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Who would have guessed we're trying to keep from overheating?

Good question, thanks for asking! For the most up to date drone info and regulations, check pilotinstitute.com. There's a new "Trust Pilot" course (free) that is required for flying unmanned aircraft anywhere. It's a quick easy course, mostly to get you familiar with regulations: Where you can fly, where not to fly, where to get an app that gives you a map of restricted areas. I'd go there first to clear up all your questions on drone flight. In the meantime, I got this answer on Google through Ai: Yes, you can fly a drone on Potosi Mountain South, a peak in the Spring Mountain Range just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. However, you should be aware of the following: Radio towers: There are FM radio towers on the adjacent peak, so you should stay away from them. Elevation: Potosi Mountain South is over 8,000 feet above sea level. Access: The track to the summit is steep, narrow, and has loose gravel in places. FAA guidelines: Anyone flying a drone in the U.S. National Airspace System (NAFS) must follow FAA guidelines and regulations. Recreational flyers can fly at or below 400 feet in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace. Wildlife: Do not fly over or near wildlife, as this can cause stress and even death. Wilderness areas: Do not fly over congressionally designated wilderness areas or primitive areas.

It is a strange situation. I lived in Connecticut for 8 years before moving here. 16 degrees and below for 2 months in a row. It's like a different planet here! Seldom dipped below 110 degrees the entire Summer! Still hanging on in the 90's third week in October.

​​@@lasvegasareatrailsYou are right about it being a different planet. Looked like a Star Trek scene, so I gave it a search. Lo and behold they filmed some star trek at silica dome out there.

It's an amazing, little-known place. We're fortunate to have been able to stand on that spot! Thanks for your comment!

What route did you take?

@@lasvegasareatrails From the parking area on Deer Creek Road.

Thanks for sharing!

I was amazed when I hit that upper ridge. Wish you'd have been there. We would have made both summits!

It's great to hear your stories and plans John. Very obvious that hiking is one of your greatest passions, and that you're always moving your experience to the next level. In particular, you've really caught on to the value of using the surrounding landmarks as your GPS guiding system. That changes the whole game, making it possible to be out there experiencing the wilderness as one complete whole rather than being confined to maps, GPS and phone screens which artificially divide things up as they show you just one piece at a time. What you're experiencing now is truly liberating. Yesterday I thought of you as I was on the upper ridgeline of Mummy's Chin, looking down on the line of the Bonanza Trail. I think I even identified Amargosa Overlook, which you speak of so highly. It's on my hit list. You're fortunate to have your wife also as your hiking partner. That is growing a strong bond of shared experiences between you two around the boundless wilderness. You'll know now and even more as time goes on that the value of this bond is even more important than the wilderness experiences. Keep the stories and plans coming, and as always, thanks for your generous kind words about LasVegasAreaTrails and the videos!

Those sound like incredible, inhuman adventures Glenn, as I've come to expect from you! That Mummy adventure must have had a few class 3-4 moves. It doesn't get better than this! I've been steadily continuing with my weekly adventures, focusing on Mummy's Head area lately as it contains a lot of terrain I have not yet documented. In addition, I joined the Red Rock Search and Rescue Team and am in the midst of a huge wilderness learning curve. Great fun. One thing I learned that you might be interested in is an app you can download: CalTopo. Take a look. It's used by Search & Rescue world-wide. I think its available to everyone. You can trace your adventures like ReLive, but there's are many more features on the free version. It doesn't play adventures back on video, but does give amazing route detail.

@@lasvegasareatrails Yes, a few class 3-4 moves, but nothing dangerous...no serous exposure. If I can make it, you can do it in half the time! I'm enjoying your Mummy's head vids. That is an area I have not explored yet. As always, your vids are very helpful and inspiring. So you joined RRSAR....that's great! I'll check out that app! It sounds like something I would definitely use! Hike on! 💯👊😎

Yesterday as I stood on the ridgeline between Mummy's Chin and Head, and looked at the amazing rocky heights in both directions I though of you Glenn. I imagined you going crazy in that rocky paradise! You'll see when the video comes out today or tomorrow. The Mummy's Head area is pristine, untouched and its own unique wilderness world. It has everything! And...on the way down I made a wrong turn and ended up in Lee Canyon. Great to see the connection between that route and the route from Deer Creek Road, along with even more route possibilities in the Mummy's Head area. You'll enjoy exploring and discovering!

@@lasvegasareatrails Awesome! Looking forward to the vid, and getting out there to explore that section.!

Glad you love the videos! Great question. I've given the name "Legendary Adventures" to my all-time favorites and placed links to them all on this page: lasvegasareatrails.com/las-vegas-area-legendary-wilderness-adventures-nevada/ Each Legendary Adventure has its video embedded in the web page so you can click and view. Let me know what you think!

You can't loose in that area. Whatever you do, you're in paradise! Glad you and your wife had a great time and got to see some incredible views from above the Desert Overlook Viewpoint. Way to go earlier when you tackled the Mummy's Nose cliffs. The best route is fun and challenging. Straying from that can get us non-technical climbers in trouble fast. There is no place with better views in all Southern Nevada...and it's so close to Las Vegas! Thanks for your compliments on the videos.

Good one John! Yes, to totally embrace the steepness head up to the Notch from Lee Canyon, then at the saddle take a right turn up the cliff. On the other hand, if you go down the other side of the saddle instead of going for the cliff, the Deer Creek Road route map possibly create some competition. Which have you done?

Took another shot at the Deer Creek route yesterday. Further refinements. Made it all the way to the gully beneath the Lee Canyon route saddle. The amazing thing is that the return trip back to Deer Creek Road took less than 2 hours! I'll continue pushing it further until I reach Mummy's Chin and Nose. Then return to the Lee Canyon route. The new approach shoes are making a huge difference. Thanks for your suggestion John!

That’s great Dave. Keep it up!!!!

Perfect weather for Little Zion. The entire area is great, so I'm sure you both had a fine day in the wilderness. Sorry your wife had a headache. Soon she'll get beyond the lingering effects of her recent trip and you'll both end up in Little Zion! Thanks for the update on Rainbow Spring Road conditions. Love hearing about your adventures John!

Looks like next week will still be perfect temperature for Mt. Charleston Wilderness. Mid 90's again in the Vegas Valley. I may try Mummy's Forehead. This week was a brief preview of cooler weather to come. Thanks for your comment John. Don't you love the lingering feeling of peace the few days after spending a day in the wilderness? The bigger the adventure, the longer it lasts!

It was pretty sneaky difficult descending the La Madre Ridgeline and overgrown La Madre Springs gully getting to the base of White Rock Mountain. Thanks for your comment John. Great to stay connected! Wish you had been here. White Rock Mt. is on my list.

Glad you made it!!!! I’m sure you had to battle.

It took me some time to see the Mummy too. It all came together when I was on Mt. Charleston at sunrise. Check out the Mummy Mt. picture in the slide show on this page, pretty dramatic: lasvegasareatrails.com/4-peak-peak-mt-charleston-wilderness-circuit-adventure/ If you ever wondered why they call it "Mummy Mt." the picture will end all doubts.

Great comment! Piecing together the area by adventures and video is one of my major goals: Seeing the entire wilderness as a unified whole. So happy to see that's important to you too! Thanks for watching and commenting!

Good question! I hike the high altitudes of Mt. Charleston Wilderness during the Summer months when its 70-80 degrees there. In the Fall I drop down to the La Madre Mts., Rainbow Mts. and similar elevations where it's still 70-80 degrees. In the Winter I'm in elevations like Lake Mead and Death Valley...around 70 degrees. This week is a turning point. Heading down to the La Madre Mts. and Rainbow Mts. Likely not returning to the Mt. Charleston Wilderness until mid-June.

Thanks John! Still working toward Mummy's Head and Chin from Deer Creek Road. Little-traveled area. Hope all is well with you. So great to keep up the connection!

Amargosa Overlook Ridge is definitely on my hit list, thanks to your reports John. I'll need to save it for next Summer. Fall and Spring are such a small window. I'm turning my focus to the La Madre Ridgeline, the Rainbow Mountains and Damsel Peak now. But I agree with you, regardless of where you go and how far you get, you always win just by virtue of being out there! That stretch of the Wilson Ridgeline you mentioned is also on my short list. One target is the point where the Wilson Ridge and La Madre Ridge meet. I think this may be the very high point you were referring to. Covering this area will connect an important upper ridgeline stretch. So much to explore out there! I feel as though I have not even touched the massive extent of the wilderness within 40 miles of Las Vegas even though for the last 6 years I've created and documented a new, entirely unique adventure every week! Looking forward to your continuing discoveries John! Your discoveries have added a lot of new destinations to my hit list!

Thanks John! I've placed your detail on the website's linked page: lasvegasareatrails.com/evas-tower-rainbow-mountain-wilderness-nevada/

Thanks for the update Bryon. I've added your comment to the linked page on my site: lasvegasareatrails.com/harris-springs-harris-mountain-roads-spring-mountains-nevada-off-road-cycling/

Thanks! There are a lot of explorers quietly making history out here.

Thanks for that update John. I've been on that stretch many times and can imagine places where a little erosion could create massive exposure.

Thanks for that first hand assessment John. I've added it to the linked page: lasvegasareatrails.com/mescalito-pyramid-rainbow-mountain-wilderness-nevada/

Thanks for clarifying the unique directions your route took John. It's always good to see that there are multiple routes to a destination, and that it's often necessary to adjust your route along the way based on what you're experiencing. The ability to be innovative along the way is as important as the the other rock climbing skills in this kind of terrain. I've added your comment to the linked page: lasvegasareatrails.com/calico-tank-peak-red-rock-canyon-national-conservation-area-nevada/

Good question. The Calico Hills are ancient sand dunes from the Jurassic Era, around 200 million years ago (age of the dinosaurs). They were once under the water of a shallow ocean the covered the area. They're now frozen into their current shape. The red colors are from iron oxide, leached up through the sand. Erosion over time has continued to shape the hills.

Wow really interesting. Never been to Nevada yet I find the Vegas valley to be the most interesting place. Can't wait to get out there. So alien compared to the Midwest, Can't beleive it's even in the same country let alone same planet.

Great observation! Besides Portland Oregon and Las Vegas, I've lived and explored for extended periods of time in the wilderness around Connecticut and Southern Indiana. The wilderness in these last two places is not so much in your face as it is here in Nevada, but for those who look, they'll find unique incredible beauty. Though some places may look foreign compared to others, it's all one interconnected wilderness everywhere. I hope you have the opportunity to explore the wilderness around Las Vegas soon! Thanks for your comments!

This dune field was once a single, nearly unbroken thick sheet of sandstone that stretched from just west of the current Red Rock Canyon area all the way east through Arizona and Utah. Slowly erosion has removed it over much of its former range, but in the Red Rock Canyon area (as well as in Valley of Fire to the Northeast) the sandstone was protected by a massive compressional thrust fault that, some 70 million years ago, pushed a big chunk of limestone from the west over the top of it. As that cap rock erodes back, the sandstone hidden underneath becomes once more exposed and accessible. So better hurry... another 10 or 20 million years and it will be gone!

Just now saw your comment. It was somehow pushed down in the comments. Thanks for your very informative big picture description of the origin and future of the Jurassic sandstone features in the Southwest. You put it in perhaps the clearest, most understandable way I have yet heard. That fault you speak of is, I believe, the Keystone Thrust fault. I love traversing those tall limestone ridges you speak of that protect the sandstone. Two ridgelines in particular stand out: The Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline: lasvegasareatrails.com/rainbow-mountain-wilderness-nevada-overview/ and the La Madre Ridgeline: lasvegasareatrails.com/la-madre-ridgeline-grand-crossing-la-madre-mts-wilderness-red-rock-canyon-nca-nevada/. They are both spectacular vantage points for looking down upon the sandstone formations in this area. Thanks for your great comment!

Thanks for watching and commenting! By taking the time to scope out your route before starting you're way ahead of a lot of people and more likely to have a great adventure. Wishing you the best!

More to come! If you send me a description of the route and your experience I'll add it to the linked page on the website.

I'm so used to looking down from above, I forgot how great it is to look up to the peaks from below.

That's the last thing I would have thought about while standing there. Very interesting. Makes sense. BTW, I just got my first pair of approach boots! We'll see what difference that makes, starting with Mummy's Forehead next week. Hope all is going well for you in VA.

Those are some great favorites John! I love them too. My favorite high peaks are Harris, Mummy (toe, summit, nose & forehead) and Griffith. But every destination out there is wonderful and magical. You can't loose! Thanks for sharing your favorites!

Weather is about to turn so it will be nice to head back to some areas of Lovell and Red Rock again. Who knows. Perhaps more of Valley of Fire, Southern Utah and Lake Mead. If I could get more time off then Arizona and Cali

Thanks again for bringing Amargosa Overlook to mind, and for clarifying the approach route. Another benefit of this hike is that it provides views of a new region North of Charleston Peak!

Looking forward to the temperature change expanding close hiking opportunities beyond the Charleston Wilderness. It's been a long hot Summer, but a lot of cool discoveries from Mummy's Head into the Northern Spring Mountains. Keep up the great exploration and reporting John!

Thanks for bringing this route to mind John. I've been wanting to explore in this direction but haven't gotten to it yet. Now it's on the hit list! Your directions and route adjustments to navigate the trail closure sound very good. Sounds like you determined take the South Sister's approach to Bonanza Trail, then turn left on Bonanza Trail then right when you hit the Armargosa Route is the way to go? Does that sound right, or do you hit the Bonanza Trail earlier from Old Mill area? Looks like there are some steep slopes which ever way you go.

Yes! And we can make a grand circuit adventure summiting Mummy's Nose from Lee Canyon and then descending the North side. I've done both, but not as a circuit.

@@lasvegasareatrails I like this idea...

Consider it done!

Every adventure here is a life memory! The terrain has been here thousands of years, basically unchanged. The passage of time disappears. Thanks for commenting!

About a month or so ago wife and I found the Eastern Ridge but we did not have the energy to top . If memory serves me we topped out at around 9,400k. Now that you have completed the circuit is a different ballgame here. This may be in my top 5 hikes that I have been on in the Spring Mountains just because of the views and scenery. The old mill trail to the saddle between the summits of Sisters loop and Mcfarland are amazing. Not hard either. The other is the north loop to that saddle just before all of the switchbacks up to Raintree and Fletcher. Amazing views and not that difficult.

It has been a long hot summer. Wife and I get try to get our shopping and daily circuit out of the way prior to the summer. We are pretty good at it so we can enjoy our days off outside of the city life. This summer was intense and still not over yet. Temps are still topping 110's. Whew. We plan so the best is to get above 9k/10k elevation and above. I could not imagine life back in the days of a century ago when this town first got it's start without any A/C. I heard they used drenched sheets blowing in the wind in the lower valley but you showed us that getting to higher altitudes is the way for 2/3 months. Been enjoying this mountain range for the past decade or more. Perhaps more trails will pop up in the next 5 years where you have been and actually your subs have been. Switchbacks need to be created on some of these courses that are unmarked. I guess that is what you are doing. Paving the way for another generation. Maybe the weekends are different. I use to hike more on the weekends. I do most hikes during mid week. Not as many hikers as in the past. I keep wondering if what has happened the past 4/5 years has had an impact on adventurers and hiking community? Pretty sad if we have lost the passion to get out instead of staring at TV screens all day/ Social Media? Love your videos. Be and stay safe.

Way to go John! So glad you have made an opportunity to enjoy this pristine, spectacular area. Your strategy about switchbacking up the steep slopes is a great one. I do that myself, but have not thought to mention it. Thanks for bringing it up! Also, staying as high as possible. The ridgelines, besides being mountaintop views the entire way are also the easiest navigation. Good news, just a couple days ago I made it from those high ridges to the summit of Mummy's Nose. I'll post the video before the end of this week. There was some frightening exposure in a couple places for a non rock climber like me, but taking things one step at a time it was okay, and nothing beyond class 3, mostly class 2. I was afraid I'd not be able to get back down, but the descent was actually much easier than the ascent...probably because I'd already covered the ground and knew what to expect, and because you can see your next step easier from above and finally, it's easier with class 3 and below to lower yourself than to raise yourself over challenging spots. What's more, the distance between the high ridges and the summit is surprisingly short. Even though that prominent summit is one of the most spectacular vantage points in all of the Spring Mountains, whether or not a person makes it there, all the approach ridges are like mountaintops and awesomely rewarding, unforgettable experiences. The Alpine Loop will always be one of my favorite hikes ever.

Yes, I love that Eastern Ridge. So many unique views there: Angel Peak, Sheep Range, Mummy Mountain, Fletcher Peak, Las Vegas Valley and beyond. It's fun just to see ridgelines you've traversed earlier, like the North Loop Trail and Cougar Ridge, and put it all together as one unified, unbroken wilderness. And it's totally pristine and untouched. Just standing on that spectacular ridge is rewarding in itself, no matter how high you ascend. You and your wife are experiencing wonders that few people live to see. Every moment a life memory!

I agree, once you experience that mid-Summer high altitude air conditioning with its incredible panoramic views, there's no going back to living out the Summer in small, closed, artificially cooled, walled-in rooms with stale air that has been recycled over and over again. Even at some future point when I can no longer physically hike the upper ridgelines, I plan to drive up to the highest places my car will take me (or beg others to drive me) just to experience these heights! Your observation about paving the way for another generation is so true. In fact, there are already faint trails on a many of the wilderness routes we traverse. If these routes become popular, we may end up with a situation like Calico Basin where we're needing to identify a few distinct routes in every area so that people don't just wing it and disturb entire areas. I'm hoping to identify major routes. For now, it's all wide open. We're still in the blessed pioneering days, but as you mentioned, looking forward to future generations and how they might be able to both enjoy and preserve this unique, spectacular wilderness area. Thanks as always for your comments John! Your activity and stories are a benefit to myself and others!

Still much to explore there!

Doesn't get better! Now that I know the entire area, I'm ready to go for Mummy's Nose summit from Deer Creek Rd., then begin exploring a route to the Forehead. Thanks for checking in John! Hope all is well in NC! Blue Ridge Mountains.

I’m in northern Virginia but close to the Blue Ridge.

Thanks for setting me straight on the state! States are so close to each other in the Eastern U.S. A 100-mile radius around you should include multiple states and wilderness areas. Looking forward to hearing of your adventures!

Good to see you!

You'll have a great time! The beginning from Lee Canyon is very pristine and untouched. You'll feel as if you were the first person to ascend that ridge.

You would have loved it! Definitely wakes you up. How is N. Carolina? Looking forward to hearing your discoveries and stories John!

Have you been there?

@@lasvegasareatrails I will come back with you this fall... It looks like you start to enjoy out-of-trail trails?

Great! That gully at the base of the cliffs is calling you!

That's so great that you brought up this great adventure area, La Madre Mountains from Kyle Canyon. It's so beautiful and untouched up there. This is partly because it's hard to get to: Long approach distance, pathless terrain. I had to explore the area a number of times before I finally figured it out. Still working on El Bastardo to White Rock Mountain...closing the gap. Unless you're ready to tackle snow and ice on those slopes, you might stick to September-November; March-Late April. I'm looking forward to your next discoveries in the La Madre Mountains. Check out this La Madre Ridgeline access from La Madre Springs in the White Rock Mt. area: lasvegasareatrails.com/keystone-thrust-summit-from-willow-spring-red-rock-canyon-nevada/ Thanks always for your informative reports and compliments John!

That's a great loop John! Good mix of wilderness, unmarked trails, keeping your bearings all along the way. In October that loop is really colorful, especially around that Mummy Springs gully! I'm looking forward to trying your Sisters trail loop. You two might like this totally unknown, pristine, fun route I found from Fletcher Canyon to Fletcher Peak. Could be good as an out-and-back to Fletcher Peak. Adding Cockscomb Ridge got a bit confusing, but you could make it a loop and return via the Trail Canyon trail. All class 2. lasvegasareatrails.com/fletcher-canyon-fletcher-peak-cockscomb-ridge-circuit-mt-charleston-wilderness-nevada/

Will do. Wife has an engagement the next month. I may go solo and check out some areas that are more wilderness. She loves trails. Your extensive work guiding is invaluable. Been to places very safely by the help of your videos. I may venture off to Bonanza trail via that gradual saddle in between Sisters South and Divide / McFarland Peak. Perhaps head South and turn East towards Amargosa and check that out. Seems to be an easy day if weather permits. Upper Bristlecone Trail is shut down so this seems to be the way

Great ideas John! I'll be interested especially in hearing about your experience on the East side of the Bonanza Trail ridgeline. I think about exploring the terrain there every time I'm on the Bonanza Trail, but haven't gotten there yet. Exciting possibilities!

You did it! Thanks for the report John! Sounds like you took a few turns that put you in some steep territory. I'll have to go out there and check out the loop. Great video link to a summary of a few of our favorite trails in the area and review of the recent flood damage. Thanks for your insightful comment and story!

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What you're planning is possible, and likely bypassing all the cliffs. In fact, you could be on trails the entire time. Everything out there is unmarked, but I think there are trails that cover the entire loop you intend.

Great plan. Note that the rock-lined trail beginning at the picnic area connects with the Bonanza Trail likely above the closed area. If you can find that point of connection on the lower Bonanza Trail you could return on the rock-lined trail to the Old Mill Picnic area. One strategy might be to take the rock-lined trail to the Bonanza Trail just to see where it connects, then go back to the Sisters trail for the loop. But you're probably out there now...so these thoughts are coming too late!

I love the limestone pillars at the 26 minute point in the video! Glad you made it to that point. Your strategy of only going as far as you feel comfortable, then heading back to return another day will give you many more years of wilderness exploration and enjoyment. It's the long story that makes the difference, not any one particular adventure. I've attempted McFarland a couple times before summiting in this video. The distance and the rolling elevation gains and losses from the Bonanza Trailhead (upper and lower) are exhausting. By the time I got to the summit gully entrance I was spent and did not have the energy to continue upward. One of the reasons I made it to the summit in this video is the shorter route from the South Sister trail and connecting ridge to the Bonanza Trail. Another reason I made it to the summit is that I was with people who had ascended the summit gully before...it took them more than one attempt too. That Western area you speak about is fascinating. You've described it well, along with some of the challenges of distance and challenging roads. However, because of those barriers, that entire area promises to be pristine and fairly untouched. Continue enjoying the wilderness, exploring and making new discoveries. You and your wife have been amassing quite a vault of personal knowledge and experience. Putting things together piece by piece over time creates a surprisingly amazing larger understanding of the wilderness as one unified whole, everything connected. Few people ever get to this point. I'm sure you and your wife will be two of the few!

Thanks again for the good words John! Curiously, we met a guy who looked like he'd been out there a few years. It was at the point we left the Sisters trail and headed up the ridge toward the Bonanza trail. His name was Harlan Stockman. We exchanged website info. His is hwstock.org/ Definitely old style website, evidence its been around a long time. Keep up the great adventures! Regardless of what people in the valley are doing these hot days, you're creating life memories as you connect with the vast wilderness and see things few people ever see!

Yes, I mistakenly left my trekking poles there. Those were mine. AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH! But not to worry. I'm already in the process of making another set. What are the chances you'd find them. It's actually good to know you recognized the poles for what they were. I hope somebody is enjoying them! Let your memory of the day be the great adventure you had in a wonderful place. Most people on that day were in an air conditioned box they call their car, office or home thinking that there is nowhere else in the area where they can escape the heat.