Mount Moriah

1996

By: Mark Adrian

MILEAGE: many paved miles from So CA, then 11.4 excellent dirt, 2.8 good to fair dirt, 8.2 poor and/or steep dirt, possibly 4WD

DRIVE : From Ely, Nevada, drive southeast on Nevada 6/50 through Major's Place/Junction, Nevada, to 0.8 miles north of mile post 80 (eighty) to the unsigned Eight Mile Ranch road where you'll find a STOP sign and a 6 foot wooden post (with attached plaque) on opposite sides of this dirt road just as it leaves the pavement. Turn and drive north (occasionally curving) 7.7 miles on this excellent dirt road to a two-way fork (see illustration ~ I below). Take the right-hand (eastern-most and northbearing) fork and continue north on excellent dirt for 3.7 miles to a wood/barbed-wire fence and cattle guard. About 100 feet south of the cattle guard, turn northeast, then curve east on a rough spur road for 2.8 miles to a cattle guard (good to fair dirt). 2WDs may need to park here as the road becomes steeper and rockier - this makes for a LONG dayhike. 4WDs continue (in low range) up the steep switchbacks for 2.9 miles to (yet another) cattle guard. Occasionally, the lower switchbacks fray apart, but eventually converge, so mileage here may vary. At the top of the switchbacks, the road levels off at a "pass" and there are good views all around, especially to the northeast. Several roads branch out here. Take and stay on the right-hand (east/south-easterly) fork and continue 1.7 miles on a fair and sometimes rocky road, passing through a thinly forested area to a cattle guard. From here proceed another 1.1 miles on to another cattle guard. Continue another 0.6 miles on smoother road to the Moriah Cabin (with outhouse) and picnic table. This makes a quaint camp sight. Finally, proceed 1.9 more miles passing over three more cattle guards and crossing through Deadman Springs' drainage (potable water ???, lots of cows here) to the Mt. Moriah trailhead where there is a trail register/kiosk and a view of the summit. There is parking here for at least ten vehicles and the views of Mt. Moriah are excellent, as are those of the surrounding ranges. Mt. Moriah is south of the parking area and is the right-hand-most peak on the ridge from this vantage point. A wilderness boundary, trail mileage, and several off-road warning signs identify the trailhead. HIKE: A class I loop hike makes this peak most interesting and is what is described herein. From the trailhead here, denoted by the Mt. Moriah wilderness sign, follow good, but sometimes steep trail, to the Moriah Table. Once on the "table", the trail fades amongst the sparse Bristlecone Pines. From this area, proceed generally south to southwest up and over a large sloping plateau where a use trail can be picked up and followed "behind" Mt. Moriah where it fades below the peak. From here, the peak/route is obvious and any of several "slog" routes can be taken to the summit. Looking north from the summit, the parking area can be seen as can a meadow at the base Mt Moriah's northern talus slope. The northern "edge" of Mt. Moriah's summit at first seems to drop off too abruptly, but, it doesn't, and easy talus/ramps may be used as a descent route to the meadow below. From the meadow, contour north around the east side of a spur ridge that emanates from the saddle above the meadow. Stay as level as possible (contouring), eventually dropping into the parking area.

ROUND TRIP STATS (APP.) 2200 feet elevation gain, 5 miles, 4-5 hours Original 01 July 1993, Mark Adrian, Revised 08 July 1996, Doug Jones