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 October
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. Below is infor-mation regarding our meeting locations for the main
areas. Hikes in other locations will have direc-tions included in the
descriptions for those hikes.
Red Rock Canyon Area. Our assembly point for hikes in Red
Rock Canyon and the immediate vi-cinity 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 Can-yon Pointe, turn right directly in front
of the casino, and immediately turn right into the out-door 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 al-ways 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 the-ater
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 assem-bly points. Participants will need to monitor the
time and set up carpooling to the next meeting loca-tion or pickup point when
that occurs. Although most of these situations are noted in the hike
de-scriptions, 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 experi-enced. 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 eleva-tion 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.
Thursday, October 1st, Hollow Rock Peak- The traditional out-and-back route to the
top of the southern most sandstone peak in the Wilson Cliffs covers a total
distance of 6 miles and gains slight-ly more than 1,000 feet. The opening portion of the hike is on a fairly steep trail
starting near Moun-tain Springs Summit. After a mile of hiking the route
branches toward the peak and soon becomes a significant scramble over sandstone
ridges and through steep canyons. This
is a strenuous hike with some exposure at the peak. The pace will be moderate.
The main group will meet at Red Rock Ca-sino for a 7:30 AM departure and there will be a secondary stop at the gas
station at the junction of Highways 159 and 160 about 8:20 AM to pick up south side participants. Coordinator- Steve Ander-son.
Thursday, October 1st, Rocky Gorge Loop
Trail.- Here is an exploratory hike on one of
the new trails recently developed by the Forest Service. The Spring Mountain Visitor Guide lists this hike at 8 miles and
the rating for our group is probably moderately strenuous. The starting point for this hike should be along Lee Canyon Road
several miles below the Sawmill Picnic Area.
Total distance could be slightly higher than what is published. Pace will be moderate to fast, so only seasoned hik-ers should
participate. Meet at Santa Fe Station for a 7:30 AM departure. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Friday, October 2nd, Potato Knoll- The destination for today’s hike is the
top of the hill that came into existence because of a massive landslide off the
cliff face of Wilson Peak. Starting from the gravel parking lot
where the scenic drive exits onto Highway 159, the partial loop route follows a
se-ries of horse trails, abandoned jeep roads, and hiking trails to the back
side of the hill also known lo-cally as Wilson's Pimple. A very minor amount of scrambling is required across some steep
terrain getting to the top. The overall route includes several
crossings of Oak Creek. Distance is about 5 miles with 500 feet of elevation
gain and a moderate rating. The pace will be steady with infrequent stops. This
is a joint effort with Sun City Anthem Hiking Club. As a result, the starting time will be a bit
later than usual for AtBF members. Those wishing to car pool should depart from
the Red Rock Casino at 9:30 AM with
the full group meeting at the parking area near the exit of the Scenic Loop by 9:45 AM. Coordinator- Keith Lane
Friday, October 2nd, Missing Link
O&B- This hike
takes the more ambitious Missing Link Loop hike and changes it to a more
palatable moderate to moderately strenuous out and back of 6.5 miles and around
1,500 feet of elevation gain. The hike will begin at the Pixie Trail TH, go
directly to the ridge trail and turnaround at the end of the ridge before we
begin losing the steeper elevation. The group will stay together at a moderate
pace. Meet at the Santa Fe for an 8:00
AM departure. Coordi-nator- Kay Blackwell
Saturday, October 3rd, Fall Picnic- Hills Park, 9100 Hillpointe Dr, in Summerlin. This is a great park and with
lots of shade, tables, electricity, water, restrooms and grills in the group
picnic area. We have the area reserved
from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Lunch will
be served about 11:30 AM. Coordi-nator- Nancy Moore
Saturday, October 3rd, Fall Picnic
Urban Walk- Departure will be at 10:00 AM from the picnic ar-ea at Hills Point Park. We will walk down Hillpointe Road and Little
Scholar before dropping into Pueblo Park trail, proceed down to the restrooms
then turn around and hike the urban trail back to the park for the picnic. About 4 miles. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Sunday October 4th, Sandstone Quarry/ Keystone Thrust Loop-
This moderate to strenuous 7 mile partial loop hike starts from
Sandstone Quarry on a section of the Grand Circle Trail and has a net elevation
gain of 800 feet. The loop portion involves heading to the north side of Cactus
Hill on the Keystone Thrust Trail and descending through Keystone Canyon and
its continuation wash south of the scenic drive. There is scrambling involved
in the canyon descent and quite a bit of brush. We will go at a moderate pace
as a group with short pauses as needed. Meeting location will be at Red Rock
Casino for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Tony Fountain.
Sunday, October 4th, Wallace Canyon
Exploration- Moderately
strenuous 7-8 miles. We will go to where the plane crash was and then explore
the terrain to the east. Then its back
to the Wallace saddle and over to the top of No Name. From there we will go over to Bonanza then
down to Upper Bristlecone. We will proceed on Upper Bristlecone until the horse
trail down and around the last ridge. We
will climb a very steep trail to the saddle and then the horse trail has a
short steep down-hill section. The
animal trail over to the top of No Name is narrow and crosses some steep
sections. Meet at Santa Fe Station for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Monday, October 5th, Peak 3844 Balloon
Loop- The trailhead
for this moderate hike starts along the east side of Calico Basin Road about .4
of a mile off Route 159, shortly before reaching the resi-dential area. Utilizing inter-connected trails that criss-cross
the desert the route runs north till we reach a point where the ridgeline meets
the desert floor. We will then turn south climbing the ridge to the summit of
Peak 3844. Descending off the peak (off trail), the route intersects one of the
trails for the return to the trailhead. The pace will be moderate. There will
be some easy scrambling over some limestone formations. Elevation gain of about
600 feet over a distance of 2.5 miles.
Meet at Red Rock Casino for a 8:00
AM departure or at the pull-off on the Calico Basin Road at 8:15 AM. Coordinator- Steve Allen
Monday, October 5th, Showgirl Trail
with a Twist- This strenuous point-to-point hike is generally all downhill,
but there are sections that have elevation gain. The difference between this hike and
the one on August 19 is that we will turn left a few miles into the hike and
stay on a ridge instead of dropping into Telephone Canyon. Distance is likely to be around 9 miles, so bring plenty of
water, since there is virtually no shade on the lower portion of the trail. Pace will be slightly faster than moderate. A car shuttle will be necessary to get
participants back and forth. The group will assem-ble at Santa Fe
Station for a 7:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Tuesday, October 6th, Gray
Cap- Five-mile clockwise loop with 2,000 feet of vertical. Standard Class
1/2 ascent up Five-Stop Hill and Gateway Canyon. Class 3 down climb through
Gray Fox Canyon. Strenuous. Gather at the Red Spring boardwalk, then shuttle
over to the Kraft Mountain dirt lot for a
7:30 AM departure. Coordinator-
Michael O’Connor
Tuesday, October 6th, Ash Meadows-
ATTENTION LEISURELY HIKERS! Here is your chance to demonstrate that leisurely hikes need to
be part of our regular monthly activities. Without adequate participation and/or
new hike coordinators stepping forward this type of hike could be eliminated
from club schedules in future months. This easy to moderate loop hike will cover a distance of 3 miles
which may include a section of the boardwalk. Elevation gain is not more than a
couple hundred feet. If interested, meet the group in the normal spot at Red Rock
Casino for a 7:45 AM departure or be
at Red Springs Picnic Area by 7:55 AM.
Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Wednesday, October 7th, Cougar Ridge to
Fletcher Peak- Strenuous hike of 6-7 miles and 2,000 feet of
elevation gain. From roadside parking area near gated, private gravel road,
hike to bend in this road near Deer Creek cabins area, then follow the
rigorous, steep, loose Class 2 trail up Deer Creek Ridge to the junction with
the Class 1 trail which leads past Mummy Springs to Raintree. From Raintree,
take North Loop Trail to Fletcher Peak Trail and to Fletcher Peak (10,319').
Then back down to the meadow on North Loop Trail, and from the meadow back to
cars via Wild Horse Can-yon. You may want to bring a jacket. Meet at the Santa
Fe Station by 7:30 AM. Coordinator – Ste-phen Newell
Wednesday, October 7th, Shady Hollow
Trail with a Twist- This moderately strenuous loop hike starting from the parking
lot across the highway from the Mount Charleston Visitor Center will follow the
normal route into Telephone Canyon. Instead of turning onto the Step Ladder
Trail, we will ex-plore the high ridge just west of Telephone Canyon on the
return. Terrain is uncertain so hikers need to be a bit prepared for the
unexpected. Distance could be as much as 7 miles with over 1,200 feet of
elevation gain, a moderately strenuous rating, and a fairly strong pace. Departure from Santa Fe Station will be at 7:45 AM. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Wednesday, October 7th, Urban Walk,
Cottonwood Canyon 2X- Let's start with a well-known urban trail and
walk the path 2 times for a total of 5.6 miles. Meet at Cottonwood Canyon on
Park Run between Town center and South Pavilion Center Drive at 4:30 PM. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Thursday, October 8th, Goat
Bed Peak- Located in the La Madre
Wilderness Area just north of the Calico Basin this peak (4,960 feet) gets its
name from the Big Horn Sheep that make this home. Elevation gain is about 1,400
feet over a distance of 4 miles. With areas of Class 2 and Class 3 scrambling
this loop hike has a moderately strenuous rating. Departure is from the gravel
parking area on Sandstone Drive in the Calico Basin at 7:30 AM. Coordinator- Steve
Allen
Friday, October 9th,
Turtlehead Peak Loop- Today's approach to this prominent peak in
Red Rock Canyon NCA follows the Limestone Trail before ascending a rocky ridge
west of the standard route to a high point, then traversing another ridge for
the final ascent to the peak. The
descent will use the numerous use trails that run through the gully. With a
distance of 5 miles and 2,000 feet plus of elevation gain, this hike is rated
strenuous and will be done at a moderate pace.
Much of the route is off trail, scrambling over a steep rocky ridgeline,
and negotiating loose terrain, so hiking poles are recommended. The group will depart from Red Rock Casino at
7:30 AM. Coordinator- Steve Allen
Friday, October 9th. Bristlecone Loop-
This moderate 6-mile hike will be
starting at the lower trailhead parking lot and climb to the upper parking lot
by the ski area. Elevation gain is about
750 feet. The pace will be moderate and will take about 3 hours. The group will meet at Santa Fe Station for
an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- John Stewart
Saturday,
October 10th, Calico Hills Scramble- Departing from Red
Spring ascend a drainage north of Angel Pass to a highpoint, then traverse
along the rocks south of the pass and navigating a route back to the hills
overlooking Red Spring for a descent to the basin floor. Expect some Class 3 exposure. Distance will
be around 3 to 4 miles with an elevation gain of less about 1,000 feet. The pace will be moderate. If you are adventurous meet at Red Springs
picnic area at 7:30 AM.
Coordi-nator- Steve Allen
Saturday, October 10th, 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 as-cent 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 Sta-tion at 8:30
AM. Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Sunday, October 11th, Calico
Hills/Squeeze Balloon- This hike starts at the Visitor Center,
utiliz-ing the trails that parallel the Calico Hills and eventually dropping
into the fault canyon below the Cal-ico II Overlook. The route then turns into
the side canyon leading to Angel Pass Saddle. The route then ascends through a
very steep drainage, turns into another drainage and descends toward the back
side of the main Calico Tank. A narrow
crack comes into play following another climb with a final descent back to
Angel Pass and the return trip to the trailhead. Total distance is about 6 miles and the
significant amount of scrambling results in a strenuous rating. Departure from Red Rock Casino will be at 7:30 AM. Coordinator- Steve Allen.
Sunday, October 11th, Rocky Gorge Loop-
This is a 9 mile loop hike that is indicated on the new Visitor Center
map. The trailhead for this hike is ten miles up on the right side of Lee
Canyon Road. Elevations for this loop
range from between 6500 and 7500 feet with a gain of around 1600 feet. Due to
the length of the hike it should be considered a moderately strenuous hike led at a strong pace. Meet at the Santa Fe Station for an 8:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay
Blackwell
Monday, October 12th, Red Spring
Peak/Slab Rift- Depart from Red Spring picnic area, making
our way along the rocks to the south point where we will start our ascent up to
Red Spring Peak. Initial ascent requires
negotiating a steep crack (alternate route available). After reaching the high point, we will
traverse the ridge to the Slab Rift formation. The descent will be down a
drainage that will take us through the Tunnel of Love and past Heart Rock to
the basin below where we will com-plete the loop back to Red Spring. This is a moderately strenuous hike of about
3 miles with an ele-vation gain of less than 900'. There
will be some exposure and you should be comfortable with scrambling. Meet at the Red Springs Park at 7:30 AM. Coordinator- Steve Allen
Tuesday, October 13th, Calico Hills
Traverse S/N- Departing from the Red Spring picnic area the
route stays low on the eastern face of the Calico Hills. Upon reaching the
southern point, we will as-cend to Red Spring Peak, then traverse the hills
before descending from a point above the saddle of Angel Pass. After the
challenging traverse, the down-climb through the pass to the basin floor and
the return to the trailhead seems almost relaxing. The route is almost all scrambling with areas of Class 3 exposure.
This is a strenuous hike with the terrain often dictating the pace. Though we
have hiked this route several times, it may be necessary to make corrections as
we go. Expect ele-vation gain in excess
of 1,000 feet with a distance of 4 miles. Meet at the Red Spring picnic parking
for a 7:30 AM Departure. Coordinators - Scott Hardy and Steve Allen
Tuesday, October 13th, Easy Tuesday,
Pine Creek- An easy to moderate hike about 3.5 miles
long. This will not be the standard up and back Pine Creek hike. At the beginning of the hike we will take a little-used trail
that loops around to the south side of the canyon. After 3-4 stream crossings we will come out on the main trail
just a short distance from the Wilson foundation. After the Wilson place, we will do the loop on the far end of
the canyon, then take the main trail back to the trailhead. We will depart from
the Red Rock Casino at 8:00 AM.
Coordinator- Roger Hembree
Wednesday, October 14th, Urban Walk, Gardens
Park to Mesa Park, O&B-. Meet at the Gar-den's Park south parking lot
on Garden Mist Drive at 4:30 PM. We
will walk south on Town center past Siena to Mesa Park and back. It is about
5.8 miles. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Thursday, October 15th, Dragon Ridge
Traverse- Departing from the gravel parking area at the
end of Sandstone Drive this strenuous hike ascends Five-Stop Hill to the saddle
where the route then takes us to the high point on the steep limestone slope,
traverses the ridge and descends into Ash Canyon for a return to the
trailhead. With areas of loose rock on
the steep slopes, hiking poles are recommended.
There are areas of Class 3
exposure on the ridge traverse and descent into Ash Canyon. Meet at the far gravel parking area off
Sandstone Drive in the Calico Basin for a 7:30
AM departure. Coordinator- Steve Allen
Thursday, October 15th, Deer Creek to
Lee Canyon Orange Trail- This is a moderately paced point to point
hike starting on the Orange Trail turnout on Deer Creek Road. After leaving a car at the Lee Canyon exit
point, we will start down the wash trail from Deer Creek Road. Halfway down the
wash, we will take the trail up the hill to the left that we didn't take on
September 6th. After con-necting with
the cross trail at the bottom, we will continue north until we reach Lee Canyon
Road. The entire hike will be between 6 and 7 miles with an elevation gain of
only 700 feet. The elevation loss will be 2,400 feet. Meet at the Santa Fe
Station for an 8:00 AM departure.
Coordinator- Kay Blackwell
Friday, October 16th, Late Night
Parking- The hike
begins from this parking lot, crossing under Highway 160, after about a half
mile, turning left we leave the trail. Most of the hike will be off trail and
climbing a steep ridge to the east. Once on top, we will explore and eventually
drop down into a canyon which will take us back to the trail and Late Night
parking. A strenuous hike of around 5 miles and 1,000
ft. elevation gain. Meet the coordinator at the gas station at the intersection
of Highway 159 and 160 for a 7:15 AM
departure. Those carpooling from Red Rock Casino should leave by 6:55 AM. Coordinator- David Hardy
Saturday, October 17th, Hilltop / Inner
Wash - This is a 5
mile double loop executed in a figure 8 pattern. With only 900 feet of
elevation gain, it can be considered a moderate
hike. We will hike at a moderate pace. The route begins at the Twilight
Trailhead 9 miles up Kyle Canyon Road and ex-plores three bike trails in the
area. Meet at the Santa Fe Station for an 8:00
AM departure. Coordina-tor- Kay Blackwell
Sunday, October 18th, Potosi Canyon #3-
This moderate hike will explore a deep narrow canyon that cuts into the
eastern part of Potosi Mountain.
Distance is about 6 miles with an elevation gain of 600 feet. Expect scrambling and some bush whacking. Long pants and long sleeve shirt
recom-mended. We will leave from the gas
station at the intersection of Highway 159 & 160 at 7:00 AM. Those carpooling
from Red Rock Casino should leave by 6:40
AM. Coordinator- David Hardy
Sunday, October 18th, No Name/
Bristlecone Loop- For those interested in hiking in the higher
elevations of the Spring Mountains where it is cooler there will be an
alternative this Sunday. This moderate 5 or 6-mile loop hike gains about 1,000
feet of elevation. We will leave from the Santa Fe Station at 7:30 AM. Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Sunday, October 18th, Mary Jane Falls-
The pace will be leisurely for this
moderate 3-mile out-and-back hike at the top of Kyle Canyon. Much of the 920 feet of elevation gain occurs on the switchbacks
that start somewhat over half a mile into the hike. This is one of your last chances to do a leisurely hike in the
higher elevations of the Spring Mountains in 2015 as our club soon completes
the transition to Red Rock Canyon and eventually to Lake Mead for the winter
season. The group will assemble at Santa Fe Station for a 9:00 AM departure. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Monday October 19th, Calico Double /
Red Cap and Calico II Overlook with Tony's Wall-
This strenuous 4 mile loop hike to the highest point in the Calico Hills
involves a significant amount of scrambling and use of hands. We will start
from the Sandstone Quarry Parking Lot. The climb to the top of the Red Cap
"B" side formation will be from the east side of the sandstone hills,
finishing through a narrow seam. The
first descent will be along a relatively newly explored seam on the northwest
side connecting to the route usually used for the approach to ascend to Red
Cap. Next the group will ascend to the Calico II Overlook. The return will go by Tony's Wall then down a canyon to Mushroom
Rock, then return to the parking lot. We
will go at a moderate pace and keep the group together with brief pauses as
needed. The assembled group will leave
at 8:00 AM from Red Rock Casino. Coordinator- Tony Fountain
Monday, October 19th, First Creek-
Another leisurely option for October
will be this easy to mod-erate 4-mile out-and-back hike on the south side of
Red Rock Canyon. At one mile into the hike we will visit a waterfall and hidden
grotto in the drainage. If there is any recent rainfall, we may be treat-ed to some
flowing water. The group will then continue up the drainage an additional mile
to the snack break spot at a boulder waterfall that is usually dry. The immediate approach to this spot is over tricky terrain, but
it is a short section. Meet the group at Red Rock Casino for a 7:45 AM depar-ture. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Tuesday, October 20th, Goodman Peak- Today’s destination is a high point
on the prominent ridge below North Peak and between Icebox Canyon and Lost
Creek Canyon. The trailhead is Icebox
Canyon parking lot and the hike is about 4 miles with 2,400 ft of elevation
gain. Almost all of this hike will be
scrambling on sandstone. There is one Class 3.5 scramble up a
sandstone slab with no work around. Due to the conditioning required, the
hike will be considered very strenuous. Meet at Red Rock Casino at 7:30 AM. Coordinator- Jerry Thomas
Tuesday, October 20th, Cliff Rose Rim
Trail Loop- Let's finish the Mount Charleston season for 2015 with another
exploratory hike. The objective today will be to take the Cliff Rose Rim Trail
east from the new visitor center and connect with the lower portion of the
Showgirl Trail, taking that back to Telephone Canyon and eventually to the
lower section of the Shady Hollow Trail. Looking at the Visitor Guide map, this
hike will probably have a distance around 9 miles. The uphill section gaining perhaps 1,000 feet will be on the
return. Pace will be steady at 25 minute miles including water breaks. Overall rating is not yet determined but expect it potentially
to be moderately strenuous. The assembled group will depart from
Santa Fe Station at 7:30 AM. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Wednesday, October 21st, The Muffins
& Boneshaker.- This moderately strenuous 6-mile loop
hike will climb about 1,200 feet going past the Muffins and on to the old Las
Vegas Overlook. After a snack break, the group will start down into Skull Canyon
and divert onto the trail crossing Mystery Woman Canyon that hooks up with the
Boneshaker Trail. The descent at the north end of the ridge along this trail is
very steep and loose, so hiking sticks are strongly recommended. Pace will be a steady moderate.
Meet the group at Red Rock Casino for a departure at 7:45 AM. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Wednesday, October 21st, Urban Walk,
Pueblo Park to Hills Park Balloon Walk- Meet at Pue-blo Park at
4:30 PM. The only entrance to this
park is off of Lake Mead as you drive east just after Mariner Drive. It is a
distance of 4.6 miles. Coordinator-
Lettie Gutierrez
Thursday, October 22nd, Calico
Triple- Ascend Ash Canyon, then continue up the
Class 3 North Chute to Red Cap South.
Eastward traverse to Calico Peak.
Bring it home through the Garden of Eden and Angel Peak. Right at 5 miles with 2,000 plus feet of
vertical. Strenuous. Depart from the Red Spring boardwalk at 7:30 AM. Coordinator- Michael O’Connor
Thursday, October 22nd, Calico Hills
Trail to Calico II with Moenkopi Return- This moderate hike is probably 5 to 6
miles in length and will start from the fee booth parking lot in Red Rock. The full hike will follow the Calico Hills Trail to Calico I
Overlook, then do a shorter loop involving the older section of that trail
along a ridge with a return along the lower trail. Once back at Calico I, the group will cross the scenic drive and
finish on the Moenkopi Trail leading directly back to the Visitor Cen-ter. Anyone wishing to do a more leisurely and less difficult version
of the hike can skip the loop to Calico II Overlook, resulting in a hike of 3
to 4 miles. The group will depart from Red Rock Casino at 8:00 AM. Participants may also drive directly to the fee booth parking
lot, from which the hike will start around 8:15
AM. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Friday, October 23rd, Red Rock
Escarpment Base Trail- This strenuous out-and-back hike will cover the distance between
the gravel parking lot where the scenic drive exits onto the highway and the
Lost Creek Trail, involving a number of trails at the base of the Wilson
Cliffs. The full distance should come out at 13 miles and the gross
elevation gain will probably approach 2,000 feet. There will be a consistently strong pace since we may still be
dealing with warmer temperatures even to-ward the end of October and we want to
keep hiking time to six hours or less. The group will meet at Red Rock Casino
for a 7:00 AM departure, or
participants can drive directly to the scenic drive exit parking lot where the
hike should start around 7:20 AM. Coordinator- Chris Dempsey.
Saturday, October 24th, Fossil Ridge/LV
Overlook/Skull Canyon- This is about 7-8 miles and the pace
will be moderate. It is all trail and the elevation gain is 1,600 feet. Departure from Red Rock Casino at 8:00 AM or meet at the Cowboy Trails
parking lot off Route 159 at 8:15 AM. Coor-dinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Saturday, October 24th, Hilltop Loop- This leisurely hike will begin at the Twilight Trailhead locat-ed 9
miles up Kyle Canyon Road in the lower elevations of the mountains. It is a new
hike that was born out of bike and horse trails. The short 3 miles will have
600 feet of elevation gain and will afford new views of Mt. Charleston and the
Sheep Mountain Range. Bring sticks for the downhill section. Meet at the Santa
Fe Station for an 8:30 AM departure.
Coordinator-
Kay Blackwell
Sunday, October 25th, Climber’s Alcove-
We return to Potosi Canyon #3 for this strenuous climb up to Climber’s
Alcove. Elevation gain will be around
2,000 feet. The trail leaving the canyon
bottom is very steep and may have some minor exposure. Hiking sticks are
recommended. Distance will be 4 to 6
miles depending on where we start. The
group will depart from the gas station on Highway 159 & 160 at 7:00 AM. Those carpooling from Red Rock Casino should
leave by 6:40 AM. Coordi-nator- David Hardy
Sunday, October 25th, Potato Knoll-
Located at the base of Mount Wilson this 5-6 mile hike is 95% trail. To
get to the the top of Potato Knoll requires negotiating a short steep trail and
then trav-ersing over some rocks to get to the sign in book. Use of hands is
not required. The pace will be moderate with an elevation gain of 500 feet. Meet the group at Red Rock Casino for an 8:00 AM departure or the gravel
parking lot on Highway 159 at the end of the scenic drive at 8:20 AM.
Coordinator-
Lettie Gutierrez
Monday, October 26th, Calico Hills
Scramble- A trek of 4 miles, this strenuous scramble hike in the Calico
Hills gains about 1,100 feet of elevation.
From Red Spring picnic area the route heads up to the pass overlooking
Red Rock Canyon before getting to the really serious section of scrambling that
takes the group through a narrow crack and a descent back to the canyon
floor. Ascending back to the saddle and
the descent to the basin floor for the return trip to the trailhead completes
the ballon loop. There will be some
Class 3 exposure and will be done at a moderate pace. Meet at Red Spring for a 8:00 AM departure.
Coordinator- Steve Allen
Monday, October 26th, Liberty Bell Arch- The arch for which this hike gets its
name sits on an an-gled outcropping and can be seen for miles around. Overall this hike is rated moderate and will
cov-er a distance between 5 and 6 miles with over 1,000 feet of gross elevation
gain. The pace will be steady with infrequent stops. This is a joint effort
with Sun City Anthem Hiking Club. As a
result, the starting time will be a bit
later than usual for AtBF members. West side AtBF participants should carpool
from Red Rock Casino at 8:40 AM. The secondary meeting site will be the
Henderson Fies-ta from which the group will depart at 9:15 AM. Anyone going from Boulder City can drive directly to the
trailhead parking lot in Arizona {4 miles south of the bridge on the left)
where the combined groups will start around 9:45 AM. Coordinator- Keith Lane
Tuesday, October 27th, Magic Mountain- Today’s Super Tuesday hike is a new for
the club and is approximately 4-miles in distance with 1,350 feet of elevation
gain and is considered very strenuous due to required conditioning and use of
fixed ropes. The hike starts at the Pine Creek Canyon parking and proceeds to
the old Wilson Homestead and from there it gets interest-ing. The group will veer left cross the dry creek
bed and then up the side of the mountain. From there we will be in the drainage
and there will be some Class 2 scrambling.
There are several steep ascents with loose rock with the route
traversing over large boulders. Now the fun starts up several Class 3(plus) cracks and a Class 4, 20 foot chimney all of which
require the use of the fixed ropes along the route. The summit affords great views and of course
a log book. The terrain will dictate the pace. Pants and long sleeve shirt are
recommended. This is not the hike for the average hiker and a one you will not
forget anytime soon. Departure from
Red Rock Casino at 7:30 AM. Coordinator will have discretion over participants for safety
rea-sons. Coordinator- Tim Borem
Tuesday, October 27th, Easy Tuesday,
Moenkopi Loop Clockwise to Calico 1- Moenkopi Loop clockwise to Calico 1 then
on to Angel Canyon. After a break in
Angel Canyon we will take the trail along the front side of the Calico Hills
back to the Visitors' Center. The hike
is rated easy-moderate with a length of about 4-5 miles. Departure from Red Rock Casino is at 8:00 AM. Coordinator- Roger Hembree
Wednesday October 28th, Willow Springs
Picnic Area to the Limestone Wall- This easy to moderate
leisurely paced group 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 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
Wednesday, October 28th, Urban Walk, Willows Park to Community Park- Willow
Park is next to Ober Elementary School which is where we will park. Ober's
address is 3035 Desert Marigold Lane. This walk is about 4 miles. Meet at
Willow Park for a 4:30 PM departure.
Coordinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Thursday, October 29th, Windy Peak- This 5 mile, moderately paced hike
will have an elevation gain of 1,650 feet. Much of the gain will be executed in
the first mile of the hike as we climb Heart Break Hill. There will be several
stops to accommodate slower hikers on the way up. If you wish to go at a faster
pace, please coordinate your own hike as it is difficult to keep tabs on unseen
hikers. Meet at Red Rock Casino for an 8:00
AM departure. Coordinator- Kay
Blackwell
Friday, October 30th, La Madre Double
Arch- This strenuous 5 mile out-and-back outing in the vicinity of
the Keystone Thrust will begin from the upper parking lot at Mile Marker 6 of
the scenic drive that also serves White Rock Spring. The group will proceed up the Keystone Thrust Trail until it
drops into the upper wash, hike up to the fork, then turn right and ascend a
steep wash to the dou-ble arch. Meeting
location is Red Rock Casino with an 8:00
AM departure. Coordinator- Steve
Allen
Saturday, October 31st, Kraft Mountain
Loop from Red Spring- This is a 6 mile moderate loop hike with
scrambling. We will begin at the Red Spring picnic area and hike along the
escarpment and up Five Stop Hill. From there we will scramble down the dry
creek to the right of the trail and drop into Lower Gateway Canyon. There is
still more scrambling down Gateway as we make our way around the east end of Kraft
Mountain. Then it's back up to the base of the Calico Hills and around to the
cars. Meet at the Red Spring Picnic parking in the Calico Basin for an 8:00 AM departure. Coor-dinator- Lettie Gutierrez
Saturday, October 31st, Cowboy Horse
Trails- This is a
leisurely 3 mile hike starting from the Cowboy Trails parking area. We will
climb the small hill next to the corral then circle around beneath the Muffins
and Skull Canyon. Elevation gain is only 400 feet and we will take several
stops for rest and water. We will try to find a good place to take our break at
the mouth of Skull Canyon. Meet at the Red Rock Casino for an 8:30 AM departure. Coordinator- Kay
Blackwell
