Las Vegas Hikes

In the last month here in Vegas we have done a lot of walking, mostly local or city parks, but 3 of our walks were actually in the category of hikes. I classify a hike as any walk that doesn't look silly doing it in boots, using a walking stick.

Our first adventure started with a drive northwest of town down Kyle Canyon Road toward Mount Charleston. Our roadside picnic was perfect, with a snow-capped Mount Charleston in the west. We picked our way up a canyon. We found scrub, iron rock, a red Chevy car hood and a foot path that circled the hill. We met a beautiful horse and his owner. The day was just perfect; temperature, scenery, drive, and hike difficulty.

Our next adventure was a bit less perfect. We drove northeast of town, out Lake Mead Blvd. This road does go out to the lake, we'll have to do that one day. We stopped at Sunrise Peak to scale a small mountain that promised to give a wonderful view of Vegas at the top. Russell was concerned that I was not up to the steep grade, but I really wanted to see the view at the top. The rocky path goes straight up until you reach the switch backs near the top. Russell was very motivating! He kept me with one foot in front of the other with encouraging comments and short-term goals; "we'll stop for water in 25 yards," "the view from up here is great," "we're almost there," and my very favorite - "it's flat, all the way to the top!"

Somewhere along the way I remarked that sometimes you get to the top only to find that there is another peak invisible from below. Sure 'nough, we reached the peak to see that the view was that of another peak; down and back up again. Russell could have easily made it, but I was done! Except of course for the trip back down. The entire hike was less than 3 miles - it felt like 20 or 30! I was 2 weeks recovering, seriously!

Our hike this last week was back out to Sunrise Peak, but on a less daunting trail. We were rewarded with a panoramic view of Las Vegas after only 1/4 of a mile up and out. We had a nice rocky perch to admire the city and Nellis AFB. Fighter pilots put on an airshow that included a Stealth Bomber. It really was great fun to have our own private show.

Today we drove north to the Clark County Shooting Range. We were greatly impressed with the size and quality of the facility. It is right at the foothills and therefore provides a great view of the city.

This weekend we leave again for a month. This trip is to Phoenix for our first RV Rally, then on to a tour of Escapee's parks in the southwest. We have been looking forward to getting back on the road.