The Muffins / Old LV Overlook / Skull Canyon - 10/21/21

View from the Muffins to the Calico Hills

Old Las Vegas Overlook (Yep. Not so clear today.)

Within Skull Canyon

Starting toward the Muffins Trail

It was a full house this morning as the Six with Sticks grew to the Great Eight! We were on the clock with scheduled appointments so we wasted no time on the 5.5 mile hike. When we pulled into the Cowboy Trails parking lot, we saw that there were two other large groups preparing to hike. Luckily, each group headed off into a different direction at 8am. We passed the horses being saddled up. (One black horse was really tall and his name is Zeus!) We passed Jackson, the burro, and the corral full of colorful horses and mules. We passed the base of Boneshaker Hill and started up the Muffins Trail that zigzagged up the hill across from Skull Canyon. The climb was steady at a moderate pace. The Great Eight were continually talking almost all the way up!

Skull Canyon (L), Boneshaker Hill (R)

Climbing the Muffins Trail

Climbing the Muffins Trail

Sunrise on Wilson Peak of the Escarpment

We hiked in the shade until we were almost up to the Muffins. It was a very nice morning with temps in the upper 60's. Upon arriving at the large conglomerate boulders that appear like breakfast muffins, the group enjoyed a long pause to take in the view. Continuing, we followed the trail that climbs up along the edge of the ridge. The trail is well-maintained and easily followed. It leads up and over the ridge's high point then drops down to a saddle on the other side. Here, we turned to the left and followed the trail down and up to the original Las Vegas Overlook for our break. The city view was brown today. We can't blame it on the smoke from the California fires! Yes, it was, indeed, smog. Las Vegas sits in a terrain bowl and, well, it happens.

Nearing the Muffins

Arriving at the Muffins

The Great Eight at the Muffins

North side of North Blue Diamond Hill

After our break, we retraced our steps down and up to the saddle junction of the Muffins Trail. Continuing straight, we dropped down the slippery hill to the top of Skull Canyon and turned right down into the ravine. The Skull Canyon trail is one of the oldest trails in the North Blue Diamond Hills. I believe the bikers call it something else but it was named by the old timer hikers because an equine skull was found within its confines early on. The name stuck with the hikers and the bikers probably have no knowledge of this little bit of history. Besides, I have never witnessed a biker in Skull Canyon as yet! We followed the trail down as it crisscrossed the canyon wash several times. About halfway down, part of the group broke off to "scramble" down the interesting flat limestone that "paved" the center of the wash.

Old Las Vegas Overlook on Saddle to the Left

Fixing the shoe Pause

Cheryl goes down for a Look at the Overlook

Top of Skull Canyon

The wash can be easily negotiated down to a certain point where it is easy to climb back out to the trail. Sometimes, there is a cairn at the climb-out point. Together again, we finished descending the zigzags of the Muffins trail and sauntered past Boneshaker Hill. We passed the corral then heard one of the horses waiting for the ferrier whinny loud! There was one horse in the ferrier's contraption getting his hooves done! For a suburbanite, this was very interesting! Great day with the Great Eight!

Stats: 5.5 miles; 1150' gain; 3.5 hours

Deep within Skull Canyon

The Scramble down the Wash

George and Bob surfacing from Skull Canyon