Lone Grapevine Spring - 3/17/24

Wooden Fence Spring

Spring fed wildlife water Trough

Bighorns climbing over a Hill

Following bike Trails

After four days of terrible weather, nine club members drove out to Late Night Trailhead to hike to Lone Grapevine Springs; one of the several springs that flow from the base of the Sandstone Bluffs in Red Rock Canyon NCA. This is a pleasant 5 mile hike that the club has been doing for many years. As we started out, the air was very cold ... down to around 39 degrees. But, it was predicted to rise all the way to 63 degrees by the day's end so knowing what to wear was a bit of a conundrum. Within the first hour of the hike, the bite was lessening and that wonderful Las Vegas sun warmed us up. We headed out the Mustang Trail that leads parallel to SR 160 about 20 yards away.

Mt. Potosi covered in Snow

La Madre Range covered in Snow

Trail with East Monument Peak in Background

Cleaning mud off shoes in spring Area

We turned right at the second junction, continued into the desert then took 2 lefts at the next junctions. This trail would take us all the way over to Wooden Fence Spring where we were obliged to hike through a lot of red mud. Between the rain and the spring water, the earth was very soft. After our visit to the first spring, we turned to a trail that led to the right (north) and followed it all the way over to the water trough below Lone Grapevine Spring and Muddy Springs I&II. Here, the route took us up the hill to the right. Still dealing with mud, we arrived at the wire fenced spring and began our hunt for the petroglyphs in this area. The group was very good at finding the artwork and they even found a couple of panels that I had not seen before!

Wooden Fence spring Area

Cleaning shoes at wash Crossing

Crossing over to Lone Grapevine Springs

Group at wildlife water Trough

Some of this area was not so muddy and our return was meant to follow a burro trail that led back to the water trough without going through the mud again. Sort of ungracefully, we returned to the trough and started back on a loop route from there. The trail that starts across the desert back to the Mustang Trail from the water trough is somewhat unclear until you hike it about 50 feet. Then, the trail is wide and clear. We headed straight back to a junction with the Mustang Trail and turned left. This trail gets a little confusing because of different trails coming in and going out but, suffice it to say, we headed toward a parallel route of the hills to our left and the road far to our right. This put us in familiar territory as we use this part of the route often.

Windy Peak above springs Area

Petroglyph of covered Wagon

Petroglyphs on surface of large Boulder

Pictograph under large Boulder

To finish off the hike, we used the relatively new shortcut through the gravelly, sandy wash that parallels the hills to get back to the cars. This keeps us away from the car emissions of SR 160. We looked for burros through the whole hike but were only rewarded with a few brays in the distance ... and a lot of "evidence!" A great group of women today who were very glad to be out!

Stats: 5 miles; 600' gain; 3.25 hours

One side of 3 sided boulder with Petroglyphs

Snow clouds over the La Madre Range

Following the Mustang Trail back to Trailhead

This map shows the "new" route in the gravelly wash parallel to the hills on return.