Category: Off The Beaten Path

New Map of Carpenter 1 Fire in Mt. Charleston 10:00am

July 8, 2013

Hot Spot Map Carpenter Fire 1- Mt Charleston July 8, 2013 1:56 pm PST - Click to view Large Map

No structures have been lost. No injuries have occurred on the fire.

Fire control objectives include protection of the Trout, Lee and Kyle communities.

There are 18 crews on scene, 8 of which are Type 1 Hotshot crews, the most highly trained. The Hotshot crews we have are the same type as the crew recently lost in Arizona.

There are the following air assets on the fire:

7 helicopters
4 heavy air tankers
39 engines
10 water tenders
18 hot shot crews
VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker. Based on a DC-10). It can drop 11,700 gallons per load.

Fire is located in some very rugged and in inaccessible areas. Engines and other motorized vehicles have limited access.

Perimeter (red lines)

MODIS hot spot from satellite sensor, estimated location (1km). (Red Dots)

Source: ESRI http://www.esri.com/services/disaster-response/wildlandfire/user-maps
View Map: http://tmappsevents.esri.com/website/wildfire-responsive/index.html

Vegas Info

Posted by: Vegas Info

Hiking, Locals, Mt. Charleston

White Rock Loop- Hiking in Red Rock Canyon

January 8, 2013

White Rock Loop Trail at Red Rock Canyon

Duration: 3-3.5 hrs

Length: 6.3 miles

This 6.3 mile hike at Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas, Nevada is a great fall/winter/spring hike. Located on the Red Rock Canyon Scenic Loop, the White Rock Loop trail is a great way to spend 3-4 hours. You will experience diverse terrain and plant life. For much of the hike, you’re in the typical Mojave Desert surroundings. When you get to the back side of White Rock Mountain, it’s like Red Rock Canyon’s hidden forest. That side is wetter and there are a large number of pinyon pines, juniper trees, and desert plants such as yucca and cactus of various types. It has a little of everything.

White Rock at Red Rock Canyon

White Rock Loop Trail

Up in the higher parts of the hike with the Pinion trees

I recommend starting at the Willow Springs picnic grounds- there are restrooms and parking and heading uphill going clockwise around the mountain. Once at the saddle, most of the hike is downhill from there. You will have about a 1000 ft. elevation change with this hike and expect 3-3.5 hours to complete the loop. I don’t recommend this hike during the hot summer hours, if you are going to hike during the summer, make it a early morning hike as for it can get quite hot on the return portion.

Wear sturdy shoes, bring water and a little food for this hike.

Coming down the backside with Las Vegas in the background

Directions: Take Charleston West to the entrance to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Enter the through the fee area and follow the Red Rock Loop. The turn off (right-turn) is about 1/2 through the loop at the Willow Springs Picnic Area. Start your Hike there.

Happy hiking.

Photos by Lasvegas360.com

Vegas Info

Posted by: Vegas Info

Hiking, Off The Beaten Path, Red Rock

Hike to Hoover Dam, 5 Tunnels Hike

December 2, 2011

5 Tunnels Hike to Hoover Dam

GPS 36.011096º N – 114.794076º W

The 5 Tunnels or the Historic Railroad hike to Hoover Dam is on the old historic railroad that was used to build Hoover Damn in the ’30. The trail has been removed of all the rail and ties it once had. The trail starts just off the US 93 (Great Basin Highway) on Lakeshore Road heading to Lake Mead from Boulder City. There is parking lot on the east side of the road. This trail to the dam take you through 5 larger size tunnels on the way to the dam. No flashlight are needed for this hike. The trail is a smooth gravel road and is very popular with runners, hikers and mountain bikers. It is about 3.8- 4 miles to the dam and you come out on the top level of the parking lot at the Hoover Dam visitor center. You can easily add a few more miles walking to the Arizona side of the dam and up to the largest concrete arched bridge in North America. On this hike we did both and the total distance was just over 10 miles round trip.

This is a good hike to do in cooler weather, summertime would be too hat as this part of Lake Mead tends to be about 10 degrees hotter that Las Vegas.

Trail map to Hoover Dam

A note about the tunnels, although they vary in length, generally they measure 300 feet in length and are at least 25 feet wide and at least 30 high. The trail is very easy to hike and loses elevation as you make your way to the dam (about 300 feet). Along the trail you will see great views of Lake Mead. as you approach the dam follow the trail markers though some large gates as the trail changes from the main road to a clearly marked side trail. You will also travel through the Hoover Dam’s large electrical yard. At the end of the yard is a designated spot to pick-up hikers and it is free to get in here opposed to tying to pick them up at the parking garage which cost $7.

Panoramic view of Lake Mead from the trail

If you want to get up to the new Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, also commonly known as the Bypass Bridge, you will need to make a right in the middle of the electrical yard south to the main road. From there, you cross the old highway and make your way up the 7 flights of stairs, or use the long sweeping ramps to access the top of the bridge.

The Historic Railroad Tunnel is a great hike near Las Vegas with a fabulous ending at Hoover Dam. Bring a camera, and plenty of water, for this historic hike.

Photos by: LasVegas360.com

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Boulder City-Hoover Dam, Hiking, Off The Beaten Path

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Coffee Cup: Boulder City, Nevada

November 8, 2011

Coffee Cup Cafe in Downtown Boulder City

In the small quaint town of Boulder City, Nevada located 30 miles south east of Las Vegas the is a cafe worth pulling over for called, The Coffee Cup. The “Cup”, as the locals refer to it, has been around since Hoover Dam was being built and the town of Boulder was created. The original “The Coffee Cup” was located a few doors down from the current location on the corner of Boulder Highway and Ash Street. This was the original historical location but is now a cafe called Mel’s Diner. Down the street at the current location of the Coffee Cup, there was a place called the “Green Hut” it then changed to “Harry’s Cafe” and now is the Cup. The original neon sign was modified with the an old part of the original “Cup” sign. If you take a good look at the logo at the top sign matches the current neon at Mel’s Diner. In the Spring of 1994, “Coffee Cup” opened for business at 558 Nevada Way in the Old Town area of Boulder City, Nevada.

Diners Drive-ins Dives

Now, in May of 2007, the Food Network’s, Guy Fieri did a feature of this eatery and showcased it on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” or Triple “D”. Featuring the pork Chili Verde omelet, owner Al Stevens’ signature dish. Well its been over 4 years since Guy mad his famous visit. I needed to go out and see if it was still holding up to the hype.

Let me tell you. I order the Huevos Rancheros with the Pork Chili Verde sauce and it was delicious. Big chunks of port over crispy corn tortilla that gave it a great crunch. The hash browns were grilled to golden brown perfection. Followed up with a never ending cup of hot coffee. The meal was perfect and I recommend this place to everyone. The place is always busy, it’s a good sign for a restaurant, it’s a reflection of how good the food is. With a short run from Las Vegas, the Coffee Cup makes a great place to have a really good meal in a the beautiful town of Boulder City.

Huevos Rancheros with a Tasty Pork Chili Verde

Photos by: LasVegas360.com
Except for the Triple ‘D’ one

The Coffee Cup
512 Nevada Highway
Boulder City, NV 89005
702-294-0517

www.worldfamouscoffeecup.com

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Boulder City-Hoover Dam, Food, Locals, Off The Beaten Path

Armagosa Sand Dunes, Nevada

July 22, 2011

GPS Position: N36^o 39.00 W116^o 33.83 (WGS 84)

Armagosa Sand Dunes, Nevada

Just a short hour and a half drive North of Las Vegas is the Armagosa Sand Dunes. Amargosa or Big Dune is a playground that covers about five square miles of dunes and dips, and its centerpiece is a peak that tops out at 500 feet. These hills, about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, are a well-kept secret and mostly used by locals, but expect to find plenty of other off-roaders on the weekends. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the entire dune system is open to all types of motorized vehicles, except for a small five acre enclosure delineated by “Carsonite” posts. In addition, there are several trails leading into the mountains southwest of the Dunes which are fun to explore.

How to get there:

At the starting point of Hwy 95 and Ann Road in Las Vegas, travel on Hwy 95 North 76 miles until the Death Vally/Armagosa Valley junction. Continue through the junction and travel 8.2 miles to Valley View Rd./Armagosa Farms Rd. Turn Left and go 1.1 miles then turn right onto a dirt road and proceed 1.3 miles until you reach the dunes.

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Off The Beaten Path, Way Off the Beaten Path

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Mt. Charleston: Lee Canyon

July 15, 2011

The lesser know area of Mount Charleston (Kyle Canyon) is the northern canyon of Lee Canyon, home the the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. The hiking in this area is limited to the spectacular 6.1-mile Bristlecone Trail. Along this trail, hikers find ancient bristlecone trees, battered by cold temperatures and fierce wind. Some of these trees might be as old as 5,000 years!

The Lee Canyon Ski Area is born in 1964 when the US Forest Service issues a Special Use Permit in order to provide winter recreation options in Southern Nevada. From downtown Las Vegas: Take U.S. Highway 95 north approx. 30 miles to Hwy 156, Lee Canyon. Follow Hwy 156 17 miles to the resort. The highway ends at Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort.