Angel Canyon (with Bushwhack) Loop - 8/15/22

Angel Canyon Narrows

Angel Canyon (Background) and Bushwhack Territory from Little Bald Knoll

Kyle Canyon Road from Showgirl (Orange) Trail

Up Kyle Canyon from Trailhead Area

It had been years since I had visited Angel Canyon. In years past, the shortest loop route I had created was 8 miles starting at the Juniper Trailhead. We used the Showgirl Trail all the way down the Steep Dive then dropped into the canyon to our left. Next, we climbed the canyon up to a large wash on the left before reaching the Angel Peak road ridge. Turning left, we climbed the wash all the way up to cross the Showgirl Trail that led back up to Juniper Trailhead. This time, we attempted to cut that hike down to 6 miles with a loop starting at Kyle Canyon Road. We succeeded! However, it wasn't without travail! So the Tenacious Trio set out from the USFS fire station on Kyle Canyon Road. This trailhead is bustling with bicycle activity on the weekends!

We found it! (The washed away bridge!)

Finally heading into Angel Canyon

Starting into the Narrows

Rita climbs the first Scramble

However, on a Monday ... not so much. We were the only ones in the parking lot early in the morning. We connected with Tin Can Alley and crossed up toward the Telephone Canyon Road. Before we reached the dirt road, we veered right on a trail that took us down into the neighboring Angel Canyon wash. The wash was clear so we used it to hike up toward Angel Canyon, a large canyon that forks up to the right from Telephone Canyon. Along this section, we found the nice bridge that used to be located on the Showgirl Trail a couple of years ago. It had been washed down. A couple of strong young bikers could have easily dragged it back up to its original position but, instead, it turned out they had built a new one!

Angel Canyon general Condition

Climbing another Dry Fall

Climbing the left side of Another Scramble

Between the Rocks

Continuing up the wash from the new bridge location, we tried to stay in one of the main drainages all the way up to where Angel Canyon narrows down. Finally there, we started up and hit the first of five major scrambles (3rd class) found in the canyon. (It was clear that there is a lot of wild horse or burro activity within the canyon! And, somehow, they find their way around all the obstacles.) Angel Canyon is very nice within the rock walls and steep embankments. The wash floor, itself, is very hikable even having been washed over in the last few weeks. There is only one new tree fall that blocks the canyon but it is easily circumvented. One of the most pleasant surprises was that the last scramble (still the most difficult one) no longer has a tree blockage!

Slippery Short Scramble

View from top of Last Scramble

The Bushwhack Begins!

Mike powers up the Hill

Not far after that last scramble, we peered up to our left to find a doable climb up the hillside. The washes in this area seemed to all be very brushy so we decided to start up on a ridge. Very steep, however, it was also the chosen ridge of wild horses and deer as we surmised on our way up. There were snippets of game trails as we climbed. I had a target two ridges over. It was where the Showgirl Trail swung out toward us. So, we headed in that direction having to deal with three very steep climbs and a deep drainage. There's a lot of territory between the canyon and the trail and it's all very ... yes ... steep. Anyway, we finally reached the trail and started following it down. Soon, we were at the Shady Rest corner where we took our well deserved break!

Utilizing a short Deer Trail

Happy (and tired) at Shady Rest

Stepladder Peak from Showgirl (Orange) Trail

Carefully down the Steep Dive

All we had left to do was continue down the Showgirl (Orange) Trail. We used a new switchback to the trail just after Shady Rest. We lilted over Little Bald Knoll where we got a great view of where we had been. We took the Steep Dive where we thought about how crazy young bikers are ... probably padded from head to toe! We connected with the Lower Showgirl Trail and continued down to the new bridge that we passed before. From there, we retraced our steps back to the trailhead. No threatening rain dampened our pace and we had quite the workout! 😛 Best of all, we can report that Angel Canyon is a "Go" no matter how you wish to loop it!

Stats: 6.2 miles; 1650' gain; 4.75 hours

Parallel to Telephone Canyon Road

Crossing the New Bridge

Same view up canyon 4 Hours Later

Old Mill / Lee Meadows Loop (Easy Moderate) - 8/13/22

Old Mill Ruins

Weather Station Apparatus

Wild Horse in Lower Lee Meadow

Strolling through the Old Mill Picnic Area

This is a hike that we enjoy every year for the leisurely group of hikers in our club. For this overcast day in the Spring Mountains NRA, we had eight hikers plus our mascot Odie. (Odie is an excellent regular hiker and he comes with Ralyn who is an excellent asset to our club. Special circumstances allow Ralyn to bring Odie along on easy hikes. And, besides, everyone loves Odie!) So, we parked alongside Lee Canyon Road at the Lower Lee Meadow and started out across the grass to the trees at the lower corner. A trail took us up to the Old Mill Picnic Area where we made our way up to the paved road that runs through it. On up the pavement, we veered off to the right onto a rock lined trail. Originally named the Edna Gray Trail, we now refer to it as the Old Mill Trail simply because it passes by the ruins of an old mill used back in the 1940s or 1950s. We passed by the South Sister Trail turnoff talking about the small home foundation found not far up in the midst of the pine glade. A little further up this trail, the Edna Gray Spring sits down in a small wash slaking the thirst of wild horses in the area. 

Old Mill Trail

Aspens at Old Mill (Judy & Marg in Aspen Jail!)

Nearing Lower Bristlecone on Old Mill Trail

Arriving at Lower Bristlecone

Next, we came to the mill ruins and took a pause as we found interesting old school names engraved on the aspens nearby. One of the names happened to be Edna! We continued our climb up a steeper section of the trail to junction with the Lower Bristlecone Trail, aka Scout Canyon Road. The clouds hung low this morning but we remarked how beautiful the forest appeared in the low humid light. We had about 2.5 hours to complete this hike before rain really set in so we used all of that time to enjoy our hike at our slow relaxed pace. At the junction, we turned to the right and followed the road/trail a short way to the apex of a switchback corner. Here, there is a forest road that continues up the intersecting ravines. Although this road/trail has a steeper slope, we hiked up about 0.15 mile to the old weather station that was installed on the right side. Here, we took our group photo (minus 2 hikers that stayed below) and a short snack break. We noticed that a new small weather station has been installed by UNLV just below the old one. After our rest, we hiked back down to the Lower Bristlecone Trail, turned left, and continued down the road/trail to the Lower Bristlecone Trailhead. At the trailhead sign, we turned left to hike down through the trees and into the Upper Lee Meadow.

Old Writing on Aspens, Pine Cone Canyon Washed, Ponderosa Anomaly, Branch in Repose(!)

Group at the Weather Station

Hiking down Lower Bristlecone Trail (aka Scout Canyon Road)

Turning left at the Trailhead

The bright green colors of the freshly rained on meadow were outstanding against the yellow flowers underneath the gray clouds. South and North Sisters rose pointedly above the landscape. We traipsed through the wet upper meadow avoiding mud here and there then connected down into the lower meadow through more mud and beautiful green grass. Where were the wild horses among all this lush grass? Ah! We found one horse munching down in the lower meadow. His white coat stood out in all the green and yellow. He completed our beautiful and relaxed foray into the canyon named Lee!

Stats: 3.5 miles; 600' gain; 2.25 hours

South and North Sisters rise above Lee Meadows

Strolling through Upper Lee Meadow

Wild Horse in Lower Lee Meadow

Upper Trough Trail Loop - 8/1/22

Wildlife Water Troughs

Lower Green Trail

Mummy Mountain from Showgirl Trail (Orange Trail)

Starting Out

Forecast: 50% chance of rain until around 10:30am. 70% chance of rain after 11am. Where should we hike? Well, it's always a crap shoot (we are in Las Vegas), but a good method of deciding is 1) study the NOAA website throughout 2 days prior, 2) understand that the best chances are in the lower elevations of the mountains, and 3) watch the sky diligently throughout the hike! Yep. It's still a crap shoot! (In fact, on the way up the road, we began seeing RVs that were likely evacuated from a Kyle Canyon campground on the side of the road. There was a flash flood warning the night before.) Anyway, we decided on a trail hike starting from the Juniper Trailhead. This trailhead is located on Angel Peak Place (aka Lucky Strike Road) off of Deer Creek Road. This is the road that leads to the Hilltop Campground. However, instead of veering to the left at the campground fork, veer to the right and pass all the "Do Not Enter" signs!

Rita climbs the Connector

Ralyn found her Swing

View near Junction of Gypsy and Pixie Trails

Pixie Trail wash Crossing

Yes, you are allowed to go about half a mile down the road to the Juniper Trailhead that is on the right side. It is obvious since there is a pit toilet there and the parking lot is surrounded by large white boulders. We have the biking community to thank for the trails in this area. The trails are a spider web of viable hiking/biking trails all throughout the Telephone Canyon area. Some of this is Spring Mountain NRA and some of this is U.S. Forest Service real estate. For years many of us have spent fun times learning all the trails to make a myriad of hikes as these trails can be connected every which way. However, the good news (I think), is that the forest service has attempted to make sense of it all by placing trail signs and blocking off certain trails.

Dropping down behind the Robbers Roost Trailhead

Large Mushroom on Telephone Canyon Road

Hiking down Telephone Canyon Road

Green Trail Junction Sign

We started down the trail from the trailhead and hiked for almost a mile. Here, there is a connector trail that turns up to the right and leads to Deer Creek Road. We crossed the road and hiked up the highway embankment, followed the remnants of Old Deer Creek Road (Gypsy) up to the right to circle around. Passing by the swing, we reached the junction with the paved road and turned to the left on the Pixie Trail. This is a nice zig-zaggy trail through the trees that connects back to the lower portion of Gypsy. During our descent, we noticed that the main wash that crosses Pixie twice has been recently washed. (Nice thing.) We turned to the right on the Gypsy following it around over very old asphalt to the Robbers' Roost Trailhead.

Green Trail

Green Trail crossing Trough Trail (Lower Trough Trail is Blocked)

Climbing up the Trough Trail from Green Trail

Cleaning the Trough

Taking a good look at the clouds and noting the wind direction, we decided to take the longer route home. We dropped down behind the trailhead sign and turned right onto a very rocky Telephone Canyon Road. I don't think the bicycles use this section of the road. At any rate, we searched for the left turn onto what is now the "Green Trail." Passing a very large mushroom on the side of the road, we finally came to the trail and laughed when we saw that there was a trail sign. Before, this trail was difficult to find ... not anymore! We soon learned that this option was a lucky choice as we learned that the lower portion of the Trough Trail (our alternate plan) has been blocked off for restoration. The Green Trail crossed the Trough Trail at the blockage.

Peeking at the Clouds coming in over Lee Canyon

Angel Peak from the Green Trail (formerly Hike a Bike Trail)

Trail Junction Sign where Showgirl (Orange) turns Off

Stepping up the Pace with Smiles

A left turn in the wash took us up the Trough Trail to the old wildlife troughs. Ralyn and Rita's homemaker instincts kicked in and they cleaned out the troughs that were filled with years of dirt and debris. Onward up the trail, we agreed that it is still very steep! The trail has been blocked off at the top changing the momentum. We stepped over the blockage since we didn't have time (clouds threatening) to explore and see where "they" wanted us to go. We arrived at the Hike a Bike Trail and turned right to follow the Green Trail to the Orange Trail (Showgirl) junction. We stepped up the pace all the way back to the trailhead on the Orange Trail picking up a queen size comforter on the way! The clouds were dark over the Lee Canyon side. Above us, they were just very low. We were amazed that we didn't get wet but we didn't stick around to see the deluge over Lee Canyon!

Stats: 5.8 miles; 1100' gain; 3 hours

It's getting dark over there!

We stopped to pick up a trashed comforter!

View of clouds from Juniper Trailhead