I hope everyone can see the photo slideshow displayed above. These pics are from my latest sojourn out to the desert city of Las Vegas. While most go to Las Vegas for inside a building activities, I go for the incredible scenery outside the Strip and city! My favorite place to get away from it all is the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which is surprisingly less than 20 miles from the city. Since I was on a solo trip, I could do whatever activity I wanted (my usual travel companions are not interested in hiking for hours in the desert and rock), and getting on the trails at Red Rock was my main agenda this trip!
This was my first time really spending time exploring the trails. There are many miles of trails out there, a lot to choose from. I decided to hike on as easy access trail as I could, which turned out to be the Rocky Gap trail. This trail is well seen and is actually wide enough to drive a 4x4 vehicle through. The trailhead starts at the Willow Springs campsite, which is about a mile from mile marker seven on the Scenic Drive road. It's very easy to drive to and lots of space to park your car, esp. since I was there before 9 AM.
The trail is fairly rocky, but not too difficult to walk on. The trail does go uphill quite a bit and is not marked other than a trail head marker back at the campsite. But I didn't really care, I've had some experience being out on trail for a few years so I knew how to stay smart and safe (rattlesnakes and poisonous lizards do live out there as well!). To make a long hike story short, I wound up covering about a six mile round trip hike. And I loved every step!
When I'm out there what I love is that it is so quiet. Quiet, real quiet, nothing but nature sounds and a dry cool breeze keeping you company. I understand that some people would be scared by this isolation, but I'm not and I really don't feel isolated at all. For me there's nothing that refreshes me mentally and spiritually like a walk in the desert like this. I feel like my burdens are freed into the canyon winds and I come back to my real life with a clean slate, ready to keep pressing on with whatever I'm supposed to be doing in life!
Plus, getting in better shape by slow hiking is a nice benefit too!
When will I get back out to the desert? It will be a few months I'm afraid. Like everyone in today's economy I've had to cut back on just about everything. But I know that the desert trails will still be there for me when I'm able to come.
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