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| Hiking | 5.65 Miles |
917 AEG |
| | Hiking | 5.65 Miles | 4 Hrs 9 Mns | | 1.38 mph |
| 917 ft AEG | 3 Mns Break | | | |
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| partners | | Ginny and I went to Las Vegas for the Marine Corps Ball; we came a few days early to get in a little hiking. Kraft Mountain Trail was our first hike. The parking lots were just about full when we arrived. This trailhead is popular for both hikers and rock climbers. My intent was to hike the circumference of Kraft Mountain CCW, up Gateway Canyon returning through Pink Goblin Pass for about a 4 mile hike. I never saw the trail for Pink Goblin Pass so we continued up Gateway Canyon. Pink Goblin Pass is a well maintained trail I just missed where it exited the wash, was more interested in looking at the scenery. We took the canyon that headed south out of Gateway Canyon just below Turtlehead Peak. This side canyon heads up to a pass that overlooks Ash Canyon. Ash Canyon Trail on my GPS looked like it would be an easy walk down the canyon and back to the start point. This was a rock climb and scramble down to the bottom, took quite a while. At one point I went on ahead to make sure the canyon was passable without being too challenging. I ran into a group that seemed stuck so I helped them find a route. Once I decided it was doable I headed back and got Ginny. This canyon does not require any technical climbs but does involve some small drops and rock scrambling on the side of the canyon. Once down on the basin floor it is an easy walk back to the trail head. There was a trail on the upper end of Ash Canyon that a couple of people said just leads to a bluff with a view but appeared to end there so they were returning. I suspect the Ash Canyon trail actually continues to the basin floor via that trail, will have to check it out next time I’m in this area.
The Kraft Mountain trail is an easy trail up Gateway Canyon. This hike is just one interesting thing after another, when not looking at the trail to avoid tripping you are taking in the sites of beautiful colored boulders and cliffs. Striped and polka doted sandstone rocks both white and red. Turtlehead peak looms at the upper end of the canyon and is in view most of the time. Turtlehead Peak is a limestone peak that looks a lot like Ramsey peak in the Huachuca Mountains. Just before turning south in a side canyon of Gateway Canyon and just below Turtlehead Peak is a spring, it was just dripping when we were there. I think it was worth missing the Pink Goblin Pass Trail to see the upper part of Gateway Canyon. There is a visible trail that heads up the side creek out of Gateway Canyon that leads to a pass overlooking Ash Canyon. The views of the red and white sandstone cliffs of the Calico hills are spectacular. The rock formations along the Ash Canyon trail make this little side trip worth it. |
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