Sawmill Mountain and Jacks Mountain Loop in Clover Mountains Wilderness BLM, NV

Hike Sawmill Mountain and Jacks Mountain Loop Clover Mountains Wilderness BLM, NV

Class 1 8.6 miles 2600 gain 3-5 hrs Loop Apr 26, 2020
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Sawmill Mountain and Jacks Mountain Loop GPX Track

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After a very long Sonoran and Mojave Desert season this year, mostly due to COVID, but also my general over-psych for desert peakbagging, I was excited to get into some higher elevations to enjoy some greenery. I didn't realize quite how much I missed forests until I started this hike to Sawmill Mountain. I drove in very late, and made some wrong turns. Google Maps really messes you up. To stick to the main road, I recommend navigating to here: 37.46221, -114.26702 and then continuing south along this road that is suitable for all vehicles, though low clearance may struggle slightly.

Some may prefer to do this route from East Pass a bit farther down the road, but I wanted to make the hike into a nice loop to get as much ridgeline view time as I could. I'm happy with my decision and I recommend making a similar loop as I did. I parked at the junction with a spur road and headed south along this road. I turned right when the slope became more mellow and less brushy/forested and continued along a mostly brush-free destroyed stumpland. I was thinking pretty low thoughts of this hike so far, but as I got higher, the views became nicer and eventually I would enter a forested section, leaving the deforested wasteland behind. The slope did have a slightly steeper section and there were a couple of brushy areas, but nothing crazy.

I continued though the pretty coniferous forest up to the summit of Sawmill Mountain, where finally the views became particularly gorgeous. To be fair, I might have found this to be extra pretty because it was such a stark change from the last few months' hikes. I continued east along the ridgeline, encountering only short sections of brush and steepness. I summitted a small peak along the ridge labeled Peak 7379, which had the best views of the day. I continued farther along the ridge and down to East Pass. I enjoyed the ridgeline enough that I eyes nearby Jacks Mountain, but it appeared to be significantly more brushy than my route so far. I hestitantly started up the slope from East Pass on my way to Jacks Mountain, picking my way around manzanitas and other unpleasantness, but really it wasn't so bad. A little character-building doesn't hurt, plus I wanted another peak after driving all the way the hell out here. There were sections of open slope free from brush that I somehow was able to locate regularly, and I made it to the summit before I knew it. There were a ton of bees all over and I was surprised none of them bothered me.

I descended Jacks Mountain a different way, which was far more brushy and unpleasant, so I removed that bit from my attached map. Return the way you came. Back at East Pass, I followed the nice road back to my car.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Sawmill Mountain
7600 ft
1760 rise
2
Peak 7397
7397 ft
297 rise
3
Jacks Mountain
7421 ft
838 rise

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Starting along a spur road.
Starting along a spur road.
Heading up to the right off the spur road on a deforested slope.
Heading up to the right off the spur road on a deforested slope.
Looking back as I make my way up the slope.
Looking back as I make my way up the slope.
Jacks Mountains visible on the left, Peak 7397 on the right. I'll be traversing over those.
Jacks Mountains visible on the left, Peak 7397 on the right. I'll be traversing over those.
View back the way I came as I entered a forested section.
View back the way I came as I entered a forested section.
Yay trees! I thought maybe I'd have to bushwhack, but there was an old road that then faded into very thin tree growth, making hiking up bushwhack-free.
Yay trees! I thought maybe I'd have to bushwhack, but there was an old road that then faded into very thin tree growth, making hiking up bushwhack-free.
Sawmill Mountain ahead on the left, out of frame. Some minor 'shwacking.
Sawmill Mountain ahead on the left, out of frame. Some minor 'shwacking.
View back the way I came.
View back the way I came.
More forest before the Sawmill Mountain summit.
More forest before the Sawmill Mountain summit.
Sawmill Mountain summit.
Sawmill Mountain summit.
Sawmill Mountain summit, view north-ish.
Sawmill Mountain summit, view north-ish.
Sawmill Mountain summit, view south.
Sawmill Mountain summit, view south.
Just below Sawmill Mountain summit, view east along the ridge I'll be continuing across.
Just below Sawmill Mountain summit, view east along the ridge I'll be continuing across.
Peak 7397 ahead.
Peak 7397 ahead.
View north while at the saddle of Sawmill and Peak 7397.
View north while at the saddle of Sawmill and Peak 7397.
Steeper slope up to Peak 7397.
Steeper slope up to Peak 7397.
Peak 7397, view west toward Sawmill Mountain.
Peak 7397, view west toward Sawmill Mountain.
Peak 7397, view east toward Jacks Mountain.
Peak 7397, view east toward Jacks Mountain.
Peak 7397, view south.
Peak 7397, view south.
Along the ridge, view back toward Peak 7397.
Along the ridge, view back toward Peak 7397.
Along the ridge, view toward East Pass (and the East Pass Road), Jacks Mountain center.
Along the ridge, view toward East Pass (and the East Pass Road), Jacks Mountain center.
Looking back along the ridge I came down, with a Clover Mountains Wilderness sign.
Looking back along the ridge I came down, with a Clover Mountains Wilderness sign.
Starting up toward Jacks Mountain.
Starting up toward Jacks Mountain.
Jacks Mountain ahead, some minor bushwhacking.
Jacks Mountain ahead, some minor bushwhacking.
Looking back toward East Pass, about halfway up Jacks Mountain.
Looking back toward East Pass, about halfway up Jacks Mountain.
Jacks Mountain ahead. There were a ton of bees along this section, so I tread lightly.
Jacks Mountain ahead. There were a ton of bees along this section, so I tread lightly.
Jacks Mountain summit, view west toward Sawmill Mountain.
Jacks Mountain summit, view west toward Sawmill Mountain.
Jacks Mountain summit, view east toward Signal Peak.
Jacks Mountain summit, view east toward Signal Peak.
Jacks Mountain summit, view north.
Jacks Mountain summit, view north.
Back at East Pass, I ran back on the road to my car.
Back at East Pass, I ran back on the road to my car.

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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!