August 2018 Hike List

Wednesday, August 1st, Cockscomb Ridge – Even though it's more moderately strenuous because of the 1800 feet of elevation gain, the pace will be slow and steady, so let’s call it moderate. We hike up Trail Canyon to the saddle and then hike up and along the ridge to the base of Cockscomb Peak. This ridge hikes along a spine to the base of Cockscomb. With views of the Charleston, Griffith, Mummy Mountain, and Fletcher peaks, Fletcher Canyon and Bristlecone Pine trees, this is one of my favorite hikes. Depart the Santa Fe Casino at 7:00 AM. Coordinator - Lettie Gutierrez

Thursday, August 2nd, South Loop 3rd Overlook - This moderately strenuous hike will be 6.5 miles with 2100 feet of elevation gain. Pace will be moderate and steady. We will climb the South Loop Trail from its trailhead up to the 29th switchback where we will enjoy a fantastic view of Charleston Peak. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:00 AM departure. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell

Friday, August 3rd, Upper Kyle Canyon Wash/Shuttle- It’s a nice trek down through some pretty scenery and history of the canyon. Rated moderate, distance is 4.47 miles. Elevation Descent- 1183 feet - TH- Echo Trail parking lot- Depart the Santa Fe by 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray

Saturday, August 4th, Old Deer Creek Road/Champion Ridge - This easy moderate hike is 4 miles (if you stretch it a little bit!) There is only 650 feet of elevation gain but it is mostly accomplished on the return. We begin at the Orange Trailhead and pick up the old Deer Creek dirt road. On the way down to Champion Ridge, we will climb a small Rocky Peak for a great view. Champion Ridge has great views as well and, afterwards, we will take our time returning to the cars. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell

Saturday, August 4th, No Name Loop II – One of the most scenic hikes in Lee Canyon includes wild horses, Aspen, Bristlecone Pines and views. A moderately strenuous hike in Lee Canyon that begins on the Upper Bristlecone Trail. After a mile, we turn onto No Name and tackle the steady uphill section to the saddle. From there we make our way up to the ridge and hike along an up to a shelter where we will take our break. Now it’s down the Bonanza Trail to connect back to the Upper Bristlecone trail. We will then use a horse trail along a ridge to reconnect to Upper Bristlecone. It is 6 miles with 1600+ feet of elevation. My pace will be slow and steady. Depart the Santa Fe at 7:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez

Saturday, August 4th – 11th, Mount Rainer Club Trip – Coordinators: David and Brenda Morrow

Sunday, August 5th, Fletcher Canyon via the Acastus Trail/O&B- One of the best traditional treks for the summer months. Total distance is 9 miles using the parking lot across from the Visitor Center for the TH. Elevation gain is 1300-feet, so it is moderately strenuous. Depart the Santa Fe by 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray

Monday, August 6th, Raintree via Trail Canyon – This moderately strenuous venture is 7.5 miles with 2400 feet of elevation gain. It begins with a formidable climb up Trail Canyon. Then we hike another 1.5 miles to Raintree on the North Loop Trail. A leisurely break will be taken at Raintree if the weather agrees. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:00am departure. Coordinator – Kay Blackwell

Tuesday, August 7th, The Meadow via the North Loop Trail- This is a moderate loop trek of some 4.3 miles via the North Loop to the famous overlook that offers grand views of the desert and surrounding mountains. An elevation gain of 1,329 FT is noted given the somewhat steep terrain of the initial route up. We’ll take our break on the logs here. To finish our trek, we’ll drop down through the dense pines on Cactus Jack & Wild Horse Ridge, then pick up the Cougar Ridge Road to exit through the Deer Creek Picnic Area. Depart the Santa Fe by 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray

August 8-12th, Central Nevada Backpack: Twin Rivers Loop and Arc Dome - This area has been described as one of "deep, rugged canyons, high bald peaks, elk and wet feet." The trip begins on the North Twin River, near Carver, about an hour’s drive northeast of Tonopah, at an elevation around 6300 ft. After arriving at the trailhead, we will hike in 2 or 3 miles to our first camp. The next day we will hike around another 5 miles and camp. On day 3 we do a day hike (bring a day-pack) to the top of 11773 ft. Arc Dome, 12 miles r/t with 4100 ft. elevation gain. Day 4 sees the start down South Twin, with a camp after several miles. The last day is the hike out. Total with backpacks is 16 miles and 3000 ft. of elevation gain. Limit 12. RSVP to David Hardy 702-875-4826 hardyhikers@embarqmail.com email preferred.

Wednesday, August 8th, North Loop Exploration – Our moderate hike today will ascend North Loop to the meadow where we will take our break. On the way down, we will explore 3-4 ridges using any game trails or just exploring. It will be between 4-5 miles with about 700 feet of elevation. My pace is on the slow side of moderate and steady. We will begin at the Deer Creek picnic turnout and hike the trail around to the spur trail to North Loop. Depart the Santa Fe at 7:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez

Thursday, August 9th, South Sister Saddle Loop via Lower Bristlecone Trail - This will be a moderately strenuous hike at a moderate pace. It is 7.5 miles with 1600 feet of elevation gain. We will begin at the Lower Bristlecone Trailhead and hike up to the Bonanza Trail junction. Next, we hike out the Bonanza Trail to the Sisters Ridge. From there, we will hike down the ridge to the South Sister Saddle and then on down the trail returning to the cars with a short hill climb back to the Lower Bristlecone. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:00 AM departure. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell

Friday, August 10th, Mack’s Canyon Road & Beyond- Exploratory to check out the base of the peak, distance over to Barren Ridge. Moderately strenuous with a total distance of 10 miles and 1,000 feet of elevation. TH- Sawmill parking lot. Depart the Santa Fe by 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray

Saturday, August 11th, Upper Showgirl Loop - This easy moderate 5-mile loop only has 650 feet of elevation gain. It begins at the Juniper Trailhead off Angel Peak Road. We will take a leisurely pace among the trees and visit a unique overlook. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell

Sunday, August 12th, Stanley B/Fletcher Canyon – Starting at the Fletcher Canyon parking lot, we take the wash trail up to the Stanley B TH and climb up to the ridge past the mine. After winding our way down and across the washes on the other side, we drop into Fletcher Canyon and hike out through the rabbit hole. Rated moderate strenuous. Distance is 6 miles with 1700 feet of elevation. Depart the Santa Fe by 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray

Tuesday, August 14th, Hummingbird Gulch to Raintree O&B- A strenuous trek up a steep and unique area to the famous landmark tree. Beware: One area of Class III scrambling. Distance is 4.0 miles with 2,200 feet of elevation. TH- Hummingbird pull off along Deer Creek Road just before Robbers Roost. Depart the Santa Fe by 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray

Wednesday, August 15th, South Loop 1st Overlook from Echo Falls Trail O/B – A moderate hike of 5-6 miles and 1200 feet of elevation gain. We begin at the Echo Falls parking lot and hike over to the South Loop trail. A steady yet slower pace will take us all the way up to the 1st Overlook where we will take our break. Enjoy the views and scenery among the Bristlecone Pine trees before returning to the cars. Depart the Santa Fe at 7:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez

Thursday, August 16th, Black & White Sisters - This 4-mile hike is rated somewhere between moderately strenuous and strenuous. There is 1600 feet of steep elevation gain in that short distance. It begins from the Sisters Spur Road turnoff from Macks Canyon Road so high clearance vehicles are recommended. At the top of the Sisters Ridge, we will have the opportunity to climb onto the huge rock of Black Sister then mosey over to White Sister for more views and photos. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:00AM departure. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell

Friday, August 17th, Red Springs - This early morning hike will save a drive to the mountains. 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 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. The coordinator will be at Red Springs Picnic Area for a 6:00 AM start. If the gate of the picnic area is not open that early, there is plenty of parking just outside along the road. Easy to moderate pace. Coordinator - David Hardy

Friday, August 17th, McFarland Peak Approach O&B- This will be a strenuous trek of 11.3 miles with an elevation gain of 3,392 feet that offers the best of the Bonanza Trail. We’ll take our break at the turn-around point, the gulch area which offers great views from MT Charleston back over to the Pahrump range and beyond. Our trailhead will be the Upper Bristlecone Trail parking lot. The trail route will take us up the Upper Bristlecone, onto the No Name, and then over to Bonanza. We’ll return to the trailhead via the switchbacks on the lower section of the Bonanza Trail, then back onto the Upper Bristlecone trek. Depart the Santa Fe by 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray

Saturday, August 18th, Mummy Junction O&B – Our moderately strenuous hike begins on Trail Canyon then turns onto North Loop. We hike past Cave Springs and up several switchbacks to the “M” tree at the base of the infamous scree field. Enjoy the views and scenery. My pace will be steady yet on the slow side of moderate. It’s 7 miles with over 1500 feet of elevation gain. Depart the Santa Fe at 7:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez

Saturday, August 18th, Robbers' Roost to Stepladder Trailhead - This easy moderate hike is one of those downhill shuttle hikes. But first(!), we will climb up to Robbers' Roost. After returning to the trailhead, we will take trails all the way down to the Stepladder Trailhead located across from the Visitor Center. The entire hike will be 4 miles with 300 feet of elevation gain. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell

Sunday, August 19th, Cathedral Rock and Manhole OB – A moderate to moderately strenuous hike of 5 miles and over 1200 feet of elevation gain is on for today. My pace is steady yet slower than moderate. We begin at Echo trailhead and use a spur trail to get to the Cathedral Rock trail. We will hike to the manhole cover along an old forest road and then turn around and hike up to Cathedral. Enjoy views of peaks and the community of Rainbow as we take our break. Depart the Santa Fe at 7:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez

Monday, August 20th, South Loop to the Ridge/Possibly Griffith – A strenuous hike of 9 miles and 3000 feet of elevation. We begin at the trailhead at the Cathedral Rock parking area and even though the trail passes burn areas, there is beautiful scenery and views galore. Meet at the Santa Fe at 7:00 AM. Pace will be moderate,1.5 - 2.0 mph. Coordinator – David and Brenda Morrow

Tuesday, August 21st, Lee Peak via North Ridge – This is a strenuous hike of 6 miles and 2800 ft of elevation gain. We start up the Upper Bristlecone trail and continue up No Name trail and then take the Wallace canyon trail up to the saddle. From there we follow the prominent north ridge all the way to the peak. The ridge will be steep and there will be a few spots of exposed scrambling, class 3, but most of the scrambling will be class 2 on sharp and loose limestone. Meet at Santa Fe Casino at 7:30 AM. Coordinators – Jerry and Cheryl Thomas

Wednesday, August 22nd, South Loop de Loop - This moderate hike will be 4.5 miles with around 1200 feet of elevation gain. Pace will be steady and on the slow side of moderate. We will begin at the Echo Trailhead and take the Echo Trail over to the South Loop. Continuing up, we will turn onto an old abandoned road. Our break will be at the top of the road's hill. After our break, we will continue around on the old road to circle the hilltop. It is an old burn area so there will be a few trees to avoid by bushwhacking. Then we will return the way we came on the South Loop. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:00 AM departure. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez.

Thursday, August 23rd, Window in the Cliff (Willow Arch) - This is a seldom visited large arch near the end of the Spring Mountain Divide ridge. It requires high clearance vehicles to get to the trailhead out of Cold Creek. Then we will be faced with 57 switchbacks to get to the Bonanza Saddle. From there, we bushwhack below the ridge. This bushwhack requires gloves for the sharp limestone. Totals come to 8 miles with 2500 feet of elevation gain. We will only do this strenuous hike if there is no rain predicted. Otherwise, a different hike will be substituted. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:00 AM departure. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell

Friday, August 24th, Big Falls O&B- A challenging moderately strenuous trek of some 4 miles up through the avalanche debris (large logs, limbs, and boulders of all sizes) to the alcove that features a waterfall that’s about 100 feet high. Keep in mind that there’ll be some exposure as we work to get around the 20-foot chockstone that is two thirds of the way up the trail. The overall elevation gain is 900 feet. For parking we’ll be utilizing the Mary Jane Falls Trailhead lot. Depart the Santa Fe by 8:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray

Saturday, August 25th, Wild Horse Canyon/Wild Horse Ridge Loop – An easy-moderate hike of 4 miles that has 600 feet of elevation gain. We begin at the Deer Creek Picnic parking area and hike along a series of trails to the Cougar Ridge parking area. After crossing the road, we catch the shady and scenic Wild Horse Canyon trail up to Cactus Jack then across to Wild Horse Ridge. After our break on the ridge, we hike down the ridge to Cougar Ridge Road and then down the Deer Creek picnic area to the cars. There is a drop down on limestone at the end of the ridge that requires care. Depart Santa Fe at 8:00 AM. Coordinator -Lettie Gutierrez

Saturday, August 25th, Fletcher Peak (up DC, down WHC) - This route for climbing Fletcher Peak is strenuous. We will go up the Deer Creek Trail and Ridge and after peaking out on Fletcher, descend via Wild Horse Canyon. During the 6.5 miles, we will pass Raintree and hike out the Fletcher Peak Trail and back. There will be 2300 feet of elevation gain. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:00 AM departure. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell

Sunday, August 26th, Eagle’s Nest/Fletcher Canyon – A moderate hike of 6 miles and 1100 feet of elevation is a club favorite. Even though I have never seen the Eagle’s Nest, this loop trail has views of the Fletcher Peak ridge. Adding Fletcher Canyon to Obstacle Rock takes us through some different plant zones. My pace will be steady and on the slow side of moderate. Depart the Santa Fe at 7:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez

Monday, August 27th, Orange Trail (P2P) – This is a moderate shuttle hike of 6.5 miles. The mostly downhill hike has only 500 feet of elevation gain and 2100 feet of loss. We will use the wash descent which keeps us in the trees for the first part of the hike. Next, we emerge into the desert terrain for the undulating finish at Lee Canyon Road. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for an 8:00am departure. Coordinator – Kay Blackwell

Tuesday, August 28th, Macks Peak (10,036’) - One of the classic 10k peaks in the Spring Mountains. At the terminus of Macks Canyon Road is a remote campground which doubles as our trailhead. It’s a deceptively short four-mile trudge, but with 1800' vertical gain, it more than merits its strenuous rating. Just below the summit is a steep, scree-laden, Class 3 section. Depart the Santa Fe at 7:30 AM. Coordinator – Michael O’Connor

Wednesday, August 29th, Stanley B Mine Via Acastus Trail Balloon– A moderate hike of 5-6 miles and 700 feet of elevation begins at the Fletcher Canyon parking lot. We walk by the campground and make our way on a trail that parallels the highway. We turn at the Stanley B parking area and hike up to the mine and springs. This is where we take our break. Then it’s back to the cars but we will use a forest road to get back down to the trail that will take us back to our cars. A moderate hike with a slow to moderate and steady pace will be our goal. Depart the Santa Fe at 7:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez

Thursday, August 30th, Blue Diamond Ridges - Don’t want to go to the mountains? Here is a moderate or moderately strenuous early morning hike on the hill across from Red Rock Canyon which will cover a distance up to 7 miles 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 Las Vegas Overlook. The coordinator will meet the hikers at the stables for a 6:00am start to the hike. Coordinator - David Hardy

Thursday, August 30th, Wallace Canyon Overlook – Rate it moderately strenuous with 6 miles and 1400 feet of elevation gain. This hike was done once several years ago so it’s past time to repeat it. Even though the plane has been removed, the site is infamous for the series of crashes that happened during the winter of February 1978. We begin on Upper Bristlecone to No Name to Wallace Trail to the Wallace saddle and then down to the crash site. Then we hike around the ridge and cross over to another ridge following a game trail. There is bushwhacking as we gain our destination, a large rocky outcrop that overlooks the Pahrump Valley. After our break, it’s back to the cars. Depart the Santa Fe at 7:00AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez