Lee, Charleston, Peaks from Lee Canyon | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada

Lee, Charleston, Peaks from Lee Canyon | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada | Visit https://lasvegasareatrails.com/lee-ch... | This circuit adventure in the Spring Mountains of Nevada begins at Upper Lee Meadows on Lee Canyon Road in Nevada. From there ascend the 2,500ft Lee Canyon Mid-Ridge to connect with the Mt. Charleston North Loop Trail a little over a mile below Lee Peak. Take a right onto the North Loop Trail and just below the summit of Lee Peak deviate from that trail to summit Lee Peak. Descend Lee Peak to connect further up on the North Loop Trail and continue to ascend Charleston Peak. Descend Charleston Peak Summit via the Mt. Charleston South Climb Trail. Now descend the South Climb Trail to its trailhead just above Charleston Village. At the trailhead, take a mountain bike you had stashed earlier that day down Kyle Canyon Road. Take a left onto Deer Creek Road. Take another left onto Lee Canyon Road back to your starting place at Upper Lee Meadows. In more detail, the Lee Canyon Mid-Ridge where the adventure begins is a wild 3-4 mile ridge (no trails) from Upper Lee Meadows at the base of Lee Canyon to the North Loop Trail on the Northern rim of Kyle Canyon. The ridge is an easyh class 2 ascent (no hands required) and equally divided into 2 parts: Lower and Upper with a brief “gully gap” in the center. During the lower part skirt all rocky bluffs and cliffs to the right staying as high on the ridge as possible. Ascend to the middle of the ridge through the gully gap. Now you’re approaching the upper ridge. When the first rocky bluff appears, skirt that to the left. You’ll actually find a faint trail there that will continue upward 100-200ft below the middle of the ridge. As you pass the loose rock section turn right and angle upward toward the horizon above, which is the place where you will connect with the upper Mt. Charleston North Loop Trail just a mile or so below Lee Peak. Turn right on the North Loop Trail toward Lee Peak. After a fairly level stretch the trail will begin to wind dramatically upward. As the trail levels off again, watch for the 4th plateau viewpoint on the trail. That viewpoint marks the place to angle right off the trail and up the final approach ridge toward the summit of Lee Peak which is about a half-mile away. There are no trails on this summit approach. From the summit of Lee Peak angle down the ridge pointing toward the continuation of the North Loop Trail about a fourth mile beyond where you left that trail to ascend Lee Peak. Continue along the North Loop Trail as it passes through some spectacular ancient bristlecone pines and majestic cliffs for the next mile or so. Then the trail will begin to switchback up to the summit of Charleston Peak. Once on the summit of Charleston Peak you can take an alternate, more scenic route downward compared to the traditional North Loop Trail. Basically, stay as high on the upper edge of the ridge as possible. This will take you directly through the historic November 17th, 1955 USAF C-54M Skymaster airplane crash site. Continue beyond the crash site as high on the upper ridge of Kyle Canyon as possible. The actual North Loop Trail decends at this point with not much of a view, then requires a reascent to a saddle before the Griffith Peak burn area. On the other hand, by staying high on the ridge you’re on firm rocky ground with spectacular views of Kyle Canyon to the North and the Phrump area and beyond to the South. Watch for a trail that angles downward toward the saddle overlooking the Griffith Peak burn area. Just before the saddle this alternate trail will connect with the South Loop (South Climb) Trail and continue to a junction near the base of Griffith Peak. At that junction you could take the less than ¾ mile out and back to the summit of Griffith Peak or, as I did, descend on the South Climb Trail a little over 4 miles to its trailhead at the base of Cathedral Rock. I had earlier stached a mountain bike at the trailhead to make the trip down Kyle Canyon Road, up Deer Creek Road (left turn) than up Lee Canyon Road (another left turn) and back to Upper Lee Meadow. However, at the beginning of the 5-mile stretch up Deer Creek Road my bike seat fell off!! I did not have the tool to fix it, so I began walking. After about 2 miles, a good Samaritan, Charlie, stopped and fixed the bike seat, then packed the bike on his car the next 3 miles to the North Loop Trailhead where I then remounted the bike, descended to Lee Canyon Road and then ascended the final 3 miles to Upper Lee Meadows – still in daylight. What an unforgettable adventure! Charleston Peak circuit from Lee Canyon Upper Lee Meadows.