Find Nearby Peaks

This peak is not in the book. Published November 2019

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Peak 6355 is a ranked summit that is positioned due south of Daves Pass. Its eastern and northern aspects are gentle whereas its western aspects are relatively steep. Its terrain is a mix of junipers and scrub. It is Peak #2 in the Daves Pass Trifecta. USGS Ibex Peak

East Face, Class 2

Access

Same as for Peak 6450 (Cave Gulch Peak). This climb is part of the Daves Pass Trifecta, a ridge traverse from Peak 6450 (Cave Gulch Peak) to Peak 6355 (Daves Peak South) to Peak 6755 (Daves Pass North). It begins at the saddle at the base of the east face.

The Climb

From the saddle, scramble up the mix of scattered junipers and scrub that is the east face. The summit cap is a mix of junipers, ground talus, and scrub. I roamed all around the summit plateau looking for a definitive high point, but could not find one. The USGS map places the summit at the west edge of the middle of the summit plateau, but who really knows? I finally settled on the northwest end of the summit cap and built a modest cairn there. There were no signs of previous ascent.

North Ridge, Class 2

The Descent

From the summit area, descend a rounded ridge (forested with junipers) north then northwest then northeast to reach [visible] Daves Pass and the jeep road that passes through it. The terrain on this descent is semi-open juniper forest with scrub. Avoid thicker bushwhacking on either side of the ridge crest. The final descent to the pass follows the right/east side of an old fence row and then an old 2-track jeep road, which allows you to cruise to the finish. Daves Pass has a cattle fence crossing it and an open cattle gate.

What is the True Elevation of Peak 6355?

Lest you think that I’m asking a rhetorical question (like “Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?), I’m not. This is not a trick question. How can its elevation be 6,355 feet when there is no contour line for 6,320 feet? Based on contour lines, the maximum elevation for this peak is 6,319 feet. The Ibex Peak quadrangle has numerous errors of this sort. Either the map is missing a contour line or the elevation is lower than 6,355 feet. Make up your mind, USGS mapmakers. Based on my altimeter readings, the true elevation probably is about 6,355 feet.