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| MM 2.5 of Hike in Pinto Valley Wash on Old Arrowhead Highway |
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| MM 2 of Hike in Pinto Valley Wash on Old Arrowhead Highway |
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| View back to Hamblin Mountain Trail Junction |
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| Great group of Hikers! |
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| Kathy scrambles up Cottonwood Spring Dryfall |
What drives your motivation to hike and explore the trails and routes of your world? With me, and probably like you, it is a few things. The color and intricacies of the desert plus historical values offered in the Pinto Valley area of Lake Mead NRA drew us back out there for an initial foray into the seasonal Lake Mead hiking. Seven club members parked at mile marker 18 on Northshore Road. We crossed the road to follow a trail that led out and down into the Pinto Valley Wash. After 1 mile of hiking up the beauty of the wide wash, we climbed up an increasingly slippery dryfall at Cottonwood Spring. (We might have to start going around!) Not too long after that, we forked to the right as we approached Razorback Ridge on the left. The Old Arrowhead Highway became clear beneath our feet and we followed it up through the narrow washes and canyons passing the junction to the Hamblin Mountain Trail and on up to the switchback that was once expertly constructed for the wagons and old cars that used to travel through here.
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| Right Fork at Razorback Ridge wash Junction |
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| Hamblin Mountain Trail Junction |
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| View up to Razorback Ridge back Side |
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| Climb up road after Switchback |
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| Hikers on the Old Arrowhead Highway |
However, now, the switchback is in much disrepair. Water has gouged out the road and cars of any sort would not be able to negotiate it. As hikers, we are not deterred by terrain such as this. We climbed up to the road across the ruts and soon reached the high point of the hike at 2445' above sea level! Woohoo! Well, we weren't there for the climb! Although we had already hiked through a very colorful wash, before us lay an unimaginable setting of multiple desert colors. Hopefully, this setting is well portrayed in these photos. It felt like we were standing in the middle of a desert kaleidoscope! Can you imagine what the travelers of the road 100 years ago were experiencing?
The Arrowhead Trail or Arrowhead Highway was the first all-weather road in the Western United States that connected Los Angeles, California with Salt Lake City, Utah by way of Las Vegas, Nevada. Built primarily during the auto trails period of the 1910s, prior to the establishment of the United States Numbered Highway System, the road was replaced in 1926 by U.S. Route 91 (US 91) and subsequently Interstate 15 (I‑15). Small portions of the route in California, Nevada (Las Vegas Boulevard) and Utah are sometimes still referred to by the name, or as Arrow Highway. ~Wikipedia |
| View down road from the High Point of Hike (2445') |
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| Heading down the road from High Point |
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| On the Old Arrowhead Highway in the Midst of Color |
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| The Old Arrowhead Highway |
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| Starting last curve to MM 3 |
We descended from the high point into a colorful low point where the road has been washed into small gullies. Next, we round a corner to the left and stopped at our MM 3 of the hike for a break. The extreme color stopped here although the normally impressive color continued. We discussed doing the Signature Rock Loop some time in the near future, but, all in all, it was a very quiet group of hikers today ... just enjoying the scenery and the 6 miles of fresh air. After a short snack break, we started our return on the same route that we came. Initially, you have to be careful that you follow the road and not get distracted into other washes. After the climb up to that high point, it was all downhill.
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| MM 3 of Hike in Pinto Valley Wash on Old Arrowhead Highway |
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| Unnamed Mountain with pinnacle and green Streak |
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| Portrait of Razorback Ridge and Old Arrowhead Highway |
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| Dealing with the gully at the Switchback |
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| Road down to the Hamblin Mountain Trail Junction |
We decided we might start using another scramble to the right of the dryfall on future hikes. The original route straight up the center is becoming more slippery than ever! There is also the Old Arrowhead Highway route that detours around to the south. This detour is shown in a map below.
Such an enjoyable day. Beautiful weather. Good people.
Stats: 6 miles; 600' gain; 2.75 hours
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| Down the slippery Dryfall |
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| Return down the wash to Trailhead |
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| Climb out on Secondary Trail |
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| Colorful cars with colorful Landscape |
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