Hiking Around Las Vegas, Gold Butte National Monument
 Black Butte summit (view NE) |
Overview Black Butte Peak is a striking, isolated limestone peak located on the desert flats of Gold Butte west of Whitney Pocket. The peak is not tall (only 500 feet above the surrounding desert flats), but the summit is well defended by rocky outcrops that provide a challenging exercise in route finding and a sincere feeling of accomplishment when overcome. Presented here are photos of the descent. For a full description of the route, including maps and GPS waypoints, see Black Butte Peak. |
 Departing the summit (view W) |
 Top of the arete (view W) |
 Sloping ramp -- wrong way; take the next one (view SE) |
 Sloping ramp; this one is the better choice (view SE) |
 Descending across slab of steeply sloping limestone |
 Descending the ridgeline (view W) |
 Descending the ridgeline; staying on north side (view W) |
 Descending the ridgeline (view W) |
 Arriving atop the gully (view W) |
 Descending the gully (view S) |
 Sand Wash, returning to the trailhead (view W) |
 More to come ... |
Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
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