Lone Grapevine Spring - 11/14/14

Lone Grapevine Spring

Petroglyph Found near Mud Spring II (Perhaps interpretted: "The spring flows on the right side of the peaked ridge above.")

Hiking with a View of Escarpment and Cottonwood Valley

 Lone Grapevine Spring was a very popular hike this morning as twenty-five club members arrived at the Late Night Trailhead on Highway 160 to begin. With Chris in the lead, we found our way across the desert heading in the direction of the Red Rock Canyon NCA escarpment. (Windy Peak to be precise!) To our right, we could see the full length of Cottonwood Valley. The morning started very cloudy but it wasn't long before the sun came out and burned the moisture away.

Hiking in Cottonwood Valley

 The Late Night Trailhead is a very popular trailhead for bikers. Therefore, the trails we used to cross the desert were smoothed bike trails.

Heading Toward Windy Peak

Arriving at Lone Grapevine Spring

 We dipped in and out of a few washes and noticed cars parked at the inner trailhead used for climbing Windy Peak from the front side. (That's a strenuous hike!) However, our hike today was an extremely pleasant easy to moderate hike. Leaving the bike trails, we crossed one more wash and came to the Lone Grapevine Spring area; a beautiful natural venue where there are dark colored conglomerate boulders and cholla at the base of Windy Peak.

Gathering at Lone Grapevine Spring Area

 While others took a small break, the writer hiked on around the left side of the fence and captured the first photo of this entry.

Crossing Over to Mud Spring Area

Petroglyphs at Mud Spring

 We continued hiking north around the base of Windy Peak on an interesting rocky trail and came to the water trough being filled by a long black rubber hose coming from Mud Spring above. The water is needed for the wildlife (i.e. burros, bighorn, coyotes and mountain lions) that remain in this area. The hike turns up the hill here where we followed along the water hose to Mud Spring II. This is where we started seeing the petroglyphs written in the boulders by native peoples of very long ago.

Mud Spring II

 Some of the drawings were also made as recently as when this area was settled by the early Mormons. There are drawings of the Mormon cowboys and a covered wagon. (Although, we couldn't find the covered wagon today! ... Probably just missed it.)

2011 Collage

Taking a Break in the Petroglyph Area

 In 2011, the writer took many photos of different petroglyphs here and arranged them in collages seen in this entry. Today, the search continued and she found one new drawing seen in the second photo. With each visit, the search expands during our long break in this area. Remember to leave what you see and take only photographs!

2011 Collage

 Today, there were a handful of hikers who wandered around on their individual searches.

2011 Collage

Hiking Down Along Mud Spring Pipe

 After the break, Chris led us back to the cars on a varied route. The return route was a little more straight forward and the difference in route began at the water trough. These trails are easy on the feet and knees with the only more difficulty being the 5 mile distance. By the time we finished the hike, the weather had turned gorgeous! Great morning among friends!

5 miles; 700 feet elevation gain; 2.75 hours

Water Trough fed from Mud Spring

Twenty-Five Hikers

Sandstone Quarry / Keystone Thrust Loop - 11/10/14

Keystone Thrust Geological Area

Keystone Thrust to Turtlehead Peak

Climbing up from Sandstone Quarry on the Grand Circle

 Two sites (given below) that explain the interesting geological anomalies found on the Keystone Thrust Trail in Red Rock Canyon NCA are Jim Boone's Bird and Hike and SunsetCities's Red Rock Canyon section. These explanations will not be repeated here but, suffice it to say, the Keystone Thrust Trail leads to an area where scientists from all over the world come to study one of few worldwide places where the movement of tectonic plates show how it can happen that older limestone can move over newer sandstone. Today's hike to the Keystone Thrust Trail began at Sandstone Quarry off of the Red Rock scenic loop.

http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/Red_Rocks/Keystone/_Keystone.htm

http://www.sunsetcities.com/Red-Rock-Canyon/keystonethrust00.html

Landmark Where the Trail Meets the Limestone Wash

 By starting at this location, the normally short three mile visit to the Keystone Thrust Trail is lengthened into a seven mile workout using the Grand Circle Trail.

Hiking the Grand Circle Trail

The Red Rock Escarpment from the Grand Circle

 We climbed up out of the quarry area on the Grand Circle Trail and enjoyed the morning view of the escarpment as we zigzagged our way over the ridges and washes of the desert landscape. When the trail dipped down into the Limestone Wash that passes by the base of Turtlehead Peak, we hiked upwash until we found the "cracked dinosaur egg" rock where we connected again with the trail. Next, we crossed the scenic loop and hiked across the desert below the scenic loop's high point overlook turnout.

Nine Strong Hikers

 A couple more zigzags and we dropped into another wash, the Keystone Wash. This is where our loop would begin. We went upwash for a short distance and retrieved the trail at the large juniper tree landmark.

Landmark Where the Trail Meets the Keystone Wash

Keystone Thrust Trail to Right

 The trail quickly took us up to the scenic loop again where we crossed it and began following the dirt road, White Rock Springs Road, up. At the top of the dirt road, there is trailhead parking and a pit toilet. We took a short break here but didn't dally since we still had a bit of climbing to do. Next, we began hiking the Keystone Thrust Trail. This trail climbs up a ridge, around an ancient agave roasting pit, around to the back side of Cactus Peak (a small peak on the ridge) and, finally, to a trail junction that leads off to the right.

Climbing the Steps of the Keystone Thrust Trail

 Standing at the trail junction, we saw the view in the photo below. This is an area that shows how the older limestone layer is eroding off of the newer sandstone layer underneath.

Starting Descent into Thrust Area - Older Limestone Eroding off of Newer Sandstone

Keystone Wash below Thrust Area

 We started our descent down to the sandstone and sat at the thrust area for our break. This is a beautiful and colorful area at the center of the Red Rock Canyon recreational part. As we sat and listened to the silence, we had the view down the Keystone Wash that is seen in the photo to the right. Afterwards, we got up and found the small trail that leads around to the right side of the wash. It is a steep and slippery trail but it gets hikers down into the wash safely.

Descending Down into Keystone Wash

 Once we were down in the wash, we looked back up toward the thrust area. The La Madre Mountain Range was quickly disappearing behind the sandstone.

Keystone Wash below Thrust Area Above

White Sandstone with Escarpment Beyond

 When we got past the colorful sandstone scrambling section of the wash, we dove into the gravelly rest of it. We were all very surprised to experience a wash that has been recently "house cleaned." A rainstorm in the past year has obviously flooded the wash and it is easily hiked right down the middle. (In the past, there were a couple of up and around trails required to stay out of the heavy brush.) In fact, the most difficult brush obstacle we met was a tree across the wash as seen in the photo below.

The Only Brush Remaining after a Wash Out

 The one dry fall within the wash was unchanged. We handled it like pros!

Dry Fall Still Easily Negotiable

Richard Unfolds out of the Culvert

 When the wash met the scenic loop above, we were obligated to stoop down to a 3 foot stature in order to go through without hitting our head! Next, we finished the wash down to the loop junction with the Grand Circle Trail. Now, on our way back, we gave the trail all we had left in energy reserves. When we walked back into the parking lot at Sandstone Quarry, we felt done and energized all at the same time! Great workout!

7 miles; 1350 feet elevation gain; 3.5 hours

Approaching the Grand Circle Trail Junction

Nearing the Calico Hills and Sandstone Quarry

The Rock Stop Behind the White Rock Hills - 11/8/14

White Rock Springs Peak

The Rock Stop from Behind (Trail is on opposite side.)

 Very rarely, someone loses their way between the meeting point and the hike start point. Today was one of those rare occasions. Although there were eighteen hikers signed in for the hike, only fifteen made it to the Willow Springs trailhead in Red Rock Canyon NCA. So, after waiting for a good amount of time and allowing a large part of the group to hike ahead, Tony relented and caught up with the group. There really isn't much we can do for lost cars ... only lost hikers!

Starting Up Rocky Gap Road

 We started up Rocky Gap Road from the Willow Springs picnic area parking. After passing the end of the White Rock Hills (0.6 miles), there is a junction to the right with the wilderness sign seen in the photo below.

Sign Junction - Turn Right

 This is the trail that ultimately leads to La Madre Springs. We turned right to begin our trek behind the White Rock Hills and after another half mile, junctioned with a small trail that turns off to the right again. There is an old trail sign here indicating the White Rock Hills Loop. After making this turn, we quickly found ourselves in a very cool shadow of the White Rock Hills above. Ahhh!

Bighorn Eyes Us from Above

 The photo above was taken without knowing that the bighorn was standing on the high rocks watching us. (Note the tiny figure on top of the rocks in the middle.) It was a surprise to see the animal when the photos were being processed! After further magnification, it was still unclear whether the bighorn was male or female.

Mule Deer Eyes Us from Below

 The whole group, however, did spy the mule deer in the wash as seen in the photo above. Even though, it wasn't until most of the group moved away that the deer came out of the brush long enough for the photographer to capture this magnified photo. It was a beautiful day and the animals were enjoying the cool morning before the temperatures started to rise.

We continued up the winding trail behind the White Rock Hills until we came to a large outcropping of conglomerate rock.

Gathering at the Conglomerate Rock Outcropping

 On scheduled easy hikes, these rocks have been a stopping place for the Around the Bend Friends for many years. There is a lot of shade and seating in the immediate area.

Taking Photos from the Rock Stop

 Views of the White Rock Springs Peak and La Madre Mountain Range are fantastic from the rock stop. You can also see where the rock vein continues along toward the southwest as the conglomerate pushes up a few more times in a linear fashion among the hills. Vegetation in this area is also interestingly different. The weather behind the White Rock Hills is more moist than the weather on the front side.

View from Behind the Rocks

 We took an extra amount of time for our break as the group reconnected with each other.

Colorful Rock on White Rock Springs Peak

 Too soon, we began our return down the trail. When we got to the place we saw the deer, we stopped and looked again. He was long gone ... or well hidden in the brush. We reached the La Madre Springs trail junction and turned left. Then, we turned left one more time on Rocky Gap Road. By the time we got back to Willow Springs, the parking lot was packed. Great morning out!

4 miles; 700 feet elevation gain; 2.5 hours

Looking for More Signs of the Deer

Hiking Back along the La Madre Springs Trail