Mummy’s Head Approach Gully from Lee Canyon Rd | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada – Overview

This is the most direct approach route to Mummy’s Head. It begins from a wide parking area on the right side (West) of Lee Canyon Road about a mile above that road’s intersection with Deer Creek Road.

Cross to the East side of Lee Canyon Road, head up Avalanche Trail Road and continue on that road taking the first left U-turn. Ascend the avalanche slope to the opening between the two visible summit areas where you can turn left (North) or right (South) to either summit.

Mummy’s Head Approach Gully from Lee Canyon Rd | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada – Route Starting Point

Take Hwy 95 North from Las Vegas. Turn left onto Lee Canyon Road (Hwy 156). Continue on Lee Canyon Road about 16 miles. You’ll continue on Lee Canyon Road about a mile past its intersection with Deer Creek Road. Park at a huge wide parking area on the right side of Lee Canyon Road directly below Mummy’s Head.

Mummy’s Head Approach Gully from Lee Canyon Rd | Mt Charleston Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada – Route Observations

Here follows multiple explorations in search of a great route from Lee Canyon Road to Mummy Mountain’s Head.

Second Exploration (Finding the Main – unmarked – Trail to Mummy’s Head

Description will be posted here on 9/27/2022; slides added by 9/30/2022.

Initial Exploration (A Canyon Wash Too Far South)

This adventure at least introduced me to the area between Lee Canyon Road and Mummy’s Head, though I believe I was in a canyon wash just one wash South from the better approach route. The images from above around Sisters North seem to verify that.

From the large parking area on Lee Canyon Road, head up Lee Canyon Road about 200ft to the intersection with Avalanche Trail Road. Take a left onto Avalanche Trail Road and continue up that road taking the first U-turn to the left (in about 1/8th mile). When confronted by a gate announcing private property, begin to ascend the avalanche slope to the right. So far, this is the way to go to reach Mummy’s Head. However, instead of heading straight up the avalanche slope as I did on this day, angle left (North) as you begin to ascend. 

On this day I headed straight up the avalanche slope gully wash and believe that I ended up faced with rocky ledges above and to the sides. Eventually I returned by a firmer, more stable ridge just South of the gully wash.

Observations along the way while exploring the area at the base of Mummy’s Head:

1. This is the most rapid ascent I have found from a trailhead in the Spring Mountains into a largely untouched wilderness area.
2. The wilderness area is spectacular with a beautiful pine forest to the backdrop of limestone rock formations, cliffs and ledges.
3. However, you can hear the noisy sounds of traffic just below on Lee Canyon Road. This is the only interruption from the natural beauty of the area. 
4. The terrain soon becomes blocked by ledges ahead and cliffs to either side as the loose rock slope’s incline increases.
5. Approach Mummy’s Head either before sunrise or around mid-day. Once the sun tops Mummy’s Head during sunrise you are pretty well blinded and have difficulty picking out the route ahead.  

Next time I’ll angle left (North) as I ascend from Avalanche Trail Road in search of the forested approach one gully further North. This fits my earlier observations viewed from across Lee Canyon above near Sisters North.

This is how I systematically explore a new destination in the wilderness. It takes multiple trips, but by the time I reach the destination I know the entire area along with multiple routes.