McCullough Range

[westy]

It has been a windy, rainy, cold start to the year so far. Makes for some GREAT visuals, but hiking is a mixed bag depending on exposure, although I was fortunate enough that there was plenty of sheltered hiking this day. I ran the dirt roads til I found just the right spot to start wandering around, and headed up alluvial fans blanketed in black volcanic rock for a mile, mile .5, til I reached slopes leading to benches above. Then I just bopped along, gaining and losing elevation to stay on easy benches above the valley below, and below the ridges above. That lasted for 3 hours or so til I had to come down to make the truck before dark. God I love the Mojave, mountains everywhere. Just in case you ever get that final jeopardy Q, most mountainous state in the contiguous 48 ? Nevada. More mountain ranges than every other but Alaska. And I believe that inch for inch, we actually beat them, just not nearly as large overall.


First top out. there's my route rolling along those benches for a few miles.












That rectangular white spot middle right is a guzzler, complete with a plaque commemorating the individual it was placed there in honor of.


And one of hundreds of little natural (and short lived) guzzlers that come and go with rain and heat.


End transmission.

 

[Carcass]

I wouldn't mind having those horns!

 

[westy]

I wouldn't mind having those horns!

I've seen plenty of them out n' about. Came across a desert tortoise graveyard a while back as well. must have been 3 or 4 or shells in various stages of breaking apart.

 

[John Morrow]

God I love the Mojave, mountains everywhere.

End transmission.

I hear you there!

 

[Nick]

Beautiful. Thank you.

 

[Titans]

Very interesting @westy ! Thanks for sharing. At this time of the year we might stay briefly on that side of town in a non-casino hotel (before flying out) and Rick is always looking for great places to run. Would the McC Hills TH be a good first starting point for a trail run or a hike for the first time in that area?

 

[westy]

Very interesting @westy ! Thanks for sharing. At this time of the year we might stay briefly on that side of town in a non-casino hotel (before flying out) and Rick is always looking for great places to run. Would the McC Hills TH be a good first starting point for a trail run or a hike for the first time in that area?

There are no trails I know of on this side of the range, but there are dirt roads. If you're staying in Henderson or the further east side, on E Lake Mead Pkwy just outside of the NRA entrance there is a TH for a system of paved trails with nice views. Also Bootlegger Canyon has plenty of dirt trail, but those are multi use so bikes may be present. And on E Galleria Dr out near Lake Las Vegas there is paved trail running along the wetlands, and there's a system of trails at the Clark County Wetlands park off S Broadbent Blvd. Dirt roads to run on the Flamingo Arroyo Trail with GREAT views of Frenchman Mtn. et. al. Sorry if I'm not much help, Hiking is so unobstructed here, 99% of the time I just find a place to park out of the way on whatever dirt road I'm on and then go at it. But if an official, designated, maintained trail isn't absolutely necesarry then your world is wiiiiiide open !

 

[Titans]

There are no trails I know of on this side of the range, but there are dirt roads. If you're staying in Henderson or the further east side, on E Lake Mead Pkwy just outside of the NRA entrance there is a TH for a system of paved trails with nice views. Also Bootlegger Canyon has plenty of dirt trail, but those are multi use so bikes may be present. And on E Galleria Dr out near Lake Las Vegas there is paved trail running along the wetlands, and there's a system of trails at the Clark County Wetlands park off S Broadbent Blvd. Dirt roads to run on the Flamingo Arroyo Trail with GREAT views of Frenchman Mtn. et. al. Sorry if I'm not much help, Hiking is so unobstructed here, 99% of the time I just find a place to park out of the way on whatever dirt road I'm on and then go at it. But if an official, designated, maintained trail isn't absolutely necesarry then your world is wiiiiiide open !

Sounds great, thanks so much @westy . Yes, it was in Henderson and the hotel did indeed suggest the wetlands. But it was getting dark, so he stayed closer. At the same time I made my first ever 911 call after seeing rapid expanding smoke/fire in that direction. The responder said, "yeah, it tends to go on fire over there in the wetlands".... we have help on the way.
Hopefully we will get to check out the McCullough range one day! We might head out soon, if it warms up a little more out West.