I
managed to get out of downtown and to the Red Rock canyon by noon. I
had prepaid at Budget to rent the cheapest car out of the Golden
Nugget. With the LDW it was $350 for the week. I tried to use the
free upgrade coupon Elizabeth got by signing up for the fast track,
but the clerk explained that prepaying means no negotiation on time
or on size.
I
had neglected to turn back my clock, so I arrived over an hour early,
and I could not get a car early.
Again
the clerk explained that prepaid folks were assigned a car at the
booking time and mine had not even left to come down to the Nugget
yet.
Perhaps
part of the issue was that so many people were going to the races??
and renting cars to get there. It was crowded.
While
I waited, I went for a free Sunday brunch at the Golden Nugget buffet
using the poker comps. It was nice to be able to cover that $20
breakfast. The Sunday brunch price escalation of all the buffets in
Vegas is a rip off, but this time it was perfect timing for
convenience, and I liked finding the smoked salmon and making my
favorite of salmon, capers, onions, tomato and creamy horseraddish
sauce.
It
was also good to get a nice carafe of coffee in me and enough food
that I was fully prepared to take the Calico hike in Red Rock Canyon
and actually held me satisfied all day, with just a couple bananas
and some nuts around supper time.
I
arrived back at the car desk at a quarter to nine, but I had a half
hour wait in line.
The
clerk was apologetic that I had been there early and then had to wait
when I came back. Perhaps that is why she freely upgraded me to a
Kia Soul?? in spite of what she had explained about prepaid cars.
This
car was was $120 a day if booked last minute.
The
value of good preplanning was clear in the car rental. I prepaid for
a good rate.
For
peace of mind I paid an extra $150?? for the week by getting the Loss
Damage Waiver. For many this seems silly, but I caused a huge amount
of damage recently just by driving my own van up on a curbing. My
deductable was $500. Another claim this soon would certainly raise
my insurance rates.
Also,
I hate the scratch and damage game some of the rental places play
where they find damage not caused by the renter, sometimes as much as
a month later (after insurance claims are hard.)
Also,
I am put off by the rare but possible Loss of Value charge and
annoyed by the credit card insurers who demand an inventory of cars
from the rental company before paying the daily charge on the car
while it is being fixed, an inventory the rental company does not
want to give.
For
some, getting the better deal is just another bit of gambling. But I
like the peace of mind in knowing at least the car I am renting won't
generate any claims against me.
Even
for a frugal guy like me, comfort is often well worth the price.
I
like this Kia Soul. Plenty of easy room for my luggage and it feels
comfortable on the road and safer than the smallest Kia would feel.
Entrance
to the park was free with my DD214 to show proof of my military
service. I asked if they had a Veteran's deal and he checked my form
and gave me a receipt for a military vehicle. That saved me seven
dollars.
The
next day I presented the DD214 and the fellow said they did not have
a deal for Veteran's. But he was a Veteran, and he let me in asking
me to petition the BLM to have some Veteran's discount. I hear that
there is going to be a card for Veterans. Good thing. This 35 year
old document is pretty worn out.
My
friend Chuck tells me to pay $10 at a National Park while I am in
Florida and I can get a permanent park pass good forever. I just
have to be over 65.
THE
FIRST HIKE
Red
Rock includes 14 miles of driving in a circle through the canyon with
many pulloffs and possible hikes.
The
very first is Calico I. I think this first pull off at the beginning
of the circle is the most amazing, and that hike between Calico I and
Calico II really is in the center of what is the reddest red rocks.
It
is very easy and short. This time I hiked it from Calico 1 to the
last ascent near Calico 2. At the top of that very slight incline I
could see the end of the trail, and I had seen all the rocks I'd see,
even if I completed the hike, but by turning back I could avoid a
rather steep descent and then an arduous ascent.
I
then walked back to Calico 1 for my van on the trail rather than
exiting and using the road. I saved a tough end climb. It was
plenty. I was tired when I climbed the last bit up to Calico I.
I
found that two bottles of water is plenty for this trip. I carried
three and that was more than I would ever need. Perhaps in August I
would need three.
The
park itself on this first day was full of visitors. It was a Sunday
and the parking pull offs were full with cars and the overflow
stretched back along the sides of the road.
Still,
once down the trail a bit, it was peaceful enough. There was some
loud calls from up in the rocks, even one rock climber, but there
were moments of that amazing quiet we seek in hiking.
I
saw plenty of rabbits with their cute little white tails flickering
and plenty of fast darting small lizards. The Florida lizards around
us there are a good bit slower and they pause to enable us to get a
good look. There dart across the trail so quickly they are hard to
really see, and then they are hidden in green.
I
brought along my flowering desert plant book, but there is nothing
flowering here at Red Rock in November.
After
the hike, I drove up to Willow Springs and walked out to see where
the trail to Madre Springs?? was located. The good road ends and
there is a rocky road that is not maintained. I went up just a bit
of that to get a sense of it for another day.
I
liked the area and decided to try that hike the next day. That was
a good decision because there were no huge crowds on Monday and no
offroad vehicles traveling up the hiking pathway.
I
liked getting a good start on the hiking by going before I check in
to the hotel, but another year I might just leave my bags with the
bellman to get them out of the car. I don't suppose there is that
much theft at Red Rock, but there are signs about security, and it
would be easy to empty my car while I was on the trail and leave with
everything.
THE
SECOND HIKE
I
was up and rested and ready. This is rare for me these days. I had
a fine $8 buffet breakfast at the buffet and went directly to the
Willow Springs picnic area. The hike was supposed to be 1.5 miles
one way, but actually it was closer to 2 miles because it took a
while to hike to the trailhead from the Willow Springs area. The
trail is an unmaintained roadway and I could have driven in farther,
but it was pretty rough stone.
I
was happy to have picked a quiet morning to hike up. There was some
traffic on the roadway, but generally just a few other hikers.
One
group was an annoying group of five young folks with radios blasting.
Strange really. But they were lovers of noise as I found out when
they left Willow Springs in loud muffled cars. The radios could only
be heard, however, when they passed me on the trail. The noise did
not echo throughout the canyon.
These
folks perhaps were also the ones who left two empty water bottles
along the trail. Very annoying. I carried that trash out.
The
rest of the folks I passed or spoke too, maybe 8 total, were quietly
walking dogs or hiking the trail.
No
one was anywhere near my age. Most were college age. Some had
backpacks and a few had good walking sticks. But this pathway easily
accommodated me with just a few water bottles in my cargo pant
pockets.
One
was a very pretty, perky and healthy looking blond with a bright
orange backpack. She walked with a determined step and I liked
hearing her pass with a friendly comment on the fine weather and then
watching her go off down the trail with her hair flapping behind her.
Meeting
other hikers was a fine way to reassure myself that I was on the
correct pathway and estimate the distance yet to travel. The first
split sends another trail off to the left into a Wilderness area. It
is marked with a sign. The second fork sends the Madre Springs folks
off to the left and the White Rock folks to the right and that might
circle back down to the car parking area, but it is much longer.
I
did the Madre Springs and back the same route.
Most
of the other hikers passed me going up and coming down. I took about
twice as long as they did. The four mile hike took me a bit less
than four hours.
I
rested when I wanted. In one spot just about a third of the way was
a fine large rock set just off the trail. A good place to sit with a
fine view of the mountains.
The
Springs themselves are tiny and no great site, but I was pleased to
be there and know I'd made the walk, and I was happy to sit there for
a long while, resting and watching the water. In one small pool
were water spiders making interesting bubble looking shadows on the
rocks. And I saw there one pollywog.
Just
before I arrived at the springs, I was greeted by some interesting
black birds, much like crows but unlike any crows we have at home.
It was almost like they had come down the trail to greet me and show
me the way to the water.
One
did an unusual folding of wings and dropping sharply down while
uttering a raucus cry.
There
were other birds there too.
There
was a great contrast between this and the Calico terrain. This was
full of green trees and bushes, and grasses. Everywhere the paddle
cactus flourished.
The
rocky mountains held only small sections of the reddish chiule??. The
rest were buff colored Aztec sandstone.
There
was more wind here than in other places and that would make this a
fine hike on a very hot day. The sound of the wind took over the
sound of silence that I sometimes could experience on the other
trail.
I
saw just one flowering plant. I also saw a berried bush. And there
was scat with the berries mixed in and undigested. Birds replant
this way, carrying the seeds and making the fertilizer.
At
the visitors center I was interested to read about Agave roasting
pits that were used to cook food. The pits were about a yard deep
and 5-10 feet across. Using limestone to hold the heat economized on
wood for fuel. In the pit wet grass was placed and then the food
to be cooked (perhaps hearts of agave) and then more wet grass, and
finally a thick layer of dirt.
Because
the limestone lost its value as a holder of heat after one fire, the
rocks would be taken out and stacked in a circle around the pit.
There is one site just a short distance up the Madre Springs trail.
I
took quite a few photographs.
FOOT
CARE
My
last two trips to Vegas have included blisters. Last time I took
what I thought was a great pair of New balance sneakers, but they had
a worn section on the inner lining, and it wore a blister on the back
of my foot.
Most
of my other blisters form on my toes.
I
carry some open toed shower shoes and walk in these in Vegas if the
blisters have come, but this trip I spent some time working on
keeping the blisters from forming.
First,
instead of vaseline (which only lubricates but does not hydrate the
skin,) I used Calendula Cream. It is made from marigolds. Aloe is
also recommended, but this seemed to work very well for the entire
trip.
I
am very excited to have found it, because it changes my walking life.
I
also went to a hiking store and bought $80 worth of socks, Some were
Smartwool padded for hiking. Some were light white shells, used first
on the foot to reduce friction.
??
These socks worked in Vegas and worked on the trail.
I
rarely used my other cotton socks, even in just walking around
Downtown.
After
walking for weeks, my feet toughened a bit and I hiked since in
Denver without the fancy socks or cream and no blisters.
However,
I'd be safer to always use the expensive socks and the good hydrating
cream.
These
Smartwool socks take a bit of time to dry in Vegas after being washed
out, not just one day as do the cotton. But I had four pair, two
ankle length which worked well for my sneaker and two longer for the
hiking boots.
I'll
get more next trip as well. These were really wonderful and worth
the expense. I expect I can find them more cheaply on line.
I
love the hiking boots I've had a few years now. I don't hike as much
as I once did, so they are still getting broken in. I took a good
ankle twist on one rock along this trail and the boots supported my
ankle so there was no pain or injury.
I
also paid a good bit of money at my skin doctor's for some sunblock
that is free of risky chemicals. I've been reading that some of the
sunblocks may block skin cancer from the sun, but cause cancer with
chemicals. This product is sold right in my skin doctor's office.
It is called Elta with SPF and chemical free. It is mostly zinc
oxide.
I
took my little old camera on the hike with me and did not use my
phone. I did not bring a car charger for my Galaxy 5 phone and
wanted it to hold a charge to use as a GPS. That was a good thing
because my old fashioned GPS could not find a satellite signal in
Vegas whereas the phone gave me good directions with just an “okay
Google” question.
I
get lost easily, so I have to have good help.
I
also hate driving the major super highways.
Coming
out of downtown on a Sunday morning I thought would be light traffic.
It was. But those expressways forming the spaghetti bowl always
twist me up, and even with the GPS I got on the wrong highway because
the voice direction was a bit too late for me to lane change.
I
got off the superhighway and picked “no highways” option on the
phone GPS. It added 15 minutes to my trip, but the driving was
without any traffic and easy.
While
staying at Red Rock Casino, I only needed to drive down the road to
Red Rock Casino. That was easy. I even stopped at an Albertson and
stocked up on water and food for the rest of the trip. Having the
car I can easily get some of this to Laughlin and then to the Four
Queens. I like having water, fruit, bananas, nuts and cheese in the
room and often make a meal of that rather than buy another meal out.
I
forgot to pack a cap this trip. On the way I saw a Goodwill and
figured I could get one there. Well, in dollar stores at home I
could have got one for a dollar, but here they were $2 and $3, which
seems a bit strange in a thrift store where 50 cents might be more
reasonable.
I'm
spoiled by Florida thrift stores in winter.
Still,
I found a like-new, wonderful cap for $3 that was well worth that
price. It had a fine wolf face stictched in and a bill of faux suede
with tiny wolf foot prints. It came from a Wolf Sanctuary.
On
the second day I forgot to bring this fine cap and missed it too. It
was not needed on the way up with the sun to my back, but on the way
down the brim would have shielded a good bit of the glare. Instead I
did what the ancients must have done and used my hand as a shield to
better see the mountains.
I
was happy I'd taken the time to pick one up as it helped with the sun
when driving and hiking and in the afternoon pool swimming.
Somehow
I also took a rather poor pair of sunglasses which are great for
driving, but generally not as great for the colors of Red Rock.
My
packing for this Vegas trip was well under par. Some of that was
having to think through going from Vegas to Denver and then to
Chicago, all destinations with very different kinds of weather.
Part
of it is just all the sleep issues I've been having lately and my
inability in general to think straight much of the time.
My
water I bought at the Walgreen's in downtown and chilled in the
refrigerator at the El Cortez tower room. I should have turned that
refrigerator up to the coldest because I had water actually freeze a
bit, and that would be great for the hike. But it was fine and even
perhaps a bit chilled.
As
I mentioned, I was a bit worried about theft at Red Rock Canyon
because it seems as if things in the car are vulnerable there. Signs
say to lock up and take keys. I carried my wallet with me, but I
left my phone in the car glove compartment.
One
of the young hikers on the second day had set his phone on top of his
car before a three hour hike and forgotten it. It was there when he
came back from the hike. He was amazed. Perhaps it is less a problem
than I fear.
I
was fascinated by the term “red rock marbles.”
