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.