Black Mesa - 2/10/25

Black Mesa Peak

Lake Mead from Black Mesa

Between Black Mesa and Lake Mead

Following ridge trail to ascent Ridge

We were sixteen strong on the Black Mesa hike during a beautiful February morning at Lake Mead NRA. We drove out Northshore Road to the Callville Bay Road and turned right. About a tenth of a mile down the road, there is a large round turnout where we parked. Our intention was to hike down to the southeast corner of the triangle-ish shape of the mesa and climb the most gentle of ridges approaching the Black Mesa Peak. Then we were expecting to descend on the southern corner and circle around the mesa in a major wash. We started out by diving into the wash next to the road, climbing up to the road to pass a hill, and diving into the next wash. Continuing along the wide wash, we had to step over a tortoise fence a few times.

Climbing the ridge ascent Trail

Climbing an intermediary Peak

Climbing the false Peaks

Another intermediary ascent Peak

When the wash ended by going under Callville Bay Road, we headed up to our right to reach a high ridge between us and the mesa. Here, we found a game trail. We turned left and followed the trail along the ridge until finding a trailing ridge leading down to the wash below to the right. At the next opportunity, we climbed up to the last ridge on the right to find another trail. This is the ascent trail leading up to the peak. There are a few saddles on this ridge that provide beautiful views of Lake Mead. In between the saddles are false peaks. We negotiated the false peaks through the tons of rocks by creating switchback routes that always returned to the next saddle. Finally, we hit the last saddle and climbed up to the peak found to the right of our last ascent section.

Between saddles on the Ascent

A saddle View

The final Assault

It's a rocky endeavor.

We sat for our break and took in the amazing views of Lake Mead and the surrounding colorful mountains and desert. A few of us discussed how to descend as none of us had ever made the descent the same way twice before. Now I know of four different routes for a descent off of Black Mesa. Hmm. I think the best way to descend from the large black rocked mesa is to go down wherever you find a "trail." The trail we found the last time that we were up there is marked by one cairn. The trail we found this time is marked by two cairns on the northeast end of the mesa. Four of our group descended through a very rocky gulley on the north end. (They reported that it wasn't great!) And, a fourth route down is found on the west side and is the route that Chuck H. has used in the past. (Probably the best!) I was going to look for this route but we got side-tracked and ended up at the gulley! Not wanting to take the whole group down the treacherous gulley route, we went up to our left on another use trail and found the two-cairn descent. It wasn't a bad descent. We took it slow and careful. Small zigzags got us down to a point where we met up with the gulley hikers just in front of us.

Sixteen strong on Black Mesa Peak

Callville Bay from Break

Crossing the Mesa to scramble gulley Route

Checking out the scramble Gulley

Although I had planned to visit the old car and circle around to the trailhead, we ended up right there a hop, skip and a jump from our cars! My planned route will have to wait for another day. And, even though it was a difficult hike, everyone really enjoyed it and I might be able to get them to do it again someday! Maybe! Slow and careful is the name of the game ... again. Great group of hikers, strong and fun.

Stats: 4.5 miles; 1100' gain; 3.5 hours

Descending the Two Cairns Trail

Over the small hill after the Two Cairns Trail

Finding a game trail down the small Hill