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This is a small climb to an old mine in the Lake Mead area. It may look bigger than it actually is, from the bottom, because of the rugged dessert mountain cliffs surrounding it. There are no trees to provide any sense of scale, and so it is easy to think that these magnificent landforms are just a bit bigger than they really are.

1.(00.0m,1690ft) START-END EAST: Northshore Rd crosses Callville Wash 2.(02.7m,2160ft) TOP 3.(05.7m,1730ft) West End Wash joins Northshore Rd 4.(14.3m,1290ft) START-END WEST: Northshore Rd crosses Gypsum Wash

Approaches

From East. Going up Calville Wash from the Lake Mead North Shore Road on a normal mountain bike is a chore to impossible. The gravel is just course enough that you think you might not sink in with a 2.1 inch tire, but then you still do. I think fat tires would have a much easier time.

But this route switches onto a fairly good dirt road west of the wash after about 100 yards or so. It even becomes something resembling an old deteriorating pavement after a while. Now it becomes clear, that this is an old mining road. Before reaching the summit the path crosses another dessert wash emerging from a slot canyon. Crossing it requires a slight climb down an embankment, and back up on the other side. The summit itself is a mining parking lot, marked with old tires and other garbage. From the bottom it looks like this summit would be a great starting point to hike one of the surrounding ridges. But when you get here, the difficulties presented by the cliffs, in doing this, become more apparent.

From West. The way back down on this side follows the bottom of a valley. In the lower part the road follows a wide wash. Staying on the vehicle tracks this is nearly impossible to ride without fat tires. However staying on the side of the wash provides for a fairly quick way down, even for a normal mountain bike. The streambed meets the North Shore Rd not far from where the other approach left off.