This morning Rylie and I headed out for a hike.  It has been quite a while, and I knew she was starting to develop a little cold, so I planned on keeping it pretty easy.  Specifically, we were planning on hiking to the top of The Escarpment in Red Rock Canyon. 

Technically, The Escarpment is an unnamed peak in Red Rock but it is also the highest point in the park.  I made an attempt at it once before, but was forced to turn back because my Infiniti couldn’t get to the trailhead.  Since then I have upgraded to the Jeep, so I didn’t expect access to be an issue.

On our way to Red Rock we were detoured by wild burros.  (There’s a sentence I never thought I would type…)  Along Route NV-159 which is the easiest (legal) route into Red Rock, there are signs talking about the $500 fine for feeding wild horses and burros.  I have made fun of it since I first saw it wondering if it was just something to impress the tourists.  Guess not.  On the east side of the road were three burros just watching the world go by.  We stopped looked at them, took a couple pictures, and kept going.   

The shortest route to the trailhead for the Escarpment hike is accessed through Rocky Gap Road, an unmaintained BLM road, accessed through the Willow Spring Picnic Area at mile marker 7 on the one-way Red Rock loop road.  We had no trouble finding the picnic area and setting out of the road.  Once on Rocky Gap Road, I think it was a little more than Rylie had imagined.  When I told her that it was a road only for vehicles like the Jeep, I’m not sure she knew what that meant.  She does now.

Thanks to the cold temperatures and recent snow, the ground was mostly frozen save for a few slightly muddy spots.  The road is primarily well packed with lots of exposed rocks and big holes.  It ascends about 1,000 feet over about 4 miles, making for some steep sections.  After bouncing along nicely, and dodging the “tire-eating” rocks we got to a pretty little wash covered in what appeared to be shell ice.  Not so.  It supported me in most places, and completely covered the road for about 20 yards.  The road had a decent left leaning slope, and losing traction on the ice could mean a nasty slide off the left side of the road.  Best case, we would catch the two downhill tires and drive out safely.  Worst case, a sideways roll a few hundred feet into a canyon.  I wasn’t really in the mood to gamble.  As beautiful a day as it is, I wasn’t willing to make it my last.  Plus, if we did make it, there was a large rock that needed to be climbed at the other side of the ice, and I wasn’t sure that my 8 year old was a qualified spotter for such an effort.  We could have parked and hiked up from where we were, but it would have lengthened the overall hike by about 2 miles.  I wasn’t sure she was up to that.

So, I begrudgingly turned around.

On the way down, we stopped to hike to La Madre Springs, an area protected due to its role in the local ecosystem as a watering hole for the fauna.  Everything from deer to big horn sheep and even wild burros use the area as a water source.  Since we had driven a decent ways up the access road already (most people park about a mile away from where we were) it would be an easy hike.  Or not.  Rylie was trying out new hiking boots because her last ones gave her awful blisters.  She had trouble with her feet bothering her, and between the long bumpy ride and her cold symptoms, it wasn’t meant to be.  After it was all said and done, we hiked about a mile.

On the way out of Red Rock we decided to drive back past where we saw the burros.  And they were still in the same area.  We watched them for a few minutes and headed home.

Next time I try the Escarpment I’m taking a different route in. It is longer and more out of the way, but hopefully allows me to actually reach the trailhead.

All in all, we had a good time, even if it wasn’t in line with our intentions.  In my eyes, it was a success because I got a few hours alone with my oldest daughter, which is a rarity.  She is so busy with gymnastics, school, painting, and friends, that I don’t see her as much as I would like.  Considering the time with her, even without the hike or the view, it was a perfect morning.