Rhyolite Ghost Town (Nye County, Nevada)

The drive between Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada is quite long and quite desolate. It's always nice to be able to break it up a little bit with some type of diversion. The ghost town formerly known as Rhyolite, just outside of Death Valley serves such a purpose.

After parking the jeep, I walk around the ruins of this formerly dense mining town. From 1905 until 1911, Rhyolite was a booming metropolis with a population approaching 5,000. As with so many towns in this part of the country though, when the mine dried up, the town fell to ruins. Many years later and just a few miles east, Beatty, Nevada sprung up out of the ruins to become a pit stop between the northern and southern population centers of Nevada and a gateway into Death Valley.

As I wander around these ruins, I'm amazed at the size of some of the buildings. A few walls of what was formerly a three story stone building tower over the desert landscape. In and around the area, I note several people in formal-ish attire having photos taken. I guess this serves as an interesting backdrop for photo sessions.

A number of foundations still remain from what was once a population center. It brings a sense of despair to think this is how some things end. This place was once home to thousands of souls and now, it's simply a collection of ruined buildings and rusted piles of junk. Nothing lasts forever and as the band Kansas so melodically phrased it, we're all "Dust in the Wind".

Gold Strike Canyon Hot Springs (Clark County, Nevada)

My next trail for the trip is a much more challenging adventure. Gold Strike Canyon departs Great Basin Highway near Hoover Dam and follows a slot canyon down towards the Colorado River. I've read the trail is difficult and requires a lot of scrambling and even some ropes to descend to the hot springs far below.

The parking area at the trail head is packed with cars, but luckily, I find a spot. I, perhaps unwisely, decide to leave my pack and water behind. My concern is the amount of scrambling that may be necessary along this path. I want to be as nimble as possible.

The early part of the trail is easy and simply follows the wash. High above a bridge carries the highway across the Colorado River. I encounter a few other hikers along the way. Another interesting and unexpected site is remains of a car far above on the canyon wall. It was likely pushed off the tall cliff above long ago. Here in the wash, the rear-end, transmission, and one of the doors have found a long-term home.

Just a bit further on, I find another item above on the cliffs that I unable to identify. It appears to be a washing machine or dish washer, but its difficult to be sure. About this time, the trail begins to get more difficult and I'm forced to find a reasonable path to navigate a boulder field. I end up leaving the wash and scrambling up the left side of the canyon. It requires a bit of work, but I finally do find a path to get past this dam of car-sized boulders.

A short time after clearing this section, I come to the first rope descent. It requires a tight squeeze through a narrow pass in the gigantic boulders and a drop of about fifteen feet. Sometime previously, someone has anchored a long climbing rope with knots tied in it to assist those on the trail. It's very helpful, but I still find the descent somewhat challenging. Perhaps, I'm just an old man.

Scrambles become more the norm from here on out and I'm forced to slide, climb, and jump over several areas until I finally reach the first of the hot springs.It would seem that in years and decades past, visitors have damned up the springs to create small soaking pools. I'm sure they're quite pleasant to soak in, but again, I'm on a schedule and have little time to enjoy them. 

I follow the run off of the hot springs, which is the water source for a myriad of vegetation to the next rope descent. This one is a bit easier, but still requires a fair amount of balance and body coordination. From here, there are supposedly a number of additional rope descents, but as I'm short on time and as there appears to be a bottleneck of people at the next rope, I decide to turn back.

I find the way back to be much easier than the way down. Perhaps it is my experience with the trail, or perhaps it is the ability to see the path more fully at each impasse, but either way, I'm able to scramble back to the trail head with ease. Returning to the jeep, I find I've hiked about 5.7 miles through this desert slot canyon. Had I known it would be this far, I probably would have brought water. Not the wisest choice on my part, but it worked out okay. This really was quite an adventure, but I'm sure I have some bumps and bruises to remember it by.

Las Vegas Wash Intaglio (Clark County, Nevada)

*Image courtesy of Google Earth

After visiting the Blythe Intaglios last year, I'm always open to hearing of additional geo-glyphs in my travels. One such site came to my attention a few months ago. Near Las Vegas, anthropologists identified an area that contained a earthen formation created by the ancient Native American inhabitants of the area. A geo-glyph or intaglio is a form of rock art that uses the earth itself or the lack thereof to form an image. Differing from petroglyphs and pictographs, which are images etched or painted onto rocks, geo-glyphs are created on the landscape itself. The most famous example of this form of rock are known as the Nazca Lines in the high country of Peru.

I park the jeep along the highway and walk a paved path along a residential area and golf course only to find a fenced area with federal no trespassing signs. I circle the area, but I'm unable to make heads or tails of the intaglio. Having reviewed Google Earth, I had some idea what I was looking for, but it wasn't really visible from behind the fence at ground level. Unfortunate, but at least I can take consolation in knowing the anthropological treasure is protected.

Lost Creek Falls - Red Rock Canyon (Clark County, Nevada)

I had hoped to do this short hike immediately after running the half-marathon in Red Rock Canyon yesterday, but time constraints got in the way and I was forced to return this morning. Luckily, my hotel is nearby. The scenic drive around Red Rock Canyon is always spectacular, but with my destination in mind and having run much of this road yesterday, I was focused on my destination, Lost Creek Falls.

Snow still covers much of the canyon and although the trailhead itself, is clear, the trail would not be. The short route leads from a small parking area into one of the canyons feeding the larger Red Rock Canyon. The trail is well cut and leaves little doubt of the path. As I approach a small bridge over the creek, I encounter a family returning from the falls. A young boy, accompanied by his mother and father, warns me of ice ahead. I thank him for his concern and wish the family well as they return to the parking area.

After crossing the bridge, the trail is a sheet of ice from here to the falls. Luckily, it's not far, but I do have to carefully watch each step. Once I finally reach the falls, I'm sure I made the right choice in braving the trail to get here. From forty feet above, a series of icicles hang and a mist of a waterfall departs the cliff-side to join with frozen pool here at my level. It's quite a stunning view. The return to my jeep is uneventful and the hike took me about 0.8 miles.

Fossil Ridge Loop (Clark County, Nevada)

After running the Red Rock Canyon Half-Marathon this morning, I still had some energy and decided to return to the area after a quick shower in order to hike a trail that came to my attention a year or so ago. I found the Fossil Ridge Loop Trail while searching for places to hike while on a trip to Las Vegas last year. The trail head is just past the entrance to Red Rock Canyon and near a horseback riding tour company.

I park the jeep and quickly make for the ridge. It's muddy. Southern Nevada recently got some snow, which has had the effect of saturating the ground. It's really a muddy mess here, but truly beautiful. In the distance, Red Rock Canyon's red and orange hues paint the western horizon. To the South, a slot canyon is filled with white snow and I, here on the edge of that canyon, do my best to find a balance between sinking in quick-sand like mud, falling into the canyon, and not damaging the landscape around me.

The flora here is quite interesting. A number of different desert dwellers are well-represented. Joshua trees, century plants, cacti, and a number of other interesting inhabitants carpet the area on either side of the well-worn trail. And now, since the snow, much of these plants are covered with a thin blanket of pure white snow.

As I continue up the ridge, I occasionally find an even thicker patch of mud and after sinking and sliding through it, I do my best to clear it from my feet by walking in the snow. It works . . . somewhat, but even though the landscape is amazingly gorgeous, I must admit a sense of frustration with all of this mud.

Having read a number of comments about this trail, I have been on the lookout for fossils along the way. According to what I have read, there are a number of fossilized clams and clam imprints in this area, from eons past when this land was under water. I find a few, but I'm only able to get good shots of a couple. Focusing on the small specimen proves problematic for my camera.

The trail climbs steadily for a couple of miles and as I pass by a couple of small caves in the rocks, I'm become aware of the likelihood of coyotes and even cougars in this area. I even find a few tracks. The caves have been and will undoubtedly continue to be home to many of the desert denizens. I'll keep my guard up, as there is no one nearby and I would make an easy target out here all by myself.

Finally reaching the top of the ridge, the trail does a near 180 degree turn and heads back on the western side of the ridge. The trail is even muddier here and I'm getting very frustrated. With every single step, I sink an an inch or two into the muck. And with two more miles to get back to my jeep, I'm almost regretting my decision to hike this area today, but at this point, there is no other option than to return.

At one point, I see a pair of wild burros just down the hill from me. That watch me with trepidation as I pass. If only they knew, I haven't actually eaten meat in over three years and have no intention of leaving my vegetarian diet any time soon. Still, they are beautiful animals. They are beautiful in their force of will. The will to survive in this harsh landscape is something to be admired.

I march on and encounter a few mountain-bikers. I don't envy their endeavors in this soft, muddy mess. As the trail-head finally comes into view, I see another group of about five burros in the distance. Again, they go on high alert unsure of my intentions. Soon, I drop below the ridge on which they stand and return to my jeep. I've covered about 4.4 miles on this trail. It was a muddy mess, but I'm glad I got it done and oh yea, the scenery was quite spectacular.

Red Rock Canyon Half-Marathon (Clark County, Nevada)

 

Last year, while visiting Red Rocks Canyon on the outskirts of Las Vegas, I saw a number of bibbed runners in the park. After researching it a bit, I learned of the Red Rocks Canyon Half-Marathon and knew immediately that I wanted to run it the following year. The following year is now and last night I drove from Reno to Las Vegas to participate in the event.

Normally, Las Vegas is very warm as compared to my home in northern end of the state. However, the Sin City received a little bit of snow the day before I arrived. This is not unheard of, but it is rare. The race officials were scrambling with last minute changes to the course to ensure runner safety and sent a number of emails out to this effect, but the good news was that the race was still on.

I awoke at about 4:45 AM, put on my running gear (including a couple of extra layers) and departed my hotel for the bus pickup point a few miles from the starting line. It was cold out - really cold. When we arrived at the starting line, someone mentioned the air temperature was a frigid 23 degrees. My legs were aware and had already started to stiffen up a little bit. After picking up my bib, I joined several others huddling in the mens room of the visitor center. It wasn't exactly warm in there, but it was certainly better than outside in the dark. 

As 6:15 AM approached, several of the runners left the bathroom and prepared to start the marathon. Since I was only running the half-marathon, I decided to stay for a while longer. Eventually, I crawled out of my hiding place to hear the race instructions for the half. Instead of the standard loop around Red Rocks Canyon Scenic Drive, which is just about 13 miles, we would be completing two lollipops, with a 5.7 mile up and back and a short loop around the visitors center, followed by an additional mile or so up and back. There were concerns with black ice on the roadways and on the bridges, prompting the race organizers to make these changes.

With the clock striking 7:00 AM, we were off. The sun was now rising in the southeastern sky, but not enough to make much of a difference in the air temperature just yet. Because of the cold, it took my legs a bit to loosen up and for me to get in a groove. Then just as I found my groove the grueling uphills started. I knew this was going to be a hilly race, but I underestimated the difficulty. The first time up and back, I maintained a reasonable pace up the hills, but I wasn't sure that I would be able to do the same on my subsequent visits to this section.

Reaching the turnaround point, I grabbed some water and headed back the way I came. The turn around itself is worth a mention. Instead of having some sort of actual turn around, they simply barricaded a portion of the traffic lane, which forced the runners to make a 180 degree turn in just about 6 feet of width. It forced everyone to slow down a bit and caused a fair amount of congestion. Anyway, the first trip back to the visitor center was fast. With all of the downhill, I was feeling really strong and my knees were surprisingly not screaming too much about the steep downhill.

I ran by the finish line and then the near mile around the loop they had set up before returning to the out and back again. This time on the hills, my stamina was fading and I was forced to walk a bit on the tougher sections. By now the sun was well overhead and all the beauty of Red Rocks Canyon was spread out before us. It really is an amazing place for a race and despite the cold and incline, I'm glad I came. Not surprisingly with the cold temperatures, the snow had decided to stick around a bit and provided a rare site of pure white snow blanketing the magnificent red and orange landscape.

After making the final turn, I started back towards the visitors center. At that point, my inner "eye of the tiger" kicked in and started pushing my pace. It was all downhill from here, but I was still probably running about 8 minute miles there for a long section. I completed the lollipop loop and then had to ask one of the volunteers about the final section. He directed me back the way I came and said there would be a turn-around sign.

This time I was pushing hard and passing a number of runners as I made my way to the turn-around, which arriving at it, found very obvious. I made a quick turn and then started for the finish line. I passed a few others on the way before finally making the turn into the visitor center parking lot and crossing the finish line. I ran a 2:29:31, which is not what I had hoped for, but given all of the challenges of frigid temperatures and route changes, I was not totally upset with. I would later find out that based upon the rerouting of the course, this was not only the most difficult, but also the coldest run in the event's twelve year history.

Galena Creek Snowshoe (Washoe County, Nevada)

While I had intended to be on a backpacking trip this weekend in Death Valley, a series of storms have left the Sierra Nevadas and the valleys east of them snow-covered, flooded, and muddy. Instead, I decided to join one of the meetup groups I belong to for a short snowshoe trek in and around Galena Park.

I met the group in South Reno around 8:00 AM and we carpooled a few miles to the park entrance. Twelve of us in total strapped on our snowshoes and headed into the white forest. More snow is predicted over this entire weekend, but for now, we have a break. The parking lot at the trailhead has been carved out of a 3 or 4 feet of snow, of course it will get deeper as we head the valley.

On the way up, we alternate between breaking trail and trail already broken. As always, we alternate leads when breaking trail, as it is difficult work. In some of the sections, the snow covers bushes over great hollow spots. During my time in breaking trail, I manage to find one of these hollows and fall through to my waste. Good for a laugh, but it's difficult to pull myself out and my comrades offer assistance. 

As we cross the snow-covered bridge over Galena creek, which is flowing nicely, we hear explosive blasts in the distance. This time of year, the sound isn't uncommon and is made by the ski resorts and other organizations blasting snow slabs to prevent natural avalanches. I've read before this last storm that came through, we were already at 136% of the average annual snowpack. With more snow dropping on the mountain almost every day, avalanches are a major concern in this part of the world.

After passing the Camp WaChMa, we start up a hill with a challenging incline, eventually popping out at some snow-covered cabins lying just next to Mt. Rose Highway near what used to be the Reindeer Lodge, which collapsed underneath the weight of the record snowfall two winters ago. We take shelter in some trees from the snow, which has started falling pretty hard and stop for a quick snack before heading back down the mountain.

On the way back, my friend and our organizer, Dominique, takes advantage of the steep downhill and sort of runs down the steep incline crossing over the switchbacks from our trip up the hillside. Shortly thereafter, we reach the trailhead. We covered about 3.8 miles on the trek and it's always fun to be out with these good folks. Now to get some food and a beer.