The information below is important to determine where our group meets
prior to each hike. Please read this
section before skipping to the actual hike descriptions.
The September schedule includes hikes in the Red Rock Canyon (including
Cottonwood Valley) and the Mount Charleston area with a few hikes scattered in
other areas around Las Vegas. There is also the Hawaii
Excursion continuing thru the first week of the month. Below is information regarding our meeting locations for the main areas. Hikes in other
locations will have
directions included in the descriptions for those hikes.
Red Rock Canyon Area.
Our assembly point for hikes in Red Rock
Canyon and the immediate vicinity is at the Red Rock Casino on Charleston
Boulevard just east of 215. To
access the meeting location turn into the casino property at the signalized
intersection
directly across from Canyon Pointe, turn right directly in front of the casino,
and immediately turn right into the outdoor lot.
If traveling east on Charleston from 215 you
can turn right at the first entrance and then make an immediate left into the
lot. The group will be
parking at the north end of the lot near Charleston Boulevard. For
hikes located in Cottonwood Valley and west
there will be a secondary meeting location available for individuals coming
from the south side of Las Vegas. That
will be at the gas station located at the intersection of Highways 159 and 160
(Blue Diamond Road). This
will be a quick stop that will occur about twenty or twenty-five minutes after
the regular departure from Red Rock Casino.
Mount Charleston Area.
For hikes north of Las Vegas in either the
Mount Charleston area or in the Sheep Mountains the assembly point will be at
the Santa Fe Station Casino. This
property has two parking garages, one on the north end of the casino close to
Highway 95 and the Rancho exit and one on the southeast side closer to the
intersection of Rancho and Lone Mountain Road. We
always use the third level of the southeast parking garage as our meeting
location. This
garage can be accessed from Lone Mountain Road traveling in either direction at
the entrance near the theater addition. It
can also be accessed from Rancho. If
traveling northbound on Rancho turn in at the casino entrance
signalized intersection and turn left to access the garage.
If traveling southbound on Rancho pass the
signal and turn at the entrance that directly accesses the garage.
This second option is used if you are getting
to Santa Fe using northbound Highway 95 and taking the Rancho exit.
Drive up to the third level and turn left -
we will be meeting right there
IMPORTANT NOTE #1 - Hike coordinators may not always be at either the early or primary assembly points. Participants will need to monitor the time and set up carpooling
to the next meeting location or pickup point when that occurs. Although most of these situations are noted in the hike descriptions, others may occur that
are not so noted.
IMPORTANT POINT #2 - When reading the descriptions you will see references to both
Lake Mead Boulevard and
Lake Mead Parkway. These
are different streets. Lake
Mead Boulevard is an east-west street on the north side of Las Vegas that runs
completely
across the city. Lake
Mead Parkway is on the south side of the city and is an east-west street that
starts at the junction of I-515 and I-215 and extends over to the lake. Please do not mix these up.
Times indicated for each hike are departure times and are strictly observed. Usually the group will begin arriving as much as one-half hour prior to
the scheduled departure times.
Please pay attention to the difficulty ratings for each hike offered and
do not attempt hikes that are beyond your abilities. New hikers without recent hiking experience MUST begin with the 8:30 AM
Saturday hikes as these are the only hikes that guarantee a fairly leisurely
pace. Strenuous Tuesday hikes are only open to existing members who are properly
experienced. Be sure to wear
appropriate clothing, footwear, and hats and bring sunscreen, water,
electrolyte replacement fluids as needed, and food or snacks as desired for
each outing.
Questions regarding general information should be directed to Steve Allen at siallen@icloud.com or by telephone at (847) 772-3193. Specific questions regarding hikes should be directed to the listed
coordinator. Refer to the club roster for contact information.
Exposure
Class 1- Terrain
that does not require use of hands or other equipment but can be negotiated
using only foot power.
Class 2- Terrain that is
uneven or irregular that may require use of hands for stabilization.
Class 3- Generally
steep terrain that definitely requires use of hands over stretches to
accomplish the task.
Class 4- In addition
to use of hands, some level of equipment is necessary to accomplish the task. This may
include webbing or short sections of rope for minor climbs or belay systems for
more difficult climbs.
Difficulty Levels
Easy- Hikes of 3 miles or less with not more than 300 feet of gain,
generally with only gradual elevation gains on even surface trails.
Easy to Moderate- Hikes ranging up to 5 miles and 500 feet of elevation
gain with the potential for some minor trail irregularities.
Moderate- Hikes that generally have a maximum distance of 8 miles with 800
feet of elevation gain. Somewhat longer mileage with
less elevation gain or shorter mileage with more elevation gain may also fit in
this category.
Moderately Strenuous- Distances of up to 12 miles and/or 1,600 feet
of elevation gain involving less than 25% of off-trail hiking such as boulder
scrambling or bushwhacking.
Strenuous- Longer distances with elevation gain capped around 3,000
feet or shorter
distances that encompass significant off-trail sections not requiring
additional safety equipment.
Very Strenuous or Extreme- Efforts that require serious
conditioning on the part of participants due to great length or
elevation gain or climbing that requires mountaineering skills.
Tuesday, September 1st, Willow Springs
Picnic Area to The Rock- This leisurely paced hike will
start from the Willow Springs picnic area White Rock Loop Trailhead and take in
part of the White Rock Trail in the valley north of the sandstone hills. This
out-and-back hike should cover a total distance of about 4 miles and about 700
feet gain in elevation, with the turn around point in the shadow of a group of
limestone rock formations. The backcountry scenery along the way is pretty
sensational. Participants should meet at Red Rock Casino for a departure at 8:30
AM. Coordinator- Tony Fountain
Tuesday, September 1st, Hawaii Excursion- Coordinator- Chris Dempsey
Wednesday, September 2nd, Trail Canyon- This normally moderately
strenuous out-and-back hike to the saddle will be be done at an
easy to moderate pace. We will go
slowly so that few stops will be needed. I also
want to stress that on my hikes the group will stay together. A break will be
taken at the highpoint on the logs at the junction with North Loop Trail. Elevation gain is 1,800 feet
over 4.2 miles. Departure from
Santa Fe Station will be at 8:30 AM. Coordinator- Pam Washington
Wednesday, September 2nd, Hawaii
Excursion- Coordinator- Chris Dempsey
Thursday, September 3rd, North Loop to Trail Canyon Saddle-
This moderately strenuous out-and-back hike will cover 8 miles with around
3,000 feet of elevation gain. Beginning at the North Loop Trailhead, it will
trek to the Trail Canyon saddle junction and return. We will hike at a moderately
strenuous pace. Meet at the Santa Fe Station for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Thursday, September 3rd, Hawaii Excursion- Coordinator- Chris Dempsey
Friday, September 4th, Calico Hills Scramble- Beginning from
the Sandstone Quarry parking lot the
route will take the group to an area above the main Calico Tank and return via
Tony's Wall. This hike is rated
moderately strenuous due to the amount of scrambling but will be done at a
leisurely pace. Distance is about 3 miles with 700 feet of
elevation gain. Depart from Red Rock Casino at 6:30 AM. Coordinator-
Tony Fountain
Friday, September 4th, Little Falls and Cathedral Rock- Starting from the Echo Canyon Trailhead, this signature 5 mile out-and-back hike in
the Spring Mountains to the top of a rock outcropping is rated moderate. I will offer a
pace that will accommodate slower hikers if need be. Departure is at 8:00 AM
from Santa Fe Station. Coordinator-
Ed Matulis.
Friday, September 4th, Hawaii
Excursion- Coordinator- Chris Dempsey
Saturday, September 5th, Fletcher Peak via Trail Canyon- This
strenuous out-and-back hike will cover a total distance of about 10-miles while
gaining 2,600 feet of elevation. The
pace will be fitness with the participants regrouping at the first saddle and then Raintree. Departure will be from Santa Fe Station at
7:00 AM. Coordinator- Maria Vega
Saturday, September 5th, Old Deer Creek Road & Champion Ridge- This leisurely out-and-back
hike will be 4 miles with only 1,000
feet of gain. The hike starts with a short climb then heads downhill. After a break at the teenagers' campsite on
Champion Ridge, we will climb back up the hill and finish out with the short
downhill to the cars. Meet at the Santa Fe Station for an 8:30 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Sunday, September, 6th, Deer Creek / Catch Pen Loop Trail- This trail is one of the new
trails indicated on the Spring Mountains Visitor Center map. Beginning near the
Desert View Overlook on Deer Creek Road, it will travel down to a desert cross
trail. After hitching a ride on this trail, we will begin the ascent for the
second half of the hike. At 9-miles and 2,100 feet of elevation gain, this hike
is rated moderately strenuous. It should also carry "exploratory" in
its description since it is a brand new route. Meet at the Santa Fe Station for
an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Monday, September 7th, Wallace Canyon Loop- The pace for this Labor Day hike of 5-6
miles will be moderate. But due to elevation gain it is rated moderately
strenuous. After going out to the plane
crash site, we will return to the saddle and make our way over to the No Name
saddle by traversing the ridge and then down No Name and back to the cars. Meet
at the Santa Fe Station for a 7:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Monday, September 7th, Blue Diamond Ridges- This early morning Labor Day hike on the hill
across from Red Rock Canyon will cover a distance up to 7 miles and up to 1,500
feet elevation gain starting from the Cowboy Stables parking lot along Highway
159. How much the group does will be determined by the temperature increases
during the morning. If it stays somewhat cool the destination will be the new
Las Vegas Overlook. Rating should be moderate or a bit more. Participants will
gather at Red Rock Casino and leave for the stables at 5:45 AM. The
coordinator will meet them at the stables for a 6:00 AM start to the
hike. Coordinator- David Hardy
Tuesday, September 8th, Cockscomb Peak- Our tough Tuesday crowd will be challenged by this strenuous 6
mile hike in Kyle Canyon. The start of the
hike will be at the Trail Canyon trailhead and will follow a Class 1 trail for
the first 2.5 miles. At that point the
outing becomes a scramble over Class 3 terrain with exposure en route to the summit. There are a lot of loose rock
through these steep sections and some crumbling limestone that needs to be navigated
with extreme care. Vertical gain is
around 2,000 feet. The group will
depart from Santa Fe Station at 7:30 AM. Coordinator- Steve Anderson
Tuesday, September 8th, Upper Kyle Canyon Wash- This 5 mile point-to-point hike
is virtually all downhill as it starts at the gravel parking lot serving the
Echo Trail and follows Kyle Canyon Wash down to the new visitor center. Pace will be leisurely for this
easy to moderate hike and the group will stay together with water breaks about
every twenty minutes. Some extra
vehicles will be required to transport drivers back to the starting point after
completing the hike. Assemble at Santa
Fe Station for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Chris
Dempsey.
Wednesday, September 9th, Shady Hollow & Stepladder Trails Extended- This moderate 6 mile hike is a
version of the Telephone Canyon Loop starting from the new parking lot across
the highway from the new Lower Kyle Canyon Visitor Center. It gains about 1,000 feet
circling a picturesque ridge and provides excellent views of Kyle Canyon. Pace will be moderate and the
group will stick together with periodic breaks. Departure from Santa Fe
Station will be at 8:00 AM. Coordinator- Chris
Dempsey.
Wednesday, September 9th, Sandstone
Quarry to Dragon Canyon Overlook- This easy to moderate hike
will start at the Sandstone Quarry parking lot in Red Rock
Canyon pass Ash Canyon Overlook to the Dragon Canyon Overlook. This partial
loop hike should cover a total distance of about 4 miles and about 700 ft gain
in elevation with a gentle amount of Class 2 scrambling. We will loop over to the
Turtlehead Peak Trail passing some familiar petroglyphs. Participants should
meet at Red Rock Casino for a departure at 6:30 AM. Coordinator- Tony Fountain
Thursday, September 10th, Wicked-Wild-Wonderful Hike- This strenuous hike of 9 miles gains 2,200
feet in elevation and will take about 6 hours, The pace will be
moderate and we will wait for the slower hikers. Must stay with leader and group or don't attend,
no racing ahead! If you have to be back early or have an
appointment, don’t come! Pants and hiking
sticks are recommended and bring plenty of water! Departure will be
from Santa Fe Station at 6:30 AM. Co-coordinators- Jon Lubinski
and Larry Shahan
Friday, September 11th, Little
Falls & Cathedral Rock- This moderately strenuous 5 mile hike gains over 1,200 feet
starting from the gravel parking lot for the Echo trailhead
located along Echo Road at the top of Kyle Canyon. Although not long, much of the
trail to both locations is fairly steep. We will be maintaining group status on this hike with
numerous short breaks to accommodate the generally leisurely pace. Meet the group at Santa Fe
Station for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Chris
Dempsey.
Saturday, September 12th, Raintree Loop (up Wild Horse Ridge / down Deer
Creek)- This is a moderately strenuous
hike because it is 5-6 miles and 2,100+ feet of elevation gain. We will park at
the turnout just past North Loop and walk up Cougar Ridge Road and make the
left turn at the big rock to gain Wild Horse Ridge. At an open area on this
ridge, we will turn left again to access the cross trail named Cactus Jack
Trail to the Wild Horse Canyon trail. After a brief break at the meadow, then
its up the switchbacks and down to Raintree where we will take our break. We
will continue on to Mummy Springs and stay on the trail until we make the right
turn down Deer Creek Ridge. This ridge is downhill all the way and is steep at
the end as is drops into Deer Creek Canyon. Depart at 7:30 AM from Santa Fe Station.
Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Saturday, September 12th, Lower Showgirl Trail- This will be a
leisurely out-and-back hike on the new Showgirl Trail beginning at the lower
trailhead in Kyle Canyon. The hike goes on a gradual ascent in the low
elevations of the Spring Mountains for around 2.5 miles then returns. The total
will be around 5 miles but with only around 500 feet of elevation gain. We will
leave from the Santa Fe Station at 8:30 AM. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Sunday, September 13th, Lee Canyon / Sawmill Wiggles- This is an 8
mile moderately strenuous hike that will be done at a moderate pace. There is
only 1,500 feet of elevation gain as the hike travels up last year's new trail
in Lee Canyon from the mile marker 10.5 trailhead on Lee Canyon Road to the
Sawmill ridgeline. The descent is a pleasant romp down through trees and
desert. The hike ends with a short bushwhack to part of the old Lee Canyon
Road. Depart from the Santa Fe Station at 8:00 AM. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Sunday, September 13th, Red Spring- Most of the route for this moderate 4 mile
out-and-back hike will be in the shade as the group will start from Red Spring Park
and go around the south end of the Calico
Hills as far as Calico II Overlook. We will utilize the canyon between the
sandstone hills and the scenic drive as much as possible. Elevation gain is
about 500 feet. The coordinator will be at Red Spring picnic area for a 6:00 AM start of the hike. If anyone
plans to carpool from Red Rock Casino they should leave that assembly point at 5:45
AM. If the gate of the picnic area is not open yet, there is plenty of
parking just outside along the road. Coordinator- David Hardy.
Monday, September 14th, Fletcher Canyon & Eagle's Nest Trail- This moderate out-and-back 6 mile hike heads to the base
of Obstacle Rock in Fletcher Canyon, but has a couple mile detour along the way out
exploring a fairly level area at the south base of Fletcher Peak. It will be conducted as a group
hike at a leisurely pace with regular water breaks and a snack break below the
rock. Departure time from Santa Fe
Station will be at 8:30 AM. Coordinator- Chris
Dempsey.
Tuesday, September 15th, Charleston Peak- The big peak in the Spring
Mountains is the intended destination for this very strenuous 17 mile hike
gaining over 4,200 feet in net elevation
along Trail Canyon Trail and North Loop Trail. At 11,918 feet above sea level,
those who reach the top will be standing on the highest point in southern Nevada and be afforded a
very extensive view in all directions. Participants need to be in excellent
shape to attempt this hike and need to carry lots of water and electrolytes in
addition to food. Meet the other participants at Santa Fe Station for a
departure at 5:30 AM. Coordinator- Steve Anderson
Wednesday, September 16th, Raintree & Wild Horse Canyon- The elevation gain
on this moderately
strenuous 6 mile hike is around 1,600 feet as the group visits one of the
oldest bristlecone pines in the Spring Mountains. On the return leg the group will
divert into a shady canyon with a small creek and an abundance of aquatic
plants and finish through a split rock
formation. Pace will be moderate and the
group will stay together. Assembly will be
at Santa Fe Station with an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey
Wednesday, September 16th, Mount Charleston Area- We will decide on
route (easy to moderate) based on the participants interest. The pace will
be easy to moderate. We will go so slowly that few stops will be
needed. I also want to stress that on my hikes the group will
stay together. Depart Santa Fe Station at 6:30 AM. Coordinator- Pam Washington
Thursday, September 17th, South Sister (10,175’)- Standard approach from the Lower Bristlecone
Trailhead. Just over 5 miles with 2,000 feet vertical. Steep terrain with
a short Class 3 section near the summit. Moderately strenuous hike, allegro
(fast) pace. Depart Santa Fe
Station 7:30 AM. Coordinator- Michael O’Connor
Friday, September 18th, Mormon Girl's Camp- Join the group and test your
agility and balance on the rope bridge over the creek and the east end of the
girl's camp on this moderate 5 mile loop hike. The bulk of the
hike follows either paved or gravel roads but there is some significant
off-trail scrambling involved descending the ridge into the camp. Along the way we will visit some
historic cabins on the east flank of Mummy Mountain. Pace will be moderate with a snack break in
the camp. Departure will be at 8:00 AM for
Santa Fe Station. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Saturday, September 19th, Lower Mud Springs Loop- This will be an exploratory strenuous hike
which will connect both sides of the lower portion of the larger Mud Springs
Loop. We will park on Mack's Canyon Road just past the Sisters Spur Road and
make our way down to the nice Mud Springs Trail. The hike will travel in a CCW
direction passing by Mud Springs for our snack break. There is quite a bit of
undulation along the trail so our 9 to 10 miles will have around 2500 feet of
gross elevation gain. Meet at the Santa Fe Station for an 8:00 AM departure.
Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Saturday, September 19th, Eagle's Nest / Fletcher Canyon- 6 miles; 1, 000 feet of elevation gain;
moderate pace.
Plan on approximately 3.5 - 4 hours to complete this hike. There is no exposure
on this hike but the upper part of Fletcher Canyon trail has some short but steep
sections. Other sections have small boulders that need to be climbed. From the
Fletcher Canyon pullout, we will proceed up to the well-marked turn to hike Eagle's
Nest Loop, then reconnect to Fletcher Canyon trail and proceed up to Obstacle
Rock for our break. The group will assemble at Santa Fe Station for an 8:00
AM departure. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Saturday, September 19th, Mary Jane Falls- This moderate out-and-back trek will visit one of
the major drainage sites along the north ridge between Mount Charleston and
Mummy Mountain. The pace will be leisurely. We will go so slowly that few stops will be
needed. I also want to stress that on my hikes the group will
stay together. Elevation gain is 920 feet with most of it in a
section of twelve switchbacks. Total distance
is 3 miles. Departure for this
group from Santa Fe Station will be at 8:30 AM. Coordinator- Pam Washington
Sunday, September 20th, Fletcher
Peak via Raintree- This hike from the
Trail Canyon Trailhead to top of Fletcher Peak is for seasoned hikers . We will stop and re-group at the junction of
Trail Canyon Trail and North Loop and again at Raintree to allow the last hikers to catch up. The
break will be at the top of Fletcher Peak.
Hike is a strenuous 9 mile out-and-back hike that will likely take 5 to
6 hours to complete. There will be 3,500 feet of total elevation gain from the
trailhead to Fletcher Peak. Depart at 7:00 AM from Santa Fe Station.
Coordinator- Stephen Newell
Sunday, September 20th, Cottonwood Pass Loop- This early morning hike with an elevation
gain of about 1,000 feet will be a moderate 6-mile loop outing in South Cottonwood
Valley. The trek will start from the gravel parking area south of Highway 160
also used for Badger Pass. It will follow a combination of dirt roads and
trails toward Mount Potosi and loop past Cottonwood Pass on the Goodsprings
Road before heading back to the vehicles on the Deadhorse Trail in Red Valley. Meet
the coordinator and leave from the gas station on Highways 159 and 160 at 6:00
AM. The hike will begin at the
trailhead around 6:15 AM. Coordinator- David Hardy.
Monday, September 21st, Calico Hills Scramble- This will be an exploratory hike (destination
unknown) in the 4 mile range with a moderate pace. You must be comfortable
with scrambling and up to Class 3 exposure, so if you’re adventurous
join me at Red Spring picnic area at 7:00 AM. Coordinator- Steve Allen
Tuesday, September 22nd, Mummy’s Nose (10,748’)- The trailhead is the construction pull-out on
SR #156 just above the Deer Creek Road junction. A short 4 miles, but with a
precipitous 2,800 vertical feet of climb. Do the math. Very steep terrain,
loose rocks. We’ll ascend the Class 3 chute to
the summit and loop back down Rita’s Ridge. Very strenuous
hike, lively pace. Depart Santa Fe Station 7:30 AM. Coordinator- Michael O’Connor
Wednesday, September 23rd, Old Town to Kyle Canyon Visitor
Center- This will be a point-to-point
hike covering a distance of about 6 miles and will require a few extra cars to
accommodate returning drivers
to the starting point, which will be at the Elementary School in Old Town. Before arriving at the Visitor
Center we will climb above the cliffs to the south on the Escarpment
Trail hiking eastward. Although the climb
is reasonably short, it is fairly steep getting to the views on the top. Meet at Santa Fe Station for an 8:30
AM departure. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Thursday, September 24th, Fletcher Canyon via Acastus Trail- Hopefully, the third time will
be the charm as this moderate 8-mile out-and-back hike has been rained out
twice. It starts at the new visitor
center and follows the wash upstream to the highway crossing for the Fletcher
Canyon Trail. Then, it continues up the trail to the slot canyon and Obstacle
Rock. Those who wish can climb through
the rabbit hole to see the upper narrows. This will be a group hike at a moderate pace. Departure from Santa Fe Station
will be at 8:00 AM. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Friday, September 25th, Rattlesnake Canyon- Located close to
Willow Springs on the north end of the main Red Rock Canyon area is
an obscure side canyon that offers pure boulder scrambling for its entire
length. The canyon gets its name from a
long ago outing of the Buffet Boys during which a rattlesnake was encountered
sunning itself on one of the large boulders close to the main route. Rated as
moderately strenuous with an out-and-back distance of 4 miles, this hike
reaches a terraced area somewhat at the base of the ridge leading to sandstone
North Peak on the escarpment. Departure will be from Red Rock Casino at 7:00
AM. Coordinator- Steve Allen
Saturday, September 26th, Raintree via North Loop- The standard out-and-back route from the
trailhead along Deer Creek Road to Raintree will find the group
covering a distance of 6 miles while gaining 1,600 feet of elevation. The group will
depart from Santa Fe Station at 7:00 AM. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Saturday, September 26th, Upper
Bristlecone Trail- This moderate outing through the forest of upper Lee Canyon
is somewhat long at close to 5 miles and there is about 800 feet of elevation
gain, but we will assume a leisurely pace to accommodate those
who want to enjoy the sights and smells of the great outdoors. The out-and-back route will
start at the top of Lee Canyon with the snack break occurring at the junction
with the Bonanza Trail. The assembled group will leave
at 8:30 AM from Santa Fe Station. Coordinator- Chris
Dempsey.
Sunday, September 27th, Big Falls Overlook- This strenuous out-and-back hike for seasoned
hikers utilizes Trail Canyon to access North Loop Trail, then turns left
heading toward Mount Charleston. A broad ledge a couple thousand feet above the
floor of Kyle Canyon provides a dramatic view of Big Falls and the folded
strata that make up much of the south ridge leading to Charleston. The
interpretive sign at this spot might still be there. Total distance of the hike
is around 9 miles and elevation gain is about 3,000 feet. The pace will be
fairly quick with one rest break and regrouping at the Trail Canyon saddle. The
other rest stop (and snack time) will be at the turn-around point: the overlook
itself. Some hikers may opt to take another rest break on the return segment at
the saddle again. Depart at 7:00 AM from Santa Fe
Station. Coordinator- Stephen Newell
Sunday, September 27th, Canyon #3 Loop- This moderately strenuous hike of 5-6 miles
will begin from Blue Diamond into a canyon in the Blue Diamond Hill and top out
on the plateau above. We will find our way down a ridge between Canyon #1 and
#2 back into Blue Diamond. There will be lots of scrambling in the lower part
of the canyon at the beginning. The main assembly point will be the gravel
parking lot on the right side of the entrance road to the community of Blue
Diamond just past the bridge where you will meet the coordinator at 6:30 A.M.
Around 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Coordinator-
David Hardy
Monday, September 28th, Cliff Rose Rim Trail- This trail is another of the new
ones developed by the U. S. Forest Service to provide more recreational
opportunities in the vicinity of the new Lower Kyle Canyon Visitor Center. It is an out-and-back trail proceeding in an
east-west direction on the south side of Kyle Canyon Road. The visitor guide indicates
the distance to be 3 miles in one direction, meaning we will hike a total of 6
miles for the day. Elevation change
is unknown, but the brochure labels this as more difficult (for the general
public) which probably means moderate for us. Pace for this hike will be
moderate and the group will stay together with periodic water stops. Group departure will be from
Santa Fe Station at 8:30 AM. Coordinator- Chris
Dempsey.
Tuesday, September 29th, Bonanza Trail- In round numbers this hike is 15 miles, 6-8
hours, and 3,500 ft gross gain going S-N and 4000 ft going N-S. It is strenuous, something like
a Mt. Charleston hike, but some say tougher because two
significant climbs are required. There is no exposure. We start one group
from the North and one group from the South after swapping car keys at Santa Fe…to be swapped
again when we cross paths. The road to the
Bonanza peak trailhead (Cold Creek) in the North needs high clearance vehicles. It is a very good, scenic trail
up among the bristlecone pines. Because of the
complexity of the car arrangements you MUST
pre-register for this hike by emailing Brian Dodd (briandodd@cox.net) at least the
week beforehand. Let me know your
preferred direction and whether you have a high clearance vehicle you are
willing for someone else to drive to the trailhead. I will be leading
the group going from North to South, so we’ll need someone else to commit to lead the S-N group. Coordinator- Brian
Dodd
Tuesday, September 29th, Keystone Thrust Loop- This easy to moderate loop hike
at a leisurely pace covers 3.5 miles with about 700 feet of elevation gain.
Starting from the parking lot just past mile post 6 on the scenic loop road,
the trail starts with a moderate climb to Cactus Hill, then turns east and
descends into the Keystone Canyon Overlook. The Keystone Thrust Fault is one of
the only places on earth where you can see two exposed tectonic plates with the
limestone, which forms the crown of Cactus Hill, sitting directly on top of
sandstone that is some 400 million years younger. The hike then descends
through a wash with some minor scrambling to complete the loop. The group will
depart at 8:30AM from Red Rock Casino. Coordinator – Tony Fountain
Wednesday, September 30th, Extended Arnight Knoll Loop- The end of summer should bring
somewhat lower temperatures to Red Rock, but a fairly early start is still
advised to avoid any potential mid-day heat. Let's meet a Red Rock Casino for a 7:00 AM departure
to the gravel parking lot at the exit of the scenic drive back onto the highway. In addition to the
named trails, this hike incorporates part of the Oak Creek Trail and a social
trail or two and covers a distance of 6 miles. We will be keeping the group
together and hiking at a steady moderate pace to get finished by mid-morning. Coordinator
- Chris Dempsey.
Wednesday, September 30th, Cathedral Rock- A moderate 3 mile
out-and-back hike gaining 950 feet of elevation to a rock outcropping
with a magnificent view of the entire length of Kyle Canyon. The pace will
be leisurely. We will go so slowly that few stops will be
needed. I also want to stress that on my hikes the group will
stay together. Departure time from Santa Fe Station will be at 8:30 AM. Coordinator- Pam Washington
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