Spring Break Trail Runs

We spent Spring Break visiting family near Las Vegas and taking a trip to the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, and various spots.  It was warm, but not too warm, so I took the opportunity to take in some of the trails near our relatives' house.

The first day was a 10-km run along the Anthem East Trail [official city map - PDF], a relatively flat and runnable trail with pretty cacti, wildflowers, Joshua trees, and a trail user only slightly slower than I am:

Pretty morning beavertail cactus flowers

Joshua Trees

Desert tortoise on the trail, from a distance - zoom FTW!

Our last full day, I ran up to the summit of Black Mountain on Trail 404 of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area.  I had no trouble finding the trail -- sorry, geek humor.  It's about 6.5 miles round trip from the official trailhead, with a 2100' elevation gain; including stops for pictures, it took me about 60 minutes for the climb and about 35 minutes for the descent.  This is a great trail that climbs steadily through switchbacks among volcanic rocks coated in desert varnish

until about the last quarter mile, when it becomes too steep to run (though climbable even in regular running shoes).  Bear in mind, there is no shade on the run unless you go early in the morning before the sun rises over Black Mountain itself.

The views from the top and along the trail are great:

Panorama at the top

The Strip is in the background at center

Here's the survey marker at the top (BLACK 1925, NGS Permanent ID FS1178).  The two remote marks are in good shape, too.

On the way down, I saw lots of pretty wildflowers, barrel and other cacti, Joshua Trees, and some speedy little blue-tailed skinks sunning themselves on the rocks.

Desert poppy(?)

Barrel cacti, Joshua Trees, and switchbacks

Blue-tailed skink

Beautiful desert scenery, great trails, a good workout, and solitude -- what more could you want?