Nuclear Loop - 5/27/24

Mummy's Head from Champion Ridge

Champion Ridge Campsite

Desert View Overlook Walkway

Faded signs at Desert View Overlook

Getting into the middle elevation range is a real challenge sometimes as it was for this early hike on the Nuclear Loop. It begins at the 8200' elevation of Deer Creek Road. Although I originally created it for the tough ascents, there are times that it might be better to do the loop clockwise instead of counterclockwise like this hike represents. There is only one issue with the other direction. Finding the wash that ascends from the Baton Rouge to the Desert View Overlook may be a challenge. At any rate, we did the hike as we always did in the counterclockwise direction and parked at the nice parking lot where a concrete walkway switchbacks down through a menagerie of faded info signs about the nuwuvi people and the nuclear bomb testing of the 1950s. This area is where the people of Las Vegas came to watch the mushroom cloud of the first atomic bomb test in the desert. As it turned out, this was a big mistake but hindsight is 20/20.

The side trail in the descent Wash

Old airplane Parts

Chuck inspects the old Prop

Alongside the big Dryfall

We hiked down the concrete switchbacks and dove down behind the last signs straight ahead. Slowly, we made our way down past the brush to the left wash below. It doesn't matter too much where you meet the wash. All washes go down! We found the main descent wash as we hiked down through the brush of the upper wash. There was a lot more debris in the wash than before Hilary but the vague trail that runs alongside of the wash on the right side is still lightly visible and helpful. Keeping an eye on the wash as we hiked, we found the pieces of the airplane crash from years past. Not as many of the pieces were still visible but we saw the propeller and a flap section. Descending a little further on the trail and wash, we came to the high pourover dryfall. It is clear of brush. You can still stand at the top and look over but, unless you are an expert repeller, the way down is to the left, along the cliff and down. At the bottom, we turned back and got the photo below of the big overhanging dryfall. Finishing the last of the wash, it became more and more shallow and widespread. We worked our way over to the left side embankment and began searching for the survey marker painted red. On this hike, we didn't go far enough down to find it and ended up climbing up to the left on a steeper section. Oops! Don't do that! Usually, we find the Baton Rouge and go up 90 degrees left from there. It is a little less steep and ends up at a conglomerate configuration at the end of Champion Ridge above. A left turn on the ridge sends you on a quest to stay on or near the top of the ridge for a little more than half a mile.

The dryfall from Below

Climbing the spine of Champion Ridge

One of the cliff overlooks on Champion Ridge

Unlike any Black Girdle Lizard I've ever Seen

During this half mile, you can weave your route over to the right side and peer over the Champion Ridge cliff. The view down is of the Champion Road primitive campsites, Lee Canyon Road, Sawmill Trailhead, Macks Canyon Road, the Sisters Ridge and up ahead to Mummy's Nose. At the top end of the ridge, there is a very old and used campsite. Just past this is where we took our break overlooking all this and watching a fat black lizard. Honestly, I'm not sure it was a black girdled lizard but it was unusual. Perhaps someone can email me. (JB?) After our short break, we continued down to SR 158, crossed the road and started up the messed up Old Deer Creek Road hill. The hill was covered with at least 3 fallen trees before you took the sharp left at the top. The next part of the hike was a loooong climb up on the Old Deer Creek Road passing the Stairs to Nowhere and the old car. 

Our group at Break

Old stairway to Nowhere

Old Car

Climbing Old Deer Creek Road

After a mile, we came to the Rocky Peak corner where, many times, people are camping. No one was there today. We climbed the small Rocky Peak for the view of the desert foothills and returned to the road. Down now, we finished the road to the new SR 158 and started down the Orange Trail on the other side. Down, down, down. Just after a wash crossing, we turned up to the left and made the final steep climb up to the Desert View Overlook. Whew! This is a difficult hike to do if you have not acclimated to the higher elevations. But, we did it! Fun hike filled with route finding and extra interesting things. 

Stats: 4.8 miles; 1150' gain; 3.25 hours

Mike on Rocky Peak - View to the nuclear bomb test Site (1951)

Starting down the Orange Trail

Reaching the Desert View Overlook ... Finally

Pine Nut Loop - 5/25/24

View of Mummy Mountain from Sawmill Ridge

Old sign from old system of Trails

Pinyon Pine Loop

Blue Yellow Trail Junction

So, what do you call a new loop trail that shortens the Pinyon Pine Loop trail? We called it the Pine Nut Loop. I have always wanted to utilize the old Pinyon Pine Loop but it was fabled to be a loooong loop to nowhere that dives deep into the desert below Sawmill Trailhead. Probably mostly used by bikers, this trail begins and ends on the Sawmill Ridge using long washes and ridges. We started out our day by taking the Yellow Trail up and over to the Blue/ Red/ Brown/ Yellow Trail junction. I have to begin by, again, saying that the color coded trails still don't make much sense to us. I think the forest folks have tried to re-sign the colors but there are still some enigmas. At any rate, I photographed some of the signs that we passed on this hike. Many times a colored trail has big gaps between signs and the colors are not contiguous. I will try to describe the hike because the signs are probably not going to be enough to repeat this hike without it. We started out from the Sawmill Trailhead and took the first right. At the next trail junction, we turned to the left and, at the next, we turned right. This section curved around a while until reaching an old gravel road. This is the Yellow/Red/Brown/Blue Trail Junction. We crossed the road and started down the Pinyon Pine Loop trail.

Starting down Pinyon Pine Loop

Pinyon Pine Loop and Mummy Nose, Chin & Forehead

Flattening out on Pinyon Pine Loop

Pinyon Pine (Orange)/Rocky Gorge (Brown)
Trail Junction Sign

This part of the Pinyon Pine Loop is shared with the upper reaches of Rocky Gorge Loop. There is a trail junction further down the trail where the Rocky Gorge Loop continues straight and the Pinyon Pine Loop turns to the left. This is where the crossover begins. You have a choice of either bushwhacking up the hill to the left or taking the trail up. If you bushwhack up and hit the ridge just right, you will only have to go up and over one or two ridges to get to the canyon wash part of the Pinyon Pine Loop return. If you continue up the trail, this takes you further down the ridge and there will be 3 or 4 ups and downs to reach the wash. This is what we did. No worries. It gave us a good workout and explained a lot about the area. The shortcut trails that I imagined on the map didn't materialize but the terrain was easy and the brush was thin. Just before we descended to the targeted wash, we crossed a ridge that held an optional Pinyon Pine Loop trail for the return. We chose the wash because of the forestation. By the time we dipped into the correct canyon wash, we were ready for a short break. After the break, we continued up the canyon wash on a good trail. The trail followed a switchback up to the right where it curved around a bare corner. There were very nice distant views here.

McFarland Peak from top of one of the three ridges on the Crossover

Landing on the Pinyon Pine Trail

After a short Break

Arizona Skyrockets

The trail continued around and up alongside this ridge. There were views across to the Mud Springs trails. Chuck had accomplished the whole 15 miles of the Mud Springs loop just the day before. Wow! A little bit further and we passed the junction for the Mud Springs Trail on our side of the loop. The climb up to the Sawmill Ridge (Green) trail came after and it was a doozy. Finally we made the junction with the sign seen a couple of photos below. After a short breather, we turned to the right and continued climbing up the ridge. Phew! The high point of the hike comes just before the Green Trail reaches the Red Trail (Mud Springs Trail on the other side) junction. (Try to keep up.)

A curve with a View

Passing the Mud Springs Trail junction Area

Nearing the Sawmill Ridge (Green Trail) Junction

Ridge junction Sign

From here, we continued down to the Yellow Trail turn to the left and followed it back to the trailhead. This hike can be tweaked here and there to make a 4.5 to 6 mile hike. I was trying for 5 miles but we made a couple of mistakes for our debut hike. At any rate, it is a good trail / bushwhack hike that will probably be repeated during shoulder seasons. Today's weather was perfect for hiking and the group was a lot of fun.

Stats: 5.3 miles; 1075' gain; 3 hours

Wide views from the Ridge

View down Lee Canyon to the Sheep Mountain Range

A passing horse Parade ... Trail Ride

Lower Rocky Gorge Loop - 5/23/24

Tall Joshua Tree on the Blue Trail

Mummy Mountain from Rocky Gorge Trail Switchback

Pinnacle in Rocky Gorge

Starting down the small wash from the Trailhead

This trailhead is now officially called the Barrow Pit TH. It is located about 10 miles up Lee Canyon Road from SR 95 (which will eventually be I-11). It is on the right side as you are driving up and is relatively unmarked. Right now, there is a yellow caution sign there for some other reason than to mark the trailhead. My low clearance vehicle did fine on the way down the short gravel road and we parked at the bottom where there is sometimes an RV parked using the spot for some limited seclusion. We dropped down into the small wash behind the RV and started down a worn trail. This loop hike is often used by equestrians and on this occasion, there was a single bike track. The wash trail has been minimally maintained but it was easy to follow.

Following the wash Trail

View back from the beginning of the Switchback

Ralyn and Kay at the top of the Switchback

Blooming Beaver Tail Cactus

The wash trail continues down for about 0.75 mile and sometimes leaves the wash right or left to go around brush. Next, the trail turns to the left and crosses the desert over to the base of the neighboring small ridge. A long switchback climbs the hill where there are beautiful views of Mummy Mountain and the north ridge of Charleston Peak. The trail is clear and easy to follow down the ridge where burros are often on their way over to the springs of Deer Creek Canyon. The trail dips down to the left and follows through the brush to climb up to the next ridge and down to Rocky Gorge Wash. Finally there, we turned up to the left where, soon, we found ourselves in a small part of the wash where there were rock walls. The "gorge" is pretty but not large.

Trail leading down from top of Ridge

Arriving in the Rocky Gorge Wash

Scenes from Rocky Gorge

Following the Rocky Gorge Wash

The next 2.5 miles were in the wash following a trail climbing up through the small gravel. Again, it is easy to follow with a few small side trails that accommodate the horses. Finally, after the trail forks up through a wash on the right (not noticeable), we came to a well-marked turn to the right that climbs quickly up to the neighboring ridge. Elk have sometimes been seen here in this area. If you wish to continue on to Sawmill TH, then continue on the trail that goes diagonally down into the next wash and crosses a dirt road. For the short version of this hike, we turned left and followed the ridge all the way up until we junctioned with that same dirt road near the top of a hill (the high point of the hike). Down the road on the other side, we found the Blue Trail crossing and turned to the left. This junction is not marked. Keep your eyes open! Following the Blue Trail, we took a left fork to avoid dipping into the Blue Tree Campground and continued until we took a right turn ... this time we entered the wash below on an old road and turned left ... again.

The right turn Junction

Closer view of Mummy's Head, Lee Peak and Charleston Peak

Mike at the overlook to the Barrow Pit Trailhead

Ralyn following the ascent Ridge

We followed the road straight until we came to a deep wash in front of us. Don't follow the road to the right where the deep wash appears earlier. Our route crossed the deep wash and we ended up on the road that leads to the campground. Further, we finally came into the upper side of the Barrow Pit and on to our cars. It is a nice 6 miles that we do almost every year on the shoulder seasons. Nice views of the snow-capped mountains and just the right temps. Good day!

Stats: 5.9 miles; 1060' gain; 3.25 hours

The Blue Trail above Blue Tree Campground

Old road leading back to the Trailhead

Clean-up from Hurricane Hilary at the Barrow Pit