South Calico Hills - 4/14/25

Grand Loop Trail Approach to Calico I

Red Rock Escarpment across the Canyon

Grand Loop Trail Junction

Balanced Boulder at South Calico Hills

Just hanging out with a friend while convalescing, we did a small hike starting at the Red Rock Visitor Center. Wondering what condition the Grand Loop Trail was in, we decided to head down toward the fee booth. I must say, someone has really been doing a great job with trail maintenance! The trail that leads down from the visitor center to the fee booth then over and up to junction with the Calico Hills Trail (i.e. part of the Grand Loop Trail) has been manicured to a tee! From the junction, we continued down to the Calico Hills wash and followed the beautiful trail all the way down past the petroglyph area. Next, we kept going on the same trail as it led out the wash toward Calico Basin Road. (Look for the deer up on the ridge above and to the left!)

Petroglyph Boulders at South Calico Hills

As we criss-crossed the wash on the trail, we came to the second rough trail up to the right and climbed to reach the ridge above. There is an old road trail that follows along the ridge. This trail took us to the trail junction where we were before we descended into the wash. Turning back to the left, we dropped down to cross the paved scenic loop road and climbed up and around the visitor center to get back to our car. It was a lovely morning. We finished just as the temperatures started getting warm. Easy and gentle, as my friend and I work on getting our hiking legs back underneath us.

Stats: 4 miles; 525' gain; 2.75hours

Calico Wash at South Calico Hills

Trail toward Bridge Point Peak at South Calico Hills

South Calico Hills above Calico Wash

White Rock Hills Peak - 4/8/25

White Rock Hills Peak

Scrambling up the South Side

Trailhead far Below

South Side

Eight hikers gathered at the Willow Springs Picnic area in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area at 8 am. Our hike this day was to summit the high point of White Rock Hills. From a distance this doesn’t look that hard. But looks are deceiving. Even the stats for this hike don’t suggest the difficulty that we were about to endure (2.5 miles and 2,000 ft of elevation gain). Right from the parking lot we started up the southwest slopes right behind the pit toilet. The terrain here is very rugged with almost continuous class 2 scrambling over large sandstone boulders, slabs, and obstacles. We scrambled up just to the right of a rock climbing wall called “Outhouse Wall”. It gets its name from the proximity of the wall to the pit toilet near the parking lot, which, by the way was very clean. 

Helping Hands

Higher and Higher

Spotters needed Here

Another Class 3 Spot

We continued scrambling up for about an 1/8 mile and then started a traverse along the southwest face.We encountered our first class 3 obstacle of the day and the hike coordinators made sure everyone got through it safely. Shortly after this obstacle we reached a wide gully. This gully had some very steeply slanted slabs, some dry pour overs and other fun obstacles. Near the top of the gully we had to scramble up very loose rock and dirt until we hit the saddle. From the saddle we crossed the long step over class 3 obstacle safely and started our traverse around to the west side of the mountain. One hiker decided to stay here while the rest started the traverse through the piñon pine forest on the northwest side of the mountain. From the forest we went up three different gullies traversing half way up the first two. At the top of the third gully we reached the crest of the southwest ridge which we followed up to the summit. We had one more class 3 spot and the we were near the summit block with its class 3 move to get to the high point and the register.

Group photo just below the Summit

The last scramble to the Summit

Coming off the Summit

Class 3 Descent

We took a well deserved break and then took a group photo and started our way down. The temperature was not too hot but you could tell summer was coming. The humidity was high but a slight overcast helped keep things from really heating up. We started down the way we had come and picked up the hiker who stayed behind. We made our way back and we were surprised with the amount of brush and the number of ticks people were finding on themselves. We made it back and everyone was happy to be back! It had taken us just over 6 hours to go 2 1/2 miles with 2,000 ft of elevation gain. ~Jerry


Photos by Cheryl, Jerry, and Bruno

Stats: 3 miles; 2100' gain; 6 hours

Tough Stuff

Helping Hands

So glad to be Down

Skull Rock Loop - 4/1/25

She's alive! Lost in the middle of Red Rock Canyon! Oh, wait. A cairn!

 Thank you for all the well wishes. I'm slowly making my way back braving the precipitous weather out in the desert with a couple of friends. Patience is a virtue. 

Stats: 6 miles; 600' gain; 4 hours

Windy Peak Loop v Upper & Lower Cairn Trails (sans icy peak) - 3/15/25

View of Mt. Potosi from Upper Cairn Trail

Iced desert bush and Black Velvet Peak

Icy Windy Peak

Hikers heading toward the
 beginning of Upper Cairn Trail

Did you ever gaze up at the escarpment in Red Rock Canyon NCA when it was snow dusted, calm after a few days of gales and snow blowing over the mountains? And, did you ever wonder what it would look like if you drove up there and wandered around? Well, that's what eleven club hikers did on Saturday. Although many of us tend to avoid the snow like the plague here in Las Vegas, we don't argue that it is a source of much beauty. We started out from the Mountain Springs Pass Trailhead and hiked over to the beginning of the Cairn Trails' base using the old abandoned roads behind the small town of Mountain Springs. We crossed the big gulley and followed the trail up to the circle end of one of the roads. The trail continues uphill out of that circle.

Ascending the Upper Cairn Trail

Taking a view Break

Upper Cairn Trail

View toward the Lower Cairn Trail Ridge

The snow on the ground was patchy but the snow still hanging onto the plant leaves created a world of intricate artwork. As we climbed the Upper Cairn Trail, the snow became more and more prevalent. At this level of elevation, we could see snow-dusted mountains and ridges everywhere we looked. The trail beneath our feet was, for the most part, snowless. We followed the dirt path and cairns all the way up to the Mountain Springs Peak Trail above. It took a while to get to the escarpment rim. But that was because we kept stopping to enjoy unbelievable beauty before our eyes.

Ice + Wind makes gorgeous desert Plants

False peak on Upper Cairn Ridge

Near the junction of Upper Cairn Trail and Mountain Springs Peak Trail

Arriving at the trail Junction

The snow and ice had fallen at the same time the wind was at full force. With the two forces of nature working together, the ice on the plants was sticking straight out in one direction from each leaf. Everyone was in awe of nature and its possibilities. After a slow ascent, we junctioned with the rim trail and turned left. We didn't turn right so as to avoid a steep snow-covered incline. Our left turn connected us with the lower trail where we turned right and returned to the route. Here, we could see Black Velvet Peak and Windy Peak in the distance. There seemed to be a lot of ice on the sandstone peaks. They were very shiny! So, we enjoyed the hike over to the cut-over ridge to Windy Peak Trail. 

Familiar outcrop on Mountain Springs Peak Trail

Hiking around to lower fork of Mountain Springs Peak Trail

Black Velvet Peak and Global Peak from Mountain Springs Peak Trail

First view of Windy Peak

Connecting with the Windy Peak Trail, we hiked along the bench with the Windy Peak "ice ball" in our view. Out there where the wind could coarse through the terrain, there was less snow on the ground but more ice on the rocks. Standing at the top of the last drop to the ice ball of Windy Peak, we made the decision not to continue our hike to the peak. Instead, we sat to take a break while observing every little shiny ice river on the rock. It was beautiful. Finally, we turned to start back. The climb back up to the high point of Windy Peak Trail was taxing but we made it and continued down to the top of the Lower Cairn Trail. Here, we took a right and followed a dirt and cairned trail again. As we descended, it was kind of sad to leave the beauty of the higher elevation.

Pondering a climb up the icy Windy Peak

Icy Windy Peak

Return along Windy Peak Trail

Junction with Lower Cairn Trail

At the bottom of the hill, we crossed the gulley at a higher point and hiked down to pass the beginning of the Upper Cairn Trail. This finished our loop. We only had to backtrack along the abandoned roads and back to the cars. This was definitely one of the more beautiful hikes I have enjoyed here in Las Vegas but the weather conditions would be very difficult to repeat. Eleven lucky hikers will never forget this jaunt.

Stats: 4.8 miles; 1475' gain; 3.25 hours

Sue makes her way down by the ridge outcrop on the Lower Cairn Trail

Reaching the gully on the Lower Cairn Trail

Homeward Bound