Hayford Peak

The plan the entire trip was to hike to the top of Mt. Charleston just outside of Las Vegas. When the weather took a turn for the worst, it dumped a pile of snow on Mt. Charleston.

With the hike being close to 20 miles anyway, Dad and I decided to come up with another option. On Dad's list of peaks with prominence was Hayford Peak also just outside of Las Vegas. It was a little smaller being just under 10000 feet in elevation. We were hoping that the snow would not be a problem with the peak being lower. To get there, though, we had to take a long drive out through the desert. There were many, many miles of washboarded dirt roads before finally getting to the trailhead. We started the slow uphill hike up a canyon. It was rather wide with a trail that was leading us up to an old cabin. We had it to mostly to ourselves as we were out in such an obscure spot heading to a mountain that I would not have even known existed if it wasn't for Dad's list of prominent peaks. In face, I guess it is the 42nd most prominent peak in the lower 48. We were supposed to gain 4100 feet to get to the top, but it seemed like we were just slowly climbing, though a desert canyon can easily make you feel that way. The one group of people we did see talked of the trees that were up near the cabin and soon we were in those trees.

They were nice trees, but nothing irregular, just big pondos. Soon after a couple of miles, we were at the cabin. It was recently restored making it a very nice looking cabin for the location that it was in. From there, we lost the trail and lost our gradual climb. Luckily, though, we were able to lose most of the gear from our overnight packs as we were planning to stay out near the cabin. Our number one goal was to get high and find a ridge that would get us there. We could see a high mountain above us and were heading toward that.

Eventually, though, as we got higher, we realized that the one we were going to was a higher, though flatter one to the north of us. It seemed easy enough to take our ridge to another ridge that would lead us to the top. The climbing was easy with a lot of vertical, but nothing that would make someone nervous. In fact, I don't think Dad dropped the hiking pole the entire time. We were moving pretty good and making good time. Dad, especially considering that he is 61 and had already climbed two good sized peaks that week.

As we got to the final ridge, we got into a bit of snow, but it did not slow us down. With a final push, we reached the summit at a bit after 3:30pm. It was an anti-climatic summit with a view down into Vegas and the many miles of desert that surrounded it. There was a huge radio tower on top. There were also some crazy ice crusted trees that showed just where the freezing line was. We were glad we did not attempt Charleston as above 10000 would have been a lot more difficult.

I enjoyed the register as there were not very many entries but they went back to the 1960s even including the people who installed the giant radio tower. We spent a bit of time on top, but decided to head down after awhile. We disagreed about which ridge to take, but they shot us out where we needed to be eventually. When we got to the cabin, there was a big group of boy scouts setting up. We quickly decided to let them have the cabin. We went down the trail and there was another group setting up. We let them have that area as we were just hoping for some sleep. There were some people heading up also and when we finally found a place to camp, there was even another group going up. I had no idea that this cabin was so exciting, but it was going to be a happening place. Our small group, though, had to quickly make dinner, get camp set up and make it to bed after dark. In the morning, we were up early and were hiking down canyon in the chilly morning. We got back to the car in good time, but the slow drive on the road seemed to take forever. I was glad we were able to make it to the top of such a prominent peak and it was a good end to a full week off of work.

First Creek

We had been debating about what to do on this day because the weather looked so bad. If we had not been on vacation, we probably would have stayed in and watched movies. But since we were on vacation, we had to get in and do something. Waking up in Primm, NV does not lead one to many outdoor choices. We thought about the Mojave Preserve, but even the campgrounds there were at too high of elevation and would leave us with a chilly night. So instead we headed over to Las Vegas. We figured a good, easy place to hike for the day would be Red Rocks. We got to the trailhead a little before 11am. Zyla was so happy to get outside. In the hotel room in Primm, she had been going to the window and saying “side”. This trip had definitely been successful because she was truly enjoying going outside. The trailhead we went to was First Creek. It was a good choice because we did not have to go into Red Rocks and pay an entry fee. It was also good because we were still south of the storm. When we looked to the north, the storm was just sitting there looking dark and ominous. But right in front of us was just red rocks and blue sky. We still hiked cautiously staying aware of the dark sky that was not too far away. Zyla was not particularly thrilled to be in the backpack on this day. It was just too many days in a row for her to be super thrilled about it. The hike was rather short taking us through open country until we eventually came to First Creek. We followed that until it took us into the cliffs. The trail ran out after a mile and a half. We could have bushwhacked, but were not feeling it. A three mile roundtrip hike got us back to the car with plenty of time still left in our day. We thought about how we wanted to best use our day and hiking was just not a large priority. Jacqueline mentioned the aquarium at Mandalay Bay and it was decided upon. I was surprised just how into it Zyla was. She loved all the fish and animals. She ran back and forth inside the glass room. It was expensive, but worth it though Zyla will never have actual memories of it. Mandalay Bay was in a good location also because it was just on the edge of the strip. We were able to leave easily and go to our actual destination on this night, camping at Lake Mead. We asked the lady at the entrance gate which campsite would be the quietest. She recommended Las Vegas Bay. There used to be a marina there, but with the Lake going down, it now is closed. WIthout being able to launch their power boat, people stayed away. That was lucky for us because there were abundant campsites just minutes from the big city. Zyla was stoked to be free to run around for a while. There was just so much fun stuff to do while camping. Our site was huge and it allowed her to run all around picking up rocks and when she got tired, chilling out in her chair. This was definitely a good spot as we were able to spread out and get ourselves organized for the evening. We got the tent put up, ate some dinner, and then got Zyla ready for bed. Jacqueline was worried about the weather conditions, but I assured her the tent would warm up. We enjoyed a sunset on the lake with a great view from our campsite. Zyla would be sleeping in the Pea Pod for the first time tonight, or as I liked to call it, her baby bivy. She did great just as long as Jacqueline and I stayed quiet. It meant for an early bedtime for the two of us, but that was not such a bad thing. The temperature turned out to be pretty comfy with the three of us in there. The morning we awoke to was chilly, though. Luckily, we had bought Zyla a down suit to run around in. She was warm and comfortable in that. This day we were up for some easier hiking around Lake Mead. One left from the campground to go to the top of a little bluff. It was a short, easy hike but still long enough for Zyla to fall asleep. It made us appreciate protection of wilderness as the views were that of the lake and the resort that was right outside the park. We were able to get some good views of the lake and saw an egret, but it was hard to truly appreciate this when you are so close to civilization. We finished that one and went on another hike that lead us down to Las Vegas Creek. This creek was probably the reason that Las Vegas was on the map, yet now it was so polluted that there were warning signs all around that warned us not to go into the water. Such a shame as it was a rather large creek. After this we decided to bail on the hiking as it was not impressing us too much. We went and had lunch by the lake. Zyla really enjoyed this as she once again got to run around and play. She even got in the water and was really excited by it instead of being afraid of the cold. The lake was actually pretty warm from the heat of the summer. We thought that this would be enough for the day. After today, the family would be leaving and I was to meet up again with my dad to climb Mt. Charleston. From the way that the snow looked on Charleston, we wondered if that was going to happen. But at least the weather was good, so we could at least do something. The three of us left to find the hotel, which was no easy task.

Second Options

Having checked the weather in Panamint Springs the night before, we were disappointed to find out that the Sierras were expected to get a couple of feet of snow. Considering our reservation at the campground in Yosemite Valley, this put a hitch in our plans. We immediately bailed on the idea of going to Yosemite and instead had to come up with other options. We stayed in Stovepipe Wells, but because of the heat had avoided the Mosaic Canyon hike. Now the temperature was down to a more comfortable level, so it was now time to check it out. We did the drive and the trailhead was rather full. We talked to some people who had an Xterra just like us. The whole canyon would prove to be a rather friendly experience as we ended up having conversations with many different groups, mainly couples. The hike started as every other hike in Death Valley, going up a canyon that was fairly open. It quickly changed into a slot canyonesque experience where we were climbing over some semi slickrock in a sort of narrow canyon. It was definitely pretty with the variation in rock types that helps make Death Valley so diverse geologically. This slotty section only lasted for the first mile. After this, it opened up to a big giant open drainage again. We decided it might be a good idea to let little Z run around for a while. She was starting to get tired of being in the backpack. I did not blame her because it had been nearly every day. Her little chin showed the sign of it as rubbing against the backpack had created a slight rash on her chin. She was not quite ready to get out and walk with us yet, though, so we just gave her extended time playing with the rocks. I am glad that we have a child that is so easily entertained because she could have played with rocks, dirt, and sticks for hours. We gave her quite a bit of time and then continued on our way up canyon. Neither of us were feeling incredibly ambitious on this day, so after about another mile we turned around. Supposedly this one went for a long time, but the most interesting part was in the first couple miles. We talked to some people coming down and their stories from above were noted  very convincing, so we decided to head back down canyon and give Zyla’s chin a break. Our next stop was not very far away, though. On the other side of Stovepipe Wells are the massive sand dunes. Having been there before, I wanted to take Zyla and Jacqueline to check them out. Besides, for a kid that can like dirt as much as mine, she was sure to appreciate the sand. I was right because she was totally into the sand. I was surprised at the numbers of people wandering around on the sand. I guess on an overcast day with high winds expected, this was the thing to do. The three of us walked out onto the dunes together, but I left Jacqueline and Zyla to play in the sand while I wandered toward the main dune trying to get a picture with no other tourists in the shot. It was a tough shot to get, but eventually they all got out of the way and I got a picture. There is just something so cool about sand dunes. We got our fill of sand time and had a little lunch. Then it was back in the car to head down south. The winds were just whipping away as we got to Furnace Creek. Our only stop this time was to get out at Zabriskie Point to get hammered by the wind. I was not sure when we would get back, so I wanted Jacqueline to see this sight. We each went separately to the point and got slammed by the wind while Zyla slept comfortably in the car. This day would end with a long drive to Primm, Nevada where we would reload and try to figure out what to do in rain and the wind.