Since I’m now embarking on Road Trip: The Sequel, I thought I’d schedule a couple of quick & easy posts focused on some of the hiking I’ve done this past week in Southern Nevada. These posts are light on words but heavy on [hopefully] pretty pictures.
My goal is to tell you a hiking story [mostly] wordlessly. Okay, maybe just a few words paragraphs.
The star of today’s post is the Fletcher Canyon Trail at the Spring Mountains in Southern Nevada. I did this hike on Tuesday [Aug 27th] and I’m still smiling at what a fantastic (and quick!) hike this was. It packed a lot of punch in a short distance.
This trail, running up into the Mt. Charleston Wilderness area, is a 3.6 mile out-and-back hike, with a +1,030′ elevation gain. The trail features a moderately strenuous grade up through the canyon, to a spring, and then runs steeply into a deep, narrow slot canyon with walls that are a about 20 feet wide and about 200 feet high.
The entire hike runs through a deep, heavily forested canyon, surrounded by towering limestone cliffs.
It started to rain just as we got up to the slot canyon, and while I don’t know everything about hiking, I know with absolute certainty that you do not want to be caught in a slot canyon during a storm, with the possibility of flash flooding. We had to cut it short — snapped just a few pics and then high-tailed it back to the trailhead.
I’m looking forward to hitting this trail again, without the threat of death by drowning, and really explore the slot canyon further.
I hope you enjoy the hike through the lens of my camera.
And off we go…
The trail starts off with an easy, gradual grade. 🙂
Nature’s artwork
I wonder how much quicker I’d finish these hikes if I wasn’t snap happy with the camera?
I also have the burning desire to set up a picnic throughout the hike.
Heading into the slot canyon
Getting excited now…I can feel the walls closing in 🙂
Oh yeah baby!
Oh shit…is that rain I feel?
Deep cleansing breaths…
Puts everything in perspective. But crap…thunder. I need to get moving.
Rain or not. I’m happy.
Get moving!
xoxo nancy
Those pictures are wonderful! I know hiking’s a great form of exercise, but I’d be too worried about running into a snake. I’m such a wimp…
The fear of snakes is ever present (as is the fear of mountain lions), thankfully I have yet to see either. 🙂
While I was looking at your pictures, I realized that my mouth had dropped open at the sight of such beauty…
Gorgeous. Just like you!
It’s hard to dislike exercise when this is your gym. 🙂
So glad you liked them! Hope you’re rockin’ your day!.
Awesome! Our world is beautiful!!
It sure is Valerie! 🙂
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Nancy, do you wear special hiking boots with ankle support or just regular hiking shoes? Some of these trails seem like they would be tough on the ankles….
Joan, from late Fall to early Spring I wear my Timberland hiking boots (which I used at BLR). All the hikes I did in Vegas, plus the 12,000′ footer I did in Denver were done using my Merrell low hiking shoes. My boots would have been a better choice for the CO hike, but I didn’t want to lug those clunkers all the way back to TO, where I have no use for them. I did (slightly) roll my ankle Monday; no injury, just scared me for a split second.
Nancy – We are sole sisters! I first fell in love with Merrell when I chose to be the black sheep of my hiking group and purchased a pair of low hiking shoes (on sale at Academy!) for a Summer trip to Estes Park, CO (lots and LOTS of hiking). They thought I was a little crazy but when the vacation was over, my feet felt great. And no ankle problems. If I ever decided to hike in colder weather, I would probably go with the high tops. (My first pair of hiking shoes ever were…Timberland 🙂 ) Hell, these days, I’d consider a shorter hike in my San Remos…
Cheers, Sole Sister!!!
I love my Merrell’s – so comfy! The terrain on the CO hike was pretty sketchy (lots of muck/mud, loose gravel, traversing fallen logs – balance-beam style) so in retrospect the high boots may have been smarter.
And re San Remo’s, definitely! I have actually done some shorter/easier hikes in them. (And am wearing them on this road trip, as I type!).
Sole sisters indeed!
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