Tag Archives: Spring Mountains Recreation Area

La Madre Cabin Trail

July 1, 2020 Roger Jenkins Leave a comment

RED ROCK CANYON NATIONAL CONSERVANCY

Activity: Day Hike, Spelunking (sorta…)

Distance 5.2 miles, 1597’ elevation change, duration 5 hours, rated Hard

Date: November 19, 2019

This hike has so many wonderful facets to it. I loved this hike and highly recommend it.

First of all to me Red Rock Canyon is a must do for anyone going to Vegas. There are more than bright lights, and slot machines to Las Vegas and if you have never at least driven the Red Rock Loop then you are really missing out. Once you have enjoyed that thrilling scenery than the next steps are to get out and do some hiking, work up to exploring, and finally add a peak or two. To me Red Rock is almost spiritual, that is how profound of an experience it is.

The landscape changes through out the hike, from the rugged, wild and harsh beauty of the Red Rock and it’s unforgiving terrain, to a place with brush, vegetation and even some Juniper and Pine trees.

La Madre Springs is a hike all in itself and most people on this trail only know about that. The spring adds vegetation and is what makes this part of Red Rock different and so interesting, a “treasured island in a sea of desert“. During the hike you will cross the stream a few times and there are places where there are even reeds, something that you don’t see everyday in a desert environment. There are wonderful vistas through out the adventure opening up to views of the surrounding hills and mountains. This really is a stupendous hike.

The trail starts out big broad double track road which gets rougher as you go, and finally switches to trail. It is well maintained and well traveled up to the La Madre Springs and then becomes a little more difficult to follow on the way up to a little water fall. Past the water fall your travels will take you through ever increasingly steep and overgrown trail that is not always easy to follow, but certainly worth the effort as you will get to checkout something very special, that being an Old Miner’s Cabin and if you seek further adventure than up the steep hill from there is an old abandon mine and even more wondrous vistas that the additional height avails to you.

The rustic ruins of the Old Miner’s Cabin will spur thoughts of a life of solitude, a simpler time, certainly back breaking work, but with the romance of possibility… the chance of gold and silver in them thar hills, and thus the opportunity for untold fortune and incredible wealth. An existence in this place would be filled with hardship of the elements- blistering, unrelenting heat in the Summer, and snow and ice during a portion of the winter. In fact the area got snow the night after my hike. As legend goes this cabin was used not only by prospectors, but cowboys and even outlaws.

There are a few different faint trails heading up above the cabin. I was able to find the abandon old mine, and there was a yellow flag marking the spot. It’s not that the flag is easy to see from any distance, but once you do then you know that you have discovered the opening to the mine. I suggest that you have a head lamp if you care to break the rules, that are clearly marked Do Not Enter, and explore this unsafe, dangerous place. If you do throw caution to the wind then you will work your way into a dark, dank mine. Most of the tunnel is wide open, but another portion you will need to get down on all fours and even drag yourself through a tight spot. The mine is not huge, but it is interesting. Take heed in the entire area surrounding the mine as I also discovered a vertical mine shaft that you certainly would not want to stumble into. To explore the vertical shaft you would need climbing gear and you certainly would not want to do that alone.

Back of Old Miner’s Cabin looking up towards the abandon mine.

Trail behind the Old Miner’s Cabin heading towards the abandoned mine.

**”Only by much searching and mining, are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being, if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul.” – James Allen**

Exercise, fresh air, expansive vistas, changing landscape, beauty and intrigue, an old cabin, a small waterfall, a spring forming a little oasis in the desert, a spooky old mine what better way to be “Pursuing Balance Through Adventure“? Thanks for coming along. Be sure to LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW, and SHARE. Checkout the menu above for the many different areas that PBTA ventures to. Each website is not only a separate area in the West, but a individual site and thus each needs to be Followed independently. You will also want to review the fine PBTA adventure wear, which is a great way to help support these sites at SHOP APPAREL.

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Griffith Peak

May 27, 2020 Roger Jenkins 2 Comments

SPRING MOUNTAIN NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

Activity: Day Hike, Peak Bagging

Date: November 14, 2019

Altitude: 11,066 Feet, distance: 8.7 miles, 3,451 foot elevation change, 7 hours duration, rated: Hard

The hike to the summit of Griffith Peak is a workout right out of the box. There is plenty to look at along the trail: jagged ominous rock cliffs, dramatic views of forest, the surrounding lofty ridge line provides a striking backdrop, there is a cave to wonder about, left over ice which was surprising to me at this time of year, and the sound of rushing water in the distance as it makes it’s way down the canyon, and on the rather sparse summit were gnarled trees standing in defiance against the rugged climate.

Griffith Peak is about an hour from Las Vegas, but there is a world of difference as far as climate and ecosystem. It is about as different as an island is in the ocean. Think of it as an island smack dab in the middle of the desert, it can be referred to as a “Sky Island”. Griffith Peak is near Mount Charleston, which is the mountain that you see from Las Vegas with the snow on it most of the year. This diversity is one thing that makes the Las Vegas Area such a great place for outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking and backcountry camping. Much of the year you have great outdoor activities at Red Rock, Lake Meade, Valley of Fire and other fantastic spots and when the weather turns to scorching then head for the mountains of the Mount Charleston area.

The day before my Peak Bagging Buddy, Keith Christensen, and I climbed Arrow Canyon Range High Point. This was day two of a three day Peak Bagging Adventure, and it was a very different type of hike. This one was much higher, with more distance, and at the top- down right chilly especially compared with the desert down below, which was pretty warm even in mid November. I will say that this hike had nice trails with switch backs, and beautiful scenery. It was not the trail blazing with loose rock underfoot like we experienced the day before, so it didn’t seem as difficult in comparison. However, there was no getting around that it was a long ways and a lot of altitude. The time went quickly as we talked a mile a minute all the way up and all the way down. Well, except when my mountaineer friend, fearless as he is, would stand right on an exposed cliff with a long drop and gaze out over the landscape with his toes practically hanging over the edge. “I am not going to have a conversation with you until you step back from the ledge.”

One rather peculiar thing I will mention was although I could certainly feel the altitude it did not bother me as much as when I climbed Mount San Jacinto. When we spoke about this on the summit Keith surprised me by enlightening me that Griffith Peak, the third highest peak in Southern Nevada, is a little higher, (and thus became the highest peak I have climbed). I am not sure why I did not feel the altitude as much. Could it be because we had summited another peak the day before and thus I was becoming climatized or maybe it was just the good company and the constant jabbering had taken my mind off of any struggle?

Looking at North Ridge, Mummy Mt and Mummy’s Toe

I imagine this is left over from the glory days of mining.

On the way down, the spec down there is my Peak Bagging Partner. Guess I better stop taking pictures and get a move on.

“There is something almost primal about standing atop a tall mountain, as if you have satisfied some deep and ancient part of human nature which drives us to explore our world and to reach new heights.” -Wash

Another day, another peak, you just gotta luv it! Thanks for joining my Peak Bagging Buddy Keith Christensen and I as we were “Pursuing Balance Through Adventure“ on Griffith Peak. We have yet another peak to take on- all part of our Peak Bagging 3 Day Adventure as we restore some balance in our lives, just what PBTA is all about. Don’t miss the next exciting episode, and you won’t if you just FOLLOW, LIKE, COMMENT, and SHARE. Got Gear? See SHOP APPAREL . Want other places to explore? See the menu above for the many locations PBTA travels to, each is a separate site and thus needs to be followed independently. If these past couple posts have PEAKED your interested checkout the link in the menu above for my PEAK BAGGING accomplishments, and if you really want to be impressed than look on that site for my “Buddies” and click on Keith Christensen.

Happy Trails,

Roger Jenkins, Pursuing Balance Through Adventure

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Echo Trail

May 26, 2019 Roger Jenkins Leave a comment

Spring Mountains Recreation Area Mount Charleston Wilderness (Near Las Vegas)

Activity: Day Hike

Date: May 13, 2019

Distance: 3 Miles, 500′ elevation change, 2 hour duration, rated Easy.

I cannot really recommend this trail, as in my opinion it needs a trail crew and the Park Service to work on it. It is a nice area and it is fun to be out in nature here, but apparently the trail has changed. At least this map is not correct. If you follow attached map it starts out a nice, big, easy trail, then it appears that it used to go straight, but now has a log across it. So I followed the trail fork to the right, as it shows on the map, which looks like it dead ends. From there the map shows going on up a small trail that is overgrown and is at times nonexistent. It becomes a very steep mountainside, certainly not easy, that should have switchbacks, again making me think this is not really a hiking trail just that someone had gone this way before.

After I started heading down, I saw on the map I was following, someone started on a trail and then turn around. I followed it beyond that point. It led to a sign that mentioned Echo Trail and it seemed to be different altogether, but still a little strange. So as I said, something is off here and needs some work.

I followed part of the Little Falls Trail and that led uphill to a snowy slope and stream. You have to be careful as the slippery, snowy slope is slanted steeply towards the icy stream, and if that wasn’t enough, the ground must be warmer than the snow above, because there were places that you could break through the snow and there is a gap between the snow and the ground.

As I was painstakingly testing the snow, and making a stable foothold, I spied an Asian man and his 10 year old son. They were on the other side of the stream. The man grabbed his son, threw him over his shoulder and started walking through the ice water. He scampered up the bank and requested, in his best English, for me to please assist him. He relayed his son to me over a treacherous spot so that the son would not slide into the stream, nor fall in the snow hole. Afterwards, they both thanked me profusely.

I tried to inquire if the one foot water drops we were looking at was the waterfall or if there was something spectacular around the corner. Because of the language barrier I was unable to ascertain that information, and I wasn’t sure if he knew anyway. Later I discovered, from a person familiar with the area, if I had only walked in the icy stream for a couple hundred yards or so around a bend or two I would have found a nice proper waterfall.