Last Day of Vacation - Camelback

Weather:  83º, sunny

Time:  35 minutes

About this Hike:  Last night we arrived home after several days of hiking and kayaking around the Las Vegas, NV area.  I opted to take today off work as part of my vacation so I could have an unpack and decompress day prior to returning to the rat race.

Needless to say, late morning on a Wednesday seemed like a safe bet to find parking at Camelback.  I was right.

It felt good to be back on the mountain again.  A number of hikers were pointing out a rattle snake sighting earlier in the day.  I must have just missed it.  Several hikers were looking for it, saying it had slithered under a tree.  I hate snakes and am glad it stayed there.  Regardless, I was just a little more cautious about where I put my hands on this hike.

My time to the summit wasn't great.  It was likely hampered by some dehydration I've been experiencing.  That's what happens when you spend several days in the dry Nevada sunshine.  I made a lot of stops and went through almost all my water today.

Regardless, this impromptu hike was good use of my time on the last day of vacation. 

Fletcher Canyon - Mt. Charleston

Weather:  65º, sunny

About this Hike:  Last June we explored the Mary Jane Falls in the upper parts of Mt. Charleston just outside Las Vegas, NV.  In early June the falls were flowing at a trickle fed by snow melting off the highest reaches of the Spring Mountains. 

As we headed for home last June, we passed by some intriguing lower-elevation trailheads including Fletcher Canyon.  April seemed to be a perfect time of year to return to the Las Vegas area not just to explore lower parts of Charleston, but also to do some kayaking in Lake Mead and the Colorado River before the valley gets unbearably hot.

Fletcher Canyon's parking lots were full when arrived on this Saturday afternoon.  A spot opened up just down the street near the Kyle Canyon Picnic Area and we grabbed it.  We stayed at the Mt. Charleston Retreat again, and we actually could have skipped driving.  This trailhead is accessible on foot by using (underwhelming in my opinion) Kyle Canyon Trail across the street from the hotel to access Fletcher Canyon. You can also just walk along the street.

Initial forecasts had called for a rainy Saturday.  It was warm and sunny when we arrived at the trailhead.  A seasonal stream in Fletcher Canyon was flowing with clear, grey/blue water.  Seeing this was an unexpected bonus and a beautiful testament to the wet winter much of the Desert Southwest enjoyed this year. 

Fletcher Canyon is an out and back.  As we worked our way up higher in the canyon snowpack became more apparent.  It was slippery in spots.  Combined with stream crossing (most were very easy) and them some catclaw, we decided it was best not to continue this hike.  I'd estimate we completed at least three-quarters of the Fletcher out-and-back trail.  We also explored some side trails that led to overlook points. 

All the while, we marveled at the clouds billowing up over Charleston Peak.  In no time, it was dark, thundering, and icy rain was falling.  

The rain let up ever so slightly, and we did a quick jaunt to a higher elevation trail called Robbers Roost.  This easy out-and-back takes you to a big cave.  It was late afternoon at this point and the rain started again.  We decided dinner at the Retreat's dining room sounded like the perfect end to a great day hiking Mt. Charleston.