Page 13 - winter 2016 the rock

12 Friends oF red rock canyon Friends oF red rock canyon 13

Loving it to Death The Red Spring ing the boardwalk

boardwalk and picnic
sub-structure, repair-
area also has been ing eroded trails,
By Chuck Williams
very well-loved by its removing invasive

Thank you! Your contributions and dues sponsored these events. Our financial com- adoring public since plant and tree growth
mitment to National Public Lands Day and Make a Difference Day was approximately the boardwalk open- and rehabbing the
$4,000. Friends also paid $2,700 for the professional tree trimming and over $18,000 ing in 2005. So well- picnic areas.
for restoration work on Turtlehead Peak. loved that half the
boardwalk was closed The boardwalk and
for over six months trails at Red Spring
id you ever wonder which areas in Red In the 2015 budget, the membership of in 2015 due to dete- weren’t the only
DRock Canyon were the most popular Friends of Red Rock rioration and safety areas needing at-
with the 1.5 million annual visitors? Some- Canyon approved issues. The area trails tention: the existing
times all you have to do is look down. Or up. $20,000 for major have also experienced trees were aging and
projects. Josh Travers, a great deal of love desperately needed
Photo by Roger Hembree Friends of Red Rock agement Lead Outdoor Photo by Josh Travers - BLM torrential rains) and help in the form
In August 2014,
Bureau of Land Man-
(in addition to recent
some professional
Canyon received an
Recreation Planner,
were in desperate
of limb removal.
requested that the funds
email from Metro
need of some TLC.
Friends of Red Rock
be used for repairing the
Search and Rescue
(SAR) asking for
with an arborist
Friends contracted with
help in correcting Turtlehead Peak Trail. While the Red Spring Canyon contracted
Turtlehead Peak boardwalk is sched- company to remove
conditions on the the Great Basin Insti- uled for a major the dead vegetation
Volunteers dedicated to the preservation of Red Rock Canyon
Turtlehead Peak Trail. They had documented tute for a complete trail rebuild in the next 12 from the very large
that a lack of signage, braided trails and makeover, focusing on Rerouted and newly defined trail months, the Bureau and overgrown trees.
overall trail deterioration were accounting visitor safety and trail of Land Management The “widow-makers”
for many of their Search and sustainability. Portions of the trail requested that reopen- were safely removed,
Rescue calls. have been (and will continue to ing the entire board- with all limbs and
be) impossible to maintain with- walk be a priority for waste recycled to
Friends of Red Rock Canyon out expending excessive time and two major community beautiful mulch.
invited Las Vegas Metropoli- resources for yearly maintenance. workdays: National
tan Police Officer John Thayer The existing contract will not en- Public Lands Day Thank you to our
from SAR to speak at our Feb- able the entire trail to be rebuilt, and Make a Differ- members and vol-
ruary 2015 Quarterly Member- Photo by Josh Travers - BLM and the second phase will be ence Day. These unteers for help-
ship Meeting. Officer Thayer scheduled for completion during two events, held in ing to preserve and
shared the interesting informa- 2016. The Turtlehead Peak Trail early October and maintain Red Rock
tion that Red Rock Canyon will continue to be rated as diffi- November, had over Canyon. Your work
was SAR’s most visited loca- New rock cairn to highlight cult, but will be a well-established 150 participants who is keeping our visi-
the correct trail
tion (meaning the most rescues trail and focused efforts will be eagerly tackled some tors safe!
needed) and that Turtlehead Peak had by far made to restore impacted areas from signifi- tough “RE” projects:
the most rescues in the canyon. cant “social” trailing. replacing rotted walk-
way planks, reinforc-
Above photos by Roger Kolar Above photos by Bill Redinger

the Rock - Volume 6 Issue 2 Winter 2016