Anyone that follows my adventures knows that I really enjoy searching for and finding ancient Native American rock art. Many of my posts on this blog are dedicated to specific sites that I have visited over the years. Near Las Vegas, there is a pictograph panel that has eluded me for a few years now and today, I'm going to have another go at reaching it. The panel is in a canyon known as Brownstone Canyon, which is north and running parallels to the famous Red Rocks Canyon National Conservation Area.
My first attempt about four years ago was quickly put to an end by a new subdivision, which had been built near the trailhead I was planning to start from. In addition to homes, they also built tall concrete walls at the back of the project, effectively blocking access to this particular trailhead. About a year-and-a-half ago, I made a second attempt from with in Red Rocks Canyon. I thought this would be about a 12-15 mile hike from the Turtlehead Peak Trailhead. Unfortunately, the early October weather of that trip still saw temperatures breaking the 100° barrier and I decided it was not the best time to be hiking in the remote open desert.
All of that brings me to today. I have my entry pass to the park and I intend to hike the route, I had planned out for my last attempt. Luckily, the temperatures are only suppose to reach a high of around 70° today, which means it should be perfect weather for hiking.
After parking my rental, I quickly hit the trail for Turtlehead Peak. My route follows this path for the first mile or so, before breaking northeast and heading on around the backside of the mountain. The first part of the trail is well marked and then enters a wide wash that looks more like the parking lot at a quarry than anything else. Huge amounts of small pebbles, a mix of limestone and sandstone, cover the ground in this wide wash, which has to be more than 150' feet wide. I can only imagine what this must look like during a heavy rain.
Eventually, I reach a point where I realize I didn't leave the Turtlehead Peak Trail quite soon enough and I'm forced to climb over a couple of sagebrush covered hills until I rejoin the large wash. The hiking is all uphill, though at a very slight ascent and so, I'm making decent time. The gravel is hard to walk in though, but as there is very little flora in it, I'm comforted somewhat by not having to be quite as watchful for rattlesnakes in this section. This is a rough time of year for hikers with regard to these critters. I'm familiar enough with snakes to know their behavior at different temperatures. In the hot summer sun, snakes will hide under rocks or in the shade of a small bush, while in the colder months, they will often be out in the open on top of a rock sunning themselves to help regulate their body temperature. The difficulty comes in when the temperatures are between 60° and 70°ish degrees, as they could be in either location. When I am forced to walk by small bushes or rock overhangs, my senses are on hyper alert looking for the venomous creatures.
From there, the trail continues to follow the wash, but I'm now on the back (northwest) side of the series of peaks that are part of the Turtlehead Peak complex. The trail (wash) is extremely narrow in places and I think to myself what a good ambush spot some of these passages would be for a mountain lion. I'm careful to watch out for tracks and other signs, but as of yet, I haven't seen any. I'm still on guard though.
Finally, I get to the top of the canyon, which is nothing more than a small saddle between two hills. Coming down the other side, I find a feint foot trail with an occasional rock cairn to mark the way. The footholds are a little precarious and on this sandy gravel, slipping is a real concern. Luckily, the fall or slide would only a few feet into the tiny wash between the hillsides. The view of Brownstone Canyon from up here is magnificent though and in the distance, I can see the Las Vegas Strip, which is about thirty miles away. It still stands out though against the desolate desert landscape.
Now making my way down the new wash that forms this parallel canyon, I find the hiking much easier. It's headed slightly downhill and looking down the canyon from above, I have a pretty good idea of where I'm going, which is unlike the first half, where I couldn't see around the next bend sometimes and simply had to trust my sense of direction to ensure I was on track.
Eventually, I reach an area that I think is near the pictographs. I begin scanning the rock walls to my right in search of any indication. Very quickly, I spot some red figures painted on the sandstone and head over for a closer examination. I'm forced to climb up a small rock outcropping, but once over the edge and in between it and the larger rock wall in front of me, I know I have arrived.
As I make my way out of the crag between the rocks, I hear foot steps and see another hiker coming from the opposite direction of my route. We chat briefly and I ask where he started. Apparently, he came from a trailhead called Greg's Trailhead and hiked northwest up Brownstone Canyon from behind the subdivision to reach this point. He says it was a little over five miles to this point. I wish him well and start heading back the way I came.
My return trip is uneventful, but I am afforded more great views of Red Rock Canyon once I get around to the southside of Turtlehead Peak. These views were behind me on my trip in and so, I didn't really take the time to notice them. I'm taking the time now though. When I finally get back to my rental car, I check my track and discover that the entire hike was only about 8.9 miles, which significantly less than I had estimated. Ah well, finding these panels was well worth the effort and I'm really glad I was able to finally accomplish my goal.
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