
Starting from the Closed Area sign, heading up the wash on the right.

View toward Ryan.

View back as I ascend the wash, Pyramid Peak seen top center.

Ascending within the major wash.

Some cool narrows.

A Class 2/2+ lip move.

A short section of narrows. I climbed out of the wash after this to gain the slope seen top right.

Now on the slope, heading up toward the peaks. My first peak, Peak 5488 seen top left.

View back as I head up the slope.

It's usually a steep slope, but with occasional Class 2 rockiness.

Another shot back at my progress. I came up from the wash seen center.

Continuing to ascend, Peak 5488 seen top center.

Crazy colors on the slopes to the north.

Progress up the now more colorful slope/ridge.

Peak 5488 ahead.

A view back, now higher up. The wash I started in is seen right of center.

Peak 5488 seen left, Peak 5270 on the right.

An animal trail part of the way.

View back at some of the cool colors on the way up.

Approaching the final Class 2 steep ascent to Peak 5488.

Class 2.

View back down as I make my way up Peak 5488.

Final bit to Peak 5488, the ridgeline leading to Mount Perry becoming visible on the left.

Peak 5488 summit, view south toward Mount Perry.

Close-up south.

Onward to Peak 5270.

Steep descent from Peak 5488 and up to Peak 5270.

View back up at the descent from Peak 5488.

At the saddle, view down into Death Valley. I loved the colorful eroded canyons here.

Onward to Peak 5270. I made an ascending traverse to the right to avoid the outcropping ahead.

View back toward Peak 5488.

Class 2 up to Peak 5270.

Peak 5270 summit, view back along the ridgeline. Peak 5488 seen top left.

A close-up down toward the Natura Bridge Trailhead.

Onward down the gradual slope from Peak 5270.

Holy moly, the views!

It started snowing.

Close-up of the colorful face, snow clouding the colors a bit.

Farther down the slope. Red and White Mountain seen left. I had to first go up and over the sub-peak on the right.

At the saddle, heading up the sub peak on Class 2.

View back at the pleasant, gradual descent from Peak 5270.

Class 2 up the sub-peak.

View back toward the saddle and some crazy colors.

Sub peak, view toward Red and White Mountain.

A close-up int the wild amphitheater-like formation.

View back toward the sub-peak and Peak 5270.

Just below Red and White Mountain, another shot back.

Close-up at the sub-peak I hiked over (left) and Peak 5270.

Red and White Mountain seen ahead.

Red and White Mountain summit, view toward the traverse to Chocolate Top Mountain.

A close-up toward Chocolate Top Mountain (right) and the chaos of the western slope of the Black Mountains.

Telescope Peak covered in snow across Death Valley.

More amazing colors. Chocolate Top Mountain seen center.

View back up at the steep descent from Red and White Mountain.

Still descending to the saddle with Chocolate Top Mountain.

View back toward Red and White Mountain as I start up Chocolate Top Mountain.

Progress up Chocolate Top Mountain.

Shot back toward Red and White Mountain.

Red and White Mountain.

Final bit to Chocolate Top Mountain.

Chocolate Top Mountain ahead.

Chocolate Top Mountain summit, view north.

Close-up north.

Chocolate Top Mountain summit, view south toward the traverse.

I backtracked off the summit a bit and descended an adjacent ridge.

Peak 4040 seen center ahead. It was a bit of a steep and loose descent.

Approaching Peak 4040.

Class 2/2+ up the loose slope.

View back, Chocolate Top Mountain seen top right. Red and White Mountain top left. I descended via the ridge in the center. I don't know if it was better than coming directly down from Chocolate Top Mountain.

Peak 4040 summit, view north.

I continued descending from Peak 4040. A deep mine seen on the left. Ryan right of center.

Progress down the ridge/slope.

The last couple hundred feet became steeper to reach the wash below.

Within the wash, view toward the ridge I came down (right of center) and hints of the traverse seen above. I headed through the desert to rejoin with the wash I hiked in on.
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