Sisters South to North Peaks | Lee Canyon | Mt Charleston Wilderness, Nevada

Sisters South to North Peaks | Lee Canyon | Mt Charleston Wilderness, Nevada | Visit https://lasvegasareatrails.com/sister... | Summit Two Great Peaks and Traverse a Challenging Saddle Between!
Two tall, pristine little-known peaks border the West side of Lee Canyon. They are The Sisters North and The Sisters South. This circuit adventure begins at The Old Mill Picnic Area on Lee Canyon Road. Ascend the main road through the picnic area and take a right split onto a rock-lined trail that will take you to the summit of The Sisters South.

From The Sisters South summit navigate a challenging, rocky saddle to The Sisters North. Descend from the summit of that Peak on a frightenly steep loose rock slope to the saddle between The Sisters North and Black Rock Sister.

You could make it a triple-peak adventure by ascending Black Rock Sister’s huge volcanic summit boulder. Finally, descend a trail from the Sisters North/Black Rock Sister saddle that navigates the long gully back to Lee Canyon Road. A right turn on that road will take you back to your starting point at The Old Mill Picnic Area.
Practice your wilderness navigation skills on this adventure as none of the trails are marked and there may or may not be cairns when you’re looking for direction!

When you arrive at The Old Mill Picnic Area, the adventure starting point, chances are this day-use area will be closed. Fortunately, there’s a wide parking area just across Lee Canyon Road. Walk through The Old Mill Picnic Area and continue up that road until you see a nice rock-lined trail splitting off to the right. Take that trail for about a quarter-mile and watch carefully for a second, more obscure and narrow trail splitting off to the right. Now you’re on the trail that will take you all the way to the South Sister summit.

After passing along a gully, the trail sharply ascends a ridge to the left. At the summit of that ridge head to the right along another ridge that will take you to the final approach to the South Sister. That final approach is very steep as it winds through a beautiful Bristlecone Pine forest.

Once you’ve arrived at the summit of that steep final approach, you’re on the saddle between the Eastern and Western summits of the South Sister. Take a left and the rock climbing begins! An initial class 3 scramble will take you to a trail leading shortly to the South Sister summit area. Continuing past the summit you’re now on a narrow, nearly knife’s edge ledge. The next class 3 move is a descent to the right side of the saddle. More class 3 moves. There’s a stretch I refer to as “The Ledge of Death” where you’re traversing a very narrow ledge as you seek hand holds on a row of thin juniper vines at shoulder level!

More class 3 stretches follow as you continue to traverse the rocky saddle, eventually descending to the saddle’s left side where you’ll find a pretty descent trail skirting the cliffs above as it eventually begins to ascend toward the gradual West slope that will take you to the North Sister summit. Another class 3 move gets you onto that slope.

Once on the North Sister summit, it’s time to descend “Death Plunge”, the steepest loose rock slope I’ve ever faced…any steeper and it would be an impassible cliff. If there are more than one climber, take this plunge one at a time because you’re very likely to dislodge loose rock on the way down.

At the base of “Death Plunge” you’re now on the saddle between the North Sister and Black Rock Sister. Watch for a trail leading down the gully to your right, steep and winding at first, gradually leveling off through a beautiful Ponderosa Pine stretch as it eventually arrives at Lee Canyon Road. From there, a right turn will take you back to your parking area across from the Old Mill Picnic Area in less than a mile!

Thanks to John and Gregg for leading the way, without whom it’s questionable whether I would have been able to navigate the complicated saddle between the South and North Sisters!