Hiking Mt. Charleston

Snowshoeing the Bristlecone Trail

There is something magical about hiking the Mt. Charleston area in the winter.  The air is crisp, the skies are blue and there is always snow.  Even with the warm early winter weather this year, there is still LOTS of snow on the trails.

Bristlecone trail is a great winter trail.  Located at the end of Lee Canyon, it is well defined, not too difficult and has beautiful vistas of the valley.  The trail is about 6 miles long and will take 3 to 4 hours depending on breaks, pictures, etc.  You can start from two different trailheads and the hiking experience is very different from each start point.

From the Upper Bristlecone trailhead, you begin just above the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort http://www.skilasvegas.com/winter and hike along its border.  The trail climbs steady for about a mile to a ridgeline which is the highest point on the trail at 9,300 feet.  Pay close attention to the trail and by trail in winter, I mean the majority of the foot prints.  This will be the most rigorous part of the hike and it’s not bad.  From there, the trail winds down for about 4 miles to the Lower Bristlecone trailhead.  From the highpoint, the trail winds through the trees and shortly opens to a wide fire management trail which is easy to navigate.

Leaving from the Lower Bristlecone trailhead, it is a steady but lengthy 4 mile climb to the high point and then a quick decent to trailhead.  On the decent, don’t be surprised to see snowboarders or skiers weaving through the trees just off the main slopes of the resort.  Close to the end, the trail forks to the left with what looks like the main trail going straight.  The straight trail will deposit you at the ski lodge instead of the trailhead.  A parking lot connects the two so no time lost.

The loop is completed by walking the road between the two trailheads which is about 1 mile.  For an easier hike, start at the Upper Bristlecone trailhead and go to the Lower trailhead.  The disadvantage is the walk up the road back to your car.  For a more physical hike, start at the Lower Bristlecone trailhead and hike to the Upper.

Snowshoes:  I strongly recommend snowshoes for hiking Bristlecone Trail from December through at April.  With a high point of 9,300 feet, the trail gets a lot of snow.   If there has been a recent snow, they are mandatory.

Next trail for me to tackle in the winter will be the North Loop up to Raintree and back.  Raintree is the oldest Bristlecone Pine in the area and is estimated to be about 3,000 years old.  Stand by for that report.

As great as the hiking is around Mt. Charleston, please beware – winter hiking on Charleston can be dangerous as evidenced by the recent story in December of a hiker who was stranded in a winter storm near Bristlecone trail.  http://www.lvrj.com/news/police-to-resume-search-for-stranded-hiker-on-mount-charleston-134905793.html  He was well prepared and rescued the next day but the message is clear – respect the risk.  Weather can change quickly on Charleston.  Know where you are going and know the conditions.

By Bob Hillier

Mt. Charleston is the jewel of Las Vegas. Rising to just a shade under 12,000’ from the Vegas valley, it is a majestic mountain that has 4 season attractions. Located in the Spring Mountains, it is the only mountain in southern Nevada to rise above the timberline. Fortunately, it is undiscovered by most Las Vegans. Fortunately those of us that HAVE discovered it, have it mostly to ourselves. In the summer when the heat in the Valley is 100 plus, the temperatures on Mt. Charleston rarely rises above the 70’s. In the Fall when the Aspen leaves turn, the colors, the vistas and the crisp air are unsurpassed. Winter brings the snowcap that stays until June and a winter playground that most don’t realize the desert can deliver. Follow the road up Lee Canyon and you will arrive at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. Snow is not a problem there – too much snow is the norm. During a 1 week storm this December, the resort received 8’ of snow. Along with the skiing, Lee Canyon offers great sledding. On any given weekend day, you will find hundreds of Las Vegans lining the roads of Lee Canyon and sledding through the pines. For the more adventurous, Mt Charleston offers great alpine snow hiking and backpacking. Spring brings incredible waterfalls and snow packed trails. And then, back to summer. The hiking on Mt. Charleston is spectacular. And by spectacular, I mean it will kick your butt. No matter what your level of conditioning, you will find a challenging (read grueling) hike. In later blogs, I’ll recap my various adventures on the mountain but for now – the mountain always delivers.

For those that choose to live on the mountain (which I intend to someday), there are a number of options. There are two avenues to the Mt. Charleston, Kyle and Lee Canyons. Most of the homes are located in Kyle Canyon which has four distinct neighborhoods, most of which are accessible in the winter. Lee Canyon also has multiple housing areas but less that are four season properties. With Vegas being less than 45 minutes away, an increasing number of families are choosing the mountain rather than the valley to live. I’ve hiked most the trails of Charleston.

In future blogs, I’ll pass on the joys and pains of a middle aged guy’s experiences on this incredible mountain.

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