Shady Hollow / Stepladder Loop (Extended) - 5/21/26

Half of the hike is on Tin Can Alley.

Hiking up Tin Can Alley

Descending on Stepladder Trail

Starting out Shady Hollow Trail

A good go-to 6 mile hike without too much altitude preparation starts at the Stepladder Trailhead, across from the Spring Mountain Gateway Visitor Center at the traffic circle on Kyle Canyon Road. Sue, Susan and I began the hike at the east end of the parking lot. At this time, it is difficult to find the trail since it is lying between the bushes with no sign. On up the trail just a little ways, we came to a cross trail. We turned right onto the Shady Hollow Trail. This led us around the mountain to the left with fragrant cliff rose blooming. As the trail curved around, we began seeing Angel Canyon on the right and the Showgirl Trail descent from the hill in the middle. We continued up the left wash on the Tin Can Alley Trail.

Rounding the bend on Shady Hollow

La Madre Mountain Range from Shady Hollow

Sue and Susan on the Trail

Tin Can Alley

The Tin Can Alley Trail is a popular bike trail that young people ride down at breakneck speed. It is best to hike this trail on weekdays and in the ascending direction due to the sometimes oblivious young bike riders using the trail from the top down. However, today, the only other people using the trail were a group of hikers led by an old friend of mine. From the top, the trail zigs and zags down the hill starting from anywhere around Robbers' Roost and above (maybe Juniper Trailhead). There are a few trail signs. One of the first ones that you come to on the ascent, names a trail that takes a sharp turn to the left up the hill. By using this trail, we could have made a shorter version of the Shady Hollow / Stepladder Loop. About 4 miles. We continued with the longer version by continuing to follow Tin Can Alley. Near the top of the hike, we made a couple of wiggles and came to another sharp turn to the left. This was our jumping off point. We turned left from the Tin Can Alley to begin our descent on the Cowboy Trail. The trail keepers have improved a couple of parts of this trail and you no longer feel like you are going to fall off the side of the hill! Nearing the Stepladder Saddle Junction, our trail laid on top of the old Deer Creek Road.

Trail Junction in Tin Can Alley

Susan taking a water break in Tin Can Alley

Picking up trash on Cowboy Trail

Stepladder view to Griffith Peak

Finally at the saddle, we chose the Stepladder Trail to finish the loop down to the cars. This trail hugs the Stepladder Peak mountainside. It was a long slow descent. Slippery. Finally, we came to the recently created use trail that shortcuts down to the parking lot. By this time, we were ready for cutting it short a little. It was a beautiful day and the three Lady Hikers enjoyed the hike. 

Stats: 6.2 miles; 1200' gain; 4.5 hours

Coming into the trailhead on use Trail

We like lizards!

Susan finishes the clean up!

Raintree / Mummy Springs Loop (with a little snow) - 5/11/26

Mummy Springs (right of center) before snow Crossing

Raintree Junction

Descending Deer Creek Ridge

Mummy's Nose from North Loop Trailhead

Sometimes, do you ever get a burr up your ass ... ahem ... rearend and just want to do something that everyone says you shouldn't do?  ... Like, hike alone. Normally, this isn't a problem in the Las Vegas area. But, my usual hiking buddies weren't up to the task of higher elevations, yet. However, I was pulling at the reins and decided to go up Deer Creek Road to the North Loop Trailhead for a delve into the elevations that I had not tasted, yet, this season. (Is that enough metaphors? Okay, I'll stop!) I had intended to only hike to Raintree if I was feeling up to it. So, up I went with only a couple of hikers on the trail so far. I took it slow and easy and felt very comfortable. My Lady Hikers and I had only done one hike in the elevations earlier this week on the South Loop de Loop.

North Loop Trail

North Loop Meadow

A North Loop Switchback

This photo is for Onyx. One of her friends.

I looked around to see things that I had not seen before since I'm usually either going too fast or talking. Yes, those are sometimes good things. But, today, for instance, I decided to take a short cut up the last switchbacks to the meadow. This is a shortcut that Guy showed me way way back. So, for only the second time ever, I took a small ridge up to the meadow. As I was away from the trail, a hiker passed me on the North Loop not too far away. When I reached the meadow, he asked me how far he had to go. I told him what I knew and he went ahead as we both tackled the switchbacks at our own speed. Just before reaching the High Point Corner, I met up with the first snow drift.

Snow near High Point Corner

Three peaks seen from North Loop Trail Ridge

A look up into Raintree

Mummy's Toe above Raintree

Further down the trail, I came to Raintree without much more snow. I sat and took a break then decided to continue down to Mummy Springs, the first small risk I had taken. Why? Well, you never know how much snow you will encounter on the trail. So, I came to a snow crossing about half way down to the springs. It wasn't difficult to cross it with others' post holes. But wait ... there's more! Just before I reached the springs area, there was another snow crossing. This one was longer and the post holes weren't as dependable. Phew! I got across that one, too, not really wanting to have to return that way! Shortly afterwards, there was snow most of the way across the bottom of the springs area. 

Snow river down a gulley from Mummy Springs Trail

Mummy Springs after snow Crossing

The treacherous snow crossing below Mummy Springs

Mummy's Toe from trail down Deer Creek Ridge

People had made snow steps but they were less dependable than even the previous crossing and the price for falling would have been more dangerous. My first reaction 😕 was to climb up the hill to my left out of the snow. Not a great decision. I got up about thirty feet to take some photos of the running spring water then ... had to resort to sitting for the descent back to the trail. I studied the snow and terrain for 5-10 minutes and finally decided I had to try crossing the snow just like others had. I'm just not great with snow! Well, I studied every step. There were not many useful footsteps in the snow. The terrain descended sharply on the right and ascended sharply on the left. And, ... there were a few small trees in the way bending into the trail with a small drop made by the slippery snow. A fine mess you got yourself into, Kay! Very slowly and very carefully, I made every step count as I negotiated the brush and snow-covered terrain. Luckily, the snow crossing was only about thirty feet. ... But, do you like the photos?? Anything for a photo, right? Well, I lived to tell the tale. I had already eyed the descent ridge on the other side and knew that it was in the sun and snow free. So, after recovering from the fright, I continued around to take the Deer Creek Trail junction, a right turn.

Descending Deer Creek Ridge

Deer Creek Trail

Dilapidated Fortress 

Deer Creek Trail junctioning with Cougar Ridged Trail

The Deer Creek Trail is very familiar to many of us and I slowly made my way down taking yet another break. At the bottom of the ridge, the steepness changed to an easy forest trail down by the running water. As I walked down Cougar Ridge Trail, a dirt road, I found the trail on the right that takes you up to the foot of Wild Horse Ridge and over to Wild Horse Canyon. Upon emerging onto Deer Creek Road, I found a few familiar trails to take me off of the side of the road and return to the North Loop Trailhead. I really enjoyed my day off alone in the woods! But, my recommendation is to always have a buddy!

Stats: 5.7 miles; 1770' gain; 4.5 hours

Cougar Ridge Trail

Trail leading to the base of Wild Horse Ridge

Bottom of Wild Horse Canyon

Dead Man Canyon to Gravel Canyon O&B - 5/4/26

Approaching Gravel Canyon

Mouth of Gravel Canyon

Hidden Forest Cabin photos from 2014

(So, who is that standing next to the corral 12 years ago?)

Approach to Dead Man Canyon & Hidden Forest

Lady Hikers on an Adventure

Looking for different places to hike with not a lot of elevation gain due to an injury, the Lady Hikers went on an adventure into the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR). Susan drives a Subaru and we piled in for a very long drive out Alamo Road. Alamo Road begins at the DNWR Visitor Center on Corn Creek Road turning to the left. We drove 15 miles on Alamo Road and another 4 miles on Hidden Forest Road at an average of 12mph. (Yep.) Well, none of us wanted to get a flat tire since we are all just "pampered" senior ladies with fantastic husbands who do all of that stuff. However, the road conditions were excellent! We rarely needed high clearance ... only when the middle of the dirt road was piled with a few inches of rocks.

Entering Dead Man Canyon

Starting up Hidden Forest Trail

Susan at the perspective Point

Heading into taller Walls

We had stopped at the visitor center and signed in as a safety precaution. There haven't been a lot of visitors going into the back country lately. (Or, at least, ones that have signed in.) Driving out to the trailhead, an SUV came flying by us. We saw the SUV later at the trailhead and passed him and his dog on the trail. He said he takes Rosie out for hiking in the DNWR quite often. Nice guy. He had hiked out to around the 4 mile mark that morning. The trail is covered with gravel for the first 2.5 miles or so. There was a lot of crunching going on. The path is very clear. For this hike, we went up 2 miles until the trail junctioned with what we dubbed Gravel Canyon. It comes in from the right and a storm, maybe Hurricane Hilary, had brought down tons of gravel to pile into Dead Man Canyon at its mouth. Curious, we turned to the right and hiked up the canyon a little just to get a feel for it. We had planned not to go all the way to the cabin anyway. The canyon flora and debris closed in on the gravel carpet and we decided not to pursue the route. Seeing that the day was passing quickly, we turned around here and hiked back down to the mouth of "Gravel Canyon" to take our break. Notes on the Hidden Forest Cabin and Trail were printed on a sign at the trailhead: 

The Hidden Forest Trail

"The Hidden Forest Trail begins at the mouth of Dead Man Canyon and as you ascend you’ll find yourself staring into the majestic canopy of a ponderosa pine forest. This forest cathedral is a welcome respite from the desert heat and shelters a historic game warden’s cabin at the trail’s end. Near the cabin you will find Wiregrass Spring bubbling out of the hillside. Hidden Forest Trail is the typical access point to Hayford Peak."

Canyon narrows as we search for bighorns on the Cliffs (none, of course)

Blooming cliffrose was a delight!

Hidden Forest Trail

Hidden Forest Trail

Although I have been to the cabin 3 times, I have not climbed Hayford Peak. Unless you are a really strong fast hiker, Hayford Peak is not a day hike. A lot of people stay in the cabin at the end of Dead Man Canyon overnight for this adventure. Or, they simply backpack in. Hayford Peak has a prominence of 5,392' topping out at 9,924' being the tallest mountain in the Sheep Range. The Hidden Forest Cabin lies at 7,850' in elevation. The trailhead of Dead Man Canyon is at 5,863'. (You do the math!) For our hike today, we reached an elevation of 6,878'. On the return, the crunching seemed endless! Susan found a collared lizard and our car was safe at the trailhead! We drove slightly faster on the way back down Alamo Road. I think the jostling fixed my back that had been hurting for a couple of weeks! All that and a chiropractor, too!

Stats: 5 miles; 1040' gain; 3.5 hours hike time

Nearing Gravel Canyon Junction

Heading out of Dead Man Canyon

A small collared Lizard