A view from Fortification Hill, across the Nevada border...in Arizona.
The 'hill'...Fortification Hill with splendid color, from the side.
With Jenni sick in bed, I decided to be a big boy and take on the wilds on my own. I identified a hike that looked interesting and set out to reach the summit. The trip by car, once I left the I-93S after crossing from Nevada into Arizona, was nearly tougher than the hike. The sign suggested a four-wheel drive should be driven in this region rather than a sedan—too late. Upon arriving at the trailhead, demarcated by a pole in the ground, I parked, prepared and set off for the ‘hill’ that stood before me.
The trail, some 4-miles roundtrip with a 1,500 feet elevation gain (in less than a mile), proved to be steep. Straight up to the top and of course, the reverse down again. It was a short hike by typical standards but provided the equivalent exercise one would obtain from a much longer one. In addition, it was risky in places with steep drop-offs.
The rolling hills or maybe, arroyos are one of our favorite vistas.
A view of Lake Mead from the peak, the Arizona side. (Jenni on second hike). The ascent is from the other side
of the mountain.
Should anyone else have been in the vicinity, he or she was doing a good job of remaining scarce. But for me, the trail plus as far as I could see, was devoid of human life. At one stage, I heard the scraping of hooves but failed to notice a bighorn or other animal. I realized it’s not often that I’m that alone—for most times, Jenni and I are together. The tranquility of the atmosphere together with the surrounding mountains, wave-shaped hills and colorful rocks provided a feeling of being the only person on the planet, a very attractive one (planet). Should one think too much about the idea, one could become very lonely indeed. It’s far better to be focused on absorbing the vistas, the crisp air while acquiring distance and height, thereby improving the sights even further. At the halfway stage, the mountains to the north had a pink hue to them, while those to the southern side of Fortification Hill were burnt-orange. The sights did improve with each few feet of elevation gain...(continues at end.)
At height, the snow became thicker.
May qualify as a painting.
This is a view of Fortification Hill from Red Mountain in Boulder City. Many of our views have been from
the city side. Today, we stood on the peak facing Red and Black Mountains in Boulder City. This view was taken
a little before sunset. The mountain, Fortification, is actually in Arizona whereas the city is in Nevada.
We hiked a sister mountain of the red-streaked beauty last week.
It's difficult to say but she could be summoning a helicopter.
Looks like he's going 'walk-about' in Arizona. To the left of the channel below is Hoover Dam.
Editor shows a feminine touch...footing.
The final part of the climb, to the right side of the mountain, round the corner and up the gully.
The ledge before climbing/returning up/down the gully of this volcano.
I mentioned being alone in this vast mountainous area but I might have misled you. In the few hours I spent trudging up and down, I was aware of a few thousand people about although I did not see or hear any of them. Is that a puzzle or a riddle? With McCarren Airport and Nellis Air Force Base close by and many helicopters flying sightseers over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, the airspace above me was crowded.
By the time I reached the technical part of the hike, a level-3 classification, the snow covered the ground following Sunday night's fall. Lower down, the covering was light and provided a nice contrast to the normally gray mountains. I made it onto the ridge and walked along the ledge but then my footing was less sure because of the snow. The shaded area provided less opportunity for the snow to melt causing disproportional amount of it in the culvert. After a short while, I could no longer follow the trail as it was covered completely. Instinctively, I tried the gully which led to the summit, perhaps a hundred feet further up, probably less. My warning system rang a bell and I decided to answer. Because of the snow, the steep ascent and then the later descent looked precarious. What to do? I made a few internal calculations and tried another path. It did not make sense either. I tried the gully again following another period of introspection but could not find any indication of a trail under the blanketed snow, peppered with black protruding rocks. Having no support from a buddy, not knowing where the trail was while keeping an eye on the vertical drop below, I decided to turn back as the risks of failure looked too high against any chance of success.
Upon looking at the trail map at home later, it appeared without snow, I would have required only a few more minutes on the trail. As they say, one lives to hike another day—a great concept but a little disappointing on the day.
A second and worthwhile visit. Lava Butte, a hike from ten days ago, prominent across the lake.
Eleven days later, the editor, breathing fire and raring to go, dragged me up to the peak, along the table top to an overlook showing views into Arizona and Nevada, including Lake Mead, from yet another vantage point. Most of the peaks we have climbed, we think fifteen so far, have allowed us to view each from one another, including Las Vegas and Lake Mead. By the way, the reason for her fury followed by fire, was of course to melt the snow so we could find the trail. The warm weather helped a bit, too. It was an exciting day filled with a strenuous climb, slippery slopes and a technical climb above a 1,000 foot fall. The adrenaline flowed strongly providing the energy needed; the camaraderie was delightful and binding; we were 'stuck' together all day for this one.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
One more above Lake Mead.
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