Redstone / Jean's Canyon Loop - 12/28/24

Redstone Window to Pinto Valley

Jean's Canyon at Slip'n'Slide Area

From Redstone to Bittersprings Valley

Petrified Wood

The red sandstone of Lake Mead NRA creates colorful scenery all along Northshore Road. Within those miles of the road, you can find features like North and South Bowls of Fire, Rainbow Canyon and Redstone Picnic Area. Further up the road, the Valley of Fire State Park rises out of the desert. This hike begins at mile marker 26. Looking out into the desert toward the lake, there are large mounds of redstone rising in the distance. These are the hike's beginning target.

Group Photo

Hiking the wash to Redstone

Climbing out of the Wash

Redstone

We found the right wash to hike out to the redstone a couple of ridges over to the left from the parking trailhead. On the way out, there is a small grouping of petrified wood that we visited. The wash beyond continued our progress and we arrived at the mounds, arches and windows created by the iron flavored hardened sand. To our left, in a short distance, we noted Eagle Rock. To our right, we found a game trail that headed straight over to the next ridges. We followed the trail and obvious route down, up, down, up, down and up. Finally, we ended up on the highest ridge. It had a trail running perpendicularly to our route. This trail runs the length of the ridge and can be used to make a shorter hike loop.

Up and over the trailed ridge in the Redstone

Dropping down to the Narrow Slot

Navigating the narrow Slot

Redstone Petroglyphs

We found a good way to descend over the ridge as we headed for a narrow slot in the high redstone walls in front of us. The terrain funneled us down into a small canyon and we came upon a freshly eaten bighorn head and skeletal components. There were even large bird feathers around the area likely from at least one raptor who was performing the clean-up. Next, we continued down into the narrow long slot. Our large group of hikers made their way down through the slot handling all the small scrambles that were presented. At the end of the slot, we noted a couple of petroglyphs that had been written on the wall to the left. We followed the wall on down where we found several more nice petroglyphs. These are only a few of the petroglyphs that the area of redstone has to offer. But, these are the only petroglyphs that this hike would pass by. We sat in the canyon area for our break ... talking non-stop. Afterwards, we found our way up the hill behind us and came to the plateau. Turning to the right and hiking to the end of the plateau, there is a place where you can scramble down to the next canyon. After exploring the plateau in the past, we found that this is the best way to get down! We all made it with no mishaps.

Big drop off a Plateau

Redstone window to Pinto Valley

Hall of Windows

Crossing a plateau to the Cut Ridge

We turned to the left and poked our head through a large window around the corner for a look-see. Continuing our progress out of the canyon, we dropped down to another, lower, plateau with washes on both sides. In the near distance, there is a rock fin-like ridge with a cut place in the middle of it. We headed for the cut and finished out the wash beyond coming to the Old Arrowhead Highway to turn left. Following the old road and wash combined for about .65 mile, we came to the bottom of Jean's Canyon marked by a cairn on the right. Our trip up Jean's Canyon passed the Slip 'n' Slide and the dryfall that helps you pass larger dryfalls. Next, the wash became steeper until we found ourselves on the high point of the canyon. From there, we began our trip down the other end of the canyon.

Passing through the Cut Ridge

Bighorn remains, Tortoise remains and Ripple Rocks

Starting up the bottom of Jean's Canyon

Up and around the Slip'n'Slide

The other side of Jean's Canyon has its own personality. There are several steep drops down the underlying "fins." A trail that veers off to the right is obvious. This trail climbs up to a saddle high on the ridge. The view at the top is tremendous! It is difficult to find the trail down the other side because, I believe, there is more than one. At any rate, we found an exciting trail and finally ended up on the Old Arrowhead Highway at a place after its Heartbreak Hill. Taking a left on the road, we dipped into a small wash and followed the road until it climbed up the bank on the right side. From there, we followed the old road all the way back to a spot on Northshore Road near where we had parked.

Climbing the wash after a dryfall Climb

Almost to the top of Jean's Canyon (Bear Paw Poppy Saddle)

Descending Jean's Canyon

Jean's Saddle trail Junction

This hike was born from a few of many wonderful hikes that Chuck and Joan Hawkins had shown our club in the past. This recently put-together route has been used for the club in the last four years. It is a good workout in the course of 5.7 miles with 1000' gain. 

Stats: 5.7 miles; 1000' gain; 4.25 hours

Climbing to the saddle above Jean's Canyon

Saddle View

Trail down from saddle to Old Arrowhead Hwy

Brownstone Canyon & Lower Dam - 12/23/24

Climbing up toward the yellow sandstone Plateau - Between Gateway and Brownstone Canyons

On top of the yellow sandstone Plateau - Turtlehead Peak in Background

View back to Gateway Canyon

Kraft Saddle

There were seven of us that took on Brownstone Canyon. This fantastic hike is colorful, full of scrambles, historic and challenging. We began from the Kraft Mountain Trailhead on Sandstone Drive in the Calico Basin community of Red Rock Canyon NCA. We were up and over the Kraft Saddle quickly and settled into a long hike that begins with a trudge up the gravel of Gateway Canyon wash. After passing Rattlesnake Trail, we came to Upper Gateway Canyon's parade of dryfall scrambles. Just to change it up, a few of us sidled over to the trail that runs just above the wash on the right side. This was my first experience with taking the trail on the ascent.

Heading down to Gateway Canyon

This dryfall is getting more slippery.

Starting up Upper Gateway Canyon

First dryfall Scramble

I was surprised to find that the trail almost continued all the way up, bypassing some of the largest dryfall scrambles. I and many others rather enjoyed the large scrambles in the past and have the choreography down from repetitions over the years. However, it's never too late to find new ways of doing things. So, we travelled the sometimes precarious trail while we watched the others climb the limestone below. The trail began at the right end of one of the cliff-type dryfalls and dipped back down into the wash just a couple of times. It finally ended just before a large flat black boulder that hikers walk on to get to the top of Upper Gateway just before the colorful sandstone wall.

Highest dryfall Scramble

Watching the dryfall scramble from trail Above

View back to Upper Gateway Canyon from Top

Waterslide Mark

After a pause for breathing, we turned to the left and climbed up a waterslide area using another side trail, on the left. Reaching the small canyon that cuts off to the right, we climbed up the rocks and came to a high waterslide on our left. Again, we split up. Most of us did the zigzag route up the waterslide, turned right and climbed up to the plateau in a crack. Two others continued up the small canyon and turned to the left to meet us at the plateau. Our route crossed the plateau on its east side watching for the deep tank landmark of round rising rock face. We passed the deep tank and continued out a sandstone "fin" down to the top of our large descent crack. There, we negotiated the crack down to the Brownstone Canyon wash.

Waterslide Mark

Small canyon climb up to dryfall Zigzag

Chuck makes the Climb

Crossing the yellow sandstone Plateau

We inspected the pictographs and continued down the wide wash to view the petroglpyhs and, further, to visit the old lower dam that was once used when cowboys ran cattle through this area. The large area behind the dam was bone dry, but rest assured, the pond fills up at times and the mirror effect reflecting the colorful surroundings is really something to behold. We sat for our break and talked about someday finally trying the exit up the hill in front of us. Someday. Soon, we were trudging up the gravel wash in Brownstone Canyon as we returned to the "descent" crack which would become our "ascent" crack. We tackled the scramble like pros! However, at the top of the following fin, I missed a turn!

The deep tinaja Landmark

Descent to top of Crack

Brownstone Pictographs

Deb hanging out at the dry dam Pond

No worries. We just pointed our nose in the right direction and found our way over to the high point of the hike to descend to the top of Upper Gateway Canyon. I attempted to find that side trail we used coming up and failed. Instead, we ended up too high and had to slide on the scree back down to the wash. Anywho, by the time we returned to the cars, we were pretty much done. Another adventure by Kay!

Stats: 7 miles; 2000' gain; 6 hours

View from dam to upper Brownstone Canyon

A view across yellow sandstone plateau to Red Cap and on to Wilson Peak of the Sandstone Bluffs

Reaching Kraft Saddle after a long scramble Down