Pinto Valley Wilderness, Lake Mead NRA Feb 2-3, 2015 escape. Now w/pics!

[John Morrow]

This is a little known area, I suppose, outside of Vegas hiking circles. But with no snow at home and my attitude plummetting, I needed a desert hiking and peak scrambling escape. I found this, and hopefully many more gems, outside Vegas.
After a slow, lethargic logistical start in Vegas: rental car, food shop, map search...etc, I finally made it out to Lake Mead before dark.
My first hike: an orientation to the local geography by hiking to the top of a local's peak on the border of the Pinto Valley Wilderness. Hwy 169 is the paved route that crosses about 1/2 the length of the north shore of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The start of this ramble is opposite a trailhead known as Northshore Summit. Here's a map link:
http://www.nps.gov/lake/planyourvisi...iled-Small.pdf
My route map is all you need. Easy, fun class 2 for a nice 3 mile RT sunset hike.







That night I camped at Callville Bay $10 bucks, but the last time I'd pay for camping for a while.

A few more pics:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/sets/72157648392151533/


Day 2 was more Pinto Valley Wilderness. The trailhead is actually for a short loop called the Redstone Loop. It is just 3 miles east of last night's TH on Hwy 169, The Northshore road.
There are few actual trails here but the going is so pleasant in the sparse vegetated Mojave Desert. Lots of water this time of year surprisingly. Nothing runs of course. This day I chose a local's grouping of five Redstone Peaks done as a class 2 traverse. Rock it great volcanic stuff so make it more sporting if that pleases the fancy. Again the map explains it. Although, I extended it by going crosscountry over to the larger "Redstone" area in search of rock art. Short days...thus I ran out of time before I could find much.





https://www.flickr.com/photos/235578...7650298805499/


Couple notes: REI sucks here, nobody knows anything about anything. Can't find 7.5 min topos anywhere. Come down with them already printed. Few "official" types seem to have any actual current route, water, or even road access conditions. Oh, roads suck..seriously. Glad my Honda is at the Bham airport because it does no good down here. These 2 hikes are few of the "from pavement" accessible hikes. My rental SUV is to get me to some tougher trailheads later in the week... and to free camping opportunities. With SUV, the free camping is excellent...I should have taken camp pics.'This guidebook: Afoot and Afield Las Vegas, Brian Beffort is good. Others only give GPS coordinates...like at everyturn. I don't give a rats a__ for coordinates, give me a damn map of the hike!
More to come...
Nevada:
Muddy Mountains Wilderness
Arrow Canyon Wilderness
California:
Clark Mountain Wilderness
Kelso Dunes Wilderness
Mojave National Preserve

[John Morrow]

I added pics to the text.