Skull Rock Loop - 10/23/21

Break at Skull Rock

The Fearsome Foursome plus Odie hiked the Skull Rock Loop this beautiful morning. The leaves are changing at Pine Creek and the trails are well-maintained at this time. From the Scenic Loop exit parking lot, we hiked the connector trail to Oak Creek Canyon Trailhead. Next, we hiked the Arnight and Knoll Trails over to Pine Creek and the Wilson Homestead. The Pine Creek Trail took us up to Dale's Trail where we turned to the left and found Skull Rock about a third of a mile out. After the break, we returned to Pine Creek Trail and turned left to find the Fire Ecology Trail and turn right. We used this trail to cross Pine Creek and hike to the base of the berm. A short hike to the left brought us to a little used trail up the berm. Next, we crossed the ridge almost to the other side and found the old two-track road (Wilson Road) and turned left. Following this old two-track past the large cairn all the way down to the tip of the ridge, we then hiked a trail along the scenic drive back to the cars. We managed a pace of around 2.5 mph and enjoyed our Saturday morning walk.

Stats: 6 miles; 620' gain; 3 hours

Fire Ecology Trail at Pine Creek Crossing

The Muffins / Old LV Overlook / Skull Canyon - 10/21/21

View from the Muffins to the Calico Hills

Old Las Vegas Overlook (Yep. Not so clear today.)

Within Skull Canyon

Starting toward the Muffins Trail

It was a full house this morning as the Six with Sticks grew to the Great Eight! We were on the clock with scheduled appointments so we wasted no time on the 5.5 mile hike. When we pulled into the Cowboy Trails parking lot, we saw that there were two other large groups preparing to hike. Luckily, each group headed off into a different direction at 8am. We passed the horses being saddled up. (One black horse was really tall and his name is Zeus!) We passed Jackson, the burro, and the corral full of colorful horses and mules. We passed the base of Boneshaker Hill and started up the Muffins Trail that zigzagged up the hill across from Skull Canyon. The climb was steady at a moderate pace. The Great Eight were continually talking almost all the way up!

Skull Canyon (L), Boneshaker Hill (R)

Climbing the Muffins Trail

Climbing the Muffins Trail

Sunrise on Wilson Peak of the Escarpment

We hiked in the shade until we were almost up to the Muffins. It was a very nice morning with temps in the upper 60's. Upon arriving at the large conglomerate boulders that appear like breakfast muffins, the group enjoyed a long pause to take in the view. Continuing, we followed the trail that climbs up along the edge of the ridge. The trail is well-maintained and easily followed. It leads up and over the ridge's high point then drops down to a saddle on the other side. Here, we turned to the left and followed the trail down and up to the original Las Vegas Overlook for our break. The city view was brown today. We can't blame it on the smoke from the California fires! Yes, it was, indeed, smog. Las Vegas sits in a terrain bowl and, well, it happens.

Nearing the Muffins

Arriving at the Muffins

The Great Eight at the Muffins

North side of North Blue Diamond Hill

After our break, we retraced our steps down and up to the saddle junction of the Muffins Trail. Continuing straight, we dropped down the slippery hill to the top of Skull Canyon and turned right down into the ravine. The Skull Canyon trail is one of the oldest trails in the North Blue Diamond Hills. I believe the bikers call it something else but it was named by the old timer hikers because an equine skull was found within its confines early on. The name stuck with the hikers and the bikers probably have no knowledge of this little bit of history. Besides, I have never witnessed a biker in Skull Canyon as yet! We followed the trail down as it crisscrossed the canyon wash several times. About halfway down, part of the group broke off to "scramble" down the interesting flat limestone that "paved" the center of the wash.

Old Las Vegas Overlook on Saddle to the Left

Fixing the shoe Pause

Cheryl goes down for a Look at the Overlook

Top of Skull Canyon

The wash can be easily negotiated down to a certain point where it is easy to climb back out to the trail. Sometimes, there is a cairn at the climb-out point. Together again, we finished descending the zigzags of the Muffins trail and sauntered past Boneshaker Hill. We passed the corral then heard one of the horses waiting for the ferrier whinny loud! There was one horse in the ferrier's contraption getting his hooves done! For a suburbanite, this was very interesting! Great day with the Great Eight!

Stats: 5.5 miles; 1150' gain; 3.5 hours

Deep within Skull Canyon

The Scramble down the Wash

George and Bob surfacing from Skull Canyon

Boneshaker Hill / Fossil Ridge (Afternoon Hike) - 10/19/21

Fossil Ridge in Late Afternoon

Burros at the Boneshaker Hill Junction

Desert Beauty

An Afternoon at the Corral

Double Trouble started our hike at around 1:30pm (DST) from the Cowboy Trailhead. Our late start was unusual. It was so weird that there were very few hikers around. It was even more weird that, as we hiked, we didn't see any rabbits and saw only one lizard and one ground squirrel! The weather was perfect for an afternoon hike and we set out past the horse corral and headed for the base of Boneshaker Hill. As we turned the corner, we saw a herd of about ten wild burros on our right side. Luckily, they were not quite on the Boneshaker Trail so we turned right and hiked past them without incident.

Circling Boneshaker Hill

Oh, Hello Burros!

Skull Canyon and Muffins Trail from Boneshaker Hill Ascent

Calico Hills from Boneshaker Ascent

In no particular hurry, we climbed Boneshaker Hill. The sun was bright and the photos had not started to get that evening sun effect. We reached the Boneshaker sign and turned right onto the SARS Trail. We crossed upper Cave Canyon and tried a little shortcut to the other side of the ridge to get in our adventure for the week! Catching the SARS Trail on the other side, we hiked up past the 2nd Finger and the 1st Finger taking a small break at the white rock junction of the old mining road before we turned right to hike down to the Echo Canyon junction. The sun was dipping down toward the escarpment setting itself up for beautiful colors on the Calico Hills. We noted the many red barrel cacti on the southern slopes of the North Blue Diamond Hill.

Boneshaker Sign in Afternoon

Top of Cave Canyon from SARS Trail

Approaching Fossil Ridge Cliffs

An Abundance of Red Barrels

We followed the Echo Canyon Trail down the two switchbacks and continued on the Fossil Ridge Trail that runs above the canyon on the south side. It is a beautiful trail. And, today, it was even more beautiful with the sun low on the horizon. Our trail was in the shade but the sun shone brightly on the Calico Hills and the red barrel cacti on the southern slopes across from us. We continued down to the Echo Canyon cliffs and were rewarded with some nice photos! As we started dropping down toward the cars, a trail ride was being organized at the upper hitching posts. I am sure they had a beautiful ride!

6 miles; 1165 gain; 3.25 hours

Fossil Ridge in Late Afternoon

Calico Hills and mouth of Echo Canyon

Descending Fossil Ridge Trail

Blue Diamond Sidewinder - 10/16/21

Red Barrels at the Blue Diamond Cactus Garden

Sandstone Bluffs from Sidewinder Trail

Furry Burro ready for Winter Weather

Remember when we rolled down the window?

It was a beautiful day and the Three Belles plus Odie parked at the Wheeler Camp Springs Trailhead located between Oliver Ranch and Blue Diamond to hike the Sidewinder trails that never seem to disappoint in desert beauty. The fence is down around the parking lot and later, we talked to a couple of park guys that are working on replacing the fence. It will be nice. However, there is another problem in the same vicinity. The hiker gates that protect the Bird Sanctuary from marauding burros are gone. Someone has removed the east and west gates into the springs and the area on the west side is worn down with new trails that have mowed down the bushes. Tsk. Tsk.

Landmine Loop

DeSoto and the Blue Belles

Burro watching from the Ridge Top

Starting up the Sidewinder

We climbed up to the Landmine Loop and started hiking around the tertiary ridge. Surprisingly, there were not many other hikers and bikers on the trail yet. (It was Saturday!) As we hiked around the north side of the loop, we were searching for the wild burros that live in the hills behind Blue Diamond and in the neighboring Cottonwood Valley. As we neared the old DeSoto that sits in the desert on the previous Oliver Ranch property, we decided to go for a visit. We haven't visited the old car in a couple of years. It is covered with graffiti ... again. But, it is always fun to look it over. Back on the loop, we finally spotted about four burros up on the ridge to the left. One was giving us the evil eye! We took a couple of photos then made our left turn up to the sidewinder trail.

View south along the Sandstone Bluffs

Baby Burro and its Caretakers (Snort nostrils!)

Sidewinder Trail

Blue Belles and Odie

The Sidewinder trail took us up the west side of the ridge where the views are outstanding of the Sandstone Bluffs and the limestone/dolomite rock of the ridge. We saw a dark colored baby burro and its two caretakers down over the side. One caretaker was snorting at us! We climbed on up and started sidewinding the ridge all the way around until we were climbing up into the Crags of the Blue Diamond Cactus Garden. As we hiked through the garden, we noticed that a huge barrel cactus that had fallen a couple of years ago is alive and well! We went on out to the end of this ridge and stopped for our break. Odie enjoyed water and snacks. He's a very good hiker dog! And, his inclusion, today, was very much enjoyed by all of us.

Autumn Yellowed Bushes dispersed throughout Landscape

The Crags at the Blue Diamond Cactus Garden

Inside the Crags

Ralyn and Odie at Break

After our break, we continued zigzagging down the trail to the saddle, pulled a sticker out of Odie's paw, and climbed up to the next ridge called Hurl's Backdoor. The view of the city was the most clear that it has been since the California fires started a few months ago. We balanced the ridge until we junctioned with the Hurl and turned left to hike by the huge sandstone boulders. Curving around to the right, we descended the north side of the small canyon below and turned left onto the next sidewinder trail. This trail appeared to have been neglected by hikers for quite a while. However, burros are still using the byway. We looked up to our left and, sure enough, we were being watched again. This time, we saw 5 or 6 grazing or watching up among the rocks.

A clear day in Las Vegas

Sandstone boulders protruding from the Ancient Limestone Rock Fall

Descending from the Ridges

Find the Three Burros!

This part of the sidewinder loop has also been unmaintained. Since this is a yearly trek for us, we knew what to look for even though I still have a hard time in a couple of the washes. Anyway, we passed the dams and reached the Bird Sanctuary fence corner. At the gate, we saw that it had been removed and was lying in the sticker bushes below. This needs to be fixed. Back at the cars, we talked to the fence builders and headed home. This is always a beautiful hike!

Stats: 7 miles; 1100' gain; ~4 hours

Sandstone Bluffs from Sidewinder Trail

Gates at the springs have been removed. Need repair.

Hiking back to the Cars