I chose the 
North Loop TH
as the best point to start a loop of 
Mummy Mtn that
would take in five summits, all of them on the LV 52 Peaks Club list. Things
didn't turn out as planned, but it was still enjoyable. Starting just before
6:30a, I hiked about three miles up the trail, gaining 1,500ft to reach
the Raintree (a large bristlecone pine) found at
a trail junction below 
Mummys Toe. I turned right towards Mummy
Spring, intending to follow a GPX track I had downloaded from PB to reach Mummys
Toe. The track was mildly helpful but I didn't use it much. Upon reaching
Mummy Spring about 1/3mi from the junction, I started directly
up from there, shortcutting the trail that goes past the spring before
switchbacking up the drainage. I intercepted the trail not far above the spring
and followed this nearly to the crest. As one gets closer, it becomes more
apparent that the whole of Mummy Mtn is comprised of mainly limestone rock with
significant cliffs ringing large portions of the upper mountain. I turned left
off the trail before reaching the first of the cliffs and followed a use trail
along 
the ridgeline connecting Mummy Mtn to Mummys Toe. It took just
under 2.5hrs to reach 
the summit, none of it more than class 2 though
some sections are rather steep.
I signed the busy register and took a few early morning photos looking
south to 
Griffith Peak and west to 
Mt. Charleston. Henry the
Mountain Man (PB avatar) had left 
a curious page from 2013 for a
"Spring Mtn Challenge"
that takes the Sierra Challenge a step further - "11 peaks in 11 days". I don't
know if I was the inspiration for this idea, but I found it amusing. Sadly,
there were no signatures inside the page where entry lines were provided, so I
suspect it wasn't a big hit. Well before 9a, it seemed I
would have plenty of time for the rest of the day's agenda. I returned along
the use trail and picked up the sometimes fading, sometimes braiding trail
leading to Mummy Mtn. The trail does a good job of skirting along the base of
the vertical cliffs before finding 
a narrow gully that provides one
of the few breaks in the cliff system. This gully becomes 
class 3 near
the exit (which is to the right of the main gully) - if you miss this turn
you'll end up at the ridge without a way to climb further upwards. After the
class 3 section (where I found and removed some 
old slings), the trail
continues traversing along the cliffs before finding a last class 2 exit gully
that leaves you a short distance from the summit. 
This register, too,
was busy, a 
rubber snake guarding the contents from the unsuspecting
visitors when they open it.
It was now only 10a and I figured I'd be able to nab the other three summits and
be back by 2p, 3p at the latest. After 
starting north across the easy
summit plateau, the plan slowly began to fall apart. The problem, I came to
find, is a significant ring of cliffs making it difficult to get down to the
saddle with Mummys Chin. My cavalier attitude ended with the easy terrain and
I found myself staring down at 
some difficulties.
I continued along the ridge,
hoping to discover one or more weaknesses that would let me get through the
cliffs. With much effort, I descended some sketchy class 4ish stuff and worked
my way further north, yard by yard. I tried at least three different escape
routes, finding myself stymied each time. I was within a quarter mile of
Mummys Chin and less than 100yds from the saddle via which I could see a
straightforward way to the next summit. A pair of climbing shoes and slightly
larger cajones would have helped, but I backed off each time I started to get
a lost feeling in my stomach. I found myself getting frustrated and paused to
consider why. I know there are easier routes from the other side of these
summits out of Lee Canyon, so it wasn't like I was going to be denied other
than just for today. There was no compelling reason I had to reach them
today - I had eleven days before joining my friends in Telluride, so an extra
day or two was no big deal. Once I acknowledged this, I immediately started
enjoying it more. The scrambling was exciting and I was getting lots
of playtime on the limestone. I ended up spending an hour and a half exploring
the cliffs without finding a way through, eventually having to return nearly
to the summit of Mummy Mtn to return via the trail I had started on. There may
have been an escape route down the North Fork of Deer Creek drainage, but I
couldn't see the route clearly down the steep initial gully. I was too tired
by that time and would leave that route possibility as an exercise for future
explorers. Anyway, I came to find why I had found no GPX track linking Mummy Mtn
and Mummys Chin - a toughie, that one.
When I got back down to Mummy Spring, I found an alternate descent trail
dropping into the Deer Creek drainage. It appeared to be a shorter route and
would avoid some extra gain needed to climb back up to the Raintree junction.
It worked nicely, a well-ducked 
use trail dropping into the dry
drainage and out to a gravel 
road network that services some cabins
above SR158 (some abandoned, others decidedly not). The road is 
gated
not far from the highway
but makes for a shorter route via which to ascend either of the morning's two
summits. I was back not long after 1:30p, just in time to avoid the large
thunderstorm deluge that dropped heavy rain and hail for about 30min before
dissipating. I had regrettably left my rain jacket in the van, so it was only
by luck that I avoided a major soaking. I think I'll get an earlier start
tomorrow so I can avoid the continuing thunderstorms predicted over the next
few days...
Continued...