Red Rock Canyon - April 2011 - Near Las Vegas, NV

Between a rock and a high place. With more than 2000 climbing routes, Red Rock National Conservation Area is one of the top five climbing destinations in the United States. 

 Why are the rocks red?  More than 600 million years ago, the land that would become Red Rock Canyon was at the bottom of a deep ocean.  The formation, locally known as Aztec Sandstone, is quite hard and forms the cliffs of Red Rock Canyon.

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 Exposure to the elements caused some of the iron bearing minerals to oxidize.  This oxidizing process can be easily thought of as "rusting the sand," which resulted in red, orange and tan colored rocks.

Calico Hills offers access to sport climbing areas and the best close up views of Calico Hills.

Although you can see most of Red Rock Canyon by driving the 13-mile scenic route, no trip would be complete without a nice hike.  Kathy (she says it was me) suggested we take the most strenuous hike within the park.  Look in the center of the photo and you can see some people rock scrambling the final mile to the top of the peak.

 Turtlehead Peak is a 5-mile round-trip, 2000 foot, mostly rock scrambling climb to the top of the peak.  Here I am looking over the peak while Kathy is documenting our hike in the visitor log. It took us 2 hours and 15 minutes to walk and mostly climb our way to the top. My hat is reversed due to the 45 mph winds at the top of the peak. I did not want to get to close to the edge in fear that the wind might gust and I would be airborne without a parachute.

Enlarge this photo and you should be able to see Las Vegas in the background. You can literally sit on the edge and swing your feet over the peak.  No way. No how.

The hike back down was very steep with a lot of loose gravel.  It took us just over one hour to cover the 2 1/2 mile return trip.  I decided it was time for new hiking boots after this journey.  We both wished we still had a hot tub to ease our pains.

This is Turtlehead Peak.  What were we thinking?