Free Hikes For You!

Hiking Las Vegas has been the premier source of hiking information for southern Nevada for almost 20 years.

For almost two decades I have sold individual hike descriptions for a small fee. These are the best descriptions/maps on the internet. Unlike so many other sites that depend on contributions from others, I wrote every hike description. Some

of the hikes I have done over 50 times.

The good news is these are now free! No registration, no email address, nothing. Just download the file (pdf) and take a hike. Here's the link: http://hikinglasvegas.com/

Another Freebie

If you want to keep up with hiking around southern Nevada, join my Facebook Group. There are over 600 hikers sharing tip, photos and videos.

Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HikingLasVegas/

52 Peak Party

On April 27th (Saturday) the second annual 52 Peak party happens in Las Vegas, NV.

Here's all you get:

Dinner:

Washington Apple and Wild Baby Arugula Gorgonzola blue cheese, spiced pecans sherry vinaigrette Pan-Seared Breast of Chicken With Oyster Mushrooms Toasted Polenta, roasted asparagus cherry tomatoes.

or
Vegetarian Assorted Vegetable Plate- Grilled Asparagus, Baby Carrots,Wilted Spinach, Broiled Tomatoes, Sauteed Zucchini, YellowSquash, and Cauliflower Served with Brown Rice
Dinner Service Includes: Fresh rolls with butter, freshly brewed coffee, decaffeinated coffee, iced tea

Prizes (the list keeps growing):

Garmin Fenix GPS Watch! ($400)
4 Geiggerig daypacks ($400)
3 One month unlimited memberships to Bikram Yoga Westside ($40 each)
Pair of Vasque Manta hiking books (any size - men or woman) ($125)
One on one Yoga instruction/class with Dianne (35+ years yoga instructor) 
Two $50 Gift Certificates to Leticia's Mexican Resturant Two pair of tickets to the Ultimate V Variety Show at the Planet Hollywood Six Month Membership to David Barton Gym ($600)Day of rock climbing instruction with Dan Young.  ($200)Three one hour massages  ($60 each)Free night stay at Ruby's Inn at Bryce Canyon  ($125)2 Zipline tours at Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon One Season Pass (Battle Born) to Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort
Numerous Las Vegas Advisor Coupon book (best in Vegas) ($35)

You only need to earn one card before April 27th to get a Free raffle to for a chance to win.

Awards:
To various leaders and hikers.

Live DJ and Dancing:
Who is the best dancer? Who is the worse dancer?

Cash Bar:
You asked for it last year and this year we have one.

All this for only $35 until April 20th. Then the price goes up to $40.
Here's how to sign and pay: http://www.meetup.com/Hiking-Las-Vegas/events/103299602/

Over 140 hikers have RSVP and paid!!!

Prime Red Rock Season is Here

March 1st marks the start of the prime hiking season in Red Rock Canyon, which is the favorite place to hike for locals and visitors.
Why is March 1st the start?
First, Red Rock Canyon stays open until 7 pm  It was only open until 5 pm  This gives hikers an extra two hours to complete their hike and avoid expensive tickets.
Second, it's getting warmer. The average daytime temps in Las Vegas in March is: 70 degrees. It is a bit cooler in Red Rock due to the elevation.
Finally, Daylight Saving Time starts March 10. It will not be dark until 7 pm and then later as the year progresses.

Best Hikes in Red Rock

This depends on your fitness level and your scrambling abilities.
For beginners: 
Lost Creek Canyon: all trail that ends at a seasonal waterfall
First Creek Waterfall: all trail that ends at a seasonal waterfall
Las Vegas Overlook: all trail that ends with great views of Las Vegas and Red Rock
Kraft Mtn Loop; part trail, part scrambling that makes a big loop around Kraft Mtn.
More info on all these hikes: http://www.hikinglasvegas.com/Easy-Red-Rock-Hikes.htm

For intermediate hikers:
Terrace Canyon: trail and bouldering hike to a very scenic canyon
The Park: trail hike that leads to a park like setting high in the canyon
North Peak: trail and scrambling hike that leads to one of the highest peaks in Red Rock Canyon.
More info on all these hikes: http://www.hikinglasvegas.com/Red-Rock-Canyon-Moderate-Hikes.htm

Don't know what scrambling means: Check out this video

I will cover advance hikes in my next post.

Note: The 52 Peak Party is April 27th. More info here.

Repair Your Daypack

If you rock scramble in Red Rock for very long, your daypack will take a beating. Instead of buying a new daypack, you can easily fix your old one. Normally small holes begin to form in the bottom of your daypack. This happens when the abusive sandstone rubs the bottom of your pack.

What You Need:

Duct Tape or Guerilla Tape.
One can of Plastic Dip or Tool Dip (not the spray type).
A one inch, cheap paint brush. You will throw it away.
Old pair of gloves. You do not want Plastic Dip on your hands.
Newspaper or an old towel. You do not want Plastic Dip dripping on the floor etc.

The Procedure:

Empty your daypack.
Start taping the holes from the inside of the daypack first.
Note: If the holes are huge, this is probably not going to work.
Next, tape the holes from the outside, bottom of your pack.
Now, take your pack outside (the smell from the wet Plastic Dip is bad)
Paint the bottom of your pack with plastic dip. Really brush it on thick.
Let it dry ~ 30 minutes, maybe longer if in a humid climate.
Apply a second coat of Plastic Dip.
That's it!
Watch the video

The Plastic Dip will protect the bottom of your pack without making the bottom of your pack rigid.

New Packs:

Some hikers apply the Plastic Dip to the bottom of a new pack. If you do this, you do not need to tape the bottom of your pack with Duct Tape.

Cold Weather Hiking Tips

By Las Vegas standards it has been cold. This weekend calls for temps to only reach the low 40's in Las Vegas. It will be much colder in Red Rock and bitterly cold in Mt. Charleston. As a general rule every 1,000 feet of elevation you gain the temperature drops by four degrees. So, if it's 46 in Vegas (elevation around 2,200 feet) and you are going to be standing on Gunsight Notch Peak (elevation 6,200 feet) in will be 30 degrees!

How to Dress for Cold Weather

Clothing helps you stay dry and comfortable. How do you prevent becoming chilled? Wear layers of clothing. The secret to layering is combining the correct clothing in the proper order. Done correctly it traps air warmed by your body heat while wicking moisture away from your skin.

The first layer (the one closest to your skin) will wick moisture away from your skin while trapping body heat. Any of the wicking fabrics found under the trade names Thermax or Coolmax work well. They come in different thickness. The colder the climate, the thicker the material you will want.
The middle layer acts as insulation. Fleece sweaters, polypro pullovers, or a long-sleeved flannel shirt are good choices. The middle layer can be more than one garment.
The final layer protects from wind. A windbreaker is fine in Las Vegas, except during winter months in Mt. Charleston. Jackets made from GORE-TEX are recommended during winter.
If you become hot, simply peel some of the layers. If you become cold, add layers.
North Face is one of the premiere outdoor clothing companies that I and many others wear their clothes.

Keep Your Hands Warm

If you are like me, your hands can get very cold and actually my hands can become useless. To prevent this I ware a good pair of gloves. These are warm gloves, not the sticky gloves for rappelling or handlining. I also have hand warmers just in case my hands really get cold. They are a non-toxic, environmentally friendly, odorless heat source using all natural ingredients that are non-combustible and are very affordable. In fact, Walmart sells a two pack (four hand warmers) for less than $2!

Best Winter Hikes

Death Valley is one of the warmest places in the US. Manley Beacon is an impossible looking summit with an airy ridge traverse one must do to reach the summit. Not far from Manley Beacon are the sand dunes, which are fun to play in and a great workout.

Tecopa, CA, is home to China Date Ranch where you will find the wildest hike you will ever do! Fence Post Peak is a vertical dirt mountain. You can only reach the summit by pulling yourself up a 100 foot rope!

Closer to Vegas is Lake Mead Recreational Area. One of the best hikes near Lake Mead is Anniversary Narrows and Peak. Beginners or families with small children can just do the Narrows; more advance hikers can include a trip to the peak.

Take advantage of these great winter hikes and stay warm by wearing North Face clothing.

Meetup Hiking Las Vegas 1000th Hike!

In less than two years Meetup/Hiking-Las-Vegas has offered over 1,000 hikes to their members. These hikes, many of which no other hiking group does, are free. That's right, there's no charge to attend any of these hikes. We currently have over 1500 members enjoying this unique hikes.

The hikes range from fairly easy to very difficult. The shortest hike last around two hours and the longer hikes are all day events. Over 90% of the hikes are in southern Nevada, mainly Red Rock Canyon, Mt. Charleston, and Lake Mead area.

This hiking club focuses on fitness and improving your hiking and climbing skills. Everyone who hikes on a regular basis gets in better shape and becomes a better climber. We even offer rappelling classes for those who want to learn.
Interested in joining Meetup/Hiking-Las-Vegas? Click here to join.

52 Peak Club

We are also the home of the 52 Peak Club, where hikers hike and climb the best 52 peaks around Las Vegas. Each time you stand at a peak with Meetup/Hiking-Las-Vegas you earn a one-of-a-kind playing card. The goal is to earn all 52 cards. When you have earned all 52 cards, you have climbed over 140,000 feet and hiked over 300 miles! How long does it take to hike all 52 peaks?  Realistically for most hikers it will take at least a year. That's one peak each week for 52 weeks.

Here's a webpage that list all of the 52 Peaks: All 52 Peaks
Here's a webpage of frequently asked questions: FAQs

Once hikers have hiked all 52 peaks they become a 53er. Currently, 22 hikers are 53ers. You can read their stories here.

Interested in joining the 52 Peak Club? Click here to join.

If you want to become a better hiker and climb peaks you never heard of, and a lot of peaks you have heard of, then join us.

Hiking in Cooler Weather

Quick tips for hiking in cooler weather:

• Do not wear cotton
• It can be windy this time of the year - always have a windbreaker in your pack
• Carry extra layers so you keep warm
• Carry warm gloves in your pack
• It can snow anytime now in Mt. Charleston. Check the forecast before your hike
• Watch for ice! When the temps drop below freezing in Red Rock, there might be ice. Ice can turn class 1 into a death fall!
• Red Rock Scenic Loop will close at 5 pm starting November 1st
• By early December it will be getting dark around 4:30 pm
• Always carry a headlamp or flashlight in your pack. Check it often to make sure it works.
• Carry a balaclava in your pack. It will keep your head warm.
• Most hikers do not drink as much water when it's cold.

If there's snow and ice in Red Rock, you can hike around Lake Mead. This is the great thing about hiking around Las Vegas: No matter what season there's always a place close by to hike.