Читать книгу Base Camp Las Vegas - Deborah Wall - Страница 5
ОглавлениеMt. Charleston / Spring Mountains National Recreation Area
Mt. Charleston Kyle Canyon area.
Only an hour from the desert climate of Las Vegas, winter snows can pile seven feet deep and elk graze in lush meadows. The Spring Mountains and particularly their dominant peak, Mt. Charleston, stand like green alpine islands in a sea of sand and stone.
Because of the heavy winter snows, late spring through early fall is the best time to hike these mountains. But because such a large population lives nearby, these months see heavy use, especially on summer weekends. If you desire solitude on popular trailheads, get there at first light.
Yet, there’s a lot of outdoors to share here. The Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, established in 1993 as part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, encompasses 316 thousand acres. Elevations range from about forty-five hundred feet up to 11,918 at Charleston Peak’s summit.
In planning a hike it is important to factor in how altitude might affect your experience, for few of us are accustomed to such heights. At most of the trailheads you will be about five thousand feet higher than Las Vegas, so temperatures can easily be more than twenty-five degrees cooler. In the thin alpine air, hiking feels more strenuous, and it’s easier to get sunburned.
There are no bears in the Spring Mountains but there is plenty of wildlife including wild horses, mountain lions, and desert bighorn sheep. In fact, with six different life zones, and ages of isolation from other high-country habitats, the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area has more than fifty species unique to the area.
In the upper reaches of this area you will probably come across Palmer’s chipmunks, a species found only in these mountains and only where ponderosa trees are dominant, which is about eight thousand feet above sea level. A close cousin, the Panamint chipmunk, is found over a wider area. Most of us wouldn’t notice the difference between the two unless they were standing side by side; then one might notice the Palmer’s is a bit larger, and brighter in color. It’s charming to know you’re looking at a creature seen nowhere else in the world, but don’t let that fact tempt you to feed them. They’re trying to keep the wildlife wild around here.
Neither gasoline nor groceries are sold on Mt. Charleston, but there are restaurants at both the Mt. Charleston Lodge and Mt. Charleston Hotel in the Kyle Canyon area. There are some water sources on hiking trails, but not all are reliable, and all require thorough treatment to be potable, so it’s best to bring plenty from home.
For visitor information: (702) 872-5486, www.gomtcharleston.com.
9 Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway
Opened in late spring of 2015, the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway in Kyle Canyon is the place to start any visit to the Mt. Charleston area. The complex features a new forty-five hundred-square-foot visitor center surrounded by 128 acres. The complex has something to offer all ages. Besides the visitor center, the Gateway includes an education building, two amphitheaters, a group picnic site, the nation’s first Cold War Memorial, and the Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) Seven Stones Plaza. Three hiking trails begin behind the visitor center.
Resting benches made of natural logs are found throughout the property, and there are stations to refill your water bottles or hydration packs, or maybe even draw water for your dogs. Great thought also went into choosing the native plants here. Look for aspen trees and evergreens, and for wildflowers blooming in summer.
Directly behind the visitor center is the USAF 9068 Memorial and Silent Heroes of the Cold War National Monument. As our nation’s first Cold War Memorial, it honors veterans and those citizens who gave their lives in the national effort to maintain military readiness during almost fifty years of nuclear-armed tension.
On November 17, 1955, the highest peak of the Spring Mountains was the site of the USAF 9068 plane crash at 11,918 feet. The crash, which took place during a winter storm, cost the lives of fourteen men. They included Air Force personnel, scientists, engineers and CIA officials who were on a secret flight returning from “Area 51.” The very existence of the Area 51 airbase and related facilities wasn’t even acknowledged by the government until recent years, because their role is believed to be developing and testing secret weapons. The formerly secret U2 spy plane was tested there. Signs are present to interpret the memorial, and an airplane propeller, salvaged from the crash site, is on display
The Seven Stones Plaza acknowledges the Nuwuvi belief that their ancestors were created in the Spring Mountains. Here are seven boulders, one for each branch of the Southern Paiute people. These surround a center boulder with a hand print, which represents the Nuwuvi’s creator, Ocean Woman.
If you have small children along they will be enchanted by the kid-friendly interpretive signs, wildlife tracks painted on the pathways, and the one-half-mile Pack Rat Trail, suitable for those who can’t walk too far. In summer there are also ranger programs and other events.
The Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway in Kyle Canyon opened in 2015.
The Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway is open 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and open till 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. However, hours are subject to change, so always check before going. All the trails are open from dawn to dusk. For more detailed information go to www.gomtcharleston.com, or call (702) 872-5486.
Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway at a Glance
Best Season: May to mid-October, barring snowfall.
Length: Three trails ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 miles.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate.
Trailhead Elevation: Sixty-six hundred feet.
Jurisdiction: Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Directions: From Las Vegas, take U.S. Highway 95 north about 17 miles. Go left on Kyle Canyon Road (Nevada Route 157). Drive about 16.5 miles and turn left to the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway.
10 Mary Jane Falls
Although there are many excellent hikes on Mt. Charleston, ranging from toddler-friendly trails to strenuous peak hikes, Mary Jane Falls might well be the best-all-around one, especially if those in your group vary by ages and abilities.
From its signed trailhead the route is obvious; just head up the wide and well-defined trail. Notice the rip-rap rocks set in place along the trail to help prevent erosion. Children find it irresistible to walk upon these, testing their balancing skills.
The trail starts as a pleasant stroll through a forest of ponderosa pines, white fir, aspens, and mountain mahogany, with an understory of thistle, elderberry, and willow. Along the lower part of this trail, you’ll also find some rare wildflowers including a species called rough angelica (Angelica scabrida), which is also found in avalanche chutes in these mountains, yet nowhere else in the world.
Hikers walk along the avalanche chute at the base of Cathedral Rock.
After about seven-tenths miles the hike changes dramatically and you’ll have to start doing some work. Here you’ll begin the steady ascent up a steep slope, helped along by twelve switchbacks which make the walk longer but less steep.
If you have children along, this is a good place to teach them the importance of staying on official trails, and how shortcutting wreaks havoc, causing washouts, and destroying plant life that in many cases takes decades or longer to grow back. You’ll notice where the U.S. Forest Service and various volunteer groups have placed jute netting, logs and branches along the slope to protect the area and help it recover from past damage.
Here, you have a chance to see the Palmer’s chipmunk, a species unique to the Spring Mountains. It’s usually found at an elevation of about eight thousand feet, where the dominant vegetation is ponderosa, as on this trail. The more abundant Panamint chipmunk is also seen here, but has a wider range. They look almost identical except the Palmer’s is slightly larger and a brighter color.
The final switchback leads you up to the base of limestone cliffs, where you will follow along the cliff base over a mix of natural and man-made steps, leading to the falls. The perennial water flow is from two springs located high on the cliff wall, well over one hundred feet above. During heavy run-off you will find three or more waterfalls. Watch your footing as the terrain becomes increasingly uneven, and extra-slippery near the falls. Every time I have visited I have seen one or two people take a painful pratfall.
Tempting as it may be, resist climbing up inside the large overhang next to the falls, because of the fragile plant life. There are some natural steps though, by which you can climb up and take a good look into this natural shelter. From here you can look across the canyon to Big Falls, another great hiking destination, less known but a good one for those up to some route finding and rock scrambling.
On the far side of these falls, look for the well-worn spur trail which will lead you to a small cave, a good place to stop, relax, and take in the view. This is a popular hike so don’t expect much solitude, but it is a good one to familiarize yourself with Kyle Canyon. And that will be a good idea, because most people like what they find here, and will soon be coming back to try its other trails.
Mary Jane Falls At A Glance
Best season: May to mid-October, barring snowfall.
Length: Three miles roundtrip.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Elevation gain/loss: One thousand feet.
Trailhead elevation: 7,833 feet.
Warnings: Wet and slippery footing near falls. Ice is common.
Jurisdiction: Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Directions: From the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway take Nevada Route 157 west about 3.3 miles, staying right at the hairpin curve onto Echo Road. Drive 0.4 miles then go left on gravel road for 0.3 miles to trailhead.
11 Cathedral Rock
The pleasures of a hike to Cathedral Rock include walking through forests, viewing seasonal wildflowers, crossing an open avalanche chute, and emerging atop the monolith, there to rest and enjoy breathtaking views of Kyle Canyon and beyond. There is also a side trip to a seasonal waterfall.
Older children will be able to handle this hike, but all hikers must keep in mind that once they arrive on top, there are severe drop-offs in all directions. Be extremely careful, as people have lost their lives by falling here.
Along most of the trail there is loose rock underfoot, so I recommend wearing hiking boots rather than sneakers or athletic shoes. Boot soles are usually thicker and have deeper treads, less likely to slip on loose rock.
The trail immediately starts ascending steadily through a forest of ponderosa pines and white fir in Mazie Canyon. Suddenly the landscape changes dramatically and you will be surrounded by young aspen trees. That’s because this area is a major avalanche chute in winter, and aspen trees are among the few plants likely to survive the havoc. But in season you’ll see wildflowers such as lupine, paintbrush, thistle, and penstemon.
After you cross to the other side of the chute and continue your ascent on the south side of the canyon, keep an eye out for a spur trail on your left. This short spur trail, only about one hundred yards long, is well worth the effort, for it ends at a series of three seasonal waterfalls. In spring they can pour quite spectacularly but in summer there is sometimes a mere trickle, except after storms. Trickle or torrent, it’s a pleasant place to take a break.
Back on the main trail, continue up through the avalanche chute, which takes you around to the back side of Cathedral Rock.
Just before the trail reaches a saddle, you will come to a fork. Stay right and continue down a small dip, and you will hear the water flowing in a small creek on your right. Continue on and then start up a series of switchbacks. You will notice manmade netting on the hillsides here, an attempt to stop erosion. The trail brings you up to the west side of the monolith and then swings north to the overlook.
The trail travels through fossil-bearing limestone. There aren’t any vertebrate fossils in the formation, but you might find brachiopods, crinoids and horn corals.
Once on top you will have excellent bird’s-eye views down into Kyle Canyon and the surrounding area. Below lie Mt. Charleston Lodge and the private homes that were built in this glorious setting. Looking down Kyle Canyon Road to the east you will have far-reaching views of the Sheep Mountains.
To the northeast is Mt. Charleston Peak, at 11,918 feet the highest in the Spring Mountains. If you’re young and ambitious it may inspire you to bigger adventure on its slope. Or if you’re middle-aged and out of breath, it may inspire you to rest on the laurels of a morning well spent.
Cathedral Rock At A Glance
Best season: May to mid-October, barring snowfall.
Length: 2.8 miles roundtrip.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Elevation gain/loss: 910 feet.
Trailhead Elevation: 7,680 feet.
Warning: Steep drop-offs.
Jurisdiction: Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Directions: From Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway, go west on Nevada Route 157 about 5 miles to the Cathedral Rock Picnic Area, which is open 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Access trailhead from the first parking area.
12 Big Falls
The Big Falls hike is less known than some on Mt. Charleston, yet offers as much pleasure, including the sight of bristlecone pines, doubtless the oldest living individuals you’re ever encountered.
From the trailhead follow the signed trail as if going to Mary Jane Falls. Immediately you will find yourself within a vigorous forest of ponderosa pines and white fir, mixed with aspens and mountain mahogany. At seven-tenths miles the well-worn Mary Jane Falls trail narrows and heads off to the right.
For this hike, though, you will go straight, on an abandoned gravel road. Follow this for about one hundred yards, then take the obvious left turn to the west. The trail will narrow and bring you over a couple of small washes, then arrive at the right or north side of the area’s major drainage. You will follow this canyon upstream to Big Falls.
In this area look carefully at the conifers surrounding you, and you’ll see a few of the famous bristlecones. You can recognize them by their branches, which have needles arranged in a pattern that resembles a bottle brush. Some along this trail are only about six feet tall, but they’re close to a thousand years old. A few bristlecones in California have been scientifically estimated to be nearly five thousand years old — the oldest trees in the world, and perhaps oldest of all living things.
Follow the path until it drops into the drainage itself. From here just start heading up the canyon. There are many boulder-choked areas and small log jams that you’ll have to maneuver around, but nothing very demanding until you get to the one large obstacle of the hike.
That obstacle is a very narrow section of the canyon, blocked by a fifteen-foot-high boulder wedged between the walls. You have two choices to get around this. If you have climbing skills, you can go directly up on the left side of the boulder using upended logs that have been placed there to aid you. The other option is backtracking about twenty yards and heading up the faint trail on the southeast side. Although there is also a clearly visible path on the northwest side, I can’t recommend it. It’s more strenuous, has more cliff exposure and is harder to negotiate safely.
After your ascent, drop back into the wash and continue upstream. Depending on recent rainfall, the rest of your route might be along a small stream, which disappears underground and resurfaces from time to time. You can easily skirt the water to the right. Continue up canyon until all progress is blocked by a one-hundred-foot pour-off, Big Falls. The water flow depends on snowmelt and recent rain, so the amount can change significantly from visit to visit.
It’s a rugged route up to Big Falls.
Big Falls At A Glance
Best season: May to mid-October, barring snowfall.
Length: 2.7 miles roundtrip.
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous.
Elevation gain: 850 feet.
Trailhead elevation: 7,833 feet.
Warnings: Route finding, rock scrambling and dangerous drop-offs.
Jurisdiction: Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Directions: From the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway take Nevada Route 157 west about 3.3 miles, staying right at the hairpin curve onto Echo Road. Drive 0.4 miles then go left on gravel road for 0.3 miles to trailhead.
13 Fletcher Canyon
In the Kyle Canyon area of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Fletcher Canyon offers a moderate hike through a dense evergreen forest, past a small spring-fed stream and through a narrow limestone canyon.
This hike is safe for children as there are no high drop-offs or major obstacles. There will be a little rock scrambling, and fallen logs across the trail in its upper reaches. And keep in mind there is an elevation gain of 880 feet, which might prove too strenuous for some.
Hiker heads into a narrow section of Fletcher Canyon.
Since the trailhead elevation is at about seven thousand feet, expect temperatures much cooler than in Las Vegas. When I last hiked there, it was eighty-seven degrees in Las Vegas, but only sixty-one at the Fletcher Canyon trailhead. Such a difference is typical.
From the signed trailhead, pick up the obvious trail which heads up a small hill. Here you will find ponderosa and pinyon pine trees, mountain mahogany, manzanita, and oak. After a few hundred yards the trail curves around to the left and you will be walking next to a wide, but usually dry, wash.
The trail is well-worn and easy to follow. You will cross the main drainage three times. About one and one-quarter miles from the trailhead you will cross the drainage once more but this time you will find a small spring-fed stream.
From here on the canyon has more vegetation; in summer you will find plenty of thistle, red columbine, and penstemon.
Steller’s jays, recognized by their dark blue color and a prominent crest, love this canyon, as do a few broad-tailed hummingbirds. This is mountain lion territory, so keep an eye out for tracks in the damp or muddy areas.
Once you cross the stream, the trail becomes a little more strenuous over the next fifty yards or so, then drops into the drainage itself where you will head left. If thunderstorms threaten, stay out of the wash for fear of flash floods. From here on up, there is no easily accessible high ground for refuge.
Even days after rain, you might find pools of water in this part of the canyon. Be careful hopping from rock to rock. They are slick and can twist an ankle, or worse.
As you head up the rocky canyon, the wash itself will serve as your trail most of the time. In a few areas, paths take you up and around small obstacles.
When the canyon narrows even more, you will come to a boulder jam blocking easy progress. Although you will see a faint path heading up the terrain to the right, it is easier to climb up to the left of the boulder.
After this, the walking is easy except for crossing a few fallen logs. In the canyon’s narrowest section, the walls rise some one hundred feet, yet are so close in places that a long-armed person could probably touch both sides at once.
The narrows continue for about fifty yards, and mark the hike’s end for most. But it’s worth climbing up above the ten-foot boulder to the right and seeing what the upper canyon offers. Here the canyon forks. To the right is a small canyon worth exploring. It’s short and ends after only thirty yards or so, at a dry fall.
Good climbers with more adventure in mind can continue up the canyon along the left fork. Be prepared for intense rock scrambling, as the path is choked with boulders. Once above these obstacles, the terrain is easier.
Fletcher Canyon At A Glance
Best season: May to mid-October, barring snowfall.
Length: Three to four miles roundtrip.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Elevation gain: 880 feet.
Trailhead elevation: 6,920 feet to 7,800 feet.
Warnings: Flash flooding. Equestrians share trail in lower portion. Rock scrambling in upper portion.
Jurisdiction: Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Directions: From the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway drive west about 1.1 miles to a parking pullout on left. Trailhead is directly across the street.
14 Robbers Roost
Robbers Roost is the destination of a short, appealing hike, ideal for those new to hiking or who have children along. Even spending some time exploring, adults and older children can do this in an hour, but younger children who want to walk on their own will need more time.
Local legend asserts this small canyon was used to hide contraband, and even stolen animals, after thieves raided travelers along the old Mormon Trail during pioneer days. Whether that’s truth or fiction, the cave-like overhangs and canyon setting would have made an ideal hideout.
From the well-signed trailhead, the obvious trail first crosses the old road built in the 1930s and 1940s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a public works agency formed during the Great Depression, to connect Kyle and Lee Canyons. This road just looks like a wash nowadays. As the trail heads west, you will be in a woodland of pinyon pine and white fir, which also contains mountain mahogany. You’ll pass a few ponderosa pines as well.
As you continue your ascent the trail gets a little steeper and small children might find it more difficult going. Rocky terrain and man-made stone stairs create uneven footing, especially hard to maneuver with small legs.
Once you arrive at the base of a giant sloping rock, about five or ten minutes from the trailhead, you will be able to catch a glimpse into the overhang on the right. Although it looks tempting to head off trail and climb directly up here, just continue a bit farther and you’ll find easier access.
After exploring this overhang, and maybe looking for some hidden cache, continue up canyon. In about thirty yards the canyon becomes very narrow and all further progress is blocked. This is a box canyon where you will find yourself at the base of a dry fall. During rainstorms this can become a heavy-flowing waterfall, and the canyon bottom may turn onto a watercourse, so if rain threatens leave this hike for another day.
In the upper canyon look along the canyon walls for evidence that rock climbers also enjoy this area. There are dozens of routes. The most obvious are on the right where you’ll note a series of fixed climbing anchors, called chain draws, heading up the vertical canyon wall.
As you descend from the narrow section, stay to your right and pick up the spur trail which will take you back down to your vehicle, forming a loop. As soon as you get on this path look for another trail directly on your right that will bring you to another overhang or small cave, where children love to play.
Beyond this point the lower loop becomes just narrow enough that it’s awkward to hold a little one’s hand while walking. Yet you’d really need to do so, for there are potentially dangerous drop-offs. So, if small children are among your companions, it’s best to head back the way you came.
Wildfires are a constant threat in the Spring Mountains.
Robber’s Roost is a good choice for children.
Robber’s Roost At A Glance
Best season: May to mid-October, barring snowfall.
Length: 850-yard loop.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Elevation gain/loss: Two hundred feet.
Trailhead elevation: 7,870 feet.
Warnings: Flash flooding, drop-offs.
Jurisdiction: Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Directions: From the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway, drive west on Nevada Route 157 for 0.5 miles and go right onto Nevada Route 158 (Deer Creek Road). Drive 3.4 miles to parking pullout on right. The signed trailhead is directly across the road.
15 Bristlecone Trail
When you just want to get some miles under your belt and some city cobwebs out of your head, the Bristlecone Trail is good medicine. It’s especially good in crisp fall weather after quaking aspen leaves have turned to gold. Even in summer, it offers a chance to enjoy a forest and possibly see some wildlife, and can be done either as a loop or an out-and-back of whatever distance you choose. The latter is particularly useful for families with small children.
There are two trailheads — upper and lower — and almost a mile of paved road between them is part of the complete loop. Most loop hikers park at the lower trailhead and start by walking the road to the upper one. That gets this uphill part out of the way before they get tired. It also brings them past the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort (also known as Lee Canyon) early in the day, when they have a better chance to see wild horses on its grassy slopes.
From the upper trailhead the well-defined path goes up the ridgeline to the north and right side of the ski area. A spur trail heads off to your left at the beginning, which can be confusing, but it quickly rejoins the main trail. You’ll be in a forest consisting mostly of ponderosa pine, bristlecone, white fir, and mountain mahogany mixed with aspen. Shrubs include gooseberry currants, recognized in fall by their red berries.
Among healthy conifers stand dozens of dead ones, called snags, stripped of bark and leaves, yet essential habitat for insects, birds and small animals. Look and listen for birds, which may include northern goshawks, woodpeckers, chickadees, bluebirds, jays, and warblers.
You might see deer or even elk. You probably won’t see the stealthy bobcat or mountain lion, but you might find footprints or other proof they’re around.
As the trail loops around to the southeast, views open up and you see the west side of Mummy Mountain. Continuing, you’ll reach an exposed point where you will be able to see down into Lee Canyon and far-reaching views of the Sheep Mountains, part of the Desert National Wildlife Range.
Conifers are sparse on these rocky slopes, but it’s here you’ll find tough, windblown bristlecone pines. The oldest trees alive are bristlecones, and some on this very trail are pushing birthday number five thousand. Increasing in girth less than one one-hundreth inch per year, a five-foot-tall bristlecone might be two thousand years old.
The trail goes west and narrows as it reaches its highest elevation, then heads around a rocky slope to Scout Canyon Road. Graveled but now abandoned, the road serves as a trail for the rest of the hike.
About halfway through the hike you’ll reach a saddle and a sign identifying the Bonanza Trailhead. This little-known trail is beloved by backpackers seeking solitude in the nearby Mt. Charleston Wilderness Area.
Continuing down the road you’ll find excellent views of the ski slopes; above them, evidence of past avalanches. Not long after that, you’ll pass a large grove of aspens — one last sweet sight before the road levels out and offers an easy descent into the lower trailhead parking area.
Bristlecone pines of Mt. Charleston are among the world’s oldest living things.
Bristlecone Trail At A Glance
Best season: May to mid-October, barring snowfall.
Length: 6.2 miles when done as loop.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Elevation gain/loss: 918 feet.
Trailhead elevation: 8,680 at upper trailhead, 8,462 at lower.
Warnings: Mountain bikers share entire trail and horseback riders the lower segment.
Jurisdiction: Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Directions: From the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway, drive west on Nevada Route 157 for 0.5 miles and go right onto Nevada Route 158 (Deer Creek Road). Follow for about nine miles. Go left onto Nevada Route 156 (Lee Canyon Road). For lower trailhead follow 2.55 miles and go right onto gravel side road for 130 yards to lower parking area and trailhead. For upper trailhead continue 0.8 miles farther along Nevada 156 to upper parking area of Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort (also known as Lee Canyon), or 3.4 miles from the Nevada 156/158 junction.
