Lower Showgirl Trail O&B - 10/15/24

Rita gazes at desert Mountains

The Lower Showgirl Trail rests in the Transition Life Zone of the Spring Mountains at around the 7000'-7500' altitude level. This life zone includes Pinon-juniper woodland, sagebrush, ephedra, and grasses. There is also vegetation that belongs to the Upper Sonoran Life Zone such as joshua trees. Manzanita belongs in the upper portion of the Transition zone and they are there, too.

The different climatic zones encountered as one goes up in elevation result in notable differences in vegetation type. The 10,000 foot ascent from Las Vegas to the summit of Charleston Peak is equivalent, in terms of vegetation associations, to a trip from Las Vegas to the Canadian arctic and passes through six different life zones. You will pass through only four of these life zones on the trip up Kyle Canyon. You would need to hike to the top of Charleston Peak to encounter the upper two life zones.

~Geologic Tours in the Las Vegas Area (Expanded Edition with GPS Coordinates), Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication 16, University of Nevada, Reno, Mackay School of Earth Sciences, 2008, Bear Printing, Sparks, NV; page 37.

The Lower Showgirl Trailhead is located just under 13 miles up Kyle Canyon Road from the interstate exit. It is on the left and really difficult to see before you get there. The trail is mostly used by mountain bikers but it is a very pleasant trail for hikers as well. You can park in a small gravel area off the paved road and hike down the hill to the wash as the trail begins by going under an overpass. There is a newly installed trail sign at the bottom of the hill. Hike as far as you wish then turnaround and hike back. Or, by leaving a car at the lower end of the trail and driving up to the top end of the trail (Juniper Trailhead), you can hike 9 miles point to point all downhill. The represented hike for this entry is an out and back hike of 5 miles total. Today, we only hiked to the high point for this section making the hike 4.5 miles.

Stats: 4.5 miles; ~650' gain; 2.75 hours
 

Ice Box Canyon - 10/14/24

Around the Bend Friends in Ice Box Canyon

A good hike to start the fall season in Red Rock Canyon NCA is Ice Box Canyon. It's cooler in there even when the summer heat continues into October. David Hardy led us from the trailhead located on the Red Rock Scenic Loop (near MM 8) down across the Red Rock Wash and up along the rocky trail into the canyon in front of us. Finally, the trail drops down into the rocky wash and an easy scramble ensues. If any of the scrambles become too difficult ... or even impossible ... seek a use trail to your left (south side of canyon). At the end of the canyon, as you near the seasonal waterfall, a tree scramble rises on your left and allows you access to a rock shelf where it is comfortable to sit. (See above.) After the group took a short break and returned to the cars, we were all in good spirits.

Stats: 2.5 miles; ~500' gain

Dry seasonal waterfall in Ice Box Canyon

Stepladder & Odie Peaks Loop - 10/11/24

Odie Peak from top of Stepladder Peak

Griffith Peak from top of Odie Peak

Upper part of Shady Hollow Trail

Starting out the trail from the Trailhead

I know. Not many blogs lately. Onyx is still missing. It is possible that a "Ring" notice was put up by a person living outside our "Ring" jurisdiction that had a dog that appears very similar to Onyx. We cannot get in touch with this person and they are not returning any calls by others trying to help us. Blah. Blah. Blah. Anyway, I guess there is a 50/50 chance that they have her. There is also a 50/50 chance that Onyx is still out there playing with the foxes somewhere in the Spring Mountains. Honestly folks, we have done everything that we can think of and hiked everywhere within a 5-8 mile radius of the runaway point looking for her. 😩 I pray a lot.

Sun rising on Stepladder Peak

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Stepladder Peak Trail

Harris Peak from Stepladder Peak Trail

Entrance to Kyle Canyon from Stepladder Peak Trail

So, on another mission, Rita, Ralyn and I created a new hike using Stepladder Peak in a loop route. We started at the top of Stepladder Loop on Deer Creek Road (Top TH). Quickly connecting with the saddle junction, we turned right to climb Stepladder Peak on the trail that ascends up the first false peak and on up to Stepladder Peak. After signing in the log book, we started down on a different route than what is traditional. We turned to descend through widely scattered trees and brush on a 90 degree angle to the left. Paralleling a wash to our right and a cliff to our left, we easily reached the saddle between Stepladder Peak and the next little rise we affectionately called Odie Peak. After all, Odie was the first to peak out here a couple of weeks ago when he and Ralyn bushwhacked up from the other side following one of those frustrating barks that sounded so much like Onyx.

Rita and Ralyn climbing Stepladder Peak

Starting down from Stepladder Peak to Odie Peak

Odie Peak (foreground) from bushwhack Descent

Telephone Canyon and Angel Peak 

We made it to the top of Odie Peak taking in all the new views then started down on the south side connecting with a vague game trail. This trail spiraled down counter-clockwise until we junctioned with the Shady Hollow Trail on the east side of the little peak. The trees and brush were very easy to navigate through. Once we were on the Shady Hollow, we continued following it up in its north and northwesterly direction. At around 2.5 miles into the hike, we came to Onyx Point. This is my husband's name for where Onyx got spooked and ran from the bicycles who had come up behind us and didn't slow down. We stopped here for a break where the sunny trail began being covered by shade. I had removed the food and water bowl from this location the day before. (Too soon? I just don't know.) We sat and talked for a few minutes then continued up the Tin Can Alley / Shady Hollow Trail. It was a Friday so there were not any bikers around. Besides, the weather has finally turned a little cooler and the bikers might have moved down a little in elevation.

Telephone Canyon and Mummy's Nose from Odie Peak Saddle

Starting descent from Odie Peak

Fletcher Ridge from Odie Peak Descent

Shady Hollow Junction

At a junction sign, we made a sharp turn to the left to continue our hike on the Atomic Duck. (This is actually where the original Shady Hollow Trail continues as well.) Taking the long switchbacks up to the Cowboy Trail, we eventually connected with that trail that parallels old and new Deer Creek Road. Soon, after taking a left, we were at the saddle junction and took a sharp turn to the right on the trail that led us back to the cars at the Top Trailhead. I like this new route. It can be tweaked in different ways to adjust the total length of the hike. We welcome Odie Peak to the Spring Mountains!!!

Stats: 4.25 miles; 1300' gain. 

Atomic Duck (L), Original Shady Hollow (R)

Shady Hollow Trail joining Cowboy Trail

Return to Top Trailhead (Stepladder Peak in Background)

Storage Cabin (Cowboy Wash / Tin Can Alley) - 10/02/24

Old storage bunker near Telephone Canyon Road

Double Notch log cabin Construction

After a bit of research on Telephone Canyon Road in the Spring Mountains NRA, I have concluded that I will write this entry according to lore. As lore would have it, Telephone Canyon Road was built and used when the cabins at Deer Creek were built and supplied with phone lines and electricity. Between the dirt road (Telephone Canyon Road) and the "new" Deer Creek Road lies a storage cabin or bunker where workers kept supplies for their construction. In reality, the cabin lies very close to where the old Deer Creek Road passed by. I had a friend who told stories about traveling the old Deer Creek Road with his military buddies that was, at that time, also a dirt/semi-paved road. It was a very difficult road to travel and was probably used by only the most adventurous ... especially in the snow! Thank goodness the new road (8.8 miles) was built in 1976 connecting Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon and providing an easy way to access many beautiful trails and campgrounds. Parts of the old partially "paved" road can still be found not far from the new road construction. We use the road remnants on a few of our hike routes. 

The storage cabin can be reached in various ways. However, on this particular hike, I began at the Stepladder Trailhead and headed up the Cowboy Wash Trail to the saddle junction above. Continuing up the Cowboy Trail that runs parallel to the established Deer Creek Road, I reached the cabin in around 2.5 miles. It sits off to the left as you are climbing. From there I connected with the Tin Can Alley Trail and followed it all the way down and back to the trailhead by use of Telephone Canyon Road and the Shady Hollow Trail. An excellent morning hike!

Stats: ~6.5 miles; ~1300' gain

Entry Point

Robbers Roost TH to Stepladder TH v Trough Trail - 9/30/24

Old tin cans hanging on trees in Tin Can Alley

View up from Hike a Bike Trail

Archive photo of Rita and Ralyn cleaning out the Trough

Tin Can Alley view Down

As we continue to roam the area around Telephone Canyon Road trying to catch sight of Onyx, we have hiked a couple of interesting routes. Yesterday, my husband and I left a car at Robbers Roost Trailhead and dropped down behind the sign. Taking a left, we hiked up Hike a Bike to the top of the hill and took a right at a four-way junction. This put us on the Trough Trail on a pathway downhill. It's steep at first but after you pass the wildlife trough, the steepness lets up a little. Passing up the Equestrian Switchback Trail, we descended straight down Trough Canyon. (We didn't see any dog prints.) At the bottom we crossed Telephone Canyon Road and turned to the left on Tin Can Alley Trail. Veering left, we started on a steady descent of the well worn trail. Finally, after 2.75 miles into the hike, we reached Onyx Point. After resupplying the food and water we have there, we continued down on the same route we have used for almost 3 weeks now. (We don't want to change our scent trail by using other routes back to the Stepladder TH.) As predicted, the afternoon heat was almost unbearable but we made it down to Telephone Canyon Road junction, turned right, followed the road down to the Connector Trail junction which is marked by a small cairn on the right. We follow the Connector back to the Shady Hollow Trail, checked another food and water bowl station, and continued back to Stepladder Trailhead. Having two cars, we drove up to retrieve our other car. It was a very nice hike albeit hot! We thanks everyone who continues to look for Onyx. It is very strange that there has not been any sightings of her by now. 😢

Stats: 5 miles; 500' ascent; 1700' descent; 3 hours

P.S. The photos on this entry are all archived photos from 2011 & 2022.

Tin Can Alley view Up

Telephone Canyon Road view Up