Offroad: Lower North Valley & Seeps ATV Trail

To the south of Mesquite Nevada, in fact to the south of Bunkerville, is a large, flat, sandy bajada known as Bunkerville Flats. It is divided into east and west portions by the substantial Nickel Creek Ravine and is the unassuming portal to a "magical" valley – which is where we are going to ride today.

North Valley! Ahhh, dad and I have fond memories the first time we "explored" it – only about six years ago now. We were snowbirding "in the warm" (Mesquite that year) and had my ATVs with us. Simple, little, meek things that enabled us "old codgers" to get out from under-foot and see the world.

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Offroad: Mesquite-Bunkerville Backroads

We've been riding the Mesquite offroad area now for, what, five years? And we've tried to figure out the easiest possibilities to get from the city to the trailheads without the need for trailering.

The absolute insane prices of gasoline in Mesquite the past couple of years makes this even more important; especially since careful price comparisons often make it more economical to drive up to St. George to fill up than at any of the local stations – even with the higher per gallon gas tax in Utah.

In years past we've run around the city on the back roads to show that it's possible to get from one side to the other – although the spiteful closure of the newly refurbished city creek wash makes it nearly impossible this year. And, we've run from the south up to both Flat Top Mesa and Whiterock Road.

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Offroad: Quick Trip to Lime Kiln Pass

The winter of 2011 is a funny snowbird year weather wise. Snow came and then … went. Just after Christmas it had warmed up and the snow had all but gone from the mountains.

We decided to get out of the house and take a quick afternoon ride up to the "fish tank" – the name the locals have given to the huge stock tank at the mouth of Lime Kiln Canyon which everyone has taken on as a project to keep stocked with goldfish. (I've written about that before).

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Offroad: Five Canyon Loop Trail

When one has been riding the off-roads of an area for several months one gets a bit nostalgic when it is time for one to migrate once again back up north. Such is the case with this ride taken at the end of the 2011 riding season (sorry, I just noticed that one or two rides hadn't been posted yet) around the "Five Canyon (or maybe six) Loop".

The 2011 offroad riding season in Mesquite Nevada was an odd one by almost any standards. It rained more water and longer than any of the four previous "snowbird" years so we almost spent more time indoors than on ATVs in the desert.

It warmed up later in the season and we were still riding with jackets through March when we took this loop ride around nearly all of the canyons in the Bunkerville Ridge south of Bunkerville. There were at least five or maybe six if you count Hen Springs Canyon.   [A free Google Earth file of this route is available at: Offroading Home.]

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The Wilderness of Gold Butte

For some time now I have had the BLMs map of their proposal for turning Gold Butte (and Bunkerville Flats) into a WILDERNESS AREA, glaring at me from the middle of my desk top, not knowing what else to do with it except look at it and shake my head in disgust.

Frankly, as a useable map for making an assessment leading to meaningful comment, it is completely worthless; there, I said it. It is nothing more than an enhanced clone of the map the Las Vegas BLM field office foisted on us when they went through and systematically closed close to fifty or so trail segments a couple of years ago. That map was completely worthless to the public, and so is this.

Absolutely NO geo-location marks! Absolutely no latitude or longitude markings! No road names. For the most part NO readable, meaningful labels! All this leaving even the most basic understanding of where things are, woefully complex and time consuming; beyond what most reasonable people are either able or willing to undertake. Then there's obsessive-compulsive me.

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Offroad: Mesquite - Canyonlands, Virgin River

This second offroad excursion in the 2011 snowbird year was taken out of exasperation with the continual bad weather over the previous month. Rain and cold had precluded riding our ATVs for what seemed like an eternity so we bundled up at the first sign of the sun in weeks for an afternoon ride into "the Canyonlands."

We also wanted to see what, if anything was left of the trails along the Virgin River which was doing its SECOND "100 year flood" in five years.   [A free Google Earth file of this route is available at: Canyonlands-Virgin River.]

Tecnhically, I supposed, the Canyonland trails are on Gold Butte, but the area is only 4 miles past the Riverside Road turn off, and still connected to the West Bunkerville Flats riding area. Most locals don't consider "riding the Butte" to begin until you at least round the gap at the Little Virgin Mountains along Clives Landing.

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Gold Butte Trail Monitoring

Offroading Home met with an intrepid group of offroaders who have just quietly and behind the scenes been going about the business of monitoring trail usage in the Bunkerville/Gold Butte riding area.

Probably few of us know that the BLM recruits cooperation from clubs and individuals who can ride the trails taking GPS readings and noting things like wash-outs, land-slides and other trail damage as well as noting usage.

A few members of the Trails and Dunes club from Las Vegas rode the West Bunkerville Flats area today monitoring trails along Nickle Creek Ravine and into the Old Mine area being trained on how to use the BLMs GPS units and what types of forms are necessary to document "hazards and incidents" for the BLM.

Why on earth would an offroad club want to monitor trails for the BLM? Well, there are many reasons.

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Snowbird Season Begins: Ride 1 - Lime Kiln Canyon

It's a whole new Snowbird season in more ways than one - a lot more! The 2009-20 rides begin with our annual "season opener" up Lime Kiln Canyon and into the Parashant Grand Canyon.   [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Ride 01 - Lime Kiln/Red Pockets]

Three years ago, when we began the tradition, nearly every time we went up the Canyon we had it pretty much to ourselves.

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Interpreting Petroglyphs: Toquop Wash II

Toquop Wash is a place that I've only been to a couple of times; but, for some reason, I seem to keep thinking of things that I've seen there.

Gordon and I took the trip on our ATV's first, then Dad wanted to see it so we went back. At the "top" of the trail, we had just crossed the wash and were turning toward home when dad spotted one of those BLM "don't waste your heritage" signs. [For a free Google Earth file of the route we took see: Ride 21 - Toquop Wash]

To me this seemed like one of those times where "if the BLM doesn't want you to stomp around, there must be something around here worth seeing," so I went back.

At the crossing there is a very large rock jutting into the wash, and just "upstream," around back, are the glyphs I described in an earlier post.

Going behind the rock and looking left, up toward the top, there is a depression or channel which you can climb. Undoubtedly, during rainstorms, this becomes full of water emptying into the wash.

In the photo above, you can see that the channel is partially blocked in three places by natural rock dams. Behind each of these dams there are holding "cisterns" which hold the water long after the rains have stopped and are currently filled with vegetation.

Noted Native American author and cryptologist LaVan Martineau in his book The Rocks Begin to Speak describes the connection between geology and rock-writing to the early American "authors." This is true especially where water is concerned, or trails. And this site has both.

Geology

Location: On a southeast rock cliff below and to the right of the mentioned channel is one glyph pecked in the hard rock just above eye level.

Natural Features: The glyph is in the left upper corner of a raised rectangle whose corner acts as a "pointer" to the waterfall and cisterns. There is an edge, which is parallelled by the curved edge of the glyph, a natural indentation running horizontal across the rock at the bottom of the glyph and another linear indentation at the base of the glyph running vertically downward. The edge runs like the ridge of the cliff in front of the channel, the horizontal line like the trail down to the river and the vertical line runs in the direction of the main wash.

Glyphs

Technique: The glyphs are heavily pecked (ground or smooshed) using the change in rock texture from impact (rather than removal of desert varnish) to make them show up against the light colored rock.

Symbols: There is only one in this cluster, basically a representation of the channel or [in rain] waterfall. The overall shape, a tapering, oblong area, rounded at the top and tapering to a point at the bottom, has the meaning "canyon." It is a bit blunt on the tapered end which adds the meaning of "chopped off," or "end" and it is in outline form which often adds the meaning "nothing there" or "empty" [it would have been impossible to draw the "blockages" it if had been filled in.]

The more you explain it, the more I don't understand it.”
Mark Twain

It is slightly bent in the middle, just like the actual channel, and tapers to a single line, or path, which touches the linear indentation (rock incorporation) perpendicular to its base representing the wash.

Running across the glyph are three lines which are more loosely pecked in the manner of "scattered," "something on it," or "wet." They are clearly represented as being within the canyon; but run across and in front so that it represents "stop" or a "barrier" to the canyon.

Finally, there are two short parallel lines extending from the top right side which have the meaning "nothing there" or, by extension "off of," or "empty."

Putting it Together

Other glyphs: There are two other glyph clusters in the area which, except for location, don't seem to add to the interpretation.

Possible Story: This is clearly a representation, or drawing, of the "canyon" or channel for an intermittent waterfall with three nearly hidden cisterns which may provide water in time of need to a parched traveler. The water runs down from (off of) the top, follows the canyon, over the blockages (wet falls) and into the wash.

Learn A Little More

The book "The Rocks Begin to Speak" is probably the landmark text which opened this field of study to large numbers of people, and it is still in print, new or used at Amazon. Why not make your trips to the "Glyphs of Gold Butte" more meaningful by learning a few of the "meanings" of the glyphs you see? If you are going to purchase it, please consider doing so using the links on this page. There will be no extra cost to you, but a portion will go to keeping this site going and the trails coming.

Extra 9 - North Valley With Friends

North Valley is a ride that I never get tired of — in spite of the "skydive" over the cliff on my 2-wheel drive rig at Aztec formation rock. [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Extra 9 - North Valley]

The funny thing about snowbirds is that once we are here, we want all of our friends to be here too. I've been begging friends to come "share the wealth" for five months now and finally I wore them down.

This weekend not only the Koford's but the DeGroot's came down as well. We only had the afternoon, so the best ride to take from Snowbird Headquarters was North Valley.

It seemed as though the kids were in "seventh heaven" climbing the tanks, hiking the hills, smelling the cactus! (Of course they were careful to watch out for the Pumas.)

I've never ridden with a six-seater before but they do the trails with the greatest of ease — and make a great way to extend the experience to the whole family.

Of course we stopped at Keyhole Rock and saw Ray's Cactus Garden and the Petrodroppings before we rode over to the Aztec Rock cliff. The six-seater went down first and watched from below as I came down with my lowly 2-wheel drive Kodiak.

Frankly, I was too busy to be watching the looks on their faces as I was skydiving down the cliff; but, when I got to the bottom they decided that if it was going to be like that they didn't want their daughter to do it alone.

Rod hiked back up and rode down with his daughter, which turned out to be unnecessary. Neither of their two 4-wheel drive Kodiak's had any trouble at all.

The knack of learning how to fly is to learn how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
Douglas Adams

The best way to describe what it feels like on my rig is sort of like snow-skiing. There is no low gear, and no traction so the most you can hope for is to keep it a controlled fall down the mountainside just hoping the next mogul doesn't flip you over.

Unfortunately, none of the cacti or yucca's are in bloom yet, and with the noise we were making we didn't see any of the Roadrunners.

Once out of the valley it was getting late so we headed back across East Bunkerville Flats to Powerline and back to the trailers.

To cap it off we went to the only good Mexican restaurant in town for dinner — Los Lupes, and finished the day like only good friends know how to do.

It was great to have them down here and I've already started working on them for next year — there is sooo much more to see! I just hope I can somehow make it so they don't have to spend their lifetime, like I finally have, learning that nobody ever says, when they are old, "I just wish I had spent more time working!"

Ride 19 - Middle/Cow/Cabin Canyons

If cartography was our goal, we accomplished it "in spades" today! Like the infamous Gilligan we were "just going for a three day cruise" into the Middle Canyon to see if the Pencil Cholla was in bloom. [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Ride 19: Middle - Cow Canyon (3.9M photos)]

Dad even thought it a laudable goal and decided to come with. Gordon had said that he would "preempt" his pooch's seat and let dad ride in his side-by-side.

We first went up Lime Kiln Canyon road to see the goldfish. Gordon thinks they are Koi Carp which is why they are so hardy. I never knew there was a difference.

Then we went back around and across the interconnect trail to Middle Canyon. There were a lot of things starting to come back to life, but the Cholla wasn't one of them. New to me was the large number of Mohave Yucca which had been burned to the ground and were now sprouting new fronds from their stubby bases. I didn't know they would sprout from roots.

Seeing's how we had a much more stable vehicle to ride we went a bit further up the canyon from the water hole which was being dug.

It's a beautiful canyon, but shortly turned into a bit too steep for my two-wheel drive rig. Dad suggested that he take it back down and around to the Cabin Canyon trailhead, and I continue on upward with Gordon to "find the mine" - his hobby.

The trail became at least "intermediate" in difficulty due to width, rocks, incline and camber; but, the views were spectacular, both up and down.

Taking a bit longer than we anticipated already, we did eventually top out and run across an abandoned mine shaft. There were rail tracks inside but they only ran about 125 feet before reaching the back wall.

Once on top, we did "explore" a trail along the ridge for a bit, but returned to the downward trail through Cow Canyon into Cabin Canyon. It had definitely become a "black diamond" trail. At the bottom we turned right, toward Mesquite, and quickly knew what Charlie had been telling me about its difficulty.

Under normal circumstances we would never have taken the rig over trail like that, except that the "return trip" was "sooo not gonna happen." Gordon said that he had determined if we came to a rock he couldn't get around, he was going to "winch the rock out of the way" rather than go back up and around.

As if it couldn't get any worse, it did! Some areas were such that I would have needed to "get out the winch"; but, fortunately, I was riding with a life-long heavy equipment driver who was very skilled. We didn't need the winch.

Dad had waited for over an hour and was a bit non-plussed for the ordeal. It may have been aggravated by the fact that he hadn't brought along his book to read - but who would have thought.

We noticed another cross-connect trail adjacent to the Cabin Canyon trailhead so we took it to see where it would intersect. At a fork we took the wrong direction and ended up going down to Cabin Canyon road via Indian Canyon wash.

I love to travel, but hate to arrive.”
Albert Einstein

By this time we recognized we were on a cartography mission so went back up to the trailhead and made another attempt to get the trail on the GPS. Eventually we met with Middle Canyon road and went back down to the trailer.

Gordon's dog ought to be grateful that he was preempted. After the Logandale ride, this one would have done him in!

[I went a bit bananas on the Google Earth map file I made for this route. It's a bit larger file due to the included panorama files of viewpoints and because I split the track into sections based upon difficulty.]

Ride 15 - Lime Kiln Cactus

Seeing an old standard ride through the eyes of a new friend makes it a new ride for all. Lime Kiln Canyon is one of our favorite rides - especially since we "bonded" with the fish.   [For a free Google Earth file of this route see: Ride 15 - Lime Kiln Canyon]

But someone new called and wanted to know where there was a good afternoon ride - so "we takes him." The thing is, that seeing it again this time helped me notice cactus that we never noticed before. We trailer'd to the White Rock Road trailhead (where it splits with Cabin Canyon Road) and headed our rigs Southeast to the mountains.

Too often . . . I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen.”
Louis L’Amour

There are several clumps of Pencil Cholla near the mouth of the canyon that had previously gone un-noticed. And there are quite a few more Grizzly Bear Pricklypear plants in the canyon than I had seen before. Both of these are fairly rare around this area.

We had discovered a couple of isolated plants of the "Pencil" (Cylindropuntia ramosissima) on the trail through the flats down from Middle Canyon. But here, there are many more specimens - and larger.

Additionally, I had noticed a few plants of "Grizzly" (Opuntia erinacea aka Grizzlybear P. aka Mojave P.) near the top of the canyon before; but, this ride brought out many more along the canyon trail. There were even several examples of both "regular" pricklypear and "Grizzly" growing near each other for comparison.

Not only that, we have seen "Utah Agave" plants on the Whitney Parashant side of the mountain before, at Red Pocket Tanks; but, today we saw an entire side of the canyon plush with the 5 - 8 foot, spent, flower-spikes rising through the pinyon's and cedar's. Talk about being blind... where did they come from?

The vista at the top was grand, as usual, and the ride down to the mine enjoyable through the red and yellow rocks. We had a break, then retraced our route back through the canyon.

We did, however, cut across the flats going back. Over to the Cabin Canyon road, and took that route back down to the trailer. After all, "we hates to do the same thing twice."

Ride 13 - Pinnacle of Gold Butte

We rode by "the Pinnacle" probably 20 times before we even noticed it. [A free Google Earth map of this route available at:  Pinnacle of Gold Butte]

Now, once we have, we cannot NOT notice it! It sticks up against the skyline "bigger'n yer thumb." And, of course, we had to go try and find it. That task became right up there with "we've got to find a way down to the Virgin River." [Neither of which, by the way, we have yet accomplished.]

We trailer'd down the "new" Gold Butte Road (according to the map), past Little Canyonlands and parked were we could see the thing. The problem was that the flats, unlike others we had seen, had no trails, except one lone cow trail.

We headed off following the cow toward the cliffs. The cow turned out to be a goat, jumped a couple of crevasses, and ended in a dead end. We came back around and took another shot at it, but the canyon that we were following turned in the wrong direction and we ended up behind it... sort of.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

As they say, "the third time's the charm" so we made yet another stab at it. This time along the break line under the cliffs, but needed to break trail. The drainage ditches became, cracks, then crevasses then chasm's... which seemed to take all the fun out of it.

So, we went to "plan B": find the Virgin river. We did have a good time riding along the power line, finding old campsites, going through bushes, and looking at the river from the top of the cliff's; but, never found a way down which didn't involve carabiners and pitons.

Ride 10 - Lime and Cabin Canyon's

Our Saturday ride turned out to be a bit more than we had initially planned because... there's "them thar mountains to explore." [For a complete Google Earth file of this trip see: Lime/Cabin Canyons]

We realized that we wanted to explore East Bunkerville Flats between Lime Kiln and Cabin Canyon roads. So, we trailer'd to the fork in the road.

Our first stop was up Lime Kiln road to see the fish. Those in the large tank at the trailhead were "glad to see us" to break up their lonely day under the ice. We found a trail behind the tank leading up the mountain toward Virgin Peak and took it. A fairly nice trail, steep but nice, petered out in the trees.

We backtracked back around and checked on the upper tank, which was still empty. Don't have a clue what happened to the fish.

On the way back down we took a trail down into the gulch (to find a hat that had blown off the ride previous). There was a fire ring, bench and mounds of clay "sheet shards." The jokers could have at least burned all their carton refuse in the fire ring.

In that one spot there were good examples of all the different trees within eyesight: Mesquite, Oak, Juniper, Pinyon Pine and Mountain Mahogany. We continued in the gulch until it rejoined the Lime Kiln road.

We went across East Flats, past the trail up to Middle Canyon, and onto Cabin Canyon Road. That is a great area through an all-too-infrequent old growth forest of Joshua Trees.

Up at the trailhead to Cabin Canyon we met three men who were taking pictures and reconnoitering the area. One said that he was bringing the other two because they hadn't ever seen the area. It turned out that one was one of the big wigs of the "palm" company who had just been at the electronics show in Vegas.

He showed me the phone that they had exhibited and I told him that one of my ambitions since college days was to be able to someday afford a "Palm Pilot." It hasn't happened yet; but, I offered to guide him to all the secret areas I've found when he came back, if he'd bring me a Palm Pilot. He didn't seem to jump on the offer... but you never know!

Shortly above the trailhead is a right-angled detour up the back entrance into South Valley. You can tell you're there by the "Budweiser Fence." A fence that through the years has accumulated "geocache's" of empty beer cans.

The trail isn't too tough, but narrow and steep in places. This time it was crusted in a bit of snow.

We returned back down Cabin Canyon road as planned and called it a (long) day.

Ride 4 - Canyonlands of Gold Butte

An all-but-neglected ride near Mesquite Snowbird Headquarters is Canyonlands of Gold Butte. I haven't yet met anyone who seems to know about it (or admits it), let alone having visted it. [A full Google Earth file is located here -->   Canyonlands of Gold Butte]

The problem is that everyone is zooming by so fast in order to get down to the "good stuff" on the butte, that the area is barely noticed, more than "that's pretty, I wonder what's up there."

We found out today when we got a late start and didn't have but a half-day to ride. It is "real pretty". The trailhead is next to the virgin river and has a trail that does run down by it for a little ways. Unfortunately, it stops at the base of a cliff, blocked by heavy thicket.

On the other side you can pick any one of three canyons, all of them have steep high cliffs the same color as most of the rocks around here.

One canyon has many, many angles such that you really feel you are going a great distance. If it weren't for the occasional cow, one could think he was the first to discover it.

One trail led up a steep incline which eventually got too steep for my 2-wheel drive machine.

And yet another canyon led up to a box canyon with an odd looking cliff face. When we got up close the face was an obvious patina of clay-like mud. It has apparently washed over the cliff above to cover the rock with a 1-2 inch crust which can be carved upon. And it has been.

There are autographs all over the face - hence "Autograph Cliffs". Some looking like they were written before a new wash of patina came down on them. There are one or two persons who have obviously been there several times. And at least one who was an Egyptian - or thought they were.

A unique aspect of this area is that the emense, sheer wall is recessed into an alcove and there is a large fire-ring surrounded by old sofa's. It looks like a comfortable "media-center" of sorts.

Something like that should probably be well-known, at least to the high school kids of the area. However, none of the boys at church are admitting it!

Extra Ride 2 - North Valley-Mine's-Powerline

The second ride of Thanksgiving vaction '08 took in a lot of territory. [Google Earth file here --> North Valley/Mine's/Powerline]

The gate across the "water tower road" trailhead was open for some reason today, so we didn't need to wander around the desert to the trail. It's a fairly straight shot up across the East Bunkerville Flats to North Valley; so, I "inflicted" some desert lore on the boys.

At Keyhole Rock they were ready to climb (both are part mountain goat), so both took different routes to the top of the ridge. Eagle's Nest, had sticks in it but no active "nest" - perhaps the desert puma's got 'em. There were several other "keyholes" that weren't obvious from the valley floor below.

Hanging Cave was indeed a cave, albeit shallow. There was evidence of others having been there before and possibly a fire ring of sorts. The rock was very loose and the drop-offs substantial, but they made it back down and were glad to sit on their ATVs for awhile more.

Of course I pointed out Aztec Rock, Gunsight Pass and Knife Edge Cliffs to them before we went down that incline which has become my nemesis. I say that because my Kodiak's weight overcomes the resistance on the loose soil so the brakes don't hold and there is NO stopping.

Last spring we occasionally saw a road-runner traversing the valley but haven't this year. Exiting the valley there is a trail which runs to the left and around to Hidden Canyon. It's hidden because it's a dead-end box canyon until you get to within 10 feet of its end and find another canyon at right angles. It's steep, washes out with every storm and often needs a bit of 'housekeeping' in order to make it over the rocks.

It, however, is the only way to get up into South Valley and the Abandoned Mine area without going back down Nickle Creek Ravine and back up the other side. We took one of several trails to the right, toward the lake, and found ourselves shortly at an old turquoise mine (none left).

With still some riding time left, we went along to Great Eastern Mine. Not much is there anymore, except the shaft which is flooded. There is some shade and an opportunity to look out over the Virgin River Valley and Bunkerville.

Unless you go back down Hidden Canyon you must go back through West Bunkerville Flats until you can cross Nickle Creek Ravine. You know you are to where you can cross when you see giant, rusty-red, pipes from an old graphite plant at the ravine's mouth - and then it's ... Powerline!

Powerline has an interesting bunch of trails. You travel as great a distance vertically as you do horizontally. Although the trail was once graded, for access to the powerlines, there is A LOT of up and downs! And to many of us snowbirder's - requires Dramamine!

The kids like it though because it's one of the rare places in the area which lets you think that you're going free range. You're not really, cause you still have to stay on the trails, but it looks like you are.

Too soon were were back at the trailer and home. After this long ride, however, I was ready for some left over turkey and cranberry's, yum!

Ride 2 - North Valley

Last year we "accidented" upon the beautiful North Valley in the mountains South of Mesquite Nevada. Certainly no one, including the local ATV club president knew of the area so we felt like we had "discovered it."

So, we were anxious, this year, to go see what had happened to "our valley" while we had been gone. We trailheaded at "water tower road" just off of Riverside Rd in Bunkerville. Circumventing "no-no land" where the city doesn't want you to ride, we eventually found the trail up toward the mountains.

It's a little used but fairly graded (at one time) dirt road a bit wider than an ATV and goes fairly straight up across East Bunkerville Flats toward the mountains. Creosote bushes abound with a scattering of the once ubiquitous Mesquite trees for which the town was named. Occasional Joshua trees, Mojave Yucca and Banana Yucca dot the landscape.

You know you are getting close when you come to an abandoned and rusted steam engine once used as a watering device. To the East is Hen Springs Ravine which is fairly impassable and must be circumnavigated if you want to go to Cabin Canyon.

But we want to continue South until the trail abruptly turns West into the valley. The cliffs to the right contain many landmarks. The most visible is Keyhole Rock, a fairly large window in the cliff which looks like ... a keyhole. It is large enough to stand in and watch the valley below from within the shade.

On the mountain side adjacent to Keyhole Rock is Ray's Cactus Garden, a nook in the rock full of barrel cactus which looks like it has been planted there and cared for. Many of the surrounding rocks contain Petro-Droppings, petrified ooze from the once bottom of a lake or ocean.

This year the trail appears a lot more traveled. The formations are still there and intact, and we found several other oddities: Skyline Arch, Hanging Cave and Eagles Nest - all of which are self-explanatory.

Continuing down the trail you come to a significant drop off over a cliff. Even with brakes an ATV still slides down enough to be uncomfortable, but better than trying to go up it. On the right is a singular outcropping of the brilliant red Aztec Formation, the same as down on Gold Butte and in Valley of Fire.

In the valley below are over-your-head Joshua Trees, Gunsight Pass and Knife Edge Cliffs; again, extremely obvious as you travel. The color is grand, the air cooler and and the Joshua Tree-blooming-smell in the spring, extremely fragrant.

We traversed through North Valley and back out onto East Bunkerville Flats then scouted the trail which went up through Hidden Canyon; but, saved that trip for another day. As the sun sets early in the winter, we traveled back across the flats, down to the Powerline Trail area and along the whop-de-do's back to the trailer.

By the way, a full .kml file for use in GoogleEarth is available for this trip at: 2nd Day.kmz; and the full map of all the trails around Mesquite-Bunkerville is available at the companion web site: http://offroadinghome.com/ .

Ride 1 - Lime Kiln Canyon

We took the tarps off the trailer and went for our first ride of the '08-09 snowbird season today.

Lime Kiln Canyon is just Southeast across the flats from Mesquite. Cross the Riverside Rd bridge (they're fixing it cause it nearly washed out) and immediately turn left toward Scenic Arizona. Up the road, instead of turning left to Scenic, continue on straight toward the mountains until you come to a cattle guard and a fork in the road. The road on the right goes up to Cabin Canyon and the one on the left to Lime Kiln Canyon.

Today we parked just short of the main trailhead at the first corral. We then rode the ATVs up to the second corral (the main trailhead) to check on the fish. There is a large round stock tank that someone had put goldfish in and they love it. The fish are still there and living under the thin coat of ice.

We rode up the canyon, through the narrows, and onto the top. The "reveal," as they say in the movie industry, is magnificent. At the top you can look out into the Parashant Grand Canyon.

We decided to try and find Red Pocket Tanks, and we did with little search. There was another stock tank, corral and -- a couple of bulls that didn't take their eyes off us the whole time we were there. The rocks looked like they might have petroglyphs on them but we didn't find any - at least those made by ancient indians.

We then rode over to the abandoned Lime Kiln mine and looked around. We didn't have a flashlight so didn't go in too far because it got too dark to see any shafts - or pumas.

We followed another trail to see where it would lead and worried that we would never be able to get across the chasm to where we knew the main trail to be. Finally it wound around through the pines and out onto the main trail. We returned back down the same dirt road to the trailer and were home before it got dark - about 4:30 here in this time zone.

I did figure out how to put our trails on to Google Earth and todays trip is located right here -->Day 1 - Lime Kiln Canyon - at least I hope it is. Obviously, you first need to have Google Earth installed on your computer then click the link with your mouse and it will download the small track file and open "Earth" with it already to go.