{Click on an image to enlarge, then use the back button to return to this page}
This page last updated on 06/15/2017
 |
| (Fig. 01) |
04/18/2016 Trip Notes: Accompanied by fellow hikers Blake Smith and Jim Herring, this was my second time hiking this trail. For more information on this hike refer to my first post ...
Pine Creek Canyon Trail (RRCNCA). On the way out we moved down off of the main trail so as to hike along the creek. As you can see from the view in (Fig. 01), the area along both sides of the Pine Creek is full of trees and vegetation. In spite the dry climate, once we reached the creek we found a fair amount of water flowing down its rocky stream bed (Figs. 02 & 03). Our hike was broken only by the occasional sounds of birds chirping and water rushing over rocks and fallen trees. We also saw dozens of water spiders skimming across some of the small pools of water and even a couple of loudest tiny frogs we have ever encountered (Fig. 04). Hiking along the banks of the creek we were afforded some outstanding views of the mountain cliffs in front of us (Figs. 05). The further out we hiked, the better the views got (Fig. 06). When we finally decided to hike up out of the creek, we found ourselves in the wet, soggy meadow behind the Horace Wilson homestead that was established in the early 1920’s (Fig. 07). Hiking around here and the trail that followed, we found plenty of examples of spring flora (Fig. 08). (Notes con't below - scroll down)
 |
| (Fig. 02) |
 |
| (Fig. 03) |
 |
| (Fig. 04) |
 |
| (Fig. 05) |
 |
| (Fig. 06) |
 |
| (Fig. 07) |
 |
| (Fig. 08) |
Trip Notes Continued: Eventually we hike out to almost the point where the trail split and ran into the canyons on either side of the red tipped peak (Left center of Fig. 01) called Mescalito. The large ridge-line to the right is called the Brass Wall (Fig. 09). While standing on the trail below the Brass Wall we could hear voices coming from that direction. Using my camera, with the lens zoomed to 720mm, I finally spotted the source of the noise; two people climbing up the face of the cliff (Fig. 10). Then off in the distance I spotted a bird perched on the limb of a dead tree (Fig. 11). After this we decided to hike back to the foundation remains of the Wilson homestead and have a picnic lunch. I found this beetle in the grass near the foundation (Fig. 12).
 |
| (Fig. 09) |
 |
| (Fig. 10) |
 |
| (Fig. 11) |
 |
| (Fig. 12) |
P.S. Just as a side note, before the hike we all met up at the Red Rock Visitor Center. While waiting around, I shot a couple pictures of tortoise we found in the habitat located behind the Visitor Center (Fig. 13). The one on the left was one of the largest I have ever seen. He was easily more than a foot square. For more pictures of Desert Tortoise, go to ...
Desert Tortoise Index.
Play a Slide Show
Clicking the picture-link below will open OneDrive in a new window and a folder containing 54 pictures taken on two hikes at Pine Creek Canyon. To view the show, click on the first picture in the folder and you will get the following menu bar:
Click the "Play slide show" will play a fullscreen window of the slide show.
