Vacation Hiking Road Trip: Part 1 of 4
Video: https://youtu.be/iGXDMAxp65Q
After a year of no travel, and with airline travel still a bit risky, I was desperate for a vacation as my birthday approached. Given my love of the outdoors, and so many places accessible via car, we opted for a hiking road trip… YESSSSSSS!
With Las Vegas established as our initial home base, we set off Easter morning for an all-day drive. Arriving at the Paris Hotel, early evening, we were shocked to see how crowded it was. Not sure what I was expecting, after all it was Spring Break, but aside from the masks you would have never known we were in a pandemic. Upside…… Ridiculously cheap rooms.
While Las Vegas is known for its night life, that wasn’t in the cards for us….. This is a HIKING road trip, remember? I’m accustomed to rising early for my hikes, but in this neck of the woods it is almost a necessity to avoid being scorched by the afternoon sun. Rising early Monday morning, we set off for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area….. Not to be confused with Red Rock Canyon State Park. An easy 40ish minute drive from Las Vegas and we were there. With only one day, we had to be selective in the routes we chose and disciplined about time. Not ideal, but I wanted to see as much as I could, and I used All Trails to plan a “wish list”.
For those unfamiliar with this area, it is in the middle of nowhere. As we approached, I admit, I was skeptical wondering how on earth anything of interest could possibly be found here. Turning onto the park’s entrance road, we were immediately met by a fee gate. Having secured our reserved tickets, prior to our arrival, we were through quickly.
Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive is a U shaped 12.2 miles taking visitors to all the most popular sites within the park. Important to note is that it is one way. Once you pass something, you can’t go back unless you exit the park at the end and re-enter. With this easy accessibility comes…… you guessed it….. crowds. As is generally the case, the farther you go from the parking lot, the more solitude and space you will find.
Still a bit skeptical, we pressed onward and stopped at the first scenic location, “Calico I”. All skepticism was erased as I stepped out of the vehicle and saw the enormous and intricately carved red rocks, seemingly dropped haphazardly about the area. They were enormous, with some stacked, some leaning, some teetering, some carved, some smooth, some rugged. Awestruck, is about the only word appropriate to describe my initial reaction.
Being one to want to climb and explore hidey holes, I could have spent hours here. Feeling more than small, among the giant boulders, was humbling and I found myself repeatedly muttering “WOW……. Oh my….. Amaaaazing…. What?!…..” and the likes. Making our way to the closest “high” point, we left the lingering crowds and took a brief moment to soak it all in…… Had we just landed on Mars? I climbed, crawled, touched, sat, slid, ducked, teetered, perched, and explored everything I could without straying too far down the unintended path. After all, we were on a schedule.
I’m going to divert for a moment to talk about fear…… and kindness. Hang in there, there is a point. Fear is both illogical and real. It can be paralyzing, and those of us who suffer from one fear or another know it can prevent us from fully experiencing life. I recall a time when I was exploring Scuba Diving through a Snuba session. This requires the use of a regulator, to breathe under water, but does not require that you carry or manage your own air tanks. I am a good swimmer, but at the time struggled with claustrophobia. I was bobbing at the surface of the water, with a regulator in my mouth, as the rest of my group submerged. I simply could NOT trust the regulator to provide me air and found myself in the middle of a panic attack on the surface. Alone, with only the guide by my side. He (a very patient soul) spent a tremendous amount of time trying to talk me through it. I knew words were coming out of his mouth, but they were doing little to offer assurance or support. I was enveloped by fear. We had discussed my reasons for giving SCUBA a try, and he was was aware of its importance….. he persisted. Ultimately, floating in front of me, he looked me square in the eyes and said “Power through your panic…. You’ve got this….. I’ve got you….. Power through your panic.” In his next breath, he said, “On the count of three, we are going under. You will breathe, you will not die.” I remained focused on his face as I heard….. “One… Two… Three” and before I knew it, down we went. I had no choice but to breathe. Fast forward many years….. I am now a PADI certified advanced SCUBA diver with nearly 100 dives under my belt.
Wait…. What?!….. Why is this chick talking about SCUBA diving in a hiking blog, you might be asking…… Ok, I’ll get to it. When we first arrived at “Calico 1” there was an amazingly flat rock, perched somewhat on the edge, just calling for me to climb on it. As I did so, I heard two women commenting on how scary that was. There was chatter about how I had gotten up there, what if I fell off, and how cool the picture was going to be. There was equal chatter, among them, about how they could “NEVER” do that and that they would just have to enjoy the view from their lower vantage point. Just as my SCUBA instructor had done, I attempted to coax them with words which were deflected and rejected as soon as they left my lips. Unsuccessful in my attempts to persuade them, I moved on. As I walked away, though, I continued to hear them discuss it. I recalled my diving experience and all the things my fears had prevented me from doing before I powered through them. Deciding to give it one last try, I returned to them and offered not my words, but my hand. “Let me help you,” I said. “I’ll be right here, you’ve got this.” One of the two ultimately got up and apprehensively approached the rock. Still clearly uncertain, I showed her how the rock was not slippery, and identified for her all the places where she could step and grab. Although she never stood confidently in the middle of the rock, she did get on top of it and posed rather radiantly for pictures. Her cousin, not quite as daring, accepted my assistance so she could stand next to her for a photo of the two of them. Their smiles were broad, and I know they will look back on that moment and remember it forever…………. “Power through your panic.”
Back to the day…… Calico Tanks Trail was our next planned stop. Although certainly not “long” according to my standards, at 2.2 miles round trip, it is a must do as far as I am concerned. It starts flat and sandy, and ends with a good deal of scrambling among the rocks required to get to the end. If you like to climb and explore hidey holes, you could spend hours off trail. I kept getting sidetracked, and Chris had to keep reminding me of the other stops still to come. Take lots of water and be prepared to be amazed. Upon reaching the end, you will be blessed with beautiful expansive views of the area with Las Vegas in the distance. Rather than returning the way we came, I seriously contemplated going rogue and scrambling our way down to the connecting trailhead below us. As I pondered a route, a local resident overheard my contemplation and suggested I think carefully as rescues, he noted, frequently happen in that area. He explained it is not uncommon for folks to think they can make it, do just fine going “up” the rocks, and then learn coming “down” the rocks is far trickier. Despite this warning, I continued to contemplate, ultimately heeding the warnings while reminding myself of the need to stay safe so I could enjoy the upcoming adventures. Needless to say, we returned the way we came.
A lunch and hydration break, in the cool of our air-conditioned car, was welcomed by the time we returned. We continued on scenic drive and made a brief stop at the petroglyph wall. Not really worth the time, in my opinion, but seemed to be popular among the tourists with children.
Our final stop was the Ice Box Canyon Trail. Again, 2.2 miles. It starts off flat and exposed and as you approach the canyon, rock formations begin to appear. The last quarter of the trail requires some pretty significant rock scrambling and we found the trail a bit difficult to follow. If you follow the creek bed, you will make it to the end…… It’s just a bit more “interesting” …… if you get what I mean. The rocks are amazing with a variety of colors and striations. The “waterfall” was but a trickle, when we arrived, but the journey to it was worth the time and effort. From the base of the fall, you can see what looks to be a middle level, where I was certain a basin of water was waiting for me. I wanted desperately to get to that level, but doing so required I shimmy up a rock face. I tried several times, from various spots, and felt determined that I could make it. Unlike the other rocks I had been on that day, this rock was smooth and with each attempt I could hear Chris saying “I don’t know Babe, this seems like a bad idea.” Imagine a caged mouse, scurrying from corner to corner, rising inquisitively on its hind feet every so often to look for a way out. This is how I felt as I examined every possibility. Also rattling in my head were the words of the local ….. “it’s easier to get up, than down,” and “there are lots of rescues in this park”. Heeding the warnings, I ultimately conceded and enjoyed my water and snack at the bottom before returning the way we came. While this is a short hike, it is a test to your ankle strength and tenacity. Sturdy shoes and LOTS of water is a must and for those with some sense of adventure I would classify this as a must do as well……….
That being said, it is often best to end on a high note, and with that, we called it a day. There was certainly much more to see in the park, but with the stops outlined above I think we saw the best the park has to offer. There seemed to be more trails in the Calico area, and infinitely more rocks to explore off trail if that is something you enjoy. The area was clearly very popular among rock climbers, but bouldering could be an all-day affair as well.