Virlis Fisher & Bridge Spring Arches (on Mike's Birthday!) - 2/16/24

Shadow Play at Virlis Fisher Arch

From a nearby fin to the Arch

Dacite (volcanic ash or tuff) Rock

80 Years Old looks pretty good on Mike!

Circling Up

There were seventeen hikers on the Virlis Fisher Arch jaunt to celebrate Mike's birthday on a beautiful day down in Nelson, Nevada. In various ways, we all convened at the trailhead located 10 miles down SR 95 from Boulder City and 9.5 miles east on SR 165. There is a gradual climb up to the trailhead which is located at the crest just before the highway starts descending to the small ghost town of Nelson. There are still people who live there but the original townsite was flooded out several years ago. If you ever visit, I hear you should take a tour of the Techatticup Millsite and famous gold mine. Also popular in this area are many dirt bike tracks.

Navigating the labyrinth of Washes 

Heading toward the first Saddle

Short break on the first Saddle

Starting over the Saddle

Down the gulley from the Saddle

This hike loop can be done in many ways and a few of our hikers had their own ideas. We did it Mike's way which is a clockwise circle beginning by swinging out to the west from the trailhead and hiking through a maze of washes. The route took us through the washes around to the right and up onto the desert terrain below the hills made from volcanic ash. This kind of rock is called tuff or dacite. It appears yellow, brown or orangish. Our point of reference was a saddle in the distance among the tuff. The approach to the saddle was easy enough but, on the other side of the saddle, we faced a descending gulley. This gulley ended at a large cairn and a wash that laid perpendicular to the initial gulley. We turned to the left and started down a rougher gulley descent. As the wash began veering around to the left, we exited up a vague trail to the right. The vague trail faded in and out as we undulated over the hills and down to the wide valley on the other side.

Cross country from the gulley to the Valley

The Valley

Tuff above the Valley

Hiking up to the 3rd Class Scramble

Scrambling up to the Arch

From the wide valley, we got our first view of the arch. It is what some people refer to as a large "jug handle" arch. It reaches out from the side of a cliff perpendicularly. We hiked over the desert traversing along the hillside on that side of the valley. At one point, the large group of hikers divided into two. One set of hikers continued climbing up the hill to the base of the rock cliffs. The other set of hikers went straight across the arroyos to the "meeting rock." This is a large boulder that lies down the hill from the arch. From this vantage point, hikers can watch the first set of hikers approach the arch and climb up a crack using easy 3rd class maneuvers. One by one, the first set of hikers made their way up to the arch and walked through. Next, those hikers ventured over to a nearby rock fin and a few of them climbed up the narrow exposed ridge. There was an excellent view of the arch from the fin and Laszlo retrieved several great photos! All the hikers, regardless of whether they climbed the fin, descended from the cliffs through a rocky crack to connect with the game trail that traversed over to the River Overlook Saddle. Some of the hikers descended further and cross countried it the same way the second set of hikers did when they saw the advancement. 

Stephen comes through Virlis Fisher Arch

Sunlight through the Arch - Hikers on the Rock Fin

Coming down from the Rock Fin

Overlook Saddle to South - Nelson Below

Dave takes it all In

Reconvening on the Overlook Saddle, the view was very impressive although a bit hazy. The Colorado River, or Lake Mohave, flows from left to right passing the little town of Nelson continuing south to California. Lake Mohave proper, widens about 20 miles south of Nelson. Boaters and Google Earth have contradicting ideas on where Lake Mohave begins! We took our photos and sang "Happy Birthday!" to Mike here gazing out to Arizona then turned around and viewed the valley we had hiked up revealing the Meeting Rock and Virlis Fisher Arch. Looking over to the south side of the valley, we could see the Rabbithole we would be climbing up through on the return portion of the hike. So, after our break, we chose one of the game trails and began our mostly bushwhack to the Rabbithole.

View behind us from the Overlook Saddle

Kay checking out the rabbit hole Route

Seventeen birthday Hikers

Kay starts up through the Rabbit Hole

Stephen climbs up from the Rabbit Hole

The Rabbithole starts a trailed trek up a hill between cliffs and peaks out just before another descent and climb up a trail that goes around to the right. Another dip ensues via trail and we veered around to the left to another saddle. Here, the trail starts down rather steeply. A dicey trail led us down to a fork where hikers can choose whether to hike over the Nelson Bridge (aka Bridge Spring) or hike down and under the natural bridge. We reconvened on the other side of the bridge and continued up the next wash scramble. The trail route turns left at a wash junction and takes hikers back up to the ridge that runs parallel to the highway. Sometimes the route here can be interpreted in different ways!

Crossing over to Bridge Spring Canyon

Steep drop to the Bridge

Hikers on the Natural Bridge

Underneath the Natural Bridge

Hikers climbing up under the Bridge

We all stayed together, more or less, and returned to the trailhead in tip top form! It was a fun day with a group of friends to celebrate a true milestone for Mike. We should all be so lucky to reach 80 years in such good condition.

Stats: 4.5 miles; 950' gain; 3.5 hours

Group under the Natural Bridge

Scrambling up after the Bridge

Scrambling up after the Bridge

On the home Stretch

Almost back to the Trailhead