The Red Rock Canyon Grand Circle Loop, hiked on 16APR2022
I am now starting to do longer hikes in preparation for the summer hiking season. Today, I decided to hike the Grand Circle Loop, which encompasses all that would be seen should one choose to drive the Red Rock Canyon loop, yet there is much more that can be seen.
It was a beautiful day but very windy, with gusts up to 60 mph. The wind was a blessing, as it kept me feeling quite cool. The route was mostly very well marked, though there were just a few areas in the Calico Hills where I had to retrace a bit to find where I was going. Here are some photos…
central distance, close to the Calico Hills.
This was a most enjoyable hike, and I will definitely do it again, probably in conjunction with the White Mountain loop to add on a few more miles. Desert hiking can be quite cool, but hydration is most vital, and shielding oneself from the full brunt of the sun, using a broad-rimmed hat and long sleeve shirt with full length pants. It seems like it would be hotter being fully clothed, but it is just the opposite, so long as you are not wearing cotton.
Close by (within 10 miles) is Charleston Peak, at an elevation of over 11,900 feet, and still with snow on it. I will probably soon start attacking that peak. There I will encounter less of a desert environment and more of a bristlecone pine forest terrain. If I can talk my hiking friends to come visit, a chance to do the Grand Canyon will be in order, which is only a few hours drive from us.
Ken, you have mountains and trails! Looks fantastic and am thrilled for you!
Uh, like, where is Red Rock canyon, man? On Mars?
Or near where you live, in Washington state?
Maybe Arid-zona is closer to the Grand Canyon. Is it, pray tell, in Arizona?
Dennis; Red Rock Canyon is within 1/2 hour of our home, just west of Las Vegas and in Nevada. After going across the mountain range that forms Red Rock Canyon, you encounter a plain, and then drop down into Death Valley. And yes, we are only 2-3 hours from the Grand Canyon. If you wish to encounter Mars, you just go down to the Strip, a place we haven’t been to since moving here, save to take Gaylon to the airport. Las Vegas is too nice of a town to waste away on the Strip. If you come to visit, we will take you to the Strip only if you insist.
Been there, done that. My wife and I had a foolproof way of winning at the casinos. We would not put one plug nickel into a slot machine but would buy a $7 lobster dinner, offered to bring in people with money in their pockets for slot machines. But we put none of it in the machines, only lobster into our stomachs. It worked every time.
I have heard that those cheap dinners are no longer offered, thereby removing any reason for going to the casinos.
By the way, east of us (about 1-hour drive, and still in Nevada) is the Valley of Fire… here is an example
http://feuchtblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_2997.jpeg
You really ought to visit Charles Hall in Rachel, NV as a fellow former USAFer. He has worked as a USAF meteorologist in Dreamland, within the NV Test Site – a place to go for some real adventure.