Twenty-six members of the Around the Bend Friends hikers met at our summer parking location for the first time this year and were very excited about starting the Mt. Charleston phase of our year. Today's hike took us up to an old lead mine above the Rainbow community which lies below Mt. Charleston.
We were delighted when we stepped out of the car and the cool fresh air hit us. Smiles were all around as we began climbing the trail which lead up through a fairly steep wash to begin. After about half a mile, the wash turned into an easier trail which climbed past beautiful views of the still snowy Spring Mtn. range.
Near the end of the climb, a small stream appeared to our left. It flows from the spring inside the old mine. Soon, we were climbing steeply up through the middle of the small stream to get to the entrance of the mine where we sat for a few minutes to rest and snack.
While we sat, a few hikers went up to view the second mine entrance which is located up a steep embankment covered with a lot of very loose rock and dirt. There is also a small path which leads up the hill on the left of the claim sign which provides a nice view. Some hikers explored and others just enjoyed the scenery.
Our hike coordinator, Ed, gathered us together again and we began the seemingly short hike back to the cars. On the way down, we took the trail all the way. Then, we were left with a short walk down the road to the parking lot where we started the hike. The total distance of the hike was around 2.5 miles with only 600 feet of elevation gain.Below, you will find a map of the hike placed on the topography provided by Google Earth. There are a couple wayward satellite bounces of the GPS waypoints. One was at the beginning of the hike and one was at the mine area.
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