The schedule includes hikes in the Red Rock Canyon National
Conservation Area, Lake Mead Recreation Area and Valley of Fire State Park.
Meeting locations for hikes in any other areas will be specified in the hike
description. You can locate detailed information on all locations at the AtBF
blog and in a file at the Yahoo group website. Also, the exposure information
is now located on the blog. Blogsite: www.aroundthebendfriends.com
IMPORTANT NOTE - 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. Times indicated for each
hike are departure times and are strictly observed.
Please pay attention to the difficulty ratings for
each hike offered and do not attempt hikes that are beyond your abilities.
Participants can find additional descriptions about hikes on the blog by
clicking on the Updated Hike Descriptions link and/or using the Search Box
found at the top right of the blog. Members should also contact the coordinator
if they have any concerns or questions about the hike. 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.
It is the responsibility of new members to prove their hiking
ability, therefore, hikers new to our club must begin with one of the easy or
easy to moderate hikes offered on the monthly schedule. After they have gained enough
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 easy or easy moderate 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.
Difficulty Levels
Easy to Moderate- Hikes ranging up to 5 miles and 500 to 700 feet of elevation gain with the potential for some minor trail irregularities.
Moderate- Hikes that have a maximum distance of 7 miles with 800 to 1000 feet of elevation gain.
Moderately Strenuous- Distances of up to 12 miles and/or 1400 to 2400 feet of elevation gain involving less than 25 % of off-trail hiking such as boulder scrambling or bushwhacking.
Strenuous- Longer distances with elevation gain of 2500 to 3000 feet or shorter distances that encompass significant off-trail sections not requiring additional safety equipment.
Saturday, December 1st, Brownstone Canyon / Gateway Canyon - Strenuous; Scrambling; 7.5 miles; 1850’ gain; 8:00 AM - Beginning at the Dirt parking in Calico Basin, we start our hike with the climb up 5-Stop Hill and the subsequent climb/scramble up the limestone part of Gateway Canyon. Entering the colorful sandstone, the scramble continues up the small canyon to the plateau above then down through the “fun” crack to the pictographs. We may take side trips to the petroglyphs or the old dams before returning down Gateway all the way to the bottom. Meet at the dirt parking in Calico Basin for an 8:00 AM start of the hike. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell
Saturday, December 1st, Top of the World
Arch, VOF – Easy to Moderate, 3
miles, 800 ft gain, 8:00 AM. A
joint hike with the Sierra Club. This starts at lot #2 and loops clockwise to
the arch and back down the canyon route. Slow to moderate pace with scrambling
on steep slabs where hands are needed for stability sometimes. Meet at Aliante
at 8:00 AM or VOF visitors center at 9:00 AM. Coordinator - David Morrow
Sunday, December 2,
First Creek Grotto via Valley Loop Trail: moderately strenuous, 6.2 miles, 546’
gain, Class II, 8:00 AM- A
great trek through northern Cottonwood Valley along the sandstone escarpment
offering great views and color as we make our way to a very familiar landmark
where we'll take our break and enjoy the day. Meet at the Scenic Exit Loop by 8:00
AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Sunday, December 2nd,
Late Night Parking - Moderate, 5 miles, 1000’ gain, 8:30 AM. From the trailhead, we follow this loop under the bridge all
the way to Badger Pass and then back around eventually returning to Late
Night. We leave the gas station on
Hwy 159 & 160 at 8:30 AM. Coordinator - David Hardy.
Monday, December 3rd, Turtlehead Jr. (AKA
Red Cap) – Moderately strenuous to strenuous, 3 miles, 900’ gain, 8:00 AM – Even
though it’s short in distance, more than half of it
involves significant scrambling on the sandstone slabs and boulders. There will
be plenty of obstacles to get over or around and some great climbing requiring
use of hands. We will visit some natural tanks that often hold water on the top
of the ridge following the descent from the summit. The backside scramble will take us down to the trail and back to
the cars. Depart Red Rock Casino at 8:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez
Wednesday, December 5th, Potato Knoll – Moderate, 6 miles, 800’ gain, 8:00 AM – Leaving from the dirt lot at the end of the scenic loop, we use a series of trails to get to the top of the knoll. We will use the upper trail to make our way around the east side. There is one steep climb up the trail and sandstone to gain the top. Plenty of views of RRCNCA. Depart Red Rock at 8:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez
Thursday, December 6th,
Blue Diamond Canyon #1 Loop - Moderately Strenuous; Scrambling; 4 miles; 1000’
gain; 8:00 AM - This rarely hiked
canyon begins at the junction of Arroyo Road & SR 159. The canyon scrambles
up to the gypsum mine’s old conveyor belt ruin then loops back down above the
cliffs and back into the canyon. Meet at Red Rock Casino for an 8:00 AM
departure. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell
Friday, December 7,
Grand Arch/North Bowl of Fire O&B: moderately strenuous, 7 miles, elevation
gain- 550 FT estimated, 8:00 AM- This
is the scenic route initially coming up to the west face of the NBF then
turning to the backside to a spectacular 15’ arch and other striking formations
formed by time and erosion. We’ll take our break here. A bit of Class III scrambling
required at times. Meet the coordinator by 8:00 AM at the CVS located at
Hollywood/Lake Mead Drive. North Shore Drive locations- MM 4 by 8:20 AM-
Trailhead- MM 16 by 8:45 AM- Coordinator- David Gray
Saturday, December 8th,
Bootleg Canyon Bike Park West/East Legs Loop - Easy/Moderate, 4.3 miles, 600’ gain, 8:30 AM. The trail begins at the base of the
ziplines on Canyon Road. Coming into Boulder City make a left at the first
stop light onto Veterans Memorial Drive. At the top of the hill it will become
Industrial Road. Continue for about 1 ½ miles until you come to Canyon Road.
You will pass Yucca on the way. Take a left onto Canyon Road and follow it to
the base of the ziplines where the parking is. Meet me here at 8:30 AM so you
need to depart the Fiesta Henderson at 8:00 AM. We will proceed up the West Leg until we get to the junction
at the top where we will have a short break. We then return on the East Leg
Trail back to the cars. If we are lucky maybe some bighorn will show up!
Coordinator - Linda O’Leary
Saturday, December 8th, Beyond Mouse’s Tank, VOF - Register with Rosa ASAP. Moderate. Rosa will send an email to those who register with the meet up information. Ever wonder what was past Mouse’s tank? Come find out. Walking over rough sandstone, we go North from the parking area, then East to a spot that requires a little agility and a bum-slide. Walking through a narrow canyon, we then hike for a while along the sandy Fire Canyon wash. Hiking up a narrow rocky wash takes us to a pretty climb to the break point, our furthest distance from the start. Rolling, rocky terrain brings us past a triple and a double arch before arriving at the back side of Mouse’s tank. On our way back, we’ll point out all the petroglyphs, including some you might not have noticed before. Coordinator – Brian Dodd Sunday, December 9, Prospect Trail O&B: moderately strenuous, 10 miles, 1500’ gain, class 2 scrambling, 8:00 AM- A classic colorful trek up the north side of the VOF sandstone offering great views of the “burning rock.” We’ll take our break at the White Domes area. Some Class III scrambling required here and there. Meet at the Aliante Station Casino, the northwest parking lot area off the main entrance by 8:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Monday, December 10th, Yellow Spire Back Bowl Exploration, VOF – Moderate, 5-6 miles, 8:00 AM - I have not explored the back bowl of yellow spire enough to lead it so this is my chance. About 5-6 miles off trail, moderate pace. Meet Aliante at 8:00 AM or Valley of Fire visitors center at 9:00 AM. Joint hike with Sierra Club. Coordinator – David Morrow
Monday, December 10th, Ash Meadows – Easy, 3 miles, 9:00 AM - This will be an easy leisurely hike. We will leave from the Red Springs Picnic area and travel along the base of the Calico Hills to a spring. This is where we will take our break. Depart the Red Rock at 9:00 AM. Coordinator – Ron and Sandi Hindmarch
Tuesday, December 11th,
Late Night parking to Blue Diamond Strenuous, 8-9 miles, 1200’ gain, 7:00
AM. We
will hike the Late Night Trail from the parking lot and eventually leave it to
take a fainter trail up to the base of the canyons of the Red Rock Bluffs. We
will pass by petroglyphs and two springs, and the mouth of Velvet Canyon, then
on toward Tertiary Ridge which we will follow a trail to the top and follow it
back to where we drop into Blue Diamond. A car shuttle is required so we
need to meet the coordinator at the gravel parking area on the right side of
the entrance road into Blue Diamond at 7:00AM. Coordinator - David Hardy
Wednesday, December 12th, Dale’s/SYMC OB - Moderate,
5-6 miles, 700’ gain, 8:00 AM. This
combo begins at Pine Creek and then connects to Dale’s and then SMYC as we hike
to an overlook. This is another scenic hike along the escarpment. It’s all
trail but there are some uneven sections. After a break, we return to our cars.
Depart Red Rock Casino at 8:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez
Thursday, December 13th, Blue
Diamond Sidewinder - Moderately Strenuous; 7 miles; 1100’ gain; 8:00 AM - A new route for the club using familiar and unfamiliar trails
behind the community of Blue Diamond. The trailhead will be the dirt parking
between Oliver Ranch and the bird sanctuary. When we get up into the hills, we
will hike through the cactus garden, around the sides of two different hills,
plus, pass an old forgotten dam in a wash. Meet at Red Rock Casino for an 8:00
AM departure. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell
Friday, December 14th, Black Mountain Overlook – Moderate, 6 miles, 1200’ gain, 8:30 AM – We begin this hike at the River Mountain Trailhead on U.S. 93 just before St. Jude’s Children’s Ranch. You will turn left into the parking lot. This is a beautiful trail that switchbacks up through the canyon between Red and Black Mountains to the saddle. We continue up to the overlook where we will take a break. Beautiful views of Lake Mead, Boulder City and the Las Vegas Valley. We then return to the cars. Hope to see some bighorn roaming the hills. Always nice to see the wildlife! Meet me at the trailhead at 8:30 AM so you will need to depart the Fiesta Henderson at 8:00 AM. Coordinator – Linda O’Leary Saturday, December 15th, Badger Pass – Easy, 3 miles, 8:30 AM- The starting point for this easy hike is found by driving west on Highway 160 about 6 miles from the intersection with highway 159, then turning left and driving .7 miles on a gravel road to a small parking area on the left. The loop hike climbs about 450 feet along a ridge then descends to Badger Pass. This is a leisurely hike. Meet the coordinators at the Chevron gas station at the intersection of 159 and 160 at 8:30 AM. Coordinators – Ron and Sandi Hindmarch
Saturday, December 15th, Hamblin Mountain – Moderately strenuous, 7 miles, 1400’ gain, 8:00 AM - The trailhead is at MM 18 on Northshore Road in Lake Mead NRA. This gem offers fantastic views of Lake Mead. The route follows a series of washes to a small ridge, crosses the ridge and follows another drainage to the base of the peak. The top section of the peak is jagged with some exposure. This part of the climb is optional. Depart the CVS/Albertson’s parking lot on Hollywood and Lake Mead at 8:00AM. West side hikers should depart the Rampart Casino at 7:20 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez
Sunday, December 16th, Pinto Valley – Moderately strenuous, 8 miles, 800’ gain. Mile marker 18 on the North Shore Road is where this hike begins as we drop into the wash leading to Lake Mead and Hamblin Mountain, in and out the same way with a balloon of about 4 miles. We will be walking through some very colorful sections as well as some narrow places, expect to find fossils. Bring a lunch as well as water. Meet the coordinator at Mile Marker 4 on North Shore Road at 8:00 A.M. Leave the CVS on Hollywood and Lake Mead Blvd at 7:45 AM Coordinator - David Hardy
Sunday, December 16th, Lone Grapevine Springs Loop: moderate, 5 miles, 550’ gain, 8:00 AM- This is a classic trek out to the collection of petroglyphs on ground boulders near the springs at the base of Windy Peak. There are embedded rock and slippery conditions to contend with. Meet the coordinator at Red Rock Casino by 8:00 AM. Trailhead is Late Night parking lot on Hwy 160. Coordinator- David Gray
Monday, December 17th, North Bowl Grand Traverse –
Moderately strenuous, 8 miles, 700’ gain, 8:00 AM – This is a joint hike with the
Sierra Club. This hike is off trail with scrambling. Visit Raven’s Balcony and
traverse west to Elephant Arch and back to the cars. High clearance vehicles
required for 3 miles of wash driving. Meet at the Aliante Casino at 8:00 AM or
MM 4 at 8:45-9:00. Coordinator - David Morrow
Tuesday, December 18th, Calico I & II Peaks –
Strenuous, 6 miles, 2000’ vertical, Class 3 scramble, 8:00 AM. Take it up and
over Guardian Angel Pass. Tackle the steep ascent to Calico II Peak. Drop
down to the big tinaja and continue up to Calico I. Complete the clockwise loop
by bringing it home via Ash Canyon. Depart the Red Spring Boardwalk at
8:00 AM. Coordinator - Michael O’Connor
Tuesday, December 18th,
Ash Canyon Overlook – Easy/moderate, 4 miles, 600’ gain, 8:00 AM. This
hike will take us from Sandstone Quarry parking lot to Rattlesnake Trail along
the north side of the Calico Hills to Ash Canyon Overlook. After the break, we
retrace our steps back to the cars. Meet at the Red Rock Casino at 8:00 AM. Coordinators – Ron and Sandi
Hindmarch
Wednesday, December 19th,
Calico Basin Trail to Calico II – Moderate, 5-6 miles, 700’ gain, 8:00 AM – After parking at the big
wash in Calico Basin, we catch the trail up a ridge and over to the trails to
Calico II. The ridge offers great views of the peaks in RRCNCA and the Calico
Hills. Depart the Red Rock Casino at 8:00 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez
Thursday, December 20th,
Arizona Hot Springs - Strenuous; 6.5 miles; 1100’ gain; 8:00 AM - Come prepared for walking through the hot springs (i.e. water
shoes and shorts or bathing suit). The route descends beautiful White Rock
Canyon and goes along the Colorado River to a break spot on the river shore.
Next, we climb the 20’ ladder up to the hot pools and wade through. (These
pools cannot be circumvented.) From there, we will continue up Hot Springs
Canyon to the dry falls that will have to be negotiated. (One dry fall is ~30’
high and all require use of hands.) The entire loop is 6.5 miles long. Meet at
the Henderson Fiesta Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. West side participants
may leave from Red Rock Casino at 7:20 AM. Coordinator - John Blackwell
Saturday, December 22nd, Calico Tanks Trail – Easy/Moderate, 2.4 miles, 691’ gain, 8:30 AM- This “tinaja” hike is described as the most beautiful short trail in Red Rock Canyon NCA. The trail runs up a canyon and over colorful sandstone slick rock almost to the top of the Calico Hills ridge. Be prepared for some scrambling on sandstone and use of hands over boulders. Great views of the Calico Basin and the Las Vegas Valley. The trailhead is Sandstone Quarry on the Red Rock scenic drive. Depart the Red Rock Casino at 8:30 AM. Coordinator – David Gray
Saturday, December 22nd, Amber Cat Canyon (Gold Butte) - High Moderate; 5 miles; 700’ gain; 7:30 AM - This is a new Gold Butte route for the club. Although the drive is long (1.75 hrs.), high clearance vehicles are not required. The canyon is very colorful and fun to hike through. We will also be looking for Doodlebug Arch and the Amber Cat along the way. Meet in the northwest corner of the outside parking lot of Aliante Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. West side participants may leave from Red Rock Casino at 7:30 AM. South side participants may leave from the Henderson Fiesta at 7:30 AM and drive directly to the Gold Butte Road kiosk. All other participants may meet at the kiosk on the corner of SR 170 & Gold Butte Road where we will all converge at 9:00 AM. Questions concerning further directions may be emailed to Kay prior to the hike. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell
Sunday, December 23rd, Calico Hills Loop - Moderately strenuous, 8 miles, 1000’ gain, 7:30AM -This hike begins at the Red Springs parking, hiking over 5-stop hill, up Gateway about 10 minutes then up to Sandstone Quarry. From there we follow the trail/route past Calico#2 and #1 back to Red Spring. There will be some scrambling. Meet the Coordinator at Red Springs in Calico Basin at 7:30 AM. Coordinator - David Hardy
Monday, December 24th,
La Madre Miner’s Cabin – Moderately strenuous, 5miles, 1400’ gain, 8:00
AM - An out-and-back hike to a stone shelter in a side
canyon north of the White Rock Hills that was believed to be constructed by
miners who dug shafts in the side of the La Madre ridge above the cabin. Hiking
poles recommended as the route turns steep and even loose and crosses the creek
several times as it approaches the cabin. Meet at Red Rock Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- John
Ward
Tuesday, December 25th,
Blue Diamond Hill - Moderate, 6 miles, 800’ gain, 8:00 AM - We will begin at the horse corral and follow a network of
trails. First will be the Fossil Canyon Trail followed by the Dog Food
Loop then back down to the cars by way of the Cat in the Hat Trail and finally
the Bunny Trail. This is a leisurely hike of 6 miles, 800 ft. elevation
and no more than a moderate pace. Meet
the Coordinator at 8 at the horse corrals at 8:00 AM. Coordinator -
David Hardy
Wednesday, December 26th,
Liberty Bell Arch/Colorado Overlook – Moderate/Moderately Strenuous, 5 miles,
1400’ gain, 8:30 AM - Starting from the White
Rock trailhead parking lot, the route starts down White Rock Canyon, and then
veers north to pick up the trail to the arch. With significantly rolling
terrain, it passes an old manganese mine and the appropriately named arch, then
reaches the break point at the overlook above the Colorado River. We will
depart from the Henderson Fiesta at 8:30 AM. West side participants should
depart Red Rock Casino at 7:50 AM. Coordinator – Lettie Gutierrez
Thursday, December 27th,
Anniversary Narrows Peak & South Bowl Loop - Strenuous; ~6 miles; ~1400’
gain; 8:00 AM - Medium to High
Clearance Vehicles will be required to reach the trailhead at MM 16 of Northshore
Road. After a steep climb up to the peak that overlooks the narrows and the
North and South Bowls of Fire, we will descend into the South Bowl and loop
around through the sandstone. Our return will avoid the Callville Road. Meet at
the Albertson’s at Lake Mead & Hollywood Blvd. for an 8:00 AM departure or
meet at MM 4 on Northshore Road at 8:15 AM. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell
Friday, December 28th,
Railroad Tunnels/Hoover Dam – Easy and Moderate, 5 or 7miles, 8:30 AM. Participants will have an
option on this out-and-back hike to make the turn at the picnic table next to
the maintenance yard after passing through the fifth tunnel, or to continue to
Hoover Dam and walk across it to the Arizona side. If the first turn around is
used, the distance will be 5 miles with an easy rating. If proceeding to the
dam, the distance will be 7 miles with a moderate rating. Departure from Red
Rock Casino for the west side group will be at 7:45 AM. The full group will
assemble at Henderson Fiesta for an 8:30 AM departure. Coordinator - John Ward
Saturday, December 29th,
Blue Diamond Canyons 2&3 - Moderately Strenuous; 4 miles; 1000’ gain; 8:30
AM - These two canyons have been
in the club’s repertoire for many years. There is a lot of scrambling with use
of hands. Sometimes we see the resident Great-Horned Owl either roosting or
flying about. Meet at Red Rock Casino so that we can use as few cars as
possible to the small trailhead across from Blue Diamond. We will leave the
casino at 8:30 AM. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell
Saturday, December 29th, Fossil Ridge –
Easy, 3.5 miles, 400’ gain, 8:30 AM.
This hike is located on North Blue Diamond Hill across from Red Rock Canyon and
starts from the Cowboy Trails trailhead. It is done as an easy hike loop with
one leg on the ridge above Echo Canyon. Depart Red Rock Casino at 8:30 AM.
Coordinators – Ron and Sandi Hindmarch
Sunday,
December 30th, Rainbow Gardens – Moderate, 6 miles, 500’ gain, 8:30
AM - We will begin this hike at the
parking near Mile 2 on the North Shore Road up a wash looking toward Lava Butte
that eventually becomes very colorful. As we find our way down another
wash there are more colors and narrow spots on our way to Lake Las Vegas.
We will return the same way. Meet
the coordinator at 8:30 AM at a parking area near Mile 2 North Shore Road (on Lave Butte side
of road) Coordinator -David Hardy
Monday, December 31st, Top of the World Arch Long
Loop, Valley of Fire - Moderately Strenuous; 7.5 miles; 1500’ gain; 8:00 AM - Come prepared for a long day of hiking and
scrambling that covers some of the best sights in Valley of Fire. We will see
the Top of the World Arch, the Fire Wave and several slot canyons. The color in
the park is worth the drive alone. Moderate pace. Meet in the northwest corner
of the outside parking lot of Aliante Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. West
side participants may leave from Red Rock Casino at 7:30 AM. South side
participants may leave from the Henderson Fiesta at 7:30 AM and drive directly
to the Valley of Fire Visitor Center. All participants will meet at the visitor
center where we will leave no earlier than 9:00 AM to drive to White Domes
parking lot. Coordinator - Kay Blackwell
