Hiking Las Vegas

52 Peak Club and Follow Us on Facebook

2012-01-13T04:42:00.000-08:00

If you are a hiker living in Las Vegas, you should join the 52 Peak Club. What is the 52 Peak Club? The 52 Peak Club is a unique club that motivates you to improve your fitness level and become healthier by getting outdoors and hiking the best 52 Peaks around Las Vegas. Each time you stand at a peak with Hiking Las Vegas/ Meetup.com you get a one-of-a-kind playing card. These cards are not

Hidden Peak Hike Re-Routed

2011-11-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

Hidden Peak stands deep within Black Velvet Canyon, which is in South Red Rock Canyon. This is a seldom hiked peak due to the popularity of Black Velvet Peak. The first part of the route travels through Black Velvet Canyon, one of the best canyons in all of Red Rock. About halfway through the canyon the route heads north into a large gully. This gully is solid with little chance for rockfall. As

Anniversary Narrows Closed

2011-11-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

The hike to the incredible Anniversary Narrows is closed, sort of. Actually what is closed is part of Lovell Wash that leads to the start of Anniversary Narrows. This is by the mines. Apparently the mines are either being sealed off for lower insurance premiums (reduce risk) or the owner has started mining the mines again. There's a way to still do this hike and not hike by the mines. The photo

Gold Strike Hot Springs Update

2011-11-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

On Saturday (11-12-2011), Kathy and I hiked Gold Strike Hot Springs. A lot has changed since I first did this hike back in the 90's. First and foremost the main hot springs is dry. It was the best hot springs with lots of room for people and very hot water. See the then and now photos. Then Now the best hot springs is small (room for maybe 10 people) and the water is only warm, not hot. This

Route Updates: Indecision Peak

2011-10-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

Indecision Peak is the peak south of Mt. Wilson in Red Rock Canyon and is one of the first routes I found during the mid-nineties. The route was very dangerous due to an unstable gully full of huge boulders, hence the route was not done often. For a longtime I wanted to reroute the lower part of the hike to avoid the boulder field. Last Friday on a whim I did that. The original plan was to hike

Seven Great Hikes from the Sierra Added!

2011-10-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

I just added seven more great hikes from the High Sierra. The Members Only Club of Hiking Las Vegas now features 400 hikes members can download and 45 of those hikes are from the Sierra. Here are the hikes I just added from the Sierra: Mt. Whitney Trail - highest peak in the lower 48 Lookout Peak - one of the best vistas from any summit in the Sierra Crystal Crag - short hike to a stunning peak

Avoiding Vegas Burnout

2011-09-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas is an amazing city for gamblers and non-gamblers alike, but it’s also an easy city to celebrate excessively, with the risk of burning out before your trip is done. This is especially true for poker players who spend over a month in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker each year, as the buzz and joy of being in Las Vegas can quickly wear out after the first few weeks. The good news is

The Secrets to Not Being Sore the Day After a Tough Hike

2011-09-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

Immediately after the hike go to a hot tub or Jacuzzi. This is especially good for the bottom of your feet, and of course, other muscles, mainly your leg muscles. After the Jacuzzi, stretch and I mean for 15 minutes or longer, not some quick two minute routine. Most of the stretches are for legs. The following day get some light exercise. Walking on a treadmill is great and it's easy on your

Hiking In Mammoth, CA

2011-09-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

Kathy and I had a wedding to go to in Lake Tahoe last week, so I took the opportunity to hike in the Sierra. I had never hiked around Mammoth before and thought it would be a fun place to explore. Just trying to find information on hiking Mammoth Mountain was more tiring than doing the hike! As most of you realize the Internet is flooded with poor and just plain incorrect information.

South Loop Trail is Opened

2011-08-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

South Loop Trail, one of the most popular trails in Mt. Charleston, is opened. Cathedral Rock Picnic Area, where the South Loop trailhead is located, is closed for at least a year. How Do I Hike On The South Loop Trail? This is convoluted, but it works. Take the stairs by the bathroom and turn left at the McDonald's. Couldn't resist, but the real route is almost as crazy. Ascend the stairs by

South Loop and Cathedral Rock Trailheads Closed - $275 Fine!

2011-08-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

South Loop Trail and Cathedral Rock Trails in Mt. Charleston are closed. Anyone caught on these trails will face a $275 fine per person. This is in effect immediately. I have no idea and can't find out any information from the US Forestry service how long these trails will be closed. Cathedral Rock Trail Cathedral Rock Trail is also closed just above the steps by the bathrooms. This means

Two Great Hikes for Members of Hiking Las Vegas

2011-08-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

Recently I added one new hike and updated another hike for members of Hiking Las Vegas.com. The new hike I added was: Fletcher Peak via the North Loop Trail. I had completely overlooked that this route was missing from my website. Very Scenic The North Loop trail is very scenic in itself. A little over a mile in you come to a flat plateau where numerous weathered bristlecones stand. This is a

Deals for Hikers

2011-08-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

I am starting a website where hikers can find good deals on hiking gear. Many of the products featured on the website is gear I use. I will try to do video reviews of these products. The first product is Geigerrig packs, which I use every hike. These packs have been rated number one by 3 M Corporation, Backpacker Magazine, Camper Life Magazine, and Adventure Life Magazine. My Review Here's the

Tips for Hiking in Hot Weather

2011-08-04T12:38:00.000-07:00

I get asked all the time: "How do you hike in Las Vegas during the summer? It's so hot!" Many people do not realize that you lose about four degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevation you gain. There's almost a 10,000 foot difference between the elevation of the Las Vegas Strip and the summit of Charleston Peak (11,918 feet). Quick Math If you lose four degrees for every 1,000 feet and

Wild Horses Just 40 Miles From Las Vegas?

2011-07-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

It's 2011, correct? There's no way wild horses still roam the mountains around Nevada, right? Wrong! Cold Creek is just 40 miles from Las Vegas and home to wild horses. I have seen several wild horses over the years when hiking to McFarland Peak and Bonanza Peak. Current Photo This photo was taken today (7-28-2011). That's my buddy Kenny feeding one of the horses an apple. This was not taken in

Great Hike in Mt. Charleston

2011-07-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to drive up to Mt. Charleston, which is only 35 miles west of Las Vegas. Why? It's about 25 to 40 degrees cooler in Mt.Charleston. This is due the the elevation, which is 5,000 to almost 10,000 feet higher than Las Vegas, NV. You lose about four degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Mt. Charleston starts at 7,000 feet and tops out at 11,918 feet. Looking for a Great

GPS: The Holy Grail or A Good Way to Get Lost

2011-07-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

Just get the waypoints, look at another screen, and reach the peak. Forget about comman sense, reading or a sense of adventure, just follow the GPS. Boy if I could only install a video game on the GPS and play it while I hike to the peak. What did I see along the way? My GPS screen. What else would I look at? GPS is Not the Holy Grail Norman Clyde, the man with more first ascents in the Sierra

The New Must Have Hiking Book

2011-07-19T18:37:00.000-07:00

July 2011 This is the book I wanted to write back in 1997, but I couldn't for several reasons: Color Photos were too expensive The publisher wanted to keep the black n white photos small Waypoints were not that accurate I did not have enough Lake Mead hikes to put them in a book Fast forward to 2011. This is a great looking book with hikes for everyone. From great family hikes to hardcore

Cathedral Rock Picnic Area Closed

2011-07-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

In my post yesterday I wrote about the closure of Cathedral Rock Picnic Area. Today, as he promised, recreation officer Dave Reis called me with an update. Although the picnic area is closed, hikers can still walk the road through the picnic area to either Cathedral Rock or South Loop trailheads. Bottom line: the closure only applies to cars and those who wanted to use the picnic area.Hikers can

South Loop and Cathedral Rock Trailheads Closed - read more

2011-07-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

This just in from the US Forestry Service: Hazardous trees throughout the Cathedral Rock Picnic Area have required the U.S. Forest Service to close its most popular picnic area in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. The closure is effective immediately and will continue until further notice. Two Forest Health Specialists from Ogden, UT, visited the Mount Charleston Area this week to

Do You Know the One Thing You Should Never Do When Hiking In a Group?

2011-07-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things you shouldn't do when hiking in a group: pushing people off cliffs is in bad taste:) You would never know I was a writer on Seinfeld back with that lame line! The one thing I am writing about will almost always cause confusion, waste time or lead to someone getting hurt, maybe worse. I am not going to tell you just yet what it is. If you really want to know, sign up

Do You Know the Number One Danger When Hiking in a Group?

2011-07-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

I have led groups on hundreds of hikes over the past 15 years with very few incidents. I always stress safety first. We do some pretty extreme hikes and you would think the number one danger would be someone falling, it isn’t. Watch the video. The video shows how dangerous rock fall can be in the mountains. Imagine if that rock or a larger rock hit you! It would bust a rib, break a leg or, if

Number One in Google

2011-07-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

Hiking Las Vegas has been in the number one spot in Google using the search terms: hiking and Las Vegas for years. Why? There are several reasons, but first let's take a look at what Google does. What Google Does Google wants to return the best pages when a person searches. It's that simple.They are in the search engine business. If you search for: How to replace a hard drive and the first pages

Monsoon Season is Here :(

2011-07-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Monsoon Season has reared it's ugly head early this summer. The Monsoon season are characterized by violent thunderstorms that occur in the mountains. Around Las Vegas we are talking about Mt. Charleston. The season normally does not start until mid to late July, but not this year. On Sunday, July 3rd, we were on Charleston Peak under threatening skies. It only spit rain, but it was getting

4th of July and Fireworks

2011-07-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Fireworks in the Mountains? At first I thought this would be silly to write this. I mean people should know you don't shoot off fireworks in the mountains, especially in the desert. But I have seen some stupid things such as hiking in July with temps exceeding 100 degrees during the hottest part of the day! Well, at least the hike was not in Lake Mead, but it's damn hot in Red Rock in July. To