Horse Canyon - 12/2/21

Horse Canyon

Cairn built on Saddle of Peak 3874

Las Vegas, Nevada (The Meadow)

Approaching on Dirt Road

Another great Hardy Hike! Ten hikers arrived at the southernmost end of El Capitan Way and parked next to the Doral Academy as the kids were arriving at the school. In the distance, about 2 miles away, we saw large mountains rising to 3000' to 4000' up from the desert floor at 2800'. Several dirt roads crisscrossed the desert leading to these mountains and we followed a couple of these roads to the mouth of Horse Canyon which laid beyond the first prominent mountain, Peak 3704. The road topped a small hill just before we dropped into the canyon. Still following a less travelled section of the road, we climbed into the canyon until the road ended and we continued on a trail that bypassed the initial bushy scramble up into the canyon wash.

Heading toward Horse Canyon

Starting the Scramble

Climbing the Wash between Scrambles

Seven of Ten

Within the canyon, there were gentle sections of ascent dotted by beautiful dry falls that we were obliged to negotiate at a class 2.5 to 3 level. With one hiker that needed extra support, the going was slow but pleasant. The canyon serpentined up between the mountainsides and about halfway up, we could see the ridge high above us at the end of the canyon. The ridge would be our high point of the day. After a couple more big scrambles, we climbed through the scree and brush up to the saddle, then Peak 3874. At the saddle, a large clunky cairn sat atop a boulder. On the other side of the saddle, a cliff awaited. Beyond that, a gorgeous wide view of desert colors. Even further, I suppose, was California!

Tackling the Dry Fall on the Left Side

Limestone Stairs

Gathering at top of a Big Scramble

Climbing to Ridge

The small ridge peak rose to the west of the saddle and we climbed up to take a seat on the rimrocks for our break. We sat for a leisurely rest at the top and the hiker that needed the extra support graciously offered to take everyone to lunch. Totally unnecessary but very nice. Afterwards, we started along the ridge in the opposite direction. The ridge gently descended down to an overlook of another very interesting canyon (not on the docket today). A little further around the corner, we entered the brush to find ourselves in a gentle wash. For a while, the wash stayed gentle with a couple of short class 2 drops. Then, the metaphoric bottom dropped out and we started a great scramble down the rounded rocks sometimes using our hands.

Las Vegas from Horse Canyon Climb

Nearing the Saddle and Ridge Peak 3874

View on other side of Peak

Taking a Break

The group tended to spread out pretty far so every so often, we would stop and wait for the tail end to catch up. While we were waiting, it was a good time to just enjoy the beautiful surroundings. A pinnacle here, red barrels there, and the ever present view of the Las Vegas skyline. There was even a colorful section of wall that seemed, at first, out of context. During the hike, we came across two tortoise shells that had long since lost their inhabitants. One was in bad shape but the other was quite nice. See the photo, four photos below. Except for one bunny, we didn't see any other wildlife such as bighorns, wild horses, large jackrabbits, or even lizards. But, there were plenty of holes in the ground hiding smaller wild inhabitants.

Following the Ridge Down

Heading into a more gentle Wash

Starting the Scramble Descent

Tortoise Shell

After the last nice scramble descent, we dropped into the canyon's "adorable" narrows. It wasn't so narrow but it was lined with limestone walls. This put us on the level of the official mouth of the canyon. We continued walking out the wash until we could see a dirt road heading into the mountain on our right. Soon, this was the queue to start our exit bushwhack back in the direction of the trailhead. There was still about a mile and a half to go over the desert terrain. Our path crossed in front of that first large mountain, Peak 3704, then behind a couple of old ranches. We could see the academy in the distance and we made a beeline to that using the dirt roads when possible. 

David in Scramble Descent

Mike in Scramble Descent

Rosie in Scramble Descent

Color in the limestone Canyon

Actually, we didn't need to see the school. We heard the school due to the time of recess! The sound of screaming kids was somehow odd to our ears, yet, also reassuring. It is a tough time in which we live. We enjoyed our Hardy Hike in a new place with new challenges. ... and excited screaming kids!

Stats: 7 miles; 1150' gain; 4.75 hours

Small Narrows

Red Barrels on the side of the Canyon

Smog envelopes Las Vegas at Noon