 |
Updates 6-2000 to 12-2002 Current Updates 12-21-02: SnowSnow fell in Red Rock Canyon yesterday. All peaks are covered with snow. I suggest hiking around Lake Mead until the snow melts. Also, be careful of ice in the canyons of Red Rock. With temperatures falling below freezing at night, there will be ice in the upper parts of the canyons. all waterfalls are flowing. This photo is of First Creek waterfall. New Page: South Red Rock Canyon - Photos and information! 12-6-02: Water and SnowThe canyons at Red Rock are gushing with water. Make sure to allow extra time hiking through the canyons during these very short days. Here's a photo of the Fern Canyon Waterfall. (This is currently the "Photo of the Week.") I believe all seasonal waterfalls are flowing. All trails and routes are covered with snow in Mt. Charleston. Here's a photo along the Bristlecone Trail. It was taken today. 11-19-02: Mt. Wilson via Cleaver Crack11-10-02: Water!It finally rained in Red Rock Canyon. Saturday we hiked through Ice Box Canyon. Here's a photo of the waterfall. Today we hiked to Juniper Peak and descended through Pine Creek. There was tons of water. It's great to see the water flowing again. Currently, I believe all seasonal waterfalls are flowing. This includes First Creek, Lost Creek, and Ice Box. The water is from runoff and might not last long. Now is the time to see the waterfalls. All walks to the waterfalls are easy hikes. 11-03-02:The Monument Arch in Red Rock10-19-02: Badwater to Telescope Peak Hike(11,000 feet elevation gain; 21 miles) 10-4-02:Branch and Anna's Excellent Adventure (hike)After bagging Rainbow Wall and Peak yesterday, we wanted to do a tough hike today. Henry, Anna's husband, dropped us off at Willow Springs. We agreed to meet in Pine Creek Canyon around 3pm. I have always wanted to hike North Peak from Willow Springs. The normal trail to North Peak is, well, boring. I figured the highest peak in Red Rock should have a challenging route to its summit. Starting on Lost Creek trail, we quickly turned onto SMYC trail. A steep and hard to follow path leads to a small cave . It's a great photo opportunity. We continued scrambling to a wash that leads to the overlook. The wash has plenty of challenging class 3 climbs. In less than two hours we were admiring the views from Willow Springs Overlook. I wanted to find an easy to follow scramble to North Peak. I had done a route previously, but the route was very hard to follow. We blazed a direct route to North Peak, which will be in the Members' Only section soon. Standing on the highest peak in Red Rock, I was amazed how calm it was. Normally it's very windy on North Peak. From North Peak we followed the route to Bridge Mountain. This was the first time I can remember not seeing at least one other group on Bridge Mountain. We decided not to go to the summit, instead we hiked through the Hidden Forest and then descended the Hidden Waterfall. We took the scenic route to Bridge Point along a ledge that overlooks Ice Box Canyon. At the peak we signed the book and took a couple photos. The peaks we had hike were visible from Bridge Point. Willow Springs Overlook looked a long ways off. We made it down into Fern Canyon in less than one hour. Luckily bouldering through Fern Canyon is quick and easy. The trail was a welcome sight. Henry was at the trailhead waiting for us. It was the best sight all day! 9-30-02: Bridge to Bridge Point HikeThis is one of the best hikes in Red Rock Canyon. Bridge Mountain is one of the most popular peaks in southern Nevada. Bridge Point, Bridge Mountain's smaller brother, is a favorite scramble by many people. The route begins at Pine Creek trailhead and follows the trail into Fern Canyon traveling deep into the canyon. A scrambled NW out of the canyon eventually meets up with the traditional route to Bridge Mountain. The route is well cairned, but is not intuitive. It's one of the those twisting turning routes that many hikers find fun and challenging. After summitting Bridge Mountain, the route descends the hidden waterfall and traverses around the east side of Bridge. It follows a scenic ledge with great views into Ice Box Canyon. It's a short scramble to the top of Bridge Point. The descent route is well cairned and takes about an hour to drop back into Fern Canyon. It's another hour back to the trailhead. 9-28-02: Red Rock HoursHere are the hours for the Scenic Loop road in Red Rock Canyon: Fall - October 1st to Oct 31 - 7pm These hours do not effect south Red Rock Canyon (Black Velvet area). 8-17-02: We have been busy!There's a new page about Bryce Canyon. It's a must visit hiking destination. Located in southern Utah, it has amazing scenery. The hiking trails are easy to follow and range from easy to moderate. I just
hiked Boundary Peak again. The hike description has been updated. It is very
accurate and points out mistakes to avoid. 7-20-02All trails are now opened!!! 7-19-02: Trails still closedAll trails are still closed as of 4:00 pm today except Mary Jane Falls, Fletcher Canyon, Robber's Roost, and Bristlecone. I expect all trails to be open by tomorrow morning. You can call 872-5486 to find out the status of the trails. 7-16-02: FireA fire started by lightning on Sunday is still burning in Lovell Canyon. The Rocky Gap road in Red Rock Canyon has been closed. The Scenic Loop is still open. I have not heard of any trails closed in Mt. Charleston. 7-8-02: Three Peak HikeOn July 7th, 2002, we completed our 7th annual Three Peak Hike. This year there were only three hikers. We started at Fletcher Canyon and made our way to the North Loop trail. Water is flowing in the upper part of Fletcher Canyon. This is well past Obstacle Rock. Once on North Loop trail, we hiked a few hundred yards past the junction, and then hiked and climbed to Mummy Mountain following Mummy the Hard Way route. This was the hardest part of the hike. We descended the regular route off Mummy to the scree slope. Instead of descending the scree slope, we stayed high and followed the north ridge to the intersection of the North Loop trail. This put us about 2.5 miles from Charleston Peak. Once at the peak, we took a break and mentally prepared for the rest of the hike. We were still looking at another 10 miles. The hike over to Griffith was uneventful, except for my feet. They started burning so I stopped and applied Spyroflex, which helps reduce friction. The top of Griffith was warm. A breeze kept us from overheating. We descended the Old South Loop trail and walk back to the car, which was parked outside of Cathedral Rock Picnic Area. All and all, a good hike. I am thinking about changing the route next year. I believe this is the third time we have done this route. As I have written in the past, hiking in Mt. Charleston is tougher than Red Rock, but not as abusive to the body. So why do I prefer Red Rock??? 7-6-02: Mack's PeakJuly 4th, 2002, found seven hikers trekking up to Mack's Peak. This has become an annual event. Mack's Peak is the perfect hike for July 4th. It's short enough to be back in plenty of time for the fireworks. We placed an army box at the peak. In the past sign-in books have gotten wet while in tin cans and Tupperware containers. The gravel road and the route are in good shape. Check out the panorama from Mack's Peak: Click here. 6-25-02: McFarlandOn Sunday, June 23rd, eight hikers tackled the seldom climbed McFarland summit. We started from Lee Canyon on the Bristlecone trail and reached the peak about four hours later. We were only the second group to climb McFarland this year. The route is in good shape. If you are looking for a challenging hike with lots of solitude, McFarland is a good bet. The summit needs a new sign-in book and container.
6-11-02: Misc.If you're hiking Fletcher Peak, please bring a new log
book. If you are a die-hard Red Rock hiker, here's is thought: Start your hike in the afternoon. Why? When you descend, you'll be in the shade. That's if you are descending about an hour or so before the sun sets. We just attempted to hike to Cleaver Crack in Oak Creek Canyon. At a start time of around 12:30 pm, we hiked out of the canyon in the shade until the last 100 yards of the trail. I recommend hiking up in Mt. Charleston this time of the year, but there are some people who hike Red Rock year round. 6-7-02: Mt. CharlestonJust about all routes are snow free. Charleston Peak via Big Falls still has some snow in the gully by the plane crash, but the snow should melt very soon. Trail Numbers???There has been some confusion about the trail numbers in Mt. Charleston. I don't know what they mean and they aren't even used on the US Forestry Web site. Nonetheless, here are the trails and their meaningless numbers: Griffith Peak Trail #
140 (starts at Harris Springs) 5-28-02: VarietyI just received a report on Boundary Peak. A hiker climbed Boundary on May 18th and said snow was not a problem. Unless it snows between now and when you attempt Boundary, snow is not a factor. Anyone hiking to Mack's Peak please bring a container for the sign-in book. Thanks. For the last few years there has been a cool spell in the first part of June. If you want to attempt one last hike in Red Rock, watch the weather reports for cooler days during early June. Bonanza Peak I just hiked to Bonanza Peak this weekend. It has always been difficult to find the summit since it's not an obvious peak and the trail does not go to the summit. Here's the surest way to reach the peak: From the saddle continue on the trail almost one mile until it reaches the first switchback that descends. Leave the trail and head up to the ridge. Once on the ridge, hike south about 150 yards to the peak. A cairn marks the peak. Slide show of Bonanza Peak hike. 5-12-02: Variety of Updates:Snow in Mt. Charleston South Loop - snow well before the Meadows -
hard to follow the trail Mescalito We hiked to the Mescalito today. Both north and south routes are well cairned again. There's a sign-in book at the peak again; however, it's not in the cairn. I placed it under an overhanging rock about 20 feet before the cairn. It's between a rock that is split in half. The book is in a plastic zip lock bag. If anyone is going up there soon, please bring a water tight container for the book. One Tough Peak Ice Box Peak just might be the toughest peak in Red Rock. If you have done Ice Box Overlook, the Overlook is about one third of the difficulty and distance of Ice Box Peak. The route takes you into the upper reaches of Ice Box Canyon. Few have ever walked the wash located deep in Ice Box Canyon. There's pools of water, even now (5-2002). I'll be posting the hike this week. 4-30-02 Snow Report:Trail Canyon - snow free
It might snow tonight in Charleston. 4-17-02: WindThe wind played havoc in Red Rock Canyon on 4-15-02. We saw a large tree blown over in the gully leading up to Bridge Point. Strangely, many small cairns were still standing. I guess one never knows where the wind gusts will blow. We placed additional cairns on the Pine Creek to Bridge Mountain hike. This should make it easier to follow. We also stacked cairns along the Bridge Point hike that the wind had knocked over. 4-8-02 Snow Report:Trail Canyon - snow free Scenic Loop at Red Rock is now open from 6 am to 8m.
3-18-02: SnowRed Rock Canyon and Mt. Charleston got inundated last night with snow. All trails and routes in Mt. Charleston are snow covered. All peaks in Red Rock have snow. The good news is by Thursday (3-21) the high is forecasted to be around 80 degrees. Normally when it snows this time of year, it does not last long in Red Rock Canyon. The waterfalls at First Creek and Lost Creek should be flowing this week. I have an easy way for you to tell how much snow is on the peaks at Red Rock. Here's the method: simply look at Gass Peak. If it has snow on it, the peaks at Red Rock will certainly have snow. Since Gass Peak (6,943 feet) faces south, the snow will melt on it before the snow on the peaks at Red Rock melts. Gass Peak stands north of the city. Photo of Gass Peak. Hey, it even has snow!!! 3-17-02: SedonaWe recently took a trip to Sedona, AZ. What a place to hike. Great trails, great scenery, and everything is close by. Spring is the best time to visit. There's so much hiking and other activities, it's hard to see in a weekend. If you're headed for Sedona, check out the new Sedona Page. 3-7-02: North PeakI just completely updated the North Peak hike. It includes the route to the overlook of Ice Box Canyon. The views from the peak and overlook are amazing. The path is very good and easy to follow. Numerous hikers have worked on the path over the last few years. There's a sign-in book near the overlook. The hike description tells you how to find it. View a panorama taken from the overlook. 3-5-01: Bridge PointTwelve hikers scrambled to Bridge Point on 3-3-02. The route is in great shape. Cairns help keep you on route. This was a tricky route to follow before the cairns. There just isn't a lot of distinct landmarks. The route is now very efficient. In the past the route weaved all over the place. The hike is basically class II with a couple of easy class III sections. I updated the hike description on 3-3-02. 2-17-02: Black Velvet PeakSeven audacious or maybe crazy hikers braved 50 mph winds while hiking to Black Velvet Peak on Sunday. It turned the hike into an adventure. A couple times we literally "hit the deck" as wind gusts over 60 mph tried to blow us off the ridge. Coupled with the wind were snow flurries that did not stick to the ground. Luckily, I had just got a new windbreaker. It stopped the wind dead its tracks. Although I was wet from sweating, I was never cold. I can't emphasize enough the importance of a good windbreaker. Certain peaks always seen to have wind. North Peak comes to mind. We walked across a bit of snow and ice. Keep your eyes open high up in washes or north facing slopes. The last part of Bridge Mountain might still have ice or snow. The Black Velvet route is in good shape. I have rewritten the hike with new photographs. If you are in great shape and comfortable with exposure, Black Velvet is one of the best hikes in Red Rock. 2-10-02We hiked to Indecision Peak today. The route is in good shape. We brought up a new container for the sign-in book. We did not encounter any snow on the route. 2-1-02: Snow and moreMt. Charleston: 34 inches at 8,500
feet, more at higher elevations. Want to see how long it takes to reach certain peaks? Check out this database of group hikes from 1997, 1998, and 1999. Click here. Get special prices on products. Subscribe to the newsletter. Click here to go to the home page. Enter your email address in the box along the right side of the page. This page has been divided into two pages. This page has articles from 2000 to current. The other page has articles from 1997 to 2000. This makes the downloading to your screen much faster. 12-22-01: Snow UpdateMt. Charleston: Lower trails snow free Lake Mead: Snow free 12-10: Bridge Mtn.Seven hikers met early Sunday morning and hiked to Bridge Mountain. The route was snow free, but the North Peak wash had ice. We took the North Peak trail instead and then picked up the route to Bridge Mountain. The North Peak trail is much easier to follow ascending than descending. I enlarged the cairn that marks the start of the path that leads to the trailhead. You start by following the path for a couple hundred yards to the North Peak trailhead. The trail is very steep in spots, which makes descending slippery. 12-7: No Snow!
12-03-01: Snow in Red Rock CanyonThe west sides of the peaks above 6,000 feet have snow on them ; however, hikers did Black Velvet Peak on Sunday, December 2nd. Lower trails are free of snow. Turtlehead Peak is doable and all hikes in Calico Hills. All trails in Mt. Charleston are snow covered. If it doesn't snow this week and the temperatures rise by the weekend, Red Rock might be snow free. 11-29-01: SnowThe peaks in Red Rock Canyon are covered in snow. Luckily, we can hike around Lake Mead. The Member's Only club has 23 hikes around Lake Mead. It rarely snows at Lake Mead. 8-14-01Q: What are the dangers of lightning? A: Lightning is the underrated killer. In the United States, there are an estimated 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes each year. While lightning can be fascinating to watch, it is also extremely dangerous. During the past 30 years, lightning killed an average of 73 people per year in the United States based on documented cases. This is more than the average of 68 deaths per year caused by tornadoes and the average of 16 deaths per year caused by hurricanes. However, because lightning usually claims only one or two victims at a time, and because lightning does not cause the mass destruction left in the wake of tornadoes or hurricanes, lightning generally receives much less attention than the more destructive weather-related killers. While documented lightning injuries in the United States average about 300 per year, undocumented injuries caused by lightning are likely much higher. Lightning can strike as much as 10 miles away from the rain area in a thunderstorm; that's about the distance that you are able to hear the thunder from the storm. In some instances when a storm is ten miles away, it may even be difficult to tell that a storm is nearby. However, IF YOU CAN HEAR THE THUNDER FROM A STORM, CHANCES ARE THAT YOU ARE WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF THAT STORM. Also, remember that each thunderstorm has a first stroke of lightning, which is just as deadly as any other stroke. If the sky looks threatening, take shelter before hearing thunder. In the unfortunate event that a person is struck by lightning, medical care may be needed immediately to save the person's life. Cardiac arrest and irregularities, burns, and nerve damage are common in cases where people are struck by lightning. However, with proper treatment, including CPR if necessary, most victims survive a lightning strike, although the long-term effects on their lives and the lives of family members can be devastating. This was sent to me by a member. 7-16-01If you have wondered what a certain peak looks like, go to this page: http://www.hikinglasvegas.com/Indentify_Peaks.htm I have added new photos during the last month.
Snow Report: 6-2-01Mummy
Mtn. - doable by the standard route (North Loop trail, then up the
scree slope.)
Mummy Mtn. via Mummy Springs - snow in gully.
3-18-01Much of the snow has melted at Red Rock.
All the trails are clear of snow. The following routes appear to be
free of snow, but might have a few patches left: Anything in Calico Hills,
Turtlehead, White Rock Springs Peak, Mescalito (southern route), Juniper
Peak, and Indecision Peak. Beware of any routes that face north or west.
Bridge Mountain, Mt. Wilson, Rainbow and probably many of the peaks in
south Red Rock still have snow. Also, watch for ice in the higher
parts of the canyons. 3-03-01: SnowAll peaks at Red Rock are covered in snow. Turtlehead can be done, but you will encounter snow when you hit the ridge. A good path cuts through the snow making it pretty easy to get to the top. The only snow-free scrambling is in Calico Hills. Most of the trails are clear; however, you might walk through a few patches of snow. The hikes near the horse stables (east side of State Route 159) are clear of snow. It could be weeks before the snow melts off the north side of the Red Rock Peaks. The Scenic Loop is currently open from 6 am to 6 pm. Lake Mead is the place to hike until the snow melts. 1-18-01 Muddy Peak There's a reason only one party stood at
Muddy Peak in the year 2000, actually several reasons. It's a long
drive, long walk through the desert, and the route is very loose. It's a
high price to pay, but the views from the peak are some of the best in
southern Nevada. Lake Mead, Arizona's Mt. Wilson, Red Rock Canyon, Las
Vegas, Mt. Charleston, and the Sheep Range are all visible from the
summit. Well, the views are still there, but the price just went
way down! We found a route that's a shorter drive, quicker walk, and the
route is solid. The route weaves through Lovell Canyon, and then heads
north along the ridge to the peak. And, believe it or not, it's a class
II route. Since the approach is from the south, it avoids the class III
chute just before the peak. Look for the route in the Member's Only
section February 1st. Photo
1-11-01- One Word: Snow! After enjoying one of the best Decembers in years, the mountains got up to a foot of snow today. I have an easy way for you to tell how much snow is on the peaks at Red Rock. No, it doesn't involve driving out to Red Rock, and calling the visitor center might not get you the information you want. Here's the method: simply look at Gass Peak. If it has snow on it, the peaks at Red Rock will certainly have snow. Since Gass Peak (6,943 feet) faces south, the snow will melt on it before the snow on the peaks at Red Rock melts. Gass Peak stands north of the city. Boy, I wish I had a photo of it. Wait, I do. Photo of Gass Peak. Hey, it even has snow!!! 1-3-01 Lake Mead The fee booth at Lake Mead is along Lake Mead Blvd., just after the turnoff to Lava Butte. The fee is $5.00 per car and is good for five days. The $20 pass for Red Rock Canyon is not good for admission. The Golden Eagle Pass ($65) is good. All trailheads along Northshore Road are inside the fee area. 12-29-00 Updates: Christmas day found four of us plus a dog hiking to The Park. This is one of my favorite places in Red Rock. If you remember, Christmas day was windy in the city. Unbelievably, it was not windy along the ridge. I was shocked. Normally, even on calm days, the ridge sees some breeze.
11-10-00: Snow in Red Rock An early winter storm dumps snow in Red Rock Canyon. Although not visible from the east (Las Vegas), snow lies on the west side of the peaks. The hikes to the major peaks should not be attempted till the snow melts. This will take awhile. As of 11-16, the snow is still on the west side of the peaks.
10-5-00: Plague found
in animals at Two gray foxes in the Mount Charleston area have been diagnosed with the plague, the first time the annual Clark County Health District program has discovered the disease in larger mammals. In my years of hiking I have only seen two foxes. This works out to roughly 4,000 miles per fox. Both times the foxes didn't want anything to do with me. Therefore, I see no threat or reason to stop hiking. However, here are some common sense precautions: * Do not touch dead or sick wild animals. Report them to the campground ranger or the Health District at (702) 385-1291. * Avoid rodents, such as chipmunks and squirrels, or other wild animals. Do not feed, capture or keep them. * Do not camp or rest near animal burrows. * Protect pets from fleas. Use insecticide powders, sprays or collars. Check your animals for fleas after an outing. Do not allow pets to roam free. Try to keep them on a leash or confined. Special thanks to member Randy C. for sharing this information
Monument Traverse On 9-5-00, we successfully traversed the Monument, located in Black Velvet Canyon. The Monument is made up of three peaks: East, Center, and West peaks. This is the first known traverse of the Monument. We then descended through Black Velvet Canyon making this a round trip hike. This is one of the best hikes in Red Rock Canyon. Unfortunately, their are some 4th class moves on the way to East Monument Peak. The trail leading into Black Velvet Canyon was washed out in places. Although the direction of travel is obvious, the trail is hard to follow. Fires burn in Mt. Charleston (8-6-00)First, Griffith Peak is not on fire as of 8-6-00 at 4 pm. There's a small fire about 0.75 mile SW of the peak. We were about one mile from the fire; we did not see any flames, only smoke. A plane was dropping some kind of chemical on the fire. There are small fires just to the east of Trout Canyon. Again, we only saw smoke. 6-23-00Mummy's Nose
6-6-00The fire continues to burn near Mt. Charleston. The fire is NW of Cold Creek. The Bonanza Peak trail is the closest peak to the fire that this Web site covers. Willow Peak is closer to the fire, but only the book (Hiking Las Vegas) contains the route. The fire is burning in a very remote area. Hiking Las Vegas does not have any trails or routes in this area. This serves as a reminder of how easy a fire can get out of control. If you are doing a day hike, there's no reason have a fire. If camping out, use an approved stove and be careful.
Current updates
|
