Schwaub Peak and Peak 5969 in Death Valley National Park, CA

Hike Schwaub Peak and Peak 5969 Death Valley National Park, CA

Class 2 12.2 miles 4100 gain 5-7 hrs Out + Back Mar 20, 2021
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Schwaub Peak and Peak 5969 GPX Track

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Schwaub Peak is best accessed via Echo Canyon Road, passable by mid-clearance, and overall a pretty fun road to drive. It winds back and forth and has short sections of pretty narrows. The road passes the Inyo Mine, which was a more popular destination than I expected. I passed a group of Jeeps on the way up, and a few tourists on my way back. I took some shots of the Inyo Mine at the end of my trip report.

From the end of Echo Canyon Road, I headed up Echo Canyon, which is wide and not particularly interesting. I hung a right when another wash came in a couple of miles in, heading south to Schwaub Peak. The wash slowly gained elevation and I left it to ascend a slope to the south. I followed this slope a bit and then dropped down into the major wash that drain from Schwaub Peak. You'll see two lines on my attached map for Schwaub Peak. You could ascend via the ridge on the south side of the wash, or directly up the wash. I liked both routes, and I'll describe my route as I did it. Starting up the wash, I ascended on Class 2 boulders and through short spurts of light brush. A highlight of this section was the fact that there were tons of fossils embedded in the limestone. As I reached the head of the wash, I curved south on loose, steep scree and made my way to the ridgeline. Once on the ridgeline, I kept right of the jagged crest, since staying to the left meant scary scrambling. It was only Class 2, despite looking potentially more of an undertaking. Schwaub Peak had nice views toward Pyramid Peak and into Death Valley.

I decided to descend Schwaub Peak via the northwest ridge since it looked totally reasonable from above. There were a couple of Class 2 sections, but overall it was pretty nice and I'd likely recommend it over the wash. It has nice views and skips the hassle of the scree slope I had asended, but it misses out on the cool fossils. I made my way down of Schwaub and retraced my steps to Echo Canyon, continuing north past it on my way to Peak 5969. There was a wash that I followed most of the way as I neared the base of the peak, but it's not really that obvious. I found myself instead just hiking on easy terrain, sometimes in the sandy drainages and other times on harder ground. On a topo map it looks like my route choice for ascending to the south ridge of Peak 5969 doesn't make much sense since there isn't a clear slope to ascend, but in practice I thought it looked like the most obvious way up. A few hundred feet of pleasant, but somewhat steep slope hiking brought me to the ridge, which I followed northeast. Along the way the ridge got a bit steep, and there was some minor Class 2 to navigate toward the summit. Peak 5969 was pretty than it looked from below.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Schwaub Peak
6446 ft
1866 rise
2
Peak 5969
5969 ft
1386 rise

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End of Echo Canyon Road. I continued on foot up Echo Canyon.
End of Echo Canyon Road. I continued on foot up Echo Canyon.
It becomes a wide and uninteresting wash.
It becomes a wide and uninteresting wash.
View back down the wash.
View back down the wash.
After a couple of miles, I hung a right and started up another wash to the south toward Schwaub Peak.
After a couple of miles, I hung a right and started up another wash to the south toward Schwaub Peak.
View back down the wash as I ascend a slope out of the wash. You can see Echo Canyon draining center left of this photo. Peak 5969 visible center.
View back down the wash as I ascend a slope out of the wash. You can see Echo Canyon draining center left of this photo. Peak 5969 visible center.
I followed this slope until I made it to the drainage coming down from Schwaub Peak, visible center. I ascended via the drainage, but descended on the ridge visible on the right in this photo.
I followed this slope until I made it to the drainage coming down from Schwaub Peak, visible center. I ascended via the drainage, but descended on the ridge visible on the right in this photo.
Ascending the Class 2 drainage.
Ascending the Class 2 drainage.
Making progress up the drainage.
Making progress up the drainage.
View back down.
View back down.
Cool fossils!
Cool fossils!
Image 10 from gallery
Image 11 from gallery
View back down the drainage again.
View back down the drainage again.
Class 2 steep scree slope ahead.
Class 2 steep scree slope ahead.
View back down the scree slope I ascended.
View back down the scree slope I ascended.
A bit of side-hilling to get to the ridgeline.
A bit of side-hilling to get to the ridgeline.
At the ridgeline, a peek to the left side - nope, too sketchy.
At the ridgeline, a peek to the left side - nope, too sketchy.
The right side of the ridge was much better, Class 2.
The right side of the ridge was much better, Class 2.
More light scrambling along the right side of the crest, Schwaub Peak up there somewhere.
More light scrambling along the right side of the crest, Schwaub Peak up there somewhere.
Schwaub Peak summit, view toward the Class 2 I just got past. I ascended from the left in this photo to reach the ridgeline. Steep, yeah.
Schwaub Peak summit, view toward the Class 2 I just got past. I ascended from the left in this photo to reach the ridgeline. Steep, yeah.
Schwaub Peak summit, view toward Pyramid Peak.
Schwaub Peak summit, view toward Pyramid Peak.
Schwaub Peak summit, view toward Winters Peak (left) and Peak 5969 (right). I chose to descend the ridge in the center. My ascent was up the drainage on the right.
Schwaub Peak summit, view toward Winters Peak (left) and Peak 5969 (right). I chose to descend the ridge in the center. My ascent was up the drainage on the right.
Close-up toward Peak 5969.
Close-up toward Peak 5969.
Headed down the Class 2 ridge.
Headed down the Class 2 ridge.
Shot looking back up the ridge toward Schwaub Peak.
Shot looking back up the ridge toward Schwaub Peak.
Toward the bottom of my descent ridge as I make my way back into the drainage I previously ascended. Peak 5969 visible top right.
Toward the bottom of my descent ridge as I make my way back into the drainage I previously ascended. Peak 5969 visible top right.
Headed to Peak 5969, looks pretty boring from here.
Headed to Peak 5969, looks pretty boring from here.
After slogging through the desert for a bit, I ascended this pleasant slope to gain the ridgeline that would lead to Peak 5969.
After slogging through the desert for a bit, I ascended this pleasant slope to gain the ridgeline that would lead to Peak 5969.
View back toward Schwaub Peak. To get here, I ascended along the base of the slopes right of center in this photo. There was a wash of sorts, but it wasn't obvious. Just general desert walking.
View back toward Schwaub Peak. To get here, I ascended along the base of the slopes right of center in this photo. There was a wash of sorts, but it wasn't obvious. Just general desert walking.
At the ridge leading to Peak 5969.
At the ridge leading to Peak 5969.
Class 2 steeper section.
Class 2 steeper section.
View back as I ascend to Peak 5969.
View back as I ascend to Peak 5969.
Class 2 toward the summit of Peak 5969.
Class 2 toward the summit of Peak 5969.
Summit of Peak 5969, Schwaub Peak visible top left.
Summit of Peak 5969, Schwaub Peak visible top left.
Summit of Peak 5969, view into Death Valley.
Summit of Peak 5969, view into Death Valley.
Summit of Peak 5969, view east. Schwaub Peak visible top right.
Summit of Peak 5969, view east. Schwaub Peak visible top right.
On my drive back, I stopped at the Inyo Mine.
On my drive back, I stopped at the Inyo Mine.
Inyo Mine.
Inyo Mine.
Inyo Mine along Echo Canyon Road.
Inyo Mine along Echo Canyon Road.

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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!