Thursday, April 16, 2009

White Rock Hills Loop - 4/16/09


It was a chilly morning on the White Rock Hills Loop for six happy hikers. It dusted snow in the mountains of Red Rock Canyon yesterday along with the 5 inches they received on Mt. Charleston. The wind was still blowing a little and snow was still coming down in the Sheep Mtn. Range so cold air and overcast skies were the order for the day. But, for these six hikers, the cold air was not a problem, only a motivator!

We hiked in a clockwise direction on the loop and about halfway to the peak of the hike, we saw this very tall cairn. The trail is well-established so we can only assume that someone had a little bit too much time on their hands!

Also interesting on this well-worn trail were the many manzanita bushes which are now in full bloom. They have little white flowers which accent the red branches and green leaves of about 1 inch. Folklore says these bushes prefer the cold spots and that it is a good way to be able to tell where to NOT pitch your tent.

The hike is approximately 6.4 miles with about 1000 feet in total elevation gain.

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