The schedule includes hikes in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Lake Mead National Recreational Area, and the Spring Mountains. 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 Around the Bend Friends blog: www.aroundthebendfriends.com and/or in a file at the group site: https://groups.io/g/atbf
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 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 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 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.
Questions regarding general information should be directed to club president John Ward at wardjohn1948@yahoo.com. Specific questions regarding hikes should be directed to the listed coordinator. Refer to the club roster for contact information.
Difficulty Levels-
Easy- Hikes of 3-4 miles or less with not more than 500 feet of gain, generally with only gradual elevation gains on even surface trails.
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 800-1000 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.
Thursday, August 1, South Sister Overlook Ridge: Moderately Strenuous, 5.2 miles, 1300 FT elevation gain, 7 AM - We'll begin our day by hiking up through the beautiful heavily wooded area of Lee Canyon, first starting on the Lower Bristlecone Trail, then Forest Road 204A for a bit, and finally, the turn up the ridge via the South Sister Trail. On the way we will pass the remnants of one of the six or so sawmills that once operated up on the mountains. Our first break point will be the saddle junction. Then comes the final effort to gain the overlook ridge just below the peak. Great views in every direction. Depart the Santa Fe by 7 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Friday, August 2, Big Falls: Moderately Strenuous, 4 miles, 1000 FT elevation gain, 8:00 AM - This will be my first time to the falls this summer. My pace will be on the slow side of moderate. The wash has some steep climbs in addition to getting over boulders and avalanche debris, fallen trees. Hopefully, the waterfall and pool are still there. Depart the Santa Fe at 8:00 AM. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Sunday, August 4, Upper Kyle Canyon Wash/Shuttle: Easy to Moderate, 5 miles, gain of just 224 FT, 8 AM - This is a point-to-point trek through the heart of one of our favorite places beginning at the Echo Trailhead and ending at the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway Center. It’s nearly all trail and mostly in the shade. We’ll break at the Kyle Canyon Picnic Area. The pace will be moderate so that we can enjoy the day. Depart the Santa Fe by 8 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Monday, August 5, South Loop Overlook O&B: Moderately Strenuous, 6 miles, 2000 FT elevation gain, 8:00 AM - We begin at the Cathedral Rock parking lot sauntering up on the South Loop, taking breaks as needed. My pace will be on the slow side of moderate. Our main break will be at an overlook that is a switchback before the 2nd Overlook. After that, we turn around and make our way back to the cars. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator - Lettie Gutierrez.
Tuesday, August 6, Griffith Peak: Strenuous, 9.65 miles, 3400 FT gain, 7 AM - It’s the standard route to gain the third highest peak in Southern Nevada. Our pace will be moderate, but steady with several breaks along the way. We’ll depart the Santa Fe by 7 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Thursday, August 8, Fletcher Peak (10,319’): Strenuous, 6 miles, >2k vertical, 7 AM - Let’s do a backdoor approach and make it a loop. From the Cougar Ridge Trailhead, tackle the steep ascent to Mummy Springs. Traverse over to Raintree and on to the pinnacle. Bring it home along the North Loop Trail and Wild Horse Ridge. Depart the Santa Fe at 7:00 AM. Coordinator- Michael O'Connor
Friday, August 9, Cockscomb Ridge: Moderately Strenuous, 5 miles, 1500 FT elevation gain, 8:00 AM - We begin at the Trail Canyon Trailhead parking lot and head up to the saddle. This 2-mile section is a great workout at whatever pace you set. After regrouping at the saddle, we turn right and hike along a ridge and spine to the base of Cockscomb. After a break, we return to the cars. Depart the Santa Fe at 8:00 AM. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Saturday, August 10, Showgirl Top to Bottom/Variation 1/Shuttle: Moderately Strenuous, 8.5 miles, elevation loss of 3063 FT, gain of 649 FT, 7 AM - Our trek will begin on the Upper Showgirl Trail from the Juniper Trailhead off of Angel Peak Road. We’ll begin descending pretty quickly on a series of bike trails, including the Trough Trail, Tin Can Alley, and finally ending up on the Lower Showgirl route back to the cars. This is the heart of the Deer Creek, Telephone Canyon Road area. It’s a trek with a view, going from mountain green to desert green within a few miles of our start. We’ll depart the Santa Fe by 7 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Monday, August 12, Stanley B Saddle O&B: Moderately Strenuous, 5 miles, 2000 FT elevation gain, 8:00 AM - After parking at the now paved trailhead, we begin our ascent up the Stanley B Trail to the mines. The route takes us up to a scenic ravine and then onto a trail all the way to the mines. It continues to climb up and there are several steep sections before we get to the saddle. We can take a break here and then it's back to the cars. Depart the Santa Fe at 8:00 AM. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Tuesday, August 13, Devil's Thumb O&B: Strenuous, 13 miles, 3500 FT gain, 7 AM - This will be a great training trek for future excursions to MT Charleston Peak. The hike will begin at the Trail Canyon Trailhead. Depart the Santa Fe by 7:00 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Thursday, August 15, Trail Canyon to Fletcher Peak via Raintree OB: Moderately Strenuous to Strenuous, about 9 miles, 3000 FT gain, 7 AM - It's up Trail Canyon to re-assemble at the Junction with the North Loop, then over to Raintree, where we'll break and regroup again. From there, we head up to our goal, Fletcher Peak. Depart the Santa Fe Station at 7 AM. Coordinator- Stephen Newell
Saturday, August 17, MT Charleston Peak: Strenuous, 16.4 miles, 4900 FT gain, 5 AM - The approach will be from the North Loop Trail via Trail Canyon Trail. Meet at the Trail Canyon TH by 5 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Monday, August 19, North Loop O&B: Moderately Strenuous, 6 miles, 2000 FT gain, 7:30 AM - Starting at the Trail Canyon Trailhead, we'll be going about 6 miles round trip to a point on the North Loop where we will have gained 2000 FT. Pace will be on the slow side of moderate. It will be a training hike with a pace that is a bit slower. Meet at the Santa Fe by 7:30 AM. Coordinators- David and Brenda Morrow
Wednesday, August 21, Fletcher Peak via North Loop Trail: Moderately Strenuous, 6-7 miles, 2000 FT plus elevation gain, 7:30 AM - It's another chance to do Fletcher Peak at my slow steady pace. It should take 4-5 hours. There are some steep sections with scree. Meet at the Santa Fe by 7:30 AM. Coordinators- David and Brenda Morrow
Friday, August 23, South Sister Saddle Loop: Moderately Strenuous, 6 miles, 1600 FT elevation gain, 8:00 AM - This hike begins at the Lower Bristlecone Trailhead and uses Pine Cone Canyon to gain the Bonanza Trail. Pine Cone Canyon is a very steep, yet shady trail. After we regroup on the Bonanza Trail, we head north to the junction to access 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 an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Saturday, August 24, Old Deer Creek Road to Champion Ridge: Moderate, 4 miles, 650 FT elevation gain, 8 AM - Our pace will be leisurely as we take the old route down to Champion Ridge where we will enjoy a stroll along the cliffs. A caveat to this hike is that the 650 FT of elevation gain will be climbed on the way back. TH- Orange Trail pull-off. Meet at the Santa Fe Station for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- David Gray-
Monday, August 26, Robbers Roost Loop: Moderate, 6 miles, 1000' gain, 7:30 AM - This moderate loop begins at the Juniper Trailhead on Angel Peak Road. We will wind our way over to the Hike a Bike Trail from the Upper Showgirl then climb up to Robbers Roost for our break. Maybe we will see some rock climbers in the crevice. From here, we'll return to the bottom of the hill and start up the Gypsy Bike Trail. The loop is connected through a small fun wash. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:30am departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Wednesday, August 28, Cathedral Rock OB: Mostly Moderate, 2.7 total miles, 971 FT elevation gain, 7:30 AM - From the South Loop Trailhead, it's a pretty short trail, but steep in a couple of sections. I am doing it at my slow pace. Depart the Santa Fe by 7:30 AM. Coordinators- David and Brenda Morrow
Thursday, August 29, Stanley B/Fletcher Canyon: Moderately Strenuous, 6 miles, 1700' gain, 7:00 AM - This is a loop that begins at the Fletcher Canyon Trailhead and starts up the Kyle wash trail. Finding the Stanley B Trailhead, we'll climb up past the mines and on to the saddle. From there, we'll drop down an interesting route to Upper Fletcher Canyon. Following the canyon down, we will eventually climb down through the rabbit hole and out to the cars. Be prepared for a slippery slide through Obstacle Rock. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for a 7:00am departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Saturday, August 31, Turtlehead Peak: Strenuous, 6 miles, 2000 FT gain, 6:30 AM - We'll take the traditional route up on the right side of the wash to gain the saddle ridge, then swing out to the left on the final trail that will take us around to the top of the peak. Here we'll break and enjoy the day. Some of the route is off trail with areas of loose rock. Class II scrambling required at times. Hiking poles suggested due to steep scree descents. Depart the Red Rock Casino at 6:30 AM. Coordinator- David Gray
Saturday, August 31, Upper Showgirl Loop: Easy Moderate, 5 miles, 600' gain, 8 AM - Hopefully, the air will be cooling off by this time. This loop is in the shade much of the time. We begin at the Juniper Trailhead on Angel Peak Road. The loop starts on the Upper Showgirl and on to a resting place in the shade. On the loop back, we will visit the Deer Creek Road Overlook. Meet at the Santa Fe Casino for an 8:00am departure. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
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