Ram's Head Canyon - 11/25/22 - Brian Dodd as Guest Blogger

Ram's Head as found in 2019

Brian's next guest blog is also from a hike in Valley of Fire State Park. Rooting around in the Pale Washes area from the Silica Dome Trailhead, he and his fellow explorers came upon what looks like a very interesting and fun 4 mile hike. At least two of the photos were taken by David Morrow. Brian would remind you that 4 miles in the Valley of Fire is quite a bit more challenging than 4 miles anywhere else! His narrative and their photos are as follows:

Name of Flower TBA

Wedged Wood of Wedged Wood Canyon

Scramble Down

Anatomy of a Name

Have you ever wondered how a particular feature on a hike, or a hiking route, gets a name?  Well, there’s lots of ways.  Sometimes the origins of names are lost in history (Top of the World), sometimes they are historical and known (Mouse’s Tank), sometimes they are ‘official’ (Elephant Rock) with national parks and organizations like the Natural Arch and Bridge Society (http://www.naturalarches.org/index.html) giving and maintaining the names (Pretzel Arch).  Sometimes they come about because those of us developing hikes and routes get fed up saying things like, “Well, you know we go down that canyon with the pastel rocks, then along the big sandy wash at the bottom and back up the canyon where we found the ram’s head that time”.  Instead, we just say, “Let’s do that Ram’s Head Loop”…and a name is born.

We were exploring the Valley of Fire in March 2019 and came across the head and spine of a big horn sheep ram…with lots of animal tracks in the sand nearby.  As usual, we left it there, but spoke with the interpretive park ranger to see if she was interested in it for her educational classes and the visitor’s center.  She was.  So, a few days later we went back, prepared with a hatchet (to remove the head from the spine) and a garbage bag.  As I recall, the head weighed in at about 35 lbs. and was very difficult to get in my backpack and hard work to carry out.  After some clean up, we gave it to the park for their use.  The next month we experimented with putting the Ram’s Head Loop on the club calendar with some success – apart from a couple of ‘tricky’ spots where there’s some difficult drops and a little exposure on loose rock going up a waterfall.  

White Rock Canyon

Dry Fall Drop

Drop to Ram's Head Junction

Climbing in Upper Ram's Head Canyon

Fast forward to the post-COVID era of group hiking when I decided to add the Ram’s Head Loop to the monthly hikes we lead for the Valley of Fire park ranger.  So, Black Friday saw us assemble a group of 30 hikers at the visitor’s center, mostly from the Las Vegas area, but including a regular from Salt Lake City and a family of four from San Diego.  The hike started by heading down the old gravel road from Silica Dome.  After an easy downhill stroll, we took off left and down the beginnings of a white rock canyon which eventually gets deeper and narrower.  It’s a lot of fun going down into the canyon, sliding down a (usually) dry waterfall, squeezing past some narrow spots and over choke rocks, eventually getting to a pastel-colored silty rock drainage where rock falls are common, even causing a temporary dam a couple of years ago. 

After another easy stroll, the canyon merges with Wedged-Wood Canyon, which we named long-ago because of a horizonal log wedged across (3rd photo).  It’s further down and not on today’s hike.  As we move into the red sandstone rock, there’s another dry waterfall drop that usually requires some assistance and perhaps a little jump down into the sand.  After going through a nice slot and taking a break, the route turns sharp right up where we found the ram’s head three years ago.  It’s all uphill from there!

Ram's Head as found in 2019

Pond in a Slot

Narrow Slot in Ram's Head Canyon

Scramble out of Ram's Head Canyon

No-one really likes the loose, semi-exposed tricky spot to bypass another dry waterfall, but with experienced assistants helping, everyone makes it safely past. After some more canyon scrambling we eventually emerge up on a beautiful high spot, overlooking the whole eastern part of the park.  Once we reach the road again, everyone is set free to go at their own pace back to the parking lot…with some of us playfully seeing if we can beat each other fast, uphill.  I let one of the younger men pass me in the last few yards and win!  It’s what gracious hosts do.

So, is the Ram’s Head Loop name here to stay.  Will its origins be lost in history or will it die when I do?

~ Brian Dodd

Stats: 4.4 miles; 625' gain; 3 hours

A Little Exposure

Either, Or!

Connecting with the Old Road - Overton, NV in Background