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| Rocky Gorge |
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| Mummy Mountain (and Charleston Peak, Lee Peak) |
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| Spring Mountain Divide behind Dead Tree |
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| Small Wash Trail |
Temperatures in the Las Vegas valley, including Red Rock Canyon NCA, were reaching into the 80's today so an unusual April trip up into the Spring Mountains was made by the Fearsome Foursome today. The air was fresh and about 20-30 degrees cooler in the lower elevations of Lee Canyon Road. We parked at the lower Blue Tree Campground entrance and started down the trail in a small wash. Recently, someone rode a horse on this trail and left some very clear footprints so it was easy to find the trail as it weaved in and out of the wash and veered off to the left to reach the bottom of the long switchback that climbs the adjacent ridge escarpment. The view of a snow dusted Mummy Mountain could be seen behind us.
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| Following Small Wash |
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| Nearing the top of the Long Switchback |
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| View Down to Three Lakes Valley |
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| Entering Rocky Gorge |
We enjoyed the wide views of Mummy Mountain and Lee Peak up the road. And, in between the two tall mountains, we could just see Charleston Peak covered completely in white. Our trail began following a ridge down, through a brushy wash and over to the left. It is not very clear how to get down to the next wash, Rocky Gorge Wash, so we followed the horse tracks and finally made our way down to the loose sandy gravel. Rocky Gorge Wash is a medium sized graveled wash with a lot of evidence of wild burros around. The small canyon provides shelter for the burros in bad weather. There is a lot of rock lining the sides of the wash which is a little unusual for the desert.
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| Rocky Gorge |
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| A Break in the Shade |
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| A few more Rocks |
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| Picking up Trash |
Continuing our climb up through the wash, we dealt heavily with the deep sandy gravel. We used many of the side trails that allowed us out of the gravel a little bit at a time. We were just about out of the deepest gravel when we chose a place to stop and take our break in the shade. Eat, group photo and onward. The wash trail soon forked into a ... well, a trail. We climbed along a ridge to our right until the trail, marked well, turned to climb up on that ridge. At the top of the ridge, the trail continues for the regular 8 mile loop. We were doing the shorter version of the loop at 6 miles so we turned left to begin a bushwhack up the center of the ridge. After about 0.6 mile along the sparsely foliaged ridge, we junctioned with a dirt road at the hike's high point.
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| Fearsome Foursome at break on side of Wash |
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| From Wash to Trail |
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| Mack's Peak and Bonanza Peak from Ridge Junction |
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| Big Bone on Ridge Bushwhack |
A left turn on the road took us down to a trail that crosses the road and we turned left again. This trail continues high above the Blue Tree Campground and we were following the horse tracks again. Eventually, the trail drops down to another smaller dirt road that we followed all the way back to the cars for just over 0.8 mile. During the last part of the hike, we found plenty more trash to pick up! It felt great to be up in the mountains where the air was a lot cleaner. The temps will stay up for another week and we might be up here a couple more times ... in April. Good hike!
Stats: 6 miles; 1100' gain; 3.25 hours
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| Connecting with No Mads Trail dirt Road |
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| View down Lee Canyon from dirt Road |
Trail above Blue Tree Campground
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