Winter Twilight - 2/14/24

Charleston Peak

South Ridge of Charleston Peak

Twilight Ridge

Burro in Kyle Canyon

As Rita and I started out from the Twilight Trailhead on Kyle Canyon Road, this beautiful burro brayed at us from across the canyon. Obviously, he was greeting us from loneliness as there was no other sole around. Why? Idk. The scene from the trailhead was absolutely gorgeous! The snow layered down to around 8000'. We were at the 5000' vicinity. Most remarkable was the deep snow covering the Wilson Ridge. This is the ridge reaching from the La Madre Range over to Harris Peak. It is also the ridge on the eastern flank of Lovell Canyon covering the back side of the Red Rock escarpment. Although a little muddy at times, the bike trails were in excellent shape after the mountain deluge of 2023.

Charleston, Fletcher and Mummy Mountain Peaks from Lucky Strike Road

Rita at Trail Junction

Deep Snow on Wilson Ridge (ridge between Lovell Canyon and Kyle Canyon)

Cotton Barrels next to Trail

We had mapped out a 6 mile loop that travelled up next to the high road embankment and up to an unnamed cross trail. We'll just call this the Winter Twilight Trail! Why not? There are several cross trails. The highest cross trail travels at the base of the distant ridge (Twilight Ridge) and is named Twilight Loop. There is a lower cross trail that I included in a loop mapped out years ago that I called Lunar Loop. Our midland loop, Winter Twilight was well worn until we junctioned with a wide wash where we lost the trail and ended up hiking up to the Twilight Loop! We had to correct by bushwhacking down to our original plan. As we did so, we crossed several burro trails crossing the terrain. We lost the trail at a junction that I have named "Be Careful Junction!" I didn't even know until it was too late to turn around that we had taken a different trail.

Homemade sign on Twilight Zone Trail

Wilson Ridge from Trail

Kyle Canyon Wash with La Madre Range Behind

Kyle Canyon Wash

Regardless, we did find our planned trail and junctioned with the East Cut Wash Trail perpendicularly. This trail brought us all the way back to the wide Kyle Canyon Wash via a steep drop. I noted later that the bikers have forged a long switchback trail down this biker suicide hill but we managed the side trail on the hill quite easily. We finished the loop by hiking up the gravel wash and up the hill to the trailhead. On our way, we passed a very well done memorial for someone's father who had been in the U.S. Air Force. Our sympathies. The day started chilly but soon became quite perfect!

Stats: 6 miles; 800' gain; 4 hours

Snow and Sky

Returning to Trailhead

Memorial for someone's Father