MCCULLOUGH MOUNTAINS TRAVERSE
22.2 Miles | 26 hours
Overview: Back in 2004 I made a laundry list of “mountain objectives” that I wanted to accomplish during my time in Henderson, NV. Each year I would try and check something off and then replace it with some new idea that I had cooked up. One idea that never got crossed off the list was something I called the McCullough Mountains Traverse. It was basically a masochistic ramble up and over the spine of the North McCullough relief, starting in Sloan Canyon and ending at my house. I never got around to doing it before I moved, but in 2024 I found myself back home in Henderson with an extra day to spare and decided to try and check it off my list. Although time (and my out-of-shape flabby body) didn’t permit for a full traverse of the McCullough’s (like I had originally envisioned when I was 25), it was still a hell of an effort for an impromptu 24-hour challenge.
March 20, 2024 | Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, NV
CHALLENGE MAP
CHALLENGE SPLITS
CHALLENGE IMAGES
Wide Open Spaces: the challenge began with a 4-mile trek through the open desert amidst the creosote, Joshua Trees and a relentless onslaught from the sun.
Ridgeline Experiences: nothing makes me happier than following an amazing ridgeline across the sky. In fact, I love ridgelines so much that I named my company Ridgeline Experiences.
Tread Lightly: the terrain in this section of the Mojave Desert is unrelenting and filled with an endless talus of basalt rocks and really sharp, pokey things everywhere you step.
Burrito Break: for my money there is no better food for an adventure than a breakfast burrito from Roberto’s Taco Shop (egg, potato and cheese = da bomb).
Perfect Shade: it ended up being the warmest day of spring with temps hitting 81 by mid-day. Thank God for the shade of a Joshua Tree or this trip would have been rough.
All Alone: just like this cholla cactus, I was all alone in the mountains. This relatively remote, unforgiving terrain pretty much ensures whomever comes up here will have this place all to themselves.
Yo-Yo-Bro: I originally wanted to name this the “McCullough Yo-Yo”, because all you do all day is go up and down and up and down. But I realized that this name was stupid, so I went with something traditional like “traverse”. Boring.
Perfectly Framed: this little fluffy cloud formed out of nowhere and stuck around long enough for me to perfectly pair it with the distant ridgeline.
Last Light: I caught the last bit of light just after crossing over Fracture Ridge. The ridgeline’s shadow extended nearly all the way to Boulder City and just before it disappeared for good, it spotlighted this lone Joshua Tree as its last act.
Good Nights Rest: washes are the desert’s highway, so I try not to sleep in them to avoid any unnecessary run-ins with the locals. But, I was wiped when I arrived at my water cache and decided to take my chances. I ended-up scoring 6-solid hours of sleep and woke-up feeling refreshed without any run ins with snakes, spiders, scorpions, kangaroo rats or coyotes during the night.
Final Stretch: this last 3-mile section of the traverse were steep, exposed, and required full commitment. Add to it dehydration, exhaustion and darkness and things got spicy pretty quickly. Exactly what I was looking for when I dreamed up this challenge!
Final Photo: what a great challenge! I freaking love exploring the desert and this section of the Mojave is one of my all-time favorites. If you are looking for a relentless, masochistic, knee pounding adventure, I would highly recommend giving the McCullough Mountains Traverse a go.
