Page 11 - Winter 2012 magazine-1

by Chris Dempsey
WHAT HAPPENS AT RED ROCK CANYON..........
For nearly seven years in the last decade I had the
opportunity to lead interpretive hikes through the
program at Red Rock Canyon. As you can probably
imagine, I had a number of memorable occasions in
dealing with visitors from other parts of the country who
wanted to experience the natural beauty of our great area
just west of Las Vegas. One such occasion stands out
from the rest as an example of perseverance.
About five years ago I had scheduled a hike to the
limestone North Peak at the top of Ice Box Canyon. This
destination is indicated on a trail sign at Willow Springs
Picnic Area and is labeled strenuous with a distance of
twelve miles. Generally, the out-and-back hike follows
Rocky Gap Road from the end of the pavement at Willow
Springs to Red Rock Summit, where the gravel road
starts to descend toward Lovell Canyon, and then climbs
along a single track trail to the peak. Elevation gain
along the way is around 2,800 feet.
On the morning of the hike, I was greeted in the Visitor
Center parking lot by Bill, who was making his first trip
to Las Vegas from his home in Miami, Florida. Bill had
decided to find out what real hiking in the western
mountains was like. Bear in mind that the highest point
in the entire state of Florida is Britton Hill, which is only
345 feet above sea level. By contrast, North Peak is close
to 7,300 feet and the air is definitely thinner.
Bill had certainly prepared for his eventful hike. He had
purchased new hiking shoes, clothing that was engineered
to provide UV ray protection, and a new hydration pack.
He even brought along a couple of MRE's (meals ready to
eat) and they were the more expensive kind that heated
the food when the outer pouch was torn open.
He was definitely brimming with enthusiasm,
treating this hike as the opportunity of a lifetime.
With his positive attitude and cheerful demeanor, he
was determined to overcome any obstacles that
might be encountered and wasn't going to be denied
achieving his goal.
As the hike started, a couple of the other
participants expressed an interest in the canyon that
roughly parallels Rocky Gap Road. After a short
discussion, the group decided to start up the canyon
drainage, which meant that we would be involved in
nearly two miles of boulder scrambling at the
beginning of the hike. Although not used to this
kind of terrain, Bill performed admirably through
the canyon, then up the remainder of the gravel road
and the fairly steep trail to the peak. After six miles
of effort, he had come face to face with his
objective, a limestone outcropping about forty feet
higher than the rest of the ridge.
At this point Bill made a startling admission. He
was definitely afraid of heights and the top of the
peak was certainly intimidating. Literally crawling
up the progression of rocks and slabs, he managed
to pull himself onto the narrow top and hunkered
down in the safest spot he could find. He didn't
trust himself to actually stand, but contented himself
with gazing across Lake Mead to Arizona while
sitting safely on the ground. He handed off his
camera and asked the other hiker to take plenty of
pictures of the great views from the peak. At this
point, he brought out his cell phone, called his
brother in Florida, and inquired about whether or
not his life insurance policy was paid up.
(continued on page 12)
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Graphic by Pat Williams ©