Anniversary Narrows Loop - 2/26/24

Club Members hike into Anniversary Narrows

In Lovell Wash at Rainbow Canyon Junction

Closed Mine and Ore Car Track through Tunnels

The desert Crossover

The trailhead for Anniversary Narrows is located on Northshore Road MM 16. This is where 9 club members gathered for a beautiful loop that culminated at the top end of Anniversary Narrows. The trailhead parking lot is not far from Lovell Wash. 

     About two miles up the wash to the north is the Anniversary Mine, one of several mines in the Muddy Mountains that produced borate from deposits of colemanite in the upper part of the Horse Spring Formation. In this area, in addition to borate, the Horse Spring Formation contains thin layers of algal mats (fossil organic material deposited through the action of algae), fossil animal tracks and ripple marks indicative of a mudflat environment.

Cryptobiotic Soil

Heading into Rainbow Canyon to visit the Mine Shaft

Looking down into the Mine Shaft - Appears Bottomless!

Hiking and Talking

     The Anniversary Mine colemanite deposit, in Lovell Wash, was discovered by F. M. Lovell and G. D. Hartman of St. Thomas in 1921. The deposit was acquired by West End Chemical Co. and production began at the Anniversary Mine in 1921. The operation closed in 1928 due to competition from California mines.

--- Geologic Tours in the Las Vegas Area (Expanded Edition with GPS Coordinates), Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication 16, University of Nevada, Reno, Mackay School of Earth Sciences, 2008, Bear Printing, Sparks, NV; page 69.    (paraphrased)

The group of nine hikers began their loop hike by climbing up and over the berm bordering the parking lot. We caught a trail that crossed over to wide Lovell Wash and dropped into it. Turning right, we could see Rainbow Canyon entering Lovell Wash from the left. On this cloudy day, the colors were naturally rich. We turned into the canyon and hiked up a short distance to the leftover mine shaft of a different dig. It's very deep and we took care not to become a victim of the hole!

Turning back into Lovell Wash

Greenstone in Lovell Wash

Scalloped edges in Lovell Wash

Following Lovell Wash to Narrows

The next 1.5 miles was hiked up Lovell Wash where the red and yellow colors petered out and greenstone colors were added in. Since the wash was slightly damp, it was easily hiked. We passed the junction where the mine road came in from the right and climbed the hill up to the left. The road to the left led to the old mining camp. Years ago, we would include the camp ruins in our hike but since then, the land was repurposed for someone's financial gain. We continued up the wash and came to the original adit used for Anniversary Mine, called the Ore Car Mine. Just outside the adit, an ore car track was built to carry the ore through two short tunnels and around the corner. The trail left by the track can still be hiked and some of our hikers did so.

Approach to tunnel Curve

Grand entrance to the Narrows

Slalom through the Narrows

White rocks in an open Area

A little further up Lovell Wash, we could see the entrance to the narrows. We had several newbies on the hike and the wondering was palpable. No need to wonder longer. We entered the slot and photos ensued. Slowly, we hiked up through the 1/3 mile of amazing results of water tearing through rock. Thousands (maybe millions) of years of flash flooding had cut through this rock and created a masterpiece of sculpting. Although I have been through this slot many times in the past, I still felt honored to be able to enjoy it at least one more time. Due to annual flooding, the gravel level had changed since last year and the scrambles were ... again ... different. A little easier this year.

Obvious water Sculpting

Gradual Ascent

Abundance of Photo Ops

Taking our break at the top of the Narrows

We took our break at the top end of the narrows enjoying each others' company. Afterwards, we started back down through the slot at the same slow speed we took on the way up. Not far after we exited, we took a left turn into a small canyon sometimes referred to as the "Backdoor" to the narrows. This is a steep little canyon with a few slanted walls that leads up to its saddle, the high point of the hike. From there, we hiked down through the following wash, crossed over an area used for previous mining equipment and headed in a 2 o'clock direction to drop into a bordering wash. We found the use trail into the wash and continued down. On down, we kept our eyes open for the exit trail on the left side that angled uphill.

The most difficult Scramble

Sue climbs up the backdoor canyon Exit

Club Members arrive at the top of the backdoor Canyon

Down from the Saddle - Into the Desert Terrain

The exit trail was a mess from winter rains. It brought us up to a ridge where we turned to the right and followed the ridge as far as it would take us. In the distance, we saw the small red wall beckoning us. Making it down to the wall, we followed its wash to the right and out to the mine road. A left turn on the road brought us all the way back to the cars. This is a grand loop for most levels of hikers. And, we certainly all had fun!

Stats: 6.4 miles; 900' gain; 3.75 hours

Drop into Wash

Between gypsum laden Walls

Along the ridge to the small red wall at the End