
Starting from the wilderness boundary along Black Tank Road. Black Tank Benchmark is up there somewhere on the right.

Entering the canyon, keeping left at the fork.

Left fork narrowing.

Approaching a dryfall in the left fork (right). Our Class 4 gully to avoid the dryfall visible on the left.

Avoiding some water on colorful rock, heading to the start of the scramble.

Starting up the Class 4 scramble, looking back down into the left fork.

At the top of the Class 4 section, lots of fun moves on solid rock.

Our scramble took us up too high, so we dropped down on a Class 2 weakness into the wash. The dryfall we avoided is out of frame on the bottom right in this photo. Our aim is the head of the drainage, visible center.

The head of the drainage, where we located a crack, with a ramp ascent, visible center.

Matt pulling a difficult move to access the ramp.

Heading up the ramp, Class 2/3.

Class 2 at the top of the ramp, the hard stuff now over.

At the top of the ramp, we continued into a wash.

Looking back down the wash we were following. There was one dryfall we avoided on a Class 2 ridge, but otherwise it was pretty straightforward navigating to get to a nice view of Black Tank Benchmark.

Black Tank Benchmark ahead.

Looking back into the drainage we ascended from, as we head up to Black Tank Bencchmark.

Black Tank Benchmark summit, view north. Signal Peak visible on the top right.

Just past the Black Tank Benchmark summit, view southeast toward Clifty Benchmark.

Starting along the ridge to get to Clifty Benchmark.

Close-up of Clifty Benchmark seen center top, Peak 3050 on the right, and the slopes we used to avoid cliffs along the ridge visible in the center.

Looking back the way we came, the slopes we used to get from Black Tank visible behind Matt.

As we ascend to Peak 3050, a view looking back toward Black Tank Benchmark (center).

Peak 3050 summit, view toward Clifty Benchmark. It was quite imposing from this angle. We decided to head around its south side (center of this photo).

Working around the south side of Clifty Benchmark.

Weakness on Clifty Benchmark's south side.

Working up the Class 2 weakness up to a notch.

At the notch, Matt doing the Class 3 section up Clifty Benchmark.

Close-up of Matt on the Class 3 section. From where he is in the photo, going straight up is a Class 4 move, but working to the left is a Class 3 lightly exposed ledge leading to safety.

Class 2 rest of the ridgeline to Clifty Benchmark summit.

Clifty Benchmark ahead!

View northwest toward Black Tank Benchmark (center right), and Peak 3050 (left).

View southeast toward Castle Dome Peak (distant center).

Coming down from Clifty Benchmark to attempt a reasonable descent without having to retrace our steps.

From Clifty, we dropped into a wash, and then ascended to a saddle. This is the view from that saddle into the drainage we chose to descend, hoping to not encounter any impassable dryfalls. We didn't!

Class 2+ boulder-hopping and obstacles.


Colorful rocks as we descended.

Looking back the way we came.

Navigating through the desert in an attempt to find the most efficient route back to the car.
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