Conglomerate Gardens (aka Kibbles-n-Bits) v Fossil Ridge - 11/27/24

Light rain on Red Rock Canyon NCA

Bright red barrel cactus on north Blue Diamond Hill

Rain on Wilson Peak - Climbing Fossil Ridge Trail

Rain-drenched Red Barrel

Although I do not advocate hiking alone, sometimes I do it on some of the more popular trails. I also carry with me an InReach device for emergency use. On this day before Thanksgiving, I expected to see more hikers and tourists in the Red Rock Canyon area but my early morning jaunt only passed one other hiker who I knew by face and a bicyclist who was concentrating very hard as he ascended on the difficult bike trail of Kibbles-n-Bits. Some hikers name this trail Conglomerate Gardens and the bicyclists call it Kibbles-n-Bits. I hope this doesn't confuse too many. I'm fine with either name! The Around the Bend Friends call it Conglomerate Gardens for the beautiful desert dark rocks and foliage.

Fossil Ridge above Echo Canyon - Second Finger Beyond

Fossil Ridge and Turtlehead Peak in light Rain

View back at La Madre Wilderness while hiking along Fossil Ridge Trail

Over the Moon / Conglomerate Gardens Junction

It wasn't raining when I got to the trailhead but the rain was coming across SR 159 at a swift pace. By the time I got on the trail, the light rain was coming down on me! I brought the camera just to entertain myself and I was very glad I did. I hope you enjoy the photos I took as I ascended to Fossil Ridge in the opposite direction than I usually find myself doing. Up through the rain, the red barrels were amazingly red! I continued up along the canyon to my left and turned right at the junction that took me up to the Cat-n-Hat Trail. A left turn here sent me up through the desert until I reached an obvious fork where I took the right toward Over the Moon. Before hiking into the mining property, I came to the Conglomerate Gardens trail junction and turned right again. Starting down the bike trail, it is immediately clear that the trail offers a lot of fun and beautiful scenery. There is a sea of nature's conglomerate rock sculptures among the desert and washes in this area. The trail is fairly easy to follow except for a handful of places that require further inspection.

Chert nodules on top of Limestone

Heading up Conglomerate Wash

Conglomerate Wash

Bridgepoint Peak beyond Blue Diamond Hill

At one of those places as I hiked on around the hill, I went straight when I should have turned right. No matter. The trail took me in the direction I wanted to go and it wasn't so wiggly as the other choice. Therefore, it was a slightly shorter route. I'll call it the Lower Trail for now. Regardless, I learned more about the trails in the Margo Mine Road area and found the trailhead just fine. The tourists were trickling in slowly. Gorgeous morning! Worth the chilly light rain during sunrise in the first hour!

Stats: 6 miles; 1000' gain; 3.5 hours

Rainbow Peak beyond large Conglomerates

Pine Creek Canyon (L) & La Madre Wilderness (R) from Conglomerate Gardens Trail

Sun prying its way through clouds and onto Turtlehead Peak