Sloan Canyon!

Submitted by Backcountry Explorer

Where: Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada
When: January 2010
Who: DB & HW Stockman

I hadn’t been to Sloan Canyon in several years; DB had never been; this was Harlan’s second visit in a week. It was time to bag the aesthetic crags back by Sutor Benchmark. The road in hasn’t improved any.













On the way down from Ecru Peak, we spotted several fantastically aesthetic towers. I scrambled over to get a closer look. After surmounting a class 4 wall, I was able to stand at the base of the most awesome one. It was overhung on all sides, terribly loose, and absolutely impossible to climb. The next tower, which was right next door, was loose and tilted at a horrifying angle. There was a neat arch in the base of it. The backside, I learned as I scrambled away, was at a lesser angle (and therefore climbable) but still very loose and sketchy. I’ll give these two a pass.

We looped back through Sloan Canyon on the way out, taking three seconds to enjoy some of the rock art there.


All photos courtesy of HW Stockman

DB scrambling a dryfall in Sloan Canyon 

Belaying DB up the west ridge of Canine Crag 

On the summit of Canine Crag 

I found this on the side of a mountain a few miles away earlier that morning 

Canine Crag, on the way to Feline Fang 

Atop Feline Fang with Ecru Peak behind it 

DB and I on Feline Fang 

Descending Feline Fang on loose terrain 

Crossing a quasi-knife-edge ridge on the way to Ecru Peak 

Downclimbing a short band on the way to Ecru Peak 

On the summit of Ecru Peak 

CP standing next to the inclimbable (for the sane) Ecru Towers 

Rock art in Sloan Canyon

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