6.4 miles with 2000 feet of gain today.
This outing was substantially easier than I had been expecting. Turned out to be mostly a class 1 stroll up a fairly well maintained trail.

Turning back on Gass Peak road- about halfway back on the 16 miles of jarring unpaved road to the trailhead. Like much of the Desert National Wildlife refuge, the valley was a sparse Joshua Tree forest.

Gass Peak trailhead. Unsigned for the peak- but there was a warning that further travel south was forbidden. Thats Mt Charleston (or more specifically Mummy Mountain in front of Charleston) in the distance- with very little snow this year.

Starting down the road. Gass is visible on the horizon- and surprisingly all the intervening ridges connected.

The road branched and I continued left. Both forks ended up the same place tho. The left was a little more direct and a little more scenic.

The road ended and started up the ridge and the route continued as a single track- which was somewhat indeterminate on this initial section.

Looking north towards Sheep and Hayford Peaks. Nice and clear to the north.

View back down to the trailhead with a view of the road fork.

Like the remainder of the route, heading uphill on along the ridgeline.