North Schell Peak, Taft Peak, Ptarmigan Peak Loop in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, NV

Hike North Schell Peak, Taft Peak, Ptarmigan Peak Loop Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, NV

Class 2 12.9 miles 5700 gain 7-10 hrs Loop Jul 17, 2020
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

North Schell Peak, Taft Peak, Ptarmigan Peak Loop GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

The High Schells Wilderness Area is just west of Great Basin National Park, but gets almost no attention. The ridgeline running from North Schell Peak down to the range's other Nevada 11ers is grassy and beautiful. This route takes the standard route to North Schell, traverses the ridge over Middle Schell Peak, Uinta Peak, and down to Taft Peak, then creates a loop up to Ptarmigan Peak before descending back to the trailhead.

The trail begins at the end of a decent dirt road, but cars with bad tires may want to start a half mile before the trailhead where it got a little more rough. I started up the remains of an old dirt road, blocked by a downed tree. The road funnels into a trail as it ascends a shallow gully to the west of North Schell, paralleling a pretty stream. The trail slowly starts to fade toward the head of the gully, at which point I began to hike up the steep and grassy slope, sometimes some talus to hop over. North Schell Peak had some nice views, but I was more looking forward to the mostly grassy ridgeline with some minor Class 2 ahead. I passed over Middle Schell Peak and Uinta Peak before reaching Taft Peak. The view south to South Schell and a couple other 11ers was a tempting excursion, but I knew I would come back to the area to get them another time from a different direction.

From Taft Peak, I hiked back over Uinta Peak and continued over Peak 11345 on my way to Ptarmigan Peak to complete the loop. This short traverse involved some minor bushwhacking, but almost minor enough I didn't even mention it. I was aware of a trail heading up the basin that would lead me back to the trailhead, but I continued north from Ptarmigan Peak along the ridge since the slopes to the right (east) leading into the basin were at first a sheer cliff, and then just steep and potentially cliffy. I descended for a while on varying steepness of terrain, looking for a good spot to leave the ridge and head into the basin. I knew from previously scoping out the ridge that I may run into cliffs if I stayed on the ridge for too long. I eventually decided to follow some semblance of an animal trail off the ridge, basically sliding down the steep slope, and found another animal trail that took me down to the trail within the basin below. Ultimately my route down from Ptarmigan worked fine, even if it was a bit steep, but there are likely better options. I would not recommend doing this route counter-clockwise becasuse of the steepness.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
North Schell Peak
11883 ft
5403 rise
2
Middle Schell Peak
11795 ft
673 rise
3
Uinta Peak
11545 ft
292 rise
4
Taft Peak
11706 ft
420 rise
5
Peak 11345
11345 ft
272 rise
6
Ptarmigan Peak
11086 ft
325 rise

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Starting from the trailhead along the dirt road.
Starting from the trailhead along the dirt road.
The dirt road narrows into a beautiful trail, paralleling a stream.
The dirt road narrows into a beautiful trail, paralleling a stream.
Looking back toward Ptarmigan Peak, which is the last peak in this loop.
Looking back toward Ptarmigan Peak, which is the last peak in this loop.
Continuing up to North Schell Peak.
Continuing up to North Schell Peak.
Looking back, you can see the basin and the ridgeline that comprises this route.
Looking back, you can see the basin and the ridgeline that comprises this route.
Image 5 from gallery
Image 6 from gallery
Continuing up the shallow gully.
Continuing up the shallow gully.
Looking back as the trail starts to fade away.
Looking back as the trail starts to fade away.
Nearing the head of the shallow gully.
Nearing the head of the shallow gully.
North Schell Peak is up there. The trail ends shortly and I ascended the slope.
North Schell Peak is up there. The trail ends shortly and I ascended the slope.
Looking back down the slope.
Looking back down the slope.
North Schell Peak ahead.
North Schell Peak ahead.
North Schell Peak ahead, the ridge traverse visible on the right.
North Schell Peak ahead, the ridge traverse visible on the right.
Looking back from the summit of North Schell Peak.
Looking back from the summit of North Schell Peak.
Coming down the south side of North Schell Peak along the ridge.
Coming down the south side of North Schell Peak along the ridge.
Onward to Middle Schell Peak, looking back toward North Schell Peak. The trailhead is somewhere down there on the left.
Onward to Middle Schell Peak, looking back toward North Schell Peak. The trailhead is somewhere down there on the left.
Middle Schell Peak ahead.
Middle Schell Peak ahead.
Looking back toward North Schell Peak.
Looking back toward North Schell Peak.
Coming down from Middle Schell, onward to Uinta Peak.
Coming down from Middle Schell, onward to Uinta Peak.
Looking back toward the ridgeline I've completed so far.
Looking back toward the ridgeline I've completed so far.
Continuing down from Middle Schell Peak. Uinta Peak visible center, Taft Peak on the left.
Continuing down from Middle Schell Peak. Uinta Peak visible center, Taft Peak on the left.
A particularly rocky section along the ridge on the way to Uinta Peak.
A particularly rocky section along the ridge on the way to Uinta Peak.
Heading up to Uinta Peak.
Heading up to Uinta Peak.
Looking back toward the ridgeline, Ptarmigan Peak on the opposite side of the basin visible on the left.
Looking back toward the ridgeline, Ptarmigan Peak on the opposite side of the basin visible on the left.
Heading down from Uinta Peak on the way to Taft Peak. Far right you can see South Schell Peak.
Heading down from Uinta Peak on the way to Taft Peak. Far right you can see South Schell Peak.
On the way up to South Schell Peak, Uinta Peak center, looking back the way I came.
On the way up to South Schell Peak, Uinta Peak center, looking back the way I came.
Ascent to Taft Peak.
Ascent to Taft Peak.
Taft Peak summit, view toward South Schell Peak (right) and a couple other 11ers in the High Schells.
Taft Peak summit, view toward South Schell Peak (right) and a couple other 11ers in the High Schells.
Close-up from Taft Peak summit view toward Mount Moriah (left) and Wheeler Peak (far right).
Close-up from Taft Peak summit view toward Mount Moriah (left) and Wheeler Peak (far right).
Back on Uinta Peak looking along the ridge to Peak 11345, Ptarmigan Peak visible right.
Back on Uinta Peak looking along the ridge to Peak 11345, Ptarmigan Peak visible right.
View of the basin from the saddle of Uinta Peak and Peak 11345.
View of the basin from the saddle of Uinta Peak and Peak 11345.
Looking toward South Schell Peak on the way up to Peak 11345.
Looking toward South Schell Peak on the way up to Peak 11345.
Peak 11345 continuing along the ridge to Ptarmigan Peak (left).
Peak 11345 continuing along the ridge to Ptarmigan Peak (left).
Onward to Ptarmigan Peak.
Onward to Ptarmigan Peak.
Some minor bushwhacking, nothing serious.
Some minor bushwhacking, nothing serious.
Continuing along the ridge to Ptarmigan, North Schell visible top right.
Continuing along the ridge to Ptarmigan, North Schell visible top right.
Looking back at my progress to Ptarmigan Peak. Uinta Peak visible center left.
Looking back at my progress to Ptarmigan Peak. Uinta Peak visible center left.
Approaching Ptarmigan Peak summit.
Approaching Ptarmigan Peak summit.
Looking back again.
Looking back again.
Just past the Ptarmigan Peak summit, crazy cliffs on the right preventing easy access down into the basin.
Just past the Ptarmigan Peak summit, crazy cliffs on the right preventing easy access down into the basin.
Looking back before starting the descent.
Looking back before starting the descent.
The ridgeline descent from Ptarmigan Peak.
The ridgeline descent from Ptarmigan Peak.
Very steep at points. The shadowy gully on the top left is the gully I ascended to get to North Schell earlier in the day.
Very steep at points. The shadowy gully on the top left is the gully I ascended to get to North Schell earlier in the day.
Looking back along the ridgeline toward Ptarmigan Peak. You can see the cliffs on the peak's east side.
Looking back along the ridgeline toward Ptarmigan Peak. You can see the cliffs on the peak's east side.
Image 45 from gallery
Steep descent off the ridge.
Steep descent off the ridge.
Looking back up my chosen steep descent. There's probably plenty of other options.
Looking back up my chosen steep descent. There's probably plenty of other options.
An animal trail brought me down to the official trail that leads into the basin. I followed the trail back to the trailhead, completing the loop.
An animal trail brought me down to the official trail that leads into the basin. I followed the trail back to the trailhead, completing the loop.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!