Wild Nevada

The Trip:
This trip, we travel from Indian Springs into the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. Day two of our adventure includes a visit to the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area and the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park.

Our first day's journey begins in Indian Springs, Nevada, a small desert community located on Highway 95 just north of Las Vegas. We head south on 95 to the junction of State Route 156, which we take into the Spring Mountains. The joshua trees and cacti give way to the pines as we head up in elevation and into the mountains.

We meet Randal Grandstaff, director of Sky's the Limit, an organization specializing in providing outdoor adventures for its clients. Randal guides us up the Bristlecone Trail, which as the name suggests, takes us on a steady climb up the mountain to where a stand of the rare bristlecone pines can be found. The crest of the trail also offers some spectacular views of the Spring Mountains.

We return to the road as the weather begins to turn. Snow clouds are moving in as we drive State Route 157 to our evening's final destination, The Mount Charleston Hotel. The resort provides a warm, relaxing haven for the night.

After digging our van out from under a layer of fresh snow, we begin the second day of our journey. We head back to Highway 95 and make our way to the Las Vegas Valley and Highway 159. This scenic drive takes us to the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area.

In Red Rock, we are joined by Randal Grandstaff and his associate Laura Sanders also of Sky's the Limit. Randal and Laura teach us the basics of rock climbing. Before you know it, their expertise has us successfully scaling our first steep approach. What a thrill!

Once we have our feet back under ourselves, literally, we head down Highway 159 to the nearby Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. We meet park ranger Karen Rennick who shares with us some of the history of the ranch, which includes the second oldest standing structures in the entire Las Vegas Valley. We end our afternoon with a tour of the scenic, historic ranch.

Thanks to Wild Nevada Advisors and Guides, Program #104:

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