LOST VEGAS : HIKERS CAN FIND SUBLIME ESCAPES FROM SIN CITY.Byline: Matt Purdue Special to the Daily News As I stood on a twisting mountain trail watching a four-point buck step silently through a grove of ponderosa pines, I couldn't help thinking how lucky I was. Indeed, I had been to Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. before, but this was the first time I'd hit the jackpot. Sin City. Lost Wages. The giant shrimp-cocktail center of the universe. Where else but Las Vegas can you pay homage to Liberace's mink coat mink coat highly prized fur apparel; traditionally associated with wealthy ladies. [Western Culture: Misc.] See : Luxury , get married by an Elvis impersonator An Elvis impersonator is someone who impersonates or copies famed American musician Elvis Presley, either as a hobby, a career in entertainment or occasionally for fun. Elvis impersonators can range in ethnic background, size and talent. and blow your paycheck at a craps craps: see dice. craps Gambling game in which each player in turn throws two dice, attempting to roll a winning combination. The term derives from a Louisiana French word, crabs, which means “losing throw. table, all before breakfast? But there is more - much, much more - to the Las Vegas area than slot machines and all-you-can-eat buffets, especially for anyone who loves the outdoors. Within an hour's drive of the Strip are places of pristine beauty and majestic scenery, where nature is the pit boss and mule deer mule deer Large-eared deer (Odocoileus hemionus) of western North America that lives alone or in small groups at high altitudes in summer and lower altitudes in winter. Mule deer stand 3–3. roam without a keno game in sight. I met Rich Daughtery on the North Loop Trail near Mount Charleston Mount Charleston is the highest mountain of the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada, approximately 35 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It is Nevada's eighth highest mountain peak[2] , 45 minutes and a world away from the city. Two years ago, he dreaded having to move to Las Vegas when his company relocated to Nevada. ``I was rooting for Reno, to be closer to the Sierras for backpacking,'' said Daughtery, standing on a gorgeous Alpine plateau at 9,000 feet elevation. ``I never expected to find anything like this out here.'' Not many people do, said Mike Moran Mike Moran is the name of:
``When we moved out here, my wife thought we were going to live under a casino with the neon lights flashing,'' Moran reflected, gazing out at towering limestone peaks. ``This is as much a part of Las Vegas as the Strip, but it's a different experience than the usual entertainment.'' So when you're tired of sitting in a smoke-filled casino or you're tapped out and it's only Friday night, explore some of these day-hiking escapes. They're the safest bets in town. RED ROCK NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA As its name implies, the Red Rock area, an 83,100-acre Bureau of Land Management preserve with a base elevation of 3,720 feet, is punctuated by crimson sandstone that 180 million years ago was part of a sand-dune field stretching all the way to Colorado. With more than 30 miles of hiking trails, visitors are invited to come face-to-face with this rough-hewn region and its wildlife. Desert bighorn sheep desert bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis cremnobates. See bighorn sheep. can be found during cooler months sipping from both natural and man-made water tanks in the canyons. Wild burros, descendants of working animals imported by Spanish and Italian settlers, also roam the area. Getting there: From the Strip, drive north on Interstate 15, exit on Charleston Boulevard and head west. Travel about 13 miles (Charleston turns into Highway 159) to the 13-mile, one-way Red Rock Scenic Loop and turn right. Pine Creek Pine Creek may refer to:
It's easy to spot Pine Creek from the elevated roadway because of the striking presence of tall trees For the Hotel in Teesside see Hotel tall trees Tall Trees is a nightclub located on Tolcarne Road in Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The club has been voted as number 1 club in the south west for the last two years running by the Ministry of Sound magazine along the valley floor. These are ponderosa pines, which thrive in the area because of the relatively wet and cool environment. The trail heads west toward Juniper Peak and Bridge Mountain, which resemble hand-painted pyramids with their gray limestone tops resting on red sandstone (Geol.) See under Sandstone. a name given to two extensive series of British rocks in which red sandstones predominate, one below, and the other above, the coal measures. bases. Along the trail, you can explore the foundation of a house, all that remains of Horace Wilson's 1920s homestead. Above the site the trail branches. The left option is the better path. As you keep an eye out for deer and ponder the ponderosas, think of the American Indians American Indians: see Americas, antiquity and prehistory of the; Natives, Middle American; Natives, North American; Natives, South American. who frequented this canyon as recent as 170 years ago, gathering their fill of pine nuts that now sell for $8 a pound at designer supermarkets. More information: BLM BLM n abbr (US) (= Bureau of Land Management) → les domaines , (702) 363-1921. MOUNT CHARLESTON Located in the heart of the 316,000-acre Spring Mountains National Recreation Area The Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA) is a U.S. National Recreation Area, administered by the U.S. Forest Service, and lies west of Las Vegas, Nevada. It covers over 316,000 acres (1,279 km²) of land. , 11,918-foot Charleston Peak Charleston Peak A mountain, 3,635.3 m (11,919 ft) high, of southeast Nevada in the Spring Mountains west of Las Vegas. (the region is called Mount Charleston; the summit is Charleston Peak) is an ecological island An Ecological Island is not necessarily an island surrounded by water, but is an area of land, isolated by natural or artificial means from the surrounding land, where:
Getting there: From the Strip, take I-15 north to Highway 95 northwest for 10 miles until it ends at Rancho Drive/Tonopah Highway. Turn left, drive another four miles to Highway 157 and turn left. From there, it's 19 miles to the Kyle Canyon Ranger Station. North Loop Trail to Mummy Springs: From the ranger station, backtrack two miles to Highway 158. Turn left and drive about 4-1/2 miles to the small parking lot on the left marked North Loop Trail. This strenuous hike on sometimes rocky trail covers six miles round-trip. It begins at 8,300 feet and climbs quickly through a forest of juniper, mountain mahogany and ponderosa pine. In a mile and a half, the trail reaches a plateau occupied by a curious-looking lot of trees, the bristlecone pines. Twisted into strange, gnarled gnarled adj. 1. Having gnarls; knotty or misshapen: gnarled branches. 2. Morose or peevish; crabbed. 3. shapes, these high-altitude denizens are among the oldest living things on the planet. Take a quick rest to admire the inspiring views of the Las Vegas Valley to the east. Continue climbing toward the limestone face of Mummy Mountain for another mile and a half until you reach the turnoff to Mummy Springs, marked by a huge bristlecone pine estimated to be 3,000 years old. It's another one-third mile to the spring. More information: Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, (702) 873-8800. VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada's oldest State Park. It covers an area of 34,880 acres (141 km²) and was dedicated in 1935. Valley of Fire is located 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas at an elevation of between 2,000 and 2,600 feet (610 and 790 m). If you just can't make it to Mars this fall, Valley of Fire State Park is the perfect substitute. The wildly shaped sandstone cliffs, canyons and outcrops are colored in other-worldly hues ranging from flaming orange to deep crimson. The sandstone formations were first visited by the ancient Basketmaker people in 300 B.C and later Anasazi Pueblo farmers, who left mysterious petroglyphs on the canyon walls. Getting there: Take I-15 north about 55 miles to Highway 169 and turn right. It's 14 miles east to the Valley of Fire. White Domes Trail: From the park entrance, drive .2 miles and turn left, following the signs for about a mile to the Mouse's Tank parking area. Continue on a half-mile north to the trailhead at the end of the road. This mildly strenuous hike follows a flat, well-maintained trail on a seven-mile round-trip. A few hundred yards from the trailhead, take the White Domes Trail that branches to the left. It actually follows an old road that was once a scenic drive. Along the way, revel in the panoramic view of the 10,000-foot Sheep Range under forever-blue skies. After about three miles of hiking, the trail ends in the White Domes area. These outcrops are also sandstone, but the iron oxide The material used to coat the surfaces of magnetic tapes and lower-capacity disks. that sets the rest of Valley of Fire ablaze with color has been leached out of the White Domes by water. Information: Nevada Division of State Parks, (702) 486-5126. IF YOU'RE GOING... Hiking around Las Vegas is bound to lead you through some remote areas, so be sure to take precautions: Drive on a full tank of gas. Bring reliable road and trail maps. Pack along ``the 10 essentials'' - extra food and water, warm clothes, a flashlight, pocket knife, map and compass, lighter, whistle and first-aid kit. Also be sure to take sunscreen sunscreen /sun·screen/ (-skren) a substance applied to the skin to protect it from the effects of the sun's rays. sun·screen n. , sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat and sturdy hiking shoes. Tell someone where you are going and when you will return. Be prepared for extreme and potentially dangerous weather conditions. Temperatures on the desert floor can soar above 120 degrees even in late summer, and torrential rains and flash floods are common. If you're caught in a rain storm, get out of low-lying areas immediately. Never attempt to drive through a flooded area. In the mountains, temperatures regularly drop below freezing at night. Check weather reports before heading to Mount Charleston. Thunder storms can form in a matter of minutes A Matter of Minutes is an episode from the television series The New Twilight Zone. Cast
CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, Box, Map, Photo Illustration Photo Illustration: No Caption (Mountain scenery) Photo Illustration by Jon Gerung / Daily News Photo: (1--color) Calico Basin, top, and Calico Hills, in the Red Rock National Conservation Area near Las Vegas, offer something most visitors to Sin City don't expect: pristine beauty and majestic scenery. Photo: (2--color) The wildly shaped sandstone cliffs and outcrops of Valley of Fire State Park seem other-worldly. Matt Purdue / Special to the Daily News Map: HIKING AROUND LAS VEGAS Box: IF YOU'RE GOING THERE (see text) |
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