RonnieAdventure #0401 - Wilson Pimple Hike, Red Rock Canyon NCA, Clark County, Nevada

Panoramic Picture by Kolohe

Wilson Pimple is a formation located in the Oak Creek Canyon area of  Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA). It is possible to reach Wilson Pimple by follow various trails in the area, but the recommended route is to start at the South Oak Creek trailhead and go clockwise around the formation. For some reason I decided to start at the Middle Oak Creek trailhead and go counterclockwise around the loop. After completing our trip, it was obvious why the clockwise loop is recommended because it is difficult to follow the correct trail when traveling in a counterclockwise direction.

View of Wilson Pimple from a trail junction on the west side of the peak.

While hiking to the peak there were a number of different shrubs and trees along the trail, including a lot of Mexican Manzanita and Utah Juniper. 

It is easy to recognize the Mexican Manzanita shrub because of its distinguished red bark. 

The Utah Juniper trees are also easily recognizable because the trees have what appear to be marble sized blue berries covered with a white powder, but the berries are actually cones. The Utah Juniper trees were very important to the early Indian inhabitants because they used the tree's saggy bark for rope, clothing, and bedding material.

Mexican Manzanta (Arctostaphylos pungens)

Utah Juniper (Juniperus osteosperma)

Many of the rocks found along the trail contained various shades and varieties of lichen.

Along the trail leading to the top we passes a number of really interesting rock formations.

View from the top of Wilson Pimple looking toward Las Vegas (southeast).

View from the top of Wilson Pimple looking southwest along Highway 159 leading toward the town of Pahrump.

Looking down at the South Oak Creek trail that we should have followed to go in a clockwise direction around Wilson Pimple.

While hiking back to the trailhead, we we walked by what appeared to be an old Indian agave roasting pit.

BONUS HISTORICAL PICTURES 

Me and my older brother had a wagon that we used to do work around the farm. We also had a Shetland Pony that our Mother help us ride, so that we could grow up to be cowboys. It didn't work -- neither of us grew up to be cowboys. Probably because the Shetland Pony was really mean and would often bite people. We even had a pet rabbit. When my older brother had to watch me while the adults were working, he would lock me in the rabbit cage and then run off. 

There were also a number of cats around the farm and they had lots of kittens. I liked to play with the kittens and would often chase them around the farm. 

One time I was chasing the kittens and when Wileta went to look for me, I had disappeared. She kept calling my name and looking around the house and in the various barns and other machine buildings, but I was nowhere to be found. With the help of some other adults, they finally discovered where I was at. I had crawled through a small hole under a large pile of lumber that was in the yard and I had fallen asleep with the kittens. The adults were afraid to move any of the lumber for fear that the pile would shift and crush me, so they kept trying to give me instructions on how to get back through the small hole. I was finally able to crawl out to the relief of everyone.  

RonnieAdventure #0400 - Ash Springs Hike, Red Rock Canyon NCA, Nevada

Grandson Andrew was staying with us for a few days while he was working at the Market Center and on Saturday afternoon he wanted to go on a short hike. We decide that Ash Springs would be a great place to go because there are a number of trails in the area and we could make a loop by hiking up the north side of the wash and then follow the south side of the wash on our way back to the trailhead. I had never been to Ash Springs and assumed there would be one main spring; but in actuality it turned out that there were a number of different springs throughout the canyon. 

Part way to the springs we happened to look up and noticed a person walking on a tightrope that was strung between two canyon walls. If it had not been so far away (probably about 1/3 of a mile over some really rough terrain) we would have hiked up for a closer look. 

BONUS HISTORICAL PICTURES 

When Uncle Ormel returned home after World War II ended, my Mother had a celebration party for him and invited some friends over to our house. For some reason Marilyn Jensen kept pulled my hair. 

Marilyn had a cousin that was about my age; but, like Marilyn, he had blond hair and blue eyes. I had black hair and brown eyes, so they called us boys "Salt" and "Pepper."

Uncle Ormel was Elden's younger brother and he served in the US Army Air Force during WW II. After the War when we would go goose hunting he would wear his flight suit because it was wool lined and really warm. He did not ever get married and lived in Blunt, South Dakota most of his life after the War.