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| Hollow Rock Peak |
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| Mt. Potosi from Hollow Rock Peak |
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| Limestone/Sandstone Line of Keystone Thrust from Hollow Rock Peak |
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| Reaching Heartbreak Hill Saddle |
Hollow Rock Peak is a good hike producing rising heart rates, scrambling opportunities, and beautiful views. What more can you ask for? Eleven hikers found the Mountain Springs Pass Trailhead through the construction barrels and started up Heartbreak Hill. The group was similarly matched and we all arrived at the saddle in the same 5 minutes breathing hard and finally awake! It was a somewhat clear and chilly morning after the previous day of wind. Some dust still hung over the Las Vegas Strip in the distance until later in the hike. After a breather, we turned to our right to continue up to the high point of the hike.
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| Mt. Potosi from High Point of Hike |
At the high point, we stopped for a moment to admire Mt. Potosi then started down the bench leading out to Hollow Rock Peak, the second peak in the Sandstone Bluffs from the southern terminus.
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| Windy Peak from Trail |
We stayed on the limestone portion of the Keystone Thrust for another couple of hills as we made our way down. (The Keystone Thrust is where old limestone is making its way over the newer sandstone in a thrust fault zone.)
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| Mike points stuff Out |
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| Grapevine Canyon between Windy Peak and Hollow Rock |
Soon, we could see our target on the end of the bench that curves around from south to north. Also in view was Windy Peak to the north and Grapevine Canyon lying in between the two benches. The terrain from our ridge to the canyon below is unforgiving, very steep and rocky. Although we passed several fresh bighorn evidence, we didn't spot any. We do know they like this area.
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| Starting the Sandstone Scramble |
The trail curves around on the north side of the bench as it transfers from the limestone to the sandstone. Stepping up onto the ridge, we were placed on sandstone plates in a section colored yellow, pink and purple. This was accentuated in the winter morning light.
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| Beautiful Yellow, Pink and Purple Rock |
The trail is mostly cairned at this time as it travels atop the ridge. The first dip begins to the right side as cairns lead you around the steep cliffy rocks in front of you.
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| Scrambling over the Sandstone Bench |
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| The First Dip |
There are two dips on this route. They take hikers down below the ridge (not too far) and climb up over two rises. The first dip has a couple of different options. All are good if you don't get too high. At the top of the second rise, there is a small rocky peak to the right. Today, the group went for extra credit and climbed this peak up to the large cairn placed at the top. (Photo below.) Next, the route curves around to the left as it climbs up to Hollow Rock. We had brought a rope that we were going to leave on the large knob but someone had beaten us to it. Mike and Pat checked it out and decided it was secure at this time. So a few hikers climbed up the rock and found their way back down.
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| Extra Credit on the Way |
We took our break sitting on the cliff below the knob looking out into the distance that was Cottonwood Valley and Las Vegas.
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| Rita gets Help at Hollow Rock |
We had a clear view of the Late Night TH where the other club hike was located. It was too far away to recognize anyone but we think we saw some of the hikers that were involved in that hike hanging out in the parking lot.
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| Hikers on Break at Hollow Rock Peak |
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| Late Night Trailhead from Peak - Do we know these people? |
After the break, we slowly made our way back down past the two dips. This time we took a slightly different route at the optional section. When we all gathered at the sandstone /limestone line, we started down toward the sandstone canyon wash below us to the south. There is an optional route as a scramble through the wash but we were headed to the trail and abandoned road found to the west of the wash. A slow deliberate descent over loose sandstone brought us to a cairned trail that we followed until we hit the top of the old road that begins by overlooking the wash. A switchback on the road led us to a dirt service road that runs parallel to SR 160 for three quarters of a mile.
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| Sandstone Approach to Peak |
This road is very hilly. So, it takes any energy that you have left to hike back up along the road to the trailhead.
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| Climbing back up the First Dip |
Many different animal footprints can be found on this road. Someone should place a wildlife camera here!
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| Fossil Footprints? |
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| Trail down to Abandoned Road |
We hiked up and down the hills until reaching the triple powerline poles that cross the road. Just after this we walked into the trailhead. It was a great morning and a great group led by a great hike leader.
BTW, up on the sandstone ridge, we walked across what looked like small fossil footprints seen in the photo above. Nothing big like a jurassic dinosaur but fossil footprints, nonetheless!
5 miles; 1500 feet elevation gain; 3 hours
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| Abandoned Road above Sandstone Wash |
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| Hiking the Service Road back to TH |
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| The State of the Entrance to Trailhead, Presently |
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