Many Views Loop - 6/1/26

North Sister from Ridge with Many Views

Lee Peak, Rocketship, and Charleston Peak

Mt. Everest (L) and Macks Peak (R) from Ridge with Many Views

South Sister Saddle

On Monday, a quiet day, I did another solo hike up to South Sister Saddle and looped around past the Ridge with Many Views. Parking at the Lee Canyon Road traffic circle, I crossed the road at the fire station and began my climb up through the Old Mill Picnic Area on a small paved road. Before the pavement ran out, a rock-lined trail veered off to the right. This is the Old Mill Trail. After another little while, a trail veered off to the right again. This trail is the South Sister Trail and it is not marked. I chose not to take photos of this scenic trail since I and many of us have hiked this trail over and over. I slowly and methodically climbed up through the ravines and made it to the South Sister Saddle landmarked by a large rotting log and, usually, a lot of wild horse manure! After a short rest, I started out the trail that leaves the saddle in a one o'clock direction. This trail takes hikers to the Ridge with Many Views, Rick's Saddle and the loop that I was hiking today.

Desert view from Ridge with Many Views

Tiny view of Black Rock at end of Sisters Ridge

Lee and Charleston Peaks

The trail is worn, however, there are a couple of places where helpful cairns are placed. After circling the top of a couple of ravines, the trail finally ends up at the top of a ridge that leads out toward the peaks. At the end of the ridge, hikers can enjoy a view of South Sister, North Sister, Macks Peak, Ricks Peak, Mt. Everest (NV), McFarland Peak and the Spring Mountain Divide. It is a 270 degree experience. Returning to the top of the ridge, I found the trail marked by a large cairn that leads hikers left over to the trail that climbs up from Ricks Saddle. This connecting trail is difficult to follow at this time. Suffice it to say, the trail should take hikers straight over to the target trail that climbs up the next ridge. Reaching this ridge trail, I sat for a short break and began the most difficult short climb of the day. The trail took me up to the top of the second phase of the South Sister Trail. From there, my route turned to the right and followed one of the two trails that lead back down to the South Sister Saddle. A return back down the large gully trail remained. A wonderful quiet day out in the woods.

Stats: 5.1 miles; 1500' gain; 3.75 hours

Tiny fossils of ancient plant Life

South Sister from top of Phase II of South Sister Trail

Lee Peak, Rocketship and Charleston Peak

Foxtail Spring & Pioneer Rock Loop - 5/30/26

Foxtail Spring and snow Drift

Pioneer Rock (foreground) and north ridge of Charleston Peak

Lee Peak resides over the Lee Canyon ski Slopes

Climbing up to the forest road on Foxtail Ridge

Spring has sprung and many hikers couldn't wait to get up to Foxtail Spring nor the Pioneer Rock Loop. I don't blame them but I guess I was waiting until I had the elevation gain at that altitude in me to go. Jerry and Cheryl invited me for their hike up there and, feeling good, we went. It was a beautiful day. We parked at the Lee Canyon Road traffic circle trailhead and started up past the Foxtail Picnic Area gate. An immediate right put us on a trail that climbed up to the top of the end of Foxtail Ridge. At first, this ridge is flat at a low elevation but after a saddle, the ridge climbs steeply up. The ridge provides gorgeous rocky views of the canyon below. But, eventually, the steepness takes over and the climb ends up on the north ridge of Charleston Peak.

Forest road on Foxtail Ridge

Jerry, Cheryl and Kay start up from Camp Foxtail

Our road exits the camp Area

Careful! Wires down within the Camp

So, we hiked happily along the flat low part all the way to the saddle where a large water tank resides. This tank provides water for most of Lee Canyon residences and businesses. On this hike, we veered to the left rather than continuing straight to hike the rocky ridge. The old Girl Scout camp that lies to the left of the ridge built steps that lead down to the main building of the camp. The camp was abandoned a few years ago and now belongs to the Forest Service. So we are able to hike through and around the old camp without problems. The dirt road that travels up on the left of the main building was our trail. It leads hikers up to Pioneer Camp, where the Pioneer Rock Loop begins, and further up to Foxtail Spring.

Looking back at Pioneer Rock from the water Station - Mummy Mountain to Right

Foxtail Ridge Spire from climb up Water Pipe Road

Side road used for last Water Pipe Road hill before Spring

Cheryl & Jerry enjoying the Climb

The road was built so that workers could lay a pipeline from the spring down to the camp. It is very steep, especially at the top, but the spring is unique and worth the climb. The three of us hiked through the aspen alley, past the pump house and on up until the road crossed a messy wash area. This is where the road gets really steep. The first section of hill is required so, up we went. At the top of this hill, we turned to the right. If you are able to follow an old road switchback, it will take you up to a road that runs parallel to the pipeline road but is a little easier to climb. This easier road never gets too far from the pipeline road and, finally, the two roads intersect. Here, we crossed the steeper pipeline road and followed an overgrown trail that led to the spring.

Cutting across to the Spring

Peekaboo!

Ice stalagmites and snowdrift at Spring

Ice Stalagmites

The spring comes out of a cliff band as seen in the photos above. There was still a large snow drift below the band and several ice stalagmites dripping down. The view behind you at the spring is of the mountains surrounding Lee Canyon Ski Slopes and on down Lee Canyon Road. After photos, we returned to the pump house almost the way we had climbed up and took our break. The difference in the route meant that we found our way down a messy trail through a wash instead of descending that awful first steep hill. Next, we decided to hike the Pioneer Rock Loop.

Bushwhacking on the Descent (Water Pipe Road above)

Washout at the Picnic Table

The Pioneer Rock Trail

Lee Canyon Ski Slopes from Pioneer Rock Trail

The Pioneer Rock Loop hasn't changed since last year. The few trees that have fallen across the trail were the same trees that have been there a couple of years. Sure would be nice if someone would maintain this trail by removing fallen trees. However, the trees simply mean that the hike becomes a small scramble! Highlights of the loop are a great view of Lee Canyon Ski Slopes and Lee Peak, Pinnacle Point where you can get a great view of the Sisters Ridge and a point where you can see the largest view of Pioneer Rock.

Pinnacle Point with South Sister

The gang on Pioneer Rock Trail with North and South Sisters

Pioneer Rock (L) from Pioneer Rock Loop

Desert Paintbrush on loop Trail

We were in no hurry so we took in the whole thing! It was nice. No one else was around. ... Until, ... when we got all the way around the loop and started back on the forest road on top of the low part of Foxtail Ridge, we were very surprised to see a wild stallion. Brown and white. Big guy! He was just standing there about 15-20' from the forest road. When we stopped to take our photos, he became what we interpreted as stressed. He started yawning and turning his head toward us showing his full mouth of teeth. We made the wise decision to not stress him any further and moved on down the road. This was an excellent and relaxing hike for this Saturday. Thanks to Jerry and Cheryl for extra photos and good company!

Stats: 5.3 miles; 1500' gain; 4.25 hours

South Sister from loop Trail

Back on the forest Road

Agitated male wild Horse

Nuclear Loop - 5/23/26

View down from Rocky Peak to Deer Creek Road

Dry waterfall from Ledge

From Champion Ridge up into Lee Canyon

No information signs at the Desert View Overlook

Five of the Around the Bend Friends gathered at the Desert View Overlook on Deer Creek Road for a hike called the Nuclear Loop. So called because this overlook is where many Las Vegans stood to watch an atomic nuclear bomb go off in the desert below. This was in the 1950's. The nuclear bomb testing at the Nevada Test Site continued on into the 1990's. Information on the importance of this overlook were printed on signs at the overlook but the signs have since become faded from the sun beyond recognition and have been removed. We can only assume that the signs will be replaced in the future. The signs also talked about some of the Native American history in this area. Some history about the nuclear bomb testing is copied below from the internet AI.

Discussing computer stuff while dropping into initial Wash

Starting down initial Wash

"No nuclear bombs were ever set off inside the city of Las Vegas, but 928 nuclear tests were conducted roughly 65 miles northwest of the city at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) between 1951 and 1992. Because the detonations occurred so close to the city, the massive mushroom clouds and bright flashes from the 100 atmospheric (above-ground) tests were highly visible from the Las Vegas Strip, making the city the epicenter of "atomic tourism" during the 1950s."

Initial wash Accouterments

The initial wash is sometimes clean of obstacles and sometimes not.

Looking down the huge Dryfall

"Major Nuclear Tests and Operations at the NTS

The U.S. government organized its 928 detonations into multi-blast test series. The most notable operations conducted at the site include:

Operation Ranger (1951): The very first test series at the NTS. It kicked off with Shot Able on January 27, 1951, a 1-kiloton bomb dropped from a B-50 bomber over Frenchman Flat.

Operation Tumbler-Snapper (1952): Included Shot Charlie (nicknamed "Big Shot"), a 31-kiloton detonation that became the first nuclear test openly broadcast on live nationwide television, officially sparking America's fascination with the atomic age.

Operation Upshot-Knothole (1953): Featured Shot Grable (popularly known as "Atomic Annie"), which was the first and only time a live nuclear artillery shell was fired from a 280mm cannon.

Operation Teapot (1955): Famous for testing nuclear blast effects on a simulated town nicknamed "Nuketown". The military built mock houses, utility stations, and populated them with mannequins to evaluate civil defense survivability.

Operation Plumbbob (1957): The largest and longest atmospheric test series in the continental U.S., consisting of 24 nuclear detonations (such as Shot Boltzmann and Shot Priscilla). It utilized over 1,000 pigs to test the biological effects of radiation.

Operation Storax - Shot Sedan (1962): A 104-kiloton excavation test under the peaceful-use Operation Plowshare program. It moved 12 million tons of earth, leaving behind the massive Sedan Crater, which is 1,280 feet wide and still visible today.

Operation Sunbeam - Little Feller I (1962): The final near-ground atmospheric nuclear test conducted by the United States, utilizing a portable Davy Crockett launch system. Transition Underground

Following the signing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963, all subsequent Nevada testing moved beneath the desert floor to mitigate radioactive fallout. The U.S. conducted 828 underground tests at the NTS. The final nuclear test explosion, code-named "Divider," took place on September 23, 1992, before the U.S. implemented a full testing moratorium."

Ralyn dropping down below Dryfall

Large dryfall in Background

There is a huge amount of information on the nuclear testing in Nevada, but, for now, let's return to our hike ... shall we? 

More entanglements in Wash

Baton Rouge greets us in the Delta

Mummy's Nose from Champion Ridge

We walked all the way down the cement sidewalk of the overlook until we got to the bottom. There is a trail that takes off just before the sign posts at the end to the right. It circles around to the left and continues down the ridge a little. Next, use trails will take you down to the wash on the left side of the ridge. (I probably do this descent different every time!) Once down at the bottom, we began descending the wash. Where the wash is blocked with obstacles, there is a very old trail that lies mostly on the right side that will help you through. On the way, you will pass a deer head skeleton, parts of an old small plane crash and a huge dryfall. Be careful here! Go around the dryfall by climbing along the cliff to the left and dropping down at the first palatable point. We returned to the wash and continued down still using the old trail on the right sometimes. Reaching the initial wash end point at 0.44 miles from the bottom of the dryfall in a tree-filled delta area, be on the left side of the wide wash. This will bring you to the embankment that rises up on the left. When you see this, begin looking for the survey marker that was once painted red. It's about 20' up from the wash.

Climbing atop Champion Ridge Rimrocks

View back along the Rimrocks

We gathered there for a short break admiring the survey marker! It needs a new paint job. Our break was planned because the next part of the hike continued straight up the hill. It's steep. Perhaps there used to be a trail but it is obliterated. Maybe someday, I'll improve it.

A favorite tree on Champion Ridge

A large somewhat permanent Campsite

Ralyn hikes along the old Deer Creek Road

We headed up the hill with a little bit of grunting on my part. At the top, we arrived right at the end rimrocks of Champion Ridge and climbed up on top of them. Nice view. Turning to our left, we continued climbing the rocks along the top of the ridge (with the use of a little scrambling) until the rimrocks circled around to the right side when we began hiking along a use trail in the brush. The rimrocks on the right side of the ridge were a fun place to walk along and admire the views. The ridge rose until we finally reached the old somewhat permanent campsite. We stopped here for our break at a large I-bar sticking out of the ground. This was a place where logs were lifted up from the Champion Road area below during a logging stint. After our break, we hiked down to the nearby Deer Creek Road, crossed it and hiked up the barely visible road on the other side. A final switchback to the left and we were making the long gradual climb up the old Deer Creek Road passing "the stairway to nowhere," and the old rusted Plymouth. At the high point corner of the road, we took a short side trail up to the top of Rocky Peak. The views up here are wonderful!

Old Deer Creek Road Accouterments

Leaving the old road to climb Rocky Peak

On the way up to the peak trail, we passed 3 Jeeps leaving the campsite. There was no one at the site when we came down and we continued down the road to the left. At the new Deer Creek Road, we crossed it to the Orange Trail Trailhead and took the left fork down to the wash below.

An overlook on top of Rocky Peak

Mummy's Nose oversees Rocky Peak

The Desert View Overlook Trailhead from the
old Deer Creek Road

At about 1/2 mile down from the trailhead, we had just dipped past a small wash and looked up to our left to find a clearish way up the steep hill. This hill is challenging as it is at the end of the hike and ... steep. The top of the hill will bring you to the cement trail of the Desert View Overlook. As usual, we passed a few tourist types who were on their way down. It is always a funny feeling seeing them after the hard workout you just went through! Fun day with the AtBF.

Stats: 5 miles; 1200' gain; 4.25 hours

Junctioning with the new Deer Creek Road and the Orange Trail Trailhead

Upper Orange Trail (wash side)

Theresa says "Hi!"