Mummy’s Nose North Alpine Loop | Mt Charleston Wilderness, Nevada
Mummy’s Nose North Alpine Loop | Mt Charleston Wilderness, Nevada | Visit https://lasvegasareatrails.com/mummys... | This spectacular 6-7-mile wilderness loop makes a wide circuit between the 8,300ft starting point on Deer Creek Road and the 10,200ft elevation, less than a half-mile below Mummy’s Nose. It’s all pristine wilderness navigation with a brief unpaved road at the beginning and at the end of the loop. Otherwise, there are only occasional faint trails which alternately appear and disappear near Mummy’s Nose. The loop is entirely class 1 & 2 with no rock scrambling. However, with many steep loose rock inclines it should be classified as very difficult.
This loop is relatively easy to navigate without getting lost. The prominent Mummy’s Nose is almost constantly visible on the South end of the loop. Deer Creek Road borders the North end of the loop. There’s a prominent ridgeline bordering the West and East side of the loop. In addition, there are many surrounding reference points to help keep you oriented at all times. So, this is a great route to develop some basic off-trail wilderness navigational skills and get out of the linear “trail mode” of moving through the wilderness!
Route Summary
Begin on Deer Creek Road at the Deer Creek Catch Pen Loop Trailhead parking area. Instead of descending to the Catch Pen Loop trail, cross Deer Creek Road and ascend toward the prominently visible Mummy’s Nose. Begin by taking a right turn along an unpaved road and rounding the base of the Western ridgeline before ascending to that ridgeline’s summit. Continue along the Western Ridgeline to a high point below Mummy’s Nose. Traverse the upper slopes to the summit of the Eastern Ridgeline. Finally, descend the Eastern ridgeline to return to your starting point at the trailhead parking area.
Spectacular Views Along the Way
The spectacular reference points listed clockwise are:
• The Sheep Range
• I-95 Deseret Corridor
• Bonanza Peak
• Macks Peak
• McFarland Peak
• Black Rock Sister
• North Sister
• South Sister
• Lee Canyon
• Mummy’s Nose
• Mummy Mt. Summit
• Mummy’s Toe
• Bristlecone Pine Ridgeline
• Cougar Ridgeline
• La Madre Mountains
• Angel Peak
• North Las Vegas Valley
• Gass Peak
Note that this is just a short list of reference points! In addition, much of the way you’re in a pristine alpine wilderness with wildflowers, pines, junipers and mountain mahogany nestled among rugged limestone formations. You’ll also pass through an ancient Bristlecone Pine forest on the slopes below the majestic limestone cliffs of Mummy’s Nose.
The Adventure Route
At the trailhead parking area, get your bearings as you identify the major reference points that will help keep you on track throughout this adventure. There’s Mummy’s Nose ahead to the South. In the opposite direction is the Sheep Range. To the West (your right) is the Western ridgeline. To the East (your left) is the Eastern Ridgeline.
Now, cross Deer Creek Road toward Mummy’s Nose. Immediately turn right onto an unpaved road that parallels and ascends above Deer Creek Road, rounding the base of the Western ridgeline. Continue on this road around the base of the ridgeline until it makes a hard right turn toward Lee Canyon. At that point, ascend the gully to your left, ascending to the summit of the Western Ridgeline. Here’s where the mountain views to your West come into spectacular focus (Bonanza Peak, Mack’s Peak, McFarland Peak and The Sisters).
As you ascend the Western ridgeline, a faint trail will appear, along with some small cairns guiding you upward toward Mummy’s Nose. The main canyon you’re looping is to your left. An increasing steep drop-off is to your right above Lee Canyon. Eventually it becomes a tall vertical cliff.
Continue up the ridgeline until you are about a half-mile below Mummy’s Nose. At this point you could take an out-and-back detour to the spectacular summit of Mummy’s Nose, but be prepared for some very steep inclines along with some class 3 rock scrambling along the way.
If you decide instead to stick to the Alpine Loop, traverse the steep Bristlecone Pine forested slope to the Eastern ridgeline. Be sure to keep the Sheep Range as your reference point as you descend the ridgeline. Angel Peak in the distance will try to pull you down another adjoining ridgeline. That mistake would not be tragic as you’d eventually land on Deer Creek Road around Camp Stimson, take a left and travel an additional mile to get back to the trailhead.
However, let’s assume you keep the Sheep Range as your reference while descending the Eastern ridgeline. You could continue all the way to the base of that ridgeline where it intersects Deep Creek Road at the trailhead. Or you could descend that ridgeline to intersect with Forest Road 092A which will guide you to the trailhead.