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Hidden Peak
Red Rock Canyon NCA, Nevada
April 23, 2011

Distance: 11.7 km (7.3 mi)
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 575 m (1886 ft
)

Dinah and I had the good fortune to be invited on a hike by Nish, a friend of a friend. (Nish, a real estate agent, would later sell us a condo). But Nish wasn't leading the hike – that was Gary's job, an organizer with Las Vegas Meetup. Along with Leon, Jesse and Paige, Gary would take us up Hidden Peak using the west approach.

After driving down a rough road that left one SUV scratched from encroaching bushes, we parked at the trailhead in Rainbow Wilderness. The trail follows a curving wash that climbs out onto scrubby slopes before ending on beautiful, expansive sandstone rock. From there we hiked and scrambled to the top of Hidden Peak. But the trip didn't end at the summit. Afterwards, we dropped down to a hidden forest where Gary pointed out some unusual delights including tiered tanks and a “blind arch.” After getting our fill of eye candy below Hidden Peak, we followed the trail back to our cars.

Hidden Peak wasn't a challenging trip, but it offered better scenery than I expected. And of course, it's always nice to meet fun-loving people up for a mountain adventure. This is the second time we've hiked with the Las Vegas Meetup and as before, we thoroughly enjoyed their company in Red Rocks.

KML and GPX Tracks


Starting up the road


After starting out we have brief views before dropping down and following a wash


45 minutes after starting out, we broke free of the wash and started up semi-open slopes


However, there is still little to see


We stopped on a ridge where we had a viewpoint


Paige poses on a rock with Spring Mountain Ranch in the background (mouse over for a close-up)


At last Hidden Peak appears, along with Monument Peak on the left (mouse over to zoom in)


We're still following the trail


The trail ends on rock


From here to the summit we'll hike on sandstone


We head to the summit


Along the way we stop for a group shot: me, Leon, Jesse, Nish, Dinah, Paige and Gary


The summit appears ahead


Heading to the summit


To reach the summit, we'll skirt the rim of a basin


Hiking along the rim


Looking back across the basin to the other side where we had been


Final climb to the summit


The entire trip was little more than a hike


The group reaches the summit


Looking north from the summit


Posing on the summit


Potosi Mountain and Mountain Springs Peak


We set off for the hidden forest


The forest lies in a depression 150 m below the summit of Hidden Peak


We crossed sweeping sandstone


Coming to hidden forest


Looking back


The hidden forest ahead


We peer down a notch to view tiered tanks (mouse over)


On our way to the blind arch ahead


I clamber under the arch (mouse over for my view)


Hiking back along the wash


Blue Diamond and Mountain Springs (7.3 mi, 6286 ft, 774 ft)

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