🏆Founder's Deck
The Original 52 Peak Challenge - where it all began.
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Branch & David - Ferns Nipple, Capitol Reef NP 09/2023
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Founders Deck – What it’s about
The Founders Deck is the original challenge that built the 52 Peak Club — a serious, iconic collection of Las Vegas summits, scrambles, and desert classics that define what it means to be a 52er.
This deck is designed for hikers who want to test their endurance, build technical confidence, and experience the peaks that shaped the club’s history and culture.
Most Founders hikes are completed on official 52 Peak Club group adventures led by experienced leaders who know these routes and terrain well. Some peaks may also be completed through approved self-reported hikes to allow flexibility while preserving the integrity of the challenge.
Completing the full deck earns permanent recognition as a 53er and induction into the 52 Peak Club Hall of Fame.
The Founders Deck is the original challenge that built the 52 Peak Club — a serious, iconic collection of Las Vegas summits, scrambles, and desert classics that define what it means to be a 52er.
This deck is designed for hikers who want to test their endurance, build technical confidence, and experience the peaks that shaped the club’s history and culture.
Most Founders hikes are completed on official 52 Peak Club group adventures led by experienced leaders who know these routes and terrain well. Some peaks may also be completed through approved self-reported hikes to allow flexibility while preserving the integrity of the challenge.
Completing the full deck earns permanent recognition as a 53er and induction into the 52 Peak Club Hall of Fame.
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The Original Deck
About the Founder: Branch WhitneyBranch Whitney is the founder of the 52 Peak Club and the author of Hiking Las Vegas, Hiking Southern Nevada, Hiking the High Sierra, Hiking Las Vegas - 60 hikes and Hiking the Southwest. Over more than a decade, Branch has led thousands of hikes and personally named many of the peaks featured in the Founder’s Deck. His vision was simple: create a challenge that pushes hikers beyond casual trail walking and into true mountain experience — building skill, confidence, and respect for the desert environment along the way.
The "Founder's Deck" is a tribute to his contributions and vision for pushing hikers to reach new heights. |
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Deck Rules & Details
Founder’s Deck credit may be earned in one of the following ways:
1️⃣ Official 52 Peak Club Group Hikes
Most Founder’s Deck hikes are completed through scheduled group outings led by experienced 52 Peak Club leaders that are scheduled on meetup.com.
2️⃣ Approved Self-Reported Hikes (Limited Use)
For select peaks, participants may complete the hike independently or with another group and submit a self-report for credit.
Self-reported hikes require:
⚠️ Not all Founder’s Deck hikes are eligible for self-reporting. Eligibility and approval are determined by the club to maintain safety and consistency.
Founder’s Deck credit may be earned in one of the following ways:
1️⃣ Official 52 Peak Club Group Hikes
Most Founder’s Deck hikes are completed through scheduled group outings led by experienced 52 Peak Club leaders that are scheduled on meetup.com.
2️⃣ Approved Self-Reported Hikes (Limited Use)
For select peaks, participants may complete the hike independently or with another group and submit a self-report for credit.
Self-reported hikes require:
- Accurate entry in the card tracker
- Payment for the corresponding physical card
- Verification details as outlined by the club
⚠️ Not all Founder’s Deck hikes are eligible for self-reporting. Eligibility and approval are determined by the club to maintain safety and consistency.
Difficulty Structure:
The Founder’s Deck includes a progression of hikes designed to build skills over time. Peaks are grouped into three general difficulty tiers to help hikers plan their journey responsibly. Difficulty classifications are provided as general guidance. Conditions, route choices, and individual experience can significantly affect difficulty.
The Founder’s Deck includes a progression of hikes designed to build skills over time. Peaks are grouped into three general difficulty tiers to help hikers plan their journey responsibly. Difficulty classifications are provided as general guidance. Conditions, route choices, and individual experience can significantly affect difficulty.
Easy Hikes & Scrambles
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Peak Name Mileage Elevation Gain
2♣️ Calico Tank Peak 3 500 2🔶Turtlehead Jr Peak 5 1300 2❤️Kraft Mountain 2 1000 2♠️Fortification HIll 4 1500 3♣️Gray Cap Peak 5 2122 3🔶Anniversary Narrows Peak 5 1300 3❤️White Rock Springs Peak 2.5 1250 3♠️Frenchman Mountain 4 2072 4♣️Oak Creek Overlook 4.5 1500 4🔶Gunsight Notch Peak 6 2200 4❤️White Rock Hills Peak 4 2158 4♠️Northshore Peak 4 1300 |
Moderate HIKES & SCRAMBLES
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Peak Name Mileage Elevation Gain
5♣️Magic Mountain 4.5 2100 5🔶Crabby Appleton 6 1900 5❤️First Creek Peak 7 2242 5♠️Bonanza Peak 10 2300 6♣️Burlap Buttress Peak 4.5 1660 6🔶Juniper Peak 5.5 2200 6❤️East Peak 3 1500 6♠️North Peak 6 2937 7♣️Terrace Canyon Peak 7 2250 7🔶Hidden Peak 7 2340 7❤️Windy Peak 5 1206 7♠️Goodman Peak 4 2100 8♣️Lost Creek Peak 5 2694 8🔶Oak Peak 7 2233 8❤️Fletcher Peak 6.5 2600 8♠️Macks Peak 3 1692 9♣️Global Peak 5 1618 9🔶Mescalito Peak 7 1858 9❤️Macks Peak North 3 1804 9♠️Mummy's Toe 8 2591 |
Difficult HIKES & SCRAMBLES
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Peak Name Mileage Elevation Gain
10♣️Evas Tower 5 1800 10🔶Bridge Point 6.5 3200 10❤️McFarland Peak 11 3993 10♠️Mummy's Nose 5 2846 J♣️Icebox Peak 5 1825 J🔶Holiday Peak 5 2400 J❤️Cockscomb Peak 4.5 2400 J♠️Mummys Forehead 8 3135 Q♣️Black Velvet Peak 8 2288 Q🔶Bridge Vista 6.5 3400 Q❤️Sisters North & South 6 2500 Q♠️Griffith Peak 10 2600 K♣️Rainbow Peak 8 2872 K🔶White Pinnacle Peak 6 1915 K❤️Pine Creek Peak 8 2320 K♠️Mummys Chin 8 3135 A♣️Mt. Wilson 10 3400 A🔶Bridge Mountain 7 1904 A❤️Mummy Mountain 8 3135 A♠️Charleston Peak 16 3554 |
Recognition
Completion of all 52 peaks in the Founder’s Deck earns the title of Founder’s Deck 53er.
This achievement is:
This achievement is:
- Permanently recorded
- Recognized within the 52 Peak Club
- Displayed in the Hall of Fame
- Eligible for official certificates and recognition items