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 August schedule includes hikes in the Red Rock Canyon area (including
Cottonwood Valley) and the Mountain Charleston area. Below is information
regarding our meeting locations for each of these destinations. There are different assembly points for Lake Mead hikes depending on
whether those hikes are on the north or south sides of the lake. Meeting locations for hikes in any other areas will be specified in the
appropriate hike description.
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
Lake Mead South. For all hikes on the south side of the lake the
general meeting spot will be near the large outdoor sign in front of the
Henderson Fiesta Casino. Henderson Fiesta is located on Lake Mead Parkway just
east of the junction of I-215 and I-515. Lake Mead
Parkway is the eastbound extension of I-215. There will also be an earlier
assembly point for west side participants at the Red Rock Casino, with
directions above, and there could be local stopping points after the group
leaves Henderson Fiesta. Those stopping points will be detailed in the
appropriate hike descriptions.
Lake Mead North. For hikes on the north side of the lake the early west
side collection point will be on the top level of the parking garage at Rampart Casino rather
than at Red Rock Casino. Rampart Casino at the Resort at Summerlin (a J. W.
Marriot property) is located on Rampart Boulevard just south of Summerlin
Parkway.
The garage is located on the northeast side of the casino and is four
stories in height. The best route from Rampart to the general meeting
location is Summerlin Parkway to Highway 95 to I-15 north to eastbound Lake
Mead Boulevard.
The
general assembly point will be
in the parking lot behind the CVS Pharmacy located on the southeast corner of
the intersection of Lake Mead Boulevard and Hollywood. There will
also be a secondary pickup point at the pullout area close to Mile Marker 4 on the
eastbound side of Northshore
Road for south side
participants not using the CVS Pharmacy location.
Valley of Fire. For hikes in the state park northeast of Las Vegas the
general assembly point will be in the parking lot of Lucky Cub Casino. The Lucky Club
Casino is located on the northeast corner of the junction of I-15 and Cheyenne
Road along Cheyenne. If traveling northbound on I-15 and using the Cheyenne
exit, it is necessary to cross several lanes of traffic quickly and access the
left turn lane to get in to the property off the first side
street.
West
side participants can meet early and carpool from the top level of the parking
garage at Rampart Casino. Information on that location is specified in the above
paragraph.
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. As two of our prime considerations on any hike are safety and enjoyment,
it is important that each
participant have the capability of completing any advertised hike at the pace published by the
coordinator.
Hikers new to our
club must begin with one of the leisurely hikes offered on the monthly schedule. After they have gained sufficient experience, have been able to assess their abilities relative to the group, and have had a chance to interact with our coordinators, they will be free to start
moving up to more difficult hikes. New hikers who are guests of existing members may initially participate
in other than leisurely hikes, but must be accompanied by the existing member
who will take responsibility for their safety if the situation demands.
Hike coordinators
will have the right to reject any hiker, whether new to the club or an existing
member, if they believe that such person's participation would infringe on the
ability of the group to conduct the hike as advertised or if overall safety
becomes an issue.
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.
Monday, August 1st,
Devil’s Thumb- A strenuous 13 mile O&B
trek with an elevation gain of 4,200 feet. Pace balanced,
but expect a long day. Depart Santa Fe Station at 6:00AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Tuesday, August 2nd, Mummy Mountain East Route- This is a very strenuous hike using an east side route up to the
summit of Mummy Mountain. Elevation gain is
3,500 feet and the distance is 6 miles. We basically follow the same route up to Mummy’s Toe except that we turn right and follow the ridge of Mummy Mountain
until we reach a very deep scree filled wash. This is the crux of the hike as it is very strenuous to pull yourself up
through this very loose scree. We will ascend this
scree filled wash until we reach a small ledge which leads us to a pinch point
up to a large ledge directly along a line of cliffs below the summit. After hiking along this ledge we find another wash up to the summit. There is a small amount of class 3 exposure on the small ledge above the
scree filled wash. Depart Santa Fe Station at 7:30 AM. Coordinator-
Jerry Thomas
Thursday, August 4th, Willow Peak (9967’)- Susan Murphy recently did this hike. She was on the trail
for just under 10 hours, logging over 11 miles
with 4400 vertical feet. She recommends long pants and
shirt. Color this one very strenuous.
Charlestonesque. From the Bonanza Trailhead in Cold Creek, it’s a
series of never-ending switchbacks to the
Bonanza Saddle. The demanding portion of the hike starts here
as we traipse ‘round the corner’ to embark on an
arduous two-mile traverse to the seldom visited peak. It’s
rugged, off-piste, Class 3 terrain. Lots of
water for this puppy as it has all the trappings of a long day.
Depart the Santa Fe Station at 6:00 AM.
Coordinator- Michael O’Connor
Friday, August 5th, Red Springs- Most of the route
for this moderate 5-mile out-and-back hike will be in the shade as the group
will start from Red Springs and go around the south end of the Calico Hills as
far as Calico II Overlook utilizing the canyon between the sandstone hills and
the scenic drive as much as possible. Elevation gain of 600 feet. The
coordinator will be at Red Springs Picnic area for a 5:45 AM start of the hike. If anyone plans to carpool from Red Rock Casino they
should leave that assembly point at 5:30 AM. If the gate of the picnic
area is not open that early there is plenty of parking just outside along the
road. Coordinator- David Hardy
Sunday, August 7th, Blue Diamond Ridges-This early morning hike on the hill across from Red Rock Canyon will
cover a distance up to 7 miles starting from the Cowboy Stables parking lot
along Highway 159. Elevation gain up to 1400 feet. 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 Las Vegas Overlook. Rating should be moderate
or a bit more. Participants will gather at Red Rock Casino and leave for the
stables at 5:30 AM. The coordinator will meet them at the stables for a 5:45 AM start to the hike. Coordinator- David Hardy.
Monday, August 8th, McCullough Trail- This 6 mile hike is generally rated as moderate. Although the
terrain is somewhat rolling, there are no long and steep sections to be
negotiated. An early group should assemble at Red Rock Casino for a
6:45 AM departure to join the coordinator and other south side
participants in the parking lot of Walgreens Drug located at the corner of
Eastern and Sunridge Parkway. The entire group will leave there at 7:30 AM for the trailhead. Coordinator- Richard
Hansen.
Tuesday, August 9th, Stanley B Mine and Springs- This leisurely hike is less than 3 miles with less than 900
feet of elevation gain. The route visits an old mine and spring in a canyon
across from the Rainbow community in Kyle Canyon. There will be minimal
scrambling going up the initial wash. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for an 8:30
AM departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Wednesday,
August 10th, Raintree via Hummingbird Gulch Loop- Traditional trek that was last hiked in 2014. Distance 5-6 miles, elevation gain of 2,800
feet. Strenuous with some exposure in the gulch’s scrambling section. Shuttle will be required as our return will
be on the North Loop Trail. Depart Santa Fe Station at 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Thursday, August 11th, AtBF Canyon Loop – This loop,
premiered last year by Chris, utilizes a very interesting canyon that is seldom
hiked. To shorten the moderately
strenuous loop, we will start at the Upper Showgirl Trailhead, take the
Trough Trail down to Telephone Canyon, connect again with the Showgirl Trail
then drop into the AtBF Canyon. The return has an elevation gain of around 1500
feet. The new route will be 8 miles. Prepare for some bushwhacking and
scrambling up the canyon. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:30 AM departure. Coordinator – Kay
Blackwell
Saturday, August 13th, Mud / Mack Loop CW- This loop of 7 miles is moderate with 1,500
feet of elevation gain. Beginning at the Sawmill Trailhead, we will connect
with Mack’s Canyon Road. Two miles on the road will take us to the junction
with the Mud Springs Loop which, in turn, returns us to the trailhead. Meet at
the Santa Fe Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Sunday, August 14th, McFarland Approach- The next training hike is strenuous and the 11 miles with 3,400 feet
of elevation gain will be done at a moderately strenuous pace. We will leave
the Upper Bristlecone Trailhead and ascend the No Name Trail. From there, the
Bonanza Trail will take us to the McFarland Peak Trail junction. The
Bristlecone Trail will be taken on the return. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for
a 7:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Monday, August 15th, Robbers Roost/Trough
Trail/Telephone Canyon Loop – A winding trail
trek in the “north” area of Deer Creek off of Hwy 158. Moderate hike with expectations of a possible
steep climb. Distance 3.5 miles, elevation gain of 1,300 feet. Great views. Depart Santa Fe Station at 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Tuesday, August 16th, Fletcher Canyon-
We will meet at Santa Fe Casino and depart for the trailhead on the Kyle Canyon
road at 8:00 AM.
The hike will be a leisurely out-and-back hike to the obstacle rock.
Total distance will be about 4 miles with an elevation gain of 450 feet.
Coordinator- Roger Hembree
Tuesday, August
16th, South Sister from Mack’s Canyon- This hike will
start from the drivable end of the Mack’s Canyon Road. We will continue
up the road until turning left to follow a seasonal stream and then go up a
ridge that leads to the ridge that is southwest of the South Sister. From
there we follow the standard route to the very steep slope that takes us to the
top. After the peak rest stop we will take a short detour to the
overlook that looks out over Lee Canyon.
Like the other routes to the South Sister, this one will offer about
1,800 foot of climb and be about 5 miles long and is rated as strenuous.
Meet the group at Santa Fe Station for a 7:30 AM departure. Coordinator- Paul Eckhart
Wednesday,
August 17th, Stanley B Mines/Springs O&B - Using the old access road, this
will be the traditional leisurely trek of 2.5 miles, elevation gain of 900
feet. Depart Santa Fe Station at
7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Thursday, August 18th, Big Falls
/ Mary Jane Falls- For a change in scenery, this moderately
strenuous hike will climb up to Big Falls, crossover to the old Mary Jane
Falls trail, climb up to this waterfall, then descend down the "new"
Mary Jane Falls trail. The hike is 5 miles with 1700 feet of elevation gain.
Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:30 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay
Blackwell
Friday,
August 19th, North Loop Trail High Point Corner Overlook- New O&B
hike to this AtBF map landmark that is just above the meadow and North Loop switchbacks. Moderately strenuous. Distance- 4.5 miles.
Elevation gain 1,500 feet. Depart Santa Fe Station at 7:00
AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Saturday, August
20th, Champion Road Loop- Distance 3.5 miles with an elevation gain of 600 feet. Moderate as
the route mostly follows the 4X4 road. One steep
area considered strenuous. Depart Santa Fe Station at 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Saturday, August 20th, Bristlecone Trail O&B-
The standard hike at the top of Lee Canyon covers a distance of 5 miles and
gains around 800 feet of elevation. For this hike we will be parking in
the upper trailhead lot and proceed to the junction of the Bonanza Trail. The
pace will be leisurely. Meet at the Santa Fe Station by 8:30AM.
Coordinator- Judy Warner
Sunday, August 21st, Charleston Peak- The day has arrived! This will be a very strenuous hike at
moderately strenuous pace up to the 11,918' peak in the Spring Mountains
NRA. If the coordinator does not know you, you will not be allowed on the
sign-in sheet. If you are a moderate hiker that has not been participating on
the training hikes, you will not be allowed on the sign-in sheet. 17 miles.
4,800 feet elevation gain. Aiming for 10 hours. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for
a 5:30 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Sunday, August 21st, Canyon #3 Loop- A moderately
strenuous hike 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 6:00 AM. Those carpooling from Red Rock Casino should depart by
5:35 AM. Around 1000 feet elevation
gain, 5-6 miles. Coordinator - David Hardy 5 miles
Monday, August 22nd, McCullough Hills Trail- 4 miles, gentle grade, easy to moderate pace. West side hikers can meet at Red Rock Casino at 6:45 AM and head to the trailhead
where the coordinator will be. Take 215 South, cross over 15 and continue east
until 215 merges with 93/95/515 exit and turn right on Horizon,
turn left on Horizon Ridge and follow the road around to the right and turn
right on east Mission up the hill and turn into the parking area. We will leave
upon the arrival of the hikers from the west side. The hike will start around 7:30
AM. Please call Richard Hansen at (206) 965-0083 and let him know when you are leaving. Coordinator- Richard Hansen
Tuesday, August 23rd, Kraft Mountain South Gully/Slot #1- A short but challenging loop route(3 miles) featuring a descent of an
obscure slot canyon on the north side of
Kraft Mountain. Lot's of Class 2-3
scrambling. Ascent via a south gully. Expect 3 hours. Meet at the gravel parking
area at the terminus of Sandstone Drive in the Calico Basin for a 7:00 AM
departure. Coordinator- Steve Allen
Wednesday,
August 24th, Middle Deer Creek Canyon O&B-
This is a trail route in the desert scrub of the lower area off of Lee
Canyon Road, MM 10.5. Moderately
strenuous. Distance 7.5 miles, elevation gain 1,400 feet. Depart Santa Fe Station at 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David
Gray
Thursday, August 25th, Stanley B / Fletcher
Canyon- This is a moderately strenuous hike. The climb
up through the canyon above Stanley B Mine is quite formidable but the effort
becomes worth your while as you descend through the magical upper reaches of
Fletcher Canyon. Be prepared for sliding through the slippery rabbit hole at
Obstacle Rock. The 6 mile route begins and ends at the Fletcher Canyon
Trailhead. There are 1,800 feet of elevation gain. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino
for a 7:30 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Friday, August 26th, Blue Diamond Canyon 4B- Avoiding the heat of the day will be one of the main objectives for
this short out-and-back hike into a canyon on the south end of Blue Diamond
Hill. It's not a long hike at around 3 - 4 miles but it does involve a
considerable amount of scrambling in the upper section, resulting in an overall
rating of moderate with an elevation gain of 600 feet. 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. Starting time for the hike will
be at 6:00 AM so participants
carpooling from Red Rock Casino will have to leave there by 5:40 AM. Coordinator- David Hardy
Friday,
August 26th, Orange Trail Point to Point - This trek was first done by the
club last year. It is a point to point hike that begins at the upper Deer Creek
area on 158 and hikes down to MM 10.5 on Lee Canyon Road. Shuttle required. Moderately strenuous. Elevation drop of 2,100
feet. Gain of 500 feet. Depart Santa Fe Station at 7:00
AM.
Coordinator- David Gray
Saturday, August 27th, North Loop / Wild Horse
Canyon - This leisurely hike up the North Loop
Trail is 4 miles with around 1,000 feet of elevation gain. We will take a break
at the meadows then descend through beautiful Wild Horse Canyon. Meet at the
Santa Fe Casino for an 8:30 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Sunday, August 28th, Showgirl / Robbers' Roost
Lp Exploratory- This moderate exploratory loop will begin at the upper Showgirl trailhead and wind
its way down and up to Robbers' Roost. The return will be using a different
route. There will be approximately 6 miles with around 1,300 feet of elevation
gain. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:30 AM departure. Coordinator-
Kay Blackwell
Sunday, August 28th, Red Springs- Most of the route
for this moderate 5-mile out-and-back hike will be in the shade as the group
will start from Red Springs and go around the south end of the Calico Hills as
far as Calico II Overlook utilizing the canyon between the sandstone hills and
the scenic drive as much as possible. Elevation gain 600 feet. The coordinator
will be at Red Springs Picnic area for a 6:15 AM start of the hike. If anyone plans to carpool from Red Rock Casino they
should leave that assembly point at 6:00 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, August 29th Harris Road Slots O&B- This trek will only happen if
there are no signs prohibiting the hike. Moderate traditional, very unique trek
that is just over 6 miles with minimal elevation changes in the lower Kyle
Canyon area. Depart Santa Fe Station at 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Tuesday, August 30th, Lee Canyon Chairlift
(~9400’) From Upper Bristlecone, it’s a bit of an exploratory. Let’s check out the ski
area and take it to the top of Chair One (the long chair). Perhaps a bit beyond
if we’re feeling spunky. A strenuous undertaking due to the
steepness of the terrain. Mileage and elevation gain will be directly proportional
to our sense of adventure. Depart the Santa Fe Station at 7:00 AM. Coordinator- Michael
O’Connor
Tuesday, August 30th, Sawmill Wiggles Loop-
This moderate
hike begins near the Blue Tree Campground on Lee Canyon Road. It follows an old
road up to the Sawmill Trailhead where we will take our break, then uses the
Sawmill Trails to return. The loop is 5 miles with around 900 feet of elevation
gain. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator-
Kay Blackwell
Wednesday,
August 31st, Mack’s Canyon Road O&B- The gravel
route that leads to the South/North Sisters offers a unique trek into one of
the prettiest spots in Lee Canyon where the peaks meet the desert scrub
country. Moderately strenuous. Distance
of 4.5 miles plus as we may take time to go up the Sisters Spur Road a
bit. Elevation change of just over 1,000
feet. Depart Santa Fe Station at
7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
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