak / Bridge Mountain Trailhead (road walk); Upper North Peak Trail / Bridge Mountain Trail junction & Lower North Peak Trail / Bridge Mountain Trail junction & Lower Bridge Mountain Saddle (trail hike & rock scramble); Hidden Forest & Upper Bridge Mountain Saddle & Bridge Mountain summit (rock scramble)
High Point: Upper North Peak Trail / Bridge Mountain Trail junction (Elev. 7170 feet)
Summit: Bridge Mountain (rock scramble via West Ridge—Northwest Face)
Approximate Stats: 15.6 miles traveled; 4600 feet gained & lost; 5.3 hours up; 4.7 hours down.
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Trip Overview
Bridge Mountain is only the second-highest peak in the Sandstone Bluffs sub-range at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) but is probably the most coveted summit in the entire NCA. From the east, it has the appearance of a chiseled pyramid, and from the west, it resembles an eroded medieval castle. In addition to great visual appeal, the peak owes much of its climbing allure to a long approach, an abundance of high-quality sandstone, and a difficult summit block. Even the easiest route to the summit involves a lot of seriously exposed Class 3-4 scrambling.
George and I had planned to climb the technical Northeast Buttress route on Bridge Mountain, but by the time we reached the summit block, there was no time for multiple pitches of Class 5 climbing. Consequently, we were forced to shift gears and do the standard, non-technical West Ridge—Northwest Face route. In the end, we had no regrets; the standard route is absolutely superb!
It should be noted that the La Madre Mountain 7.5-minute USGS topographic map shows the “Bridge Mountain” label on a lower part of the massif. The actual summit is an unlabeled and non-triangulated point located approximately ½ mile to the west and shown on the La Madre Spring topographic map. Furthermore, the latter map is a metric edition that indicates a summit elevation greater than 2130 meters but less than 2140 meters, which directly corresponds to an elevation between 6988 feet and 7021 feet. The conservative elevation is, therefore, 6988+ feet, but 7000 feet would be a reasonable estimate.
Full Trip Report
For convenience, our climb of Bridge Mountain is described in three separate stages: trailhead to lower saddle; lower saddle to summit; and summit to trailhead.
Stage 1: Trailhead to Lower Saddle
George and I began our ascent at the Upper Willow Spring Trailhead, just after dawn on a chilly Tuesday morning. This trailhead serves as the start of the notoriously rugged Rocky Gap Road, which runs up through Red Rock Canyon proper, goes over a pass called Red Rock Summit, and continues down to Lovell Canyon Road. Not having a high-clearance 4×4 vehicle, we didn’t even consider trying to drive up the road, and our decision was quickly justified by the first cluster of rocks encountered in the roadbed.
A shy hour of brisk hiking took us past the Lower North Peak Trailhead, which is marked only with a small cairn. The road had been moderately rough up to this point, but shortly beyond was a very steep and very rough patch that would stop pretty much any urban 4×4 vehicle. Approximately 2½ miles further up the road, we topped out at 6500-foot Red Rock Summit (1.8 hours + 4.7 miles + 1900 feet from starting TH).
At Red Rock Summit, we turned left (east), entered the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, and headed up the combined North Peak Trail and Bridge Mountain Trail for a long mile until arriving at a ridgetop junction. This 7170-foot junction marks the high point of the entire climb. Here, we turned right (south) and followed the Bridge Mountain Trail along the crest. Our objective peak soon came into dramatic view, looking much like an old castle and rotunda. It seemed impossible to us that there could be a non-technical route up those steep walls!
After traversing southward for ½ mile, the Bridge Mountain Trail abruptly crosses over a spur ridge and begins switch-backing downhill to the northeast. Along the way, the underlying rock changes from gray limestone to multi-colored sandstone, and the hiking trail transitions to a Class 2-3 scramble route. We picked our way down a long sequence of slabs, faces, and cracks, aided by hundreds of marker ducks and cairns.
Around 10:30am, we bottomed out on a broad 6300-foot saddle (3.8 hours + 2700 feet – 1100 feet from starting TH). This lower saddle constitutes a rock neck that separates Bridge Mountain’s summit block from the limestone ridge farther to the west. It also separates Ice Box Canyon from Pine Creek Canyon, with vertical walls dropping down to the north and south.
Stage 2: Lower Saddle to Summit
From the lower saddle, we continued upward via moderate slabs and cracks until reaching a wide ledge cutting across the peak’s west ridge. Thus far, scrambling on the grippy sandstone had been quite enjoyable but somewhat time-consuming, and it became obvious that we would not have enough daylight to climb the Northeast Buttress route. We decided to stash our technical gear on the ledge in order to lighten our load for the standard route ascent.
While getting reorganized, we were surprised to hear a strange voice greet us. “Hello there!” It turned out to be a 77-year-old Las Vegas local named Jim Egan, who stated that he has climbed Bridge Mountain dozens of times, usually approaching via Pine Creek Canyon and Fern Gully—a shorter but trickier route than our Rocky Gap Road approach. After chatting with us for a few minutes, he methodically climbed up a big crack above the ledge and disappeared over the top. George and I finished repacking, then headed up the same crack. It was sustained Class 3 with moderate exposure.
When our crack intersected a higher ledge, we shifted slightly to the left and climbed a parallel crack that transitioned to lower-angle slabs. We were astonished to see a large, natural porthole in the sandstone ridge directly in front of us! The stone arch, or “bridge,” spanning this porthole is the famous feature that supposedly gave Bridge Mountain its name.
We passed through the porthole and found ourselves in a small amphitheater with two fallen pine trees. Like many of the natural arch-and-porthole features found throughout the Desert Southwest, this one began as a water-scoured circular depression, or “tank,” that gradually became exposed on one side due to lateral erosion. Getting out of the tank required some delicate Class 4 friction climbing up steep slabs, but I was able to make use of a conveniently placed tree trunk for assistance.
After exiting the eroded tank, we walked across a rounded ridge and passed a second circular tank that is still completely intact but on the verge—geologically speaking—of forming its own porthole and arch. On the other side of the ridge was another famous feature called the “Hidden Forest.” It consists of several dozen mature pine trees growing inside a huge, oblong, sandstone tank. George and I were delighted by the remarkable collection of natural curiosities tucked into the mountainside here!
From our vantage on the rounded ridge, George and I could see “Vegas Jim” already starting to descend from the summit. We marveled at his ability to move so unhesitatingly on such exposed terrain, and we waited at an upper saddle so that we could chat with him some more. He told us about his life history and local activities, which have included 101 ascents of nearby Mt. Wilson!
After our entertaining chat, George and I headed up the summit block, following marker ducks back and forth across the broad northwestern face. The route has much flexibility (Vegas Jim took a more direct path), but all variations involve some combination of ledges, ramps, grooves, and cracks. Although the climbing never really exceeded high Class 3 or low Class 4 (what I would call Class 3+ or 3.5), the exposure gave it a serious feel. Even if we’d had a rope and pro with us, there would have been few opportunities to use them. In my opinion, the most critical gear for this climb is a good pair of approach shoes with grippy soles.
We gained the summit about noon (5.3 hours + 7.8 miles + 3500 feet – 1100 feet from starting TH) and spent a half hour admiring our surroundings. To the south is Pine Creek Canyon, Rainbow Mountain, and Mt. Wilson. To the north is Ice Box Canyon and La Madre Mountain. To the east is the Mohave Desert and Las Vegas. The summit register, which was held in a metal ammunition can, showed approximately one party per week throughout the past year.
Stage 3: Summit to Trailhead
To descend, we retraced our up-route as best as possible, but the terrain seemed much more confusing than it had during our ascent. We were especially glad to have marker ducks and recent familiarity with the route, because it would be very easy to get off track. The down-climbing itself felt more difficult too and required great care. D-e-l-i-c-a-t-e was the operative word here.
We both breathed a sigh of relief upon reaching the lower saddle, with all of the exposed travel behind us. From there, it was just a matter of scrambling and hiking back up to the ridge crest, hiking down to Red Rock Summit, and then walking down Rocky Gap Road.
After an hour of road-walking, we were surprised to see our Red Rock comrades, Eileen and Fay, just getting into their truck on the road shoulder. They had driven Fay’s 4×4 truck 2½ miles up to the Lower North Peak Trailhead and then completed a hiking loop over North Peak’s summit. George and I tossed our rucksacks into the truck but finished our trek on foot, arriving at the Willow Spring Trailhead in the late afternoon (4.7 hours + 1100 feet – 3500 feet from summit), and the truck arrived shortly after. It was a highly successful day for all four of us!
Route Map & Profile & Sketch
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Photo Gallery
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