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Tag Archives: Nevada

ELEPHANT ROCK – VALLEY OF FIRE, NEVADA

04 Friday Mar 2016

Posted by Alex G in Easy Hikes, Outdoors

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Tags

desert, elephant rock, Hiking, mojave, nature, Nevada, rock formations, state park, valley of Fire

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Elephant Rock is probably one of the most awesome rock formations I’ve seen. It’s definitely one of the best in this park! Arches are cool..   but come on, it’s an Elephant! 

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The trail is right off Valley of Fire Highway near the junction with Highway 169

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The hike is family friendly and the trail is easy to follow. It’s only about .2 miles to elephant rock.

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CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS OF VALLEY OF FIRE

● Difficulty – Easy
● Seasons – Spring, Winter, Fall
● Distance – .2 miles each way
● Fees – Park entry $10

36.430062 -114.513774

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MT. CHARLESTON PEAK – NEVADA

22 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by Alex G in Distance hikes, Outdoors, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Hiking, mt. Charleston, nature, Nevada, north loop trail, outdoors, peaks, spring mountains, trail canyon

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Mt. Charleston Peak  was a pretty awesome hike! At 11,918 ft it is the tallest mountain in Southern Nevada. The views from the top are some of the best! Vegas amd Death Valley are visible from the peak. It is said that on a clear day the Sierra Nevada are visible from the peak.

It had been on my list for a few years and on Labor Day I finally checked it of my list ✔

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Had the pleasure of bagging this peak with my good friend and fellow hiker Neal. He’s the one who got me into bagging peaks so it was only fitting hat he joined me on this trek.

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We started close to 8 am and took the Trail Canyon Trail up to the North Loop Trail to the peak.

  The hike itself is one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve done. The landscape is painted with Quaking Aspen and towering pines peirce the sky. In the upper reaches of the Limestone cliffs Bristlcone Pines dominate the mountain.

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● 17 miles out and back
● 8 -10 hours
● Difficulty – Very Strenuous
● Elevation Gain – 4,500 ft

Click for Google Maps link to trailhead

Link to full photo album

36.272185 -115.695019

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BRISTLECONE TRAIL – MT CHARLESTON

28 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by Alex G in Moderate Hikes, Outdoors

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Tags

bristlecone trail., Hiking, Lee canyon, mountains, mt. Charleston, Nevada, outdoors

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The Sisters and Lee Canyon

The Bristlecone Trail is located at the end of Lee Canyon in the Mt Charleston area of the Spring Mountains in Southern Nevada. The trail is around 5 miles long and can be done as a loop (with less than mile section of road.) Making it closer to 6 miles.

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  There are 2 trailheads Upper Bristlecone and Lower Bristlecone. The lower trail takes you up an old road and is pretty much exposed for 3 miles until you get to the Bonanza Trail Junction.  Continue on the Bristlecone trail for the remaining 2 mile hike downhill to the Upper Bristlecone Trailhead.

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Quaking Aspen

The hike can be done in any direction.  If you are starting early I would suggest doing it from the lower section first to get the exposed part out of the way.

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Upper Bristlecone Trailhead

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Quaking Aspen

Bristlecone pines, Ponderosa pines and Quaking Aspen can be found along the trail.

Click for Google maps to trailhead

Follow me on Instagram for more outdoor photos and trail info.

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TO THE TOP OF VERNAL AND NEVADA FALLS

13 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by Alex G in Distance hikes, Outdoors, Strenuous Hikes, Waterfalls

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Tags

falls, Hiking, JMT, John Muir trail, mist trail, nature, Nevada, outdoors, sierra, trail, trek, vernal, waterfall, Yosemite

VERNAL AND NEVADA FALLS

During my last trip to Yosemite my buddy Hugo and brother Fidel decided to check out these two waterfalls.. Seeing as they were the only two left that still had flowing water we decided to tackle both of them in one hike.

The first of these two waterfalls is Vernal Falls which is 317 ft and is the smaller of the two. The waterfall first comes to view just .8 miles into the hike. Here on the Vernal Fall Bridge you will get your first glimpse of  one of Yosemite’s many beauty’s!

Vernal Falls Bridge

The next .7 miles are far from easy! The Mist Trail consists of hard granite steps that seem to get higher and endless with every step! The beginner or average hiker might find this section a bit difficult.

Mist Trail leading to the top of Vernal Falls

Getting to the top of Vernal Fall is a nice hike all in its own . One could turn back once at the top and have a very rewarding 3 mile hike checked off their list, orrrr………..

Top of Vernal Falls

You could continue up the Mist Trail as we did  for 1.9 miles to the Larger and more impressive Nevada Fall. At 594 ft this magnificent waterfall almost doubles the height of Vernal fall. Along the way we stopped to check out Emerald pool. Considering it was late August and the weak winter there was still a substantial amount of water.

Emerald Pool

After our quick detour we picked up the trail again and continued on. Views are Nevada Falls begin to appear giving you that extra motivation just in case thoughts of quitting are crossing your mind. Just remember, start early, take your time and drink lots of water… 3 keys to finishing any hike!

First glimpse of Nevada Falls

The image above is all I need to keep me going. When it comes to exploring I am a very driven individual. I never doubted myself not even once.. I wasn’t going to let a few measly granite steps keep me from accomplishing this goal.

Finally! We reached the top! We went over to the top of the falls overlook and took in the gorgeous scenery that is the Sierra Nevadas. Looking down on the 600ft beast was a very humbling experience..

Looking down Nevada Falls

Getting here was not easy but the payoff was about to come in the form of the JMT! (John Muir Trail)

We had two options for our return trip, A) go back the way we came orrrrrr B.) venture off onto the JMT and doing a lollipop loop back to Vernal Fall Bridge.. Yeah we went with option B.) lollipopping it adds about an extra mile but it is well worth it!

Entering the JMT

Anytime you have the opportunity to loop a hike I go for it! Every step and turn offers something new. Its like 2 hikes in one. The JMT section descends down the opposite side of the canyon than the way you came up. The scenery and views are totally different. This section of the JMT is well shaded and gradually switchbacks it’s way down to the start of the mist trail. (A lot better than returning via the Mist Trail).

Nevada Falls can be seen from this side with great clarity. No obstructions what so ever!

Nevada Falls from the JMT

All in all we did about 8 miles round-trip. Explored new trails, saw 2 amazing waterfalls hiked on the JMT and still made it back to camp in time for lunch! This, like most hikes, was an amazing experience! Its definitely a must do for any hiker visiting Yosemite.

Happy Trails,

Alex G

To get to the trail-head one can take the Yosemite Valley Shuttle to the Happy Isle shuttle stop or you can drive to the parking lot just before the shuttle stop. The parking lot does fill up so arrive early.

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  • 317 ft Vernal Falls
  • 594 ft Nevada Falls
  • 8 miles lollipop loop (via Mist trail and JMT)
  • 6.8 out and back( Nevada Falls)
  • 3 miles out and back (Vernal Falls)
  • 1.6 miles out and back (Vernal Fall Bridge)
  • 1,000 ft elev gain to Vernal Fall
  • 2,000 ft gain to Nevada Fall
  • hiking poles recommended

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BLACK MOUNTAIN -HENDERSON,NV

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by Alex G in Moderate Hikes, Outdoors, Peaks, Strenuous Hikes

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Black, Henderson, Hiking, Las Vegas, mountain, Nevada, outdoors, peak

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Trailhead

Black Mountain is located just 30 minutes from the Las Vegas strip and at just under 7 miles this hike offers a great workout that can be completed in just a few hours, leaving you plenty of time left to enjoy the nightlife of Vegas.

This is a beautiful place to hike. The landscape is like nothing I’ve seen before. The mountain itself is volcanic in origin and that is evident as soon as you step foot on the trail.

The trail has a variety of desert plant life such as Joshua Trees, cactus and  Creosote bush.

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The hike itself is rather easy except for the last half mile or so. For the most part the ascend is gradual all the way up to black hill, it is from here that you will see the ridgeline before you and then the final push begins.

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The Ridge line to the Peak!

This part of the trail has the potential to be pretty dangerous as the ridge line is very rocky and steep at some points. I had my trekking poles which I recommend for this hike.

Once you reach the peak you will hopefully see an American flag flapping in the wind, (it wasn’t there on this hike) and a military ammo case filled with notepads and geocache like items.. I signed it as did many other hikers before me

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Looking East from the Peak

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Looking North West from the peak

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Mt Charleston in the distance

The views from the top of the 5,092 ft peak are amazing. Red Rock Canyon, Mt Charleston and Lake Mead are visible from here. The 360 views from here are breathtaking!

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Black Mountain Peak 5,092ft
Las Vegas Valley, The strip is in the upper right hand side

Click here for directions

• 7 miles roundtrip
• 5,092 ft peak
• Trekking poles recommended
• 2,100 foot elevation gain

Happy Trails,
Alex G.

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MARY JANE FALLS

26 Friday Aug 2011

Posted by Alex G in Cave, Outdoors, Strenuous Hikes, Waterfalls

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

cave, forest, Hiking, Las Vegas, mt. Charleston, Nevada, spring mountains, waterfall

Mary Jane Falls… WOW!
This is probably the best hike I’ve been on so far for one reason and one reason only, the location!

Located 40 minutes north of the Las Vegas Strip there is a hidden paradise. A place that is overshadowed by the towering hotels and casinos. This amazing oasis is located in the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada.

This isolated adventure begins way before you reach the Mary Jane Falls Trailhead. As you leave the city in your rear view you will soon be driving down a one lane highway with amazing rockscape on either side. The scenery changes drastically in a matter of seconds. You will find yourself driving along a pine and campground filled highway (reminded me of the San Bernardino national Forest)

Now this is where the fun begins. Once you have parked you will notice the trailhead sign and the trail directly behind it. The first 1/3 mile is at a slight incline along a rocky trail. you will soon reach a sign that reads “trail” at the base of the switchbacks. (At this point I took some time to let my lungs adjust to the elevation before continuing) on the trail up the switchbacks you will see towering Ponderosa Pines, White fur and Aspen trees in the canyon below.

As you reach the top of the switchbacks you have an amazing view of Kyle Canyon and the canyon walls and you suddenly realize that you are 9,000+ ft above sea level. Such and amazing feeling.

When you reach the falls you will be in awe at the height of these natural wonders. The view is amazing! There are 2 caves, 3 waterfalls and a view of Big Falls, which is across the canyon.

I can’t wait till my next trip to Vegas. This is a must do hike. It is great for kids, dogs and adults.

The best part of this hike is that the temperature is 20-25 degrees cooler than in the LV valley. Excellent for hiking in the summer.

Happy Trails,
Alex G

•Waterfall
•1000 ft elevation gain
•Cave
•3 miles round trip
•free parking

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