amstony
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I began planning a hike into Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area over a month ago as part of my vacation in Las Vegas. Red Rock is one of the best places to hike and climb in Southern Nevada, and is located less than 20 (+-) miles from the Las Vegas strip. All my past hiking has been in the White Mountains and the Monadnocks, so desert hiking would be a whole new arena for me. The BLM Park Rangers responded to my e-mail and sent a map and other info to get started.
I decided for a variety of reasons, mostly logistical, to employ a local guide service out of Las Vegas. The Red Rock Canyon BLM website has several licensed hiking outfitters that work the Red Rock Canyon area I chose "Hike This"' www.hikethislasvegas.com[/B]. The owner, Neil Sobelson, responded to all my suggestions and requests for info promtly. We worked out my plan by phone and e-mail. I was looking for a hike outside the normal tourist routes in Red Rock.
I scheduled the hike for July 20. After picking me up at my hotel at 7:10 AM, we were at the Red Rock Canyon visitor center at 7:45 AM (even with traffic, it gives you an idea how close it is to the strip!). Neil brought along all the water you could ever need, lunch, suntan lotion, and even a pack and hiking poles just in case I had decided not to take my own. I had brought my own poles and pack so did not need them.
At 7:55 AM we began the hike up to Blue Diamond Hill and Ridge, overlooking Las Vegas from the Southeast corner of Red Rock Canyon. It was almost 90 degrees when we started out. We hiked at a fair pace despite the heat, heading into a desert "wash" that would eventually lead us to a path and the summit ridgeline. After 15 minutes we began heading up and up and up, stopping for our first water break after 35 minutes (I drank half a nalgene bottle). Looking back I could see Red Rcock Canyon and it was awesome, the colors already incredible in the Calico Hills.
We continued up the path, mostly rock and scree, and after the first hour, we stopped again, in the last area of shade before we broke into the open with no more protection until the end of the hike. I consumed more water, took some more photo's, and we resumed the trek to the top. Following the path and switchbacks we continued up. After 2 hours we were at the summit. The view was spectacular, despite the haze caused by smoke from the Los Angeles County wildfires burning less than 90 miles away. The view into the Red Rock Canyon was even more spectacular. The Calico Hills, Mt. Wilson, Bridge Mtn, Turtlehead Peak and Turtlehead Jr. peak, plus others, were laid out in spectacular colors. The temperature was not too bad, and the wind (called the "Blow Dryer effect") made it a pleasant..... 95 degrees at the summit.
After a quick lunch we began heading along the ridgeline with spectacular views all around. as we traversed across the ridge, we ran into a group of 8 Burro's, watching us closely as we went by. Their Burro sightings are the equivalent of our Moose sightings. The stretch coming down the ridge on the "path', was somewhat tricky, due to all the loose scree and rock, similiar to a White Mountain slide. The path was not difficult to follow, as the path is pretty obvious and in some spots small cairns marked the path down. We arrived back at the Visitor center lot at 11:50 AM, where we both consumed lots of water again. I did the obligatory trip to the Visitor Center and we headed back into town.
The trip was awesome, sort of like being above treeline for the entire hike! During the hike, in a city of 1.2 million people and a 100,000 tourists, Neil and I saw and met no one! On this trip hiking poles were essential, hat strongly recommended, and water-lots of it-absolutely essential. I wore regular high top hiking boots, which kept out most of the desert grit and debris. The temp was 101 degrees at noon, about when we finished the hike. I could feel the heat through my boot soles.....
Tony
I decided for a variety of reasons, mostly logistical, to employ a local guide service out of Las Vegas. The Red Rock Canyon BLM website has several licensed hiking outfitters that work the Red Rock Canyon area I chose "Hike This"' www.hikethislasvegas.com[/B]. The owner, Neil Sobelson, responded to all my suggestions and requests for info promtly. We worked out my plan by phone and e-mail. I was looking for a hike outside the normal tourist routes in Red Rock.
I scheduled the hike for July 20. After picking me up at my hotel at 7:10 AM, we were at the Red Rock Canyon visitor center at 7:45 AM (even with traffic, it gives you an idea how close it is to the strip!). Neil brought along all the water you could ever need, lunch, suntan lotion, and even a pack and hiking poles just in case I had decided not to take my own. I had brought my own poles and pack so did not need them.
At 7:55 AM we began the hike up to Blue Diamond Hill and Ridge, overlooking Las Vegas from the Southeast corner of Red Rock Canyon. It was almost 90 degrees when we started out. We hiked at a fair pace despite the heat, heading into a desert "wash" that would eventually lead us to a path and the summit ridgeline. After 15 minutes we began heading up and up and up, stopping for our first water break after 35 minutes (I drank half a nalgene bottle). Looking back I could see Red Rcock Canyon and it was awesome, the colors already incredible in the Calico Hills.
We continued up the path, mostly rock and scree, and after the first hour, we stopped again, in the last area of shade before we broke into the open with no more protection until the end of the hike. I consumed more water, took some more photo's, and we resumed the trek to the top. Following the path and switchbacks we continued up. After 2 hours we were at the summit. The view was spectacular, despite the haze caused by smoke from the Los Angeles County wildfires burning less than 90 miles away. The view into the Red Rock Canyon was even more spectacular. The Calico Hills, Mt. Wilson, Bridge Mtn, Turtlehead Peak and Turtlehead Jr. peak, plus others, were laid out in spectacular colors. The temperature was not too bad, and the wind (called the "Blow Dryer effect") made it a pleasant..... 95 degrees at the summit.
After a quick lunch we began heading along the ridgeline with spectacular views all around. as we traversed across the ridge, we ran into a group of 8 Burro's, watching us closely as we went by. Their Burro sightings are the equivalent of our Moose sightings. The stretch coming down the ridge on the "path', was somewhat tricky, due to all the loose scree and rock, similiar to a White Mountain slide. The path was not difficult to follow, as the path is pretty obvious and in some spots small cairns marked the path down. We arrived back at the Visitor center lot at 11:50 AM, where we both consumed lots of water again. I did the obligatory trip to the Visitor Center and we headed back into town.
The trip was awesome, sort of like being above treeline for the entire hike! During the hike, in a city of 1.2 million people and a 100,000 tourists, Neil and I saw and met no one! On this trip hiking poles were essential, hat strongly recommended, and water-lots of it-absolutely essential. I wore regular high top hiking boots, which kept out most of the desert grit and debris. The temp was 101 degrees at noon, about when we finished the hike. I could feel the heat through my boot soles.....
Tony
