 |
| Helping each other through Hippie Canyon |
 |
| Upper Hike Terrain |
 |
| Lower Hike Terrain |
 |
| Shoreline Trail |
It has been a couple of years since I have been available to join this hike. It is the same as I remember it! Eight hikers gathered at the end of the old Bay Marina off of Lakeshore Road. The Shoreline Trail leaves from the end of the cement going downstream to the right. It is beautifully lined with rocks and swept clean. We hiked down along what used to be the shore line of Lake Mead. But, since then, the water has receded quite a bit. Now, the trail doesn't come near the water except for one place where the water squeezes between rock walls below as seen in the second photo below. Now, this wash/marsh area is a great place to go bird watching.
 |
| Egret and Heron |
We saw a white egret and blue heron sharing morning coffee. Later, we saw an osprey looking for an early lunch. There might have been a hawk flying overhead as well.
 |
| Lake Las Vegas Wash |
Not too many years ago, we would hike this area and see fishermen just off shore netting in live bait for the tourist fishing industry. You can't float a boat now!
 |
| View back toward Lava Butte |
 |
| Lake Mead from Shoreline Trail |
It was a breezy day and when we had almost reached the 33 Hole picnic turnout from Lakeshore Road, we turned up to hike into White Owl Canyon. This was a change that we made to the route because of the breeze. The usual route continues to circle an island plateau that used to be surrounded on three sides by lake water. By omitting the island, we shed a whole mile from the final distance. So, we headed on into White Owl Canyon to find several ledges covered with the telltale white bird droppings of roosting owls. We did not, however, see any owls; roosting or otherwise. Still, the canyon is a bit mysterious.
 |
| Trail Sign made of Shells |
Lake Mead used to hide the beautiful canyon with its deep waters. The sides of the canyon are rounded and smooth. It has been at least twenty or thirty years since the lake water has been this high.
 |
| Entering White Owl Canyon |
At the end of this part of the canyon, we went under Lakeshore Road through a single culvert. From there, we continued through some more of the smooth sided canyon slot.
 |
| White Owl Canyon |
 |
| Wash Chock Rock |
Next, we hiked under the River Mountains Trail through a double culvert. Finally, we started climbing up a gravelly wash into terrain that was never underwater. The wash narrowed and offered two fun dry falls to climb. Then the route goes up and over the left embankment to the next wash. From there, the wash widens and we climbed for another mile or so before we reached the snack break corner. This corner is also the high point of the hike. After the break here, the route begins a long descent wash that has very interesting scenery. We started down following the flow and trying to avoid the catclaw bushes that were reaching out to touch us.
 |
| Double Culvert under River Mountains Trail |
In the past, we have seen bighorn sheep on this hike. Today, we didn't see any. We were looking!
 |
| Heading up the Wide Wash |
We used a pleasant pace down the canyon wash and the first major point of interest appeared. On the right side of the canyon, there is a slot (Corkscrew Slot). I have descended this slot once. It is very difficult without ropes.
 |
| Mike on the First Dry Fall |
 |
| Janet and Mike on the Second Dry Fall |
The "go around" is found on the left side. We climbed up, sidled by the slot below then very carefully came down the slippery stuff on the other side. Next, the canyon turned into those same smoothed-edge walls that we hiked through previously. Very pretty. We had one more culvert to hike through under the River Mountains Trail then we were at the start of Hippie Canyon. A sharp turn to the right at the end of the culvert dropped us down into a jumbled maze of dirt and rock. There are deep holes to avoid and a couple of drops that take a bit of arm strength but Lettie led us through without fault. At the end of the scramble, we looked up on the cliff wall to the right.
 |
| Snack Corner |
In the past, there have been a pair of roosting great-horned owls sitting pretty. Not today. No GHOs.
 |
| Passing above Corkscrew Slot |
Finally, the canyon dives far under the road above and balances along one more scramble. There is a trail here that leads out toward the lake wash.
 |
| Corkscrew Slot Go Around |
 |
| Descent Wash |
When we got out of the canyon, the canyon trail junctioned with the Shoreline Trail where we originally started. We turned to the left. Not far from here, we reached the trailhead and the cars. It was a fantastic day and the only time that the breeze was cold and annoying was during the descent wash. It was nothing that a buff over my nose would not have fixed! Nice group of similar leveled hikers. Fun morning!
7 miles; 850 feet elevation gain; 3.25 hours; average moving speed 2.1 mph
 |
| High Walls in Descent Wash |
 |
| Culvert before Hippie Canyon |
 |
| End of Hippie Canyon |
No comments:
Post a Comment