Ancient Junipers Loop (Upper Upper Mud Springs Loop) - 6/28/25

Hiding under an ancient Juniper Tree

Wondering if the tree got struck by lightning.

Ancient Juniper taking over the Wash

About 2.5 years ago, four club members introduced a new route leaving from Sawmill Trailhead. Since the entire Mud Springs Loop is ~18 miles and even the half loops are 9 and 9 miles, we wanted to use the established upper part of the complete loop for a more palatable 6.5 mile loop. Little did we know that the new route in the connecting wash would be so beautifully adorned with very old, shall we say "ancient," juniper trees. There are, of course, millions of old juniper trees in the deserts of the country. They are extremely hardy being able to withstand harsh dry weather in full sun. These are slow growing trees and, therefore, when you come upon a huge one (or twenty) on the sides of a single desert gravel 3/4 mile wash, you know they have been around ... well ... for hundreds of years. They appear similar to bristlecones since the trees multiply in the same square of dirt with deeply reaching roots. Another attraction the juniper trees produce are the berries. I think everyone knows that the berries are used to flavor gin but, does everyone know that the berries are a seed cone and are used for flavoring other dishes, especially in Scandinavia? They have a bitter peppery taste. Different junipers produce different tastes. But, mind you, they are poisonous to dogs!

Taking a break among the old Junipers

Following the Wash

So, this route begins at Sawmill Trailhead where the Lady Hikers started up the trail to the ridge where the south Mud Springs trail junctions. We followed the well-groomed trail down until we were about 2.6 miles into the hike. Here, we turned right! The wide wash in this area leads all the way over to the north side of the Mud Springs Loop. Passing many ancient juniper trees (and sometimes having to circumvent a huge tree), we continued down the wash until we reached the other side of the Mud Springs Loop. (At the very end near the junction, we cut the corner off to the right as the dry delta started spreading out.) Turning right, we began a long climb back up to the Sawmill ridge during which two motorbikes came zooming past us down the hill. They shouldn't be there. Since this is the second time we have encountered these particular kids, next time, we will attempt to get their license plates and tell someone in authority. It scared us as they approached rapidly from over the hill in front of us! Besides that, this was a beautiful hike which we will keep in our repertoire.

Stats: 6.3 miles; 1150' gain; 4 hours to enjoy the wooden sculptures

View of lower Lee Canyon Road from No Mans 

Following the north side of the Mud Springs Loop

Nuclear Loop - 6/26/25

View of the Sisters Ridge from Champion Ridge

View of Mummy's Nose from Champion Ridge

Desert View Overlook sans informational Signs

Starting down the first Wash

The Nuclear Loop is another hike of mine that seems to have caught on. Sure, there have been many hikers that explore the area. You can find old trails just about anywhere! However, there are a smidgeon of new trails, too. The Lady Hikers parked at the Desert View Overlook parking lot and started down the cement walkway. As we had been warned, there are no informational signs right now. They were in bad shape from being faded from the harsh sun. I am assuming that they will be replaced. At the end of the walkway, we dipped down behind the signs on a worn trail. (A new trail has appeared going around the signs to the same place.) We decided to follow the new trail down into the wash. This isn't the best way to descend. If you continue down the top of the ridge behind the signs a little further and then drop down to the left, you find yourself in the wash at the bottom at a better spot.

Some parts of the wash have become a trench.

Recent mountain lion Kills

Airplane parts in first Wash

Susan photographs the large Dryfall

The next wash descent is around a mile. We used the side trail on the right for some of the descent since it is much easier to negotiate. We found a deer head and some feet from somebody! We passed the airplane parts that someone has uncovered from the dirt. Then we came to the large dryfall. This is always impressive! We climbed around to the left and dropped into the wash below, took a lot of photos and continued down the wash where the waterway began to spread out like a dry delta. At about 1.5 miles into the hike, we found the survey marker that was painted red and now appears half red and half worn off red on the left of the wash. This is an important landmark because it is where hikers should turn left and bushwhack up the steep hill to arrive at the bottom end of Champion Ridge. The ridge is covered with conglomerate rock here and you are obliged to climb along the top of this rock with a little scrambling to continue your hike.

Around and down by the large Dryfall

View of large dryfall from the Bottom

Kay shows where to go at the Baton Rouge (survey marker)

Climbing along the lower part of Champion Ridge

As you climb the ridge, Mummy's Nose leads the way. Soon, the cliffs on the right make the ground drop away. Below is the Champion Road primitive campground. Be careful around the cliff edge but it is a great view! The Sisters Ridge can be seen across and up canyon. You can also see Lee Canyon Road and the beginning of Macks Canyon Road. We stayed atop the ridge and over at the cliff side for most of the long hike up. Finally, we came upon the old large campsite. I can only imagine that this campsite was built by the loggers that ran the pulley system between the bottom of the cliffs to the top of the cliffs. This timber was used to build the resort cabins at Deer Creek. My, how the world has changed! 

Group photo on Champion Ridge

View of Mummy's Head from Champion Ridge Cliff

Large Campsite at top end of Ridge

Down canyon view from break Spot

After a break here, we hiked down to Deer Creek Road to cross and continue on the Old Deer Creek Road located just above the new one. For the next 1.5 miles, we climbed the old dirt road. We passed an old staircase to ... I don't know. (Gonna find out someday!) We passed an old Plymouth car. We made the short climb up Rocky Peak speaking to the guys that were camped on the trail there. (We also met their sweet dog named Grace.) And, eventually, we crossed the road right at the Orange Trail Trailhead. All that remained was a descent on the Orange Trail (left side of the loop) for approximately half of a mile. Then, a very steep climb up the hill to the left where we ended up at the cement path with no info signs!

Starting up Old Deer Creek Road

Old stairs to unknown Trail

Old Plymouth just off the old Road

Wide view from Rocky Peak

There are usually visitors that are roaming around on the cement path that we pass on the way up to the car. This hike was no different. Still coolish in the lower elevations during the morning hours. This is a challenging hike due to extreme ascents. Maybe next time we should try doing it in reverse!

Stats: 5 miles; 1200' gain; 4.5 hours

Starting down the Orange Trail (wash side)

Orange Trail below Desert View Overlook

Last steep climb back to Desert View Overlook

Foxtail Spring & Pioneer Rock Loop - 6/20/25

Columbine flowers in front of Foxtail Spring Cliff

Pinnacle Point on Pioneer Rock Loop

Pioneer Rock (L) and Foxtail Ridge (R) from Pioneer Rock Loop

Hiking the forest road on lower Foxtail Ridge

By now, most hikers in Las Vegas know about and have come to love the Foxtail Spring and Pioneer Rock Loop hike. And, the stronger echelon of hikers also know of the Foxtail Ridge, Foxtail Spring and Pioneer Rock Loop hike ... or the "Foxtail Grand Loop" which includes an impromtu trail that leads hikers down from the ridge to the spring area. Most of us are amazed that this hike was there all along while the Girl Scouts were enjoying it year after year. (Yes. We understand.) Anyway, while the camp is closed for the time being, we are enjoying this area immensely. For the time being, that is. Observing small clues on this recent hike, it appears that the camp is being refurbished in small increments. Perhaps the forest service is readying it for a new lessee. Just innocently speculating. I know nothing. However, the camp is a wonderful construction and it would be a waste to let it go to rot. We parked at the Pay Phone TH (aka the Lee Canyon traffic circle TH). Not wanting to upset the people that manage the Foxtail Picnic Area, we skirted the gate to climb up the hill to the bottom of Foxtail Ridge. 

Entering the Girl Scouts' Camp Foxtail

A few scenes from Camp Foxtail

Camp Foxtail Cabins

Button Flowers

At the top, we continued straight along the ridge on an old forest road that leads to a huge water tank that services the upper part of Lee Canyon. Right next to the tank, is an amphitheatre built with logs that the Girl Scouts probably used daily. Following a trail of log steps, we dropped down into the main camp area. Assumably, the first large building was the cafeteria. (I don't know.) There is a Peace Pole out front with "Peace" inscribed in several different languages. Sue recognized the Korean word for Peace. The buildings were boarded up where others have gone in and rummaged through. (You know who you are!) To the left of the building, the main road continues up through the camp and to Foxtail Spring. Since the road has been cleared of deadfall and the sides have been cleared of brush and small aspens, we hiked up admiring the surrounding cliffs that we could not see before the storms. We could even see Pioneer Rock! Before the storms, the monstrosity called Pioneer Rock was hidden by aspen growth. There were also beautiful cliffs that we could now see on the Foxtail Ridge side. I also heard through the grapevine that the forest service frown hugely on hikers that try hiking through the low shaved brush. This is cut for the Charleston Blue Butterfly habitats. By now, you know how important that is!

Camp Foxtail Road has been cleared of Downfall

Susan watches as the sun rises above Mummy Mountain and the Charleston north Loop

Finally, we can see Pioneer Rock!

Negotiating a deep Trench

We followed the road up past the remaining aspens, negotiated the large new ditch and pump house, and started the long climb up to the big wash junction. Steeper than I remember! At the junction, we continued up the first really steep hill of the rocky road. Again, really steep! At the top of this hill, we turned to the right and found the somewhat easier dirt road to climb. (Also, steeper than I remember.) Finally, we were at the upper junction where the dirt road crosses the rocky road. We rested a minute before we continued across and up the embankment toward the cliffs with dripping water. The water was still puddling in places from the spring thaw. No matter the time of year, this is always a great place for contemplating ... how steep the climb is to get there! I located 2 or 3 more wooden amulets that had fallen from the cliff walls and searched for rock to hang them on. These were leftover from the Girl Scouts and it is only proper to try to maintain them. We also tried to climb up past the spring but we found it more difficult than we desired. So, we started back down the way we came until we reached the crossover back to the steep rocky hill at the bottom.

Still steep above the pump House

Even more steep up to the side road Junction

Steeper than remembered on the side Road

View from Foxtail Spring

Once before, our group had continued down the wash from the crossover point hoping to skip that really steep rocky road hill at the bottom. This was a good time to try it again. Others have also chosen this route and there was a small path that helped us around a couple of obstacles. It was much more pleasant than possibly falling on our butts on the SRH (steep rocky hill). Back on the forested part of the road, we carefully stepped our way back down past the pump house and through the aspens. The Pioneer Camp junction no longer has a sign indicating as such and we couldn't find it lying about on the ground. The storm water had cut through the gulley here and the sign may have been washed all the way down to Foxtail Picnic Area! We stood the sign post up on the tree and turned up the road to the right. Climbing again, we passed the trail that runs by the base of Pioneer Rock, Pioneer Campsite and on up the trail to the Pioneer Rock Saddle. During the climb, we had to circumvent a huge recently fallen tree across the trail. After gathering at the saddle area, we continued around the natural bowl below.

Visiting Foxtail Spring

Using the wash below the side road to skip the steep rocky Hill

Pioneer Camp

Rita climbs up to the Pioneer Rock Saddle

From the bowl, we had views of Lee Canyon ski slopes and the whole Foxtail Ridge / Pioneer Rock area. We found that none of the trees that had fallen across the trail in the past few years had been removed. However, all the deadfall was still easily negotiable ... if you are agile. When we reached Pinnacle Point, we posed for our group photo with the pinnacle and North and South Sister in the background. From there, we continued down the ridge through the blooming white phlox to complete the loop. There were no other obstacles to manage until the bottom where we stepped to the right a little to cross the washed out ditch. Next, we crossed over to the forest road where it climbs up to the lower portion of Foxtail Ridge. We were hoping to see wild horses in this area like we did in the past but there were none today. The Lady Hikers hiked down the gentle incline noticing that the forest service has done a nice job of removing brush that could increase wildfire possibility. We also noticed that the small teenage camps that were abundant in the past are now gone. I don't know what kind of statement this is but it was interesting. We thank the forest service for the clean-up. This is a beautiful area.

Same "duck under" Tree

Same "climb over" Tree

Beautiful view of Lee Peak, Foxtail Ridge and Lee Canyon Ski Slopes

Lady Hikers at Pinnacle Point

The weather today was optimal! Cool enough to wear gloves for half the hike but little wind. I just wish someone would maintain the Pioneer Rock Loop trail. It is one of the best small trails in the Spring Mountains and it would be a shame to lose it to natural deadfall. It would only take some sawing! A refreshing morning!

Stats: 5.1 miles; 1500' gain; 4.25 hours

White phlox in the Pioneer Rock Loop Area

Red desert paintbrush offsets the white Rock

Camp Foxtail Sign