Wild Nevada

Hi, I'm Chris Orr. And I'm Dave Santina, and this time on "Wild Nevada" we are walking in the footsteps of history as we travel through southern Nevada on the Old Spanish Trail. -

Chris

And since we're in the neighborhood, we're gonna also enjoy some of the beauty of Red Rock Canyon. Yeah, that's all coming up right now on "Wild Nevada." -

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Support for "Wild Nevada" is provided by the William N. Pennington Foundation. -

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The Nevada Division of Tourism provides inspiration for travelers interested in creating their own wild Nevada adventures. More information at TravelNevada.com. -

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The June S. Wisham Trust. -

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Support for "Wild Nevada" is proudly provided by Land Rover Reno and Land Rover Las Vegas. -

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Charles and Margaret Burback. Millie Hopper and Millard Reed. And by individual members. (light music) (upbeat music) (gentle music) So, we're starting out this morning.

It's a little bit chilly. - Mm hm. But we're on the western outskirts of Las Vegas, and on this trip we're gonna explore a portion of the Old Spanish Trial that actually runs right through this valley. Yeah, tomorrow we're gonna get some of the history of that trail, but today, we're gonna take advantage of its proximity to Red Rock Canyon.

(light relaxing music) Red Rock Canyon is one of those places that you can visit over and over, but have a completely different experience each time. We know going in that we're going to see things we've never seen before. We meet Cody Dix of the Southern Nevada Conservancy, and Jason Douglas, a firefighter and former Park Ranger. Well, welcome to Red Rock.

Thank you. Pleasure to have you guys here. We're at the Calico Tanks Trail. We got a really cool hike for you today.

The trail is about 2.2 miles and that's an up and back. So, this is a fantastic trail. One of our more popular trails for a lot of different reasons. One, the geology is spectacular and we'll get a good taste of that.

And then, additionally, there's a lot of cultural history, too. That kind of tells the story of how Red Rock Canyon was used before it became a national conservation area. Sounds like we're gonna have a great two miles. I can't wait.

Let's get going. All right, let's get hiking. - Let's go. -

Dave

We'll follow you. (light music) It strikes me when I look around at just the variety of different kinds of rock that I'm seeing. -

Cody

Primarily, we have two major types; the sandstone and the limestone. But the colors can change on all of that. So, we have beautiful sandstone and that's what we'll be walking on top of here in Calico Tanks. And then the limestone are all those gray mountains up above.

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Jason

The sandstone if you pick up one for one, the sandstone is much lighter. And you can really tell if you picked up like that right there and then you picked up this piece of sandstone, you could really tell the difference. (gentle music) Right here we're at what's called Sandstone Quarry, the beginning part of Calico Tanks trail. In the early 1900s there were companies, three businesses that tried to chop off blocks and distribute the beautiful sandstone we see around here- - Oh, wow.

To Los Angeles and San Francisco via railroad. These blocks weighed several tons and they would use a steam powered engine to transport these massive blocks to Las Vegas and then get those on the railroad out to California. - Okay. And we can still see where they were cut into the sandstone here.

It just has such fantastic qualities and colors on it. Easy to see why somebody would like to do that. But thankfully, now as a conservation area- Yeah. - Nobody is allowed to do that so these sandstone formations are here for us to enjoy.

(gentle music) (gravel crunching) So, as we continue to hike along the trail here, this is an agave roasting pit. These were the first barbecues here at Red Rock Canyon. They were used by the Ancestral Puebloans, and the Southern Paiutes. And these were places where food would be roasted to be preserved over the winter season.

Food would be plant and animal materials and we're looking at a nice sized pit right here where the limestone would be heated and used to warm up those foods. -

Chris

Then how long ago was this used? Yeah, so we're looking at agave roasting pits that are at least several hundreds if not thousands of years old. Our best guesses on some of these are give or take around 1,000 years. So, very old, very important, an important cultural site here.

These were important places where people would come and gather. People you might only see once or twice a year. You'd be able to catch up with them, get important information; find out where spring water is, find out where good hunts are. But also be able to share stories and have a good time as well.

So, very old, but very well protected here. And it's something that we want to approach, but not walk on top of to disturb the site. (gentle music) -

Chris

So, our terrain has changed under foot here. -

Cody

Yeah, instead of that limestone wash we were walking in previously, now we're in our sandstone here. And you can see both the stone and actual sand. -

Dave

Is the sand coming off of the sandstone or is it from somewhere else? -

Cody

It's the sand coming off the sandstone. So, that sandstone weathers and breaks apart. It'll turn back into individual sand grains here. -

Dave

It's a strange lifecycle for a rock. -

Cody

Absolutely. (gentle music) -

Dave

Every few steps brings another incredible view. This is not a terribly long hike, but if you come out here you're gonna wanna stop a lot just to look around. -

Chris

There's such variety in the color of sandstone. -

Cody

Absolutely. Out here at Red Rock, we have oranges, we have reds, we have maroon colors. A lot of that is attributed to the iron inside the rock. That iron has oxidized or it's rusted, and it's created these fantastic colors and bands and stripes all throughout our sandstone formation.

And some of the iron has even been bleached out of certain rocks. So, where you see the lack of color, those were spots that groundwater moved the iron to different portions of the sandstone. -

Chris

We've been following these a lot on this trail. Yeah, so this is something unique to our canyon that we've just started doing. So, like we were talking about our national conservation area, we're really trying to conserve the area. So, a lot of areas you'll see where there's trails you might see signs that are concreted into the ground or signs that are bolted to the rocks or stuff like that.

So, this is something that we just started and all it is is a big rock basket that we fill with the rocks around the area and we're just putting the signs in the middle. And as you can tell, they're pretty sturdy. You can't push 'em over. - Yeah.

You can't damage 'em. - Oh, yeah. -

Jason

People aren't trying to take 'em home for souvenirs. So, it's just something unique that helps us conserve the area even more, as well as blending in with our landscape around us. There's no restrictions on where you can hike within here, but we do like to keep folks on our designated routes and this one way to do that. As well as keep people from getting lost and things like that.

As it is, as you look back down the canyon you can tell you could go a lot of different routes. So, it is a way to kinda keep people in the same direction as well. That's creative, yeah. - As beautiful as it all is it can be dangerous, so.

Absolutely. - I like staying on the path. -

Chris

So, the people that are involved here like yourselves, I mean, you're here because you're passionate about this landscape. -

Cody

We're trying to connect people to the landscape, and hopefully just that little bit extra experience turns them into conservation stewards and spokespeople for places like this, America's public lands. (gentle music) -

Chris

The trails are beautifully maintained, nice and clean. It's just a great thing we have here is our volunteer presence. Thousands of hours have been spent in the canyon and we really wouldn't be able to operate without 'em. Some of our groups are Friends of Nevada Wilderness and Friends of Red Rock Canyon.

So, just a great group of folks and do a lot of work for us here. (light music) -

Dave

I love how this is like a natural stairwell to a viewing station. It's so cool. (light music continues) Oh, wow. - Ooh.

Look at that view. - Wow, what a view. Oh, that's spectacular. Oh, it was a nice hike to begin with, but this really tops it off, guys, this is great.

- Absolutely. All that hard work pays off here at the end. Yeah, wow, so- It's very spectacular. - We can see most all the valley from here.

Yeah. - Yeah. Yes, you can and you can see the topography, you can see the bowl of Las Vegas. -

Chris

It's a very accessible hike. I mean, a few levels there where you get your legs and your lungs going, but it's very accessible. -

Cody

And yeah, there's still more rock above us, so it's just a fantastic place. Well, you can see why it's such a popular place to come and hike. I mean, I'd say when you've got a, it's not too long, the payoff is great and you feel like you've done something. Yeah.

- Oh, yeah. Yeah. - It's gorgeous. -

Cody

Hard to find a better spot to eat your lunch. - I hear that. Oh, yeah. - I wish I brought it.

(men laughing) Well, thank you guys for taking us all this way. It's been a spectacular hike, and I don't know, I think that I probably will be bringing my family back here- Yeah. - A few times going down the road. You don't expect to have such a beautiful natural experience this close to the city.

So, it's just a nice way to get out and explore. (gentle music) -

Dave

We returned to the scenic byway and continue on, marveling at the variety of landscapes surrounding us. (gentle music continues) -

Chris

A little over five miles down the road, we pull over to meet John Asselin from the Bureau of Land Management. Hi, there. - Hey, how you doin'? Great, thanks.

- John Asselin. Good to see you. - Hi, good to see you, too. So, where are we right now?

So, we're in the Willow Spring area. -

Dave

Okay. There is a trail over here that goes back to Willow Spring and then there's also some other trails that link up down to there that go to First Creek, which is a creek that usually runs year round. It's so interesting that you have so much different, but beautiful landscapes bumped up against each other. Yes, we have the canyon here that's you know, nice and tight there.

And you can see off on the other side there's the tall limestone mountains over there, and that's the Spring Mountains over there. (gentle music) I noticed that we both layered up. (all laughing) After the hike and I'm surprised a little bit that we had to but it's definitely colder here and what's the reason for that? It's always a little chillier here in this spot, and I think a lot of it has to do to is it's so narrow here that you're not getting the sunlight like you do in some of the other areas.

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Chris

And it's part of really when you come out to enjoy the area, you should really prepare properly and have a few layers, gloves- - Yeah. -

Chris

Depending on the time of year. Yeah, people come to Las Vegas and they think that it's gonna be hot year round and it does cool down in the winter. And then not only that, we're starting at about 4,000 feet at Red Rock and it just goes up above that. So, you get that elevation on top of it being chilly in the winter and it gets cold here sometimes.

(gentle music) I'm noticing these rocks have a really interesting sort of striped pattern and I find it really interesting to look at, and then I noticed we're roped off, these particular rocks are roped off. Yes. - What's the reason for that? So, right here if you look closely.

Right there you can see four or five hand prints. Oh, yeah! - And similar to petroglyphs that you've probably seen before, except for petroglyphs are chipped away. Yeah.

- And these are pictographs. They're painted on? - It was like painted on. -

Dave

And we know that that was done not last week by a bunch of kids on a picnic, right? -

John

Yeah, yeah, a long time ago. From what I hear from our archeologists, our archeologists tend to tell me the same thing all the time. It's we're not really sure how old they are. But they can tell when something is old, weathered and not recently done.

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John

Right, right, definitely not recently done. It was done by the Native Americans in the area. Not sure when. - Yeah.

And not really sure why. You know and they blend beautifully into the rock, so it obviously must be some of the pigment that they find based off the rocks? -

John

Likely local pigments. They're so hard to see. - Yeah. -

John

And if the lighting's not right, you can't see them at all. -

Dave

That's how well hidden they are. -

Chris

Part of why it's fenced off is so that people don't go up and touch and-- Don't go up there because the oils from your hands can degrade that faster. - Yeah, oh. So, that's why you have to protect it is so it can last a few more hundred or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years. And it's not just a random location either.

Just right next to us over here is an agave roasting pit. Oh, wow. - So, this was a big community area with the agave roasting pit. So, they would have the big roasts out here, so.

- Okay. So, obviously- - Makes sense there would stuff around it. - A gathering points and possibly their celebration. (gentle music) -

John

They're scattered around all over. -

Dave

Even back then thousands of years ago, they knew where the good spots were- Yeah. - To go and spend your time. So, I think that's fascinating. Yeah, in fact we have picnic tables right there and right over there, so it's- That's a really good point, right?

We've kept it in a good barbecue area. Right and it's a landscape that every time you visit it it has to be slightly unique. Yeah. - Because with such cool formations and colors, the light's gonna change whether it's a cloudy day or a sunny day or the time of the year.

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John

There's so much out here that you can come out here 1,000 times and see something different on the same trail and it was there when you were there the 1,000 times before. (gentle music) -

Dave

Our day is ending and already we're looking forward to our next visit to Red Rock Canyon. We thank John and head into Las Vegas for the night. (light music) First thing in the morning we visit the Old Spanish Trail Park on the west side of town. This is where we're meeting Ashley Hall of the Old Spanish Trail Association.

Yeah, good morning. - Good morning. Thanks for meeting us. - Hey, morning, Ashley.

Welcome to the Old Spanish Trail. Thanks. - Thanks for being out here. Yeah, it's funny.

You know, we're not used to being in town doing this program and I see walls and houses and trees and streets, so what is it about this area that made you think we should start here? This is one of the last segments of the Old Spanish Trail that's visible through the Las Vegas Valley. And as you can see growth has come right up to the trail. Yeah.

- Actually, growth goes way past the trial. (all laughing) It's a busy area. - Yeah. -

Chris

So, this is actually the trail itself? -

Ashley

This is the trail. 1829 to 1848, mule trains were taken from Santa Fe, New Mexico around through Colorado and Utah, and Nevada, across the Mojave Desert to California. (soft music) But as growth has taken place and palm trees have been planted (Chris laughing) the environment in Las Vegas Valley has changed. And so, one of our goals today is to follow the Old Spanish Trail from Las Vegas out into Emigrant Pass in California.

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Chris

So, when was the Old Spanish Trail used? There's some history about the Ute Indians actually using a trail that went into Southern California in 1800 to acquire livestock; generally mules and horses, and then take 'em back across the trail for sale. And so, the Old Spanish Trail has been used by fur trappers, traders, and later, immigrants. Well, and I think today it'll be used by us to go explore.

Shall we go take a walk on it? - Yes. (soft music) -

Dave

Ashley leads us through the park as we begin our journey following in the footsteps of so many who came this way before. As part of the Nevada Centennial Celebration in 1964, a group of enthusiasts put up 34 markers along the trail from the Utah, Arizona, Nevada border to the California border along the Old Spanish Trail. We will see many of these today as we go south along the trail. (soft music) -

Chris

A few miles down South Durango and Blue Diamond Road reconnects us with the trail at Blue Diamond. At the south edge of town, Ashley introduces us to Glenn Shaw, the Trail Association's Nevada Director. I want you to meet Glenn Shaw. Glenn, nice to meet.

- The Director of the Old Spanish Trail Association for Nevada. Also, the mayor of Blue Diamond. A continually growing community as it seems. We've got construction happening right behind us and right along this trail.

So, I guess it's still an attractive spot for people. And really with the rate at which Las Vegas and Blue Diamond has grown, that's part of what's so important about an association like the Old Spanish Trail Association. -

Glenn

Well, it is, you know, because it has to preserve and protect the Old Spanish Trail, so it's not encroached by all the construction and development going on. Well, I'm excited to actually get out on the trail a little bit. Yeah. - And I'm ready to get a little trail dust on me.

You wanna go for a walk? Yeah, let's do it. - Let's go check it out, yeah. -

Ashley

Let's go for a walk. (gentle music) You can see a segment of the Old Spanish Trail right here. - Yeah. And so that's what- - It's not easy to be seen.

We're looking at? - Yes. So, as we go up the hill that's part of the Old Spanish Trail? - That's it, that's it.

That's the Old Spanish Trail. Wow. - We'll actually be on it. Yeah, we're on the trail.

- Yep. (gentle music) -

Dave

The view from the top allows us a look back to Red Rock Canyon. A striking reminder of yesterday's adventure. We thank Glenn and continue on our journey. (soft music) From Blue Diamond, we backtracked to State Route 160 and head west past some trail landmarks and scenic landscape.

Not quite 20 miles down the road, Ashley has us pull over to share one of his favorite spots. (soft music) So, Ashley, you brought us out into the desert. What are we looking at? Well, you're looking at the Salt Lake to Los Angeles road.

(light music) This is probably the best example of the trail and road that there is in existence that I'm aware of out in the Mojave Desert area. And so, you'll see a result of the Old Spanish Trail being used as a trail with only hoofed animals, but as you look a little deeper, you'll find that it turned into a road. I had a bunch of boy scouts camping out here, but we took a bunch of 'em down the trail, and we took 'em to an old yucca tree. And as we stood looking on toward Emigrant Pass I said to them, "Can you imagine the Old Spanish Trail caravan going toward Emigrant Pass?

100 mules with riders in between." This little boy said, "I can see it." Then another boy said, "I can see it." So, part of the Old Spanish Trail and part of history is to try to picture yourself in the same position that those people were in in those days. -

Chris

I can absolutely feel that sense of history- Yeah. - And movement. -

Ashley

If you turn yourself about you can see Emigrant Pass- Yeah. - Out in the distance. That's a great vista of about 50 miles. Wow, let's go see it.

The last leg of our tour takes us along State Route 160 and Tecopa Road into California following the Old Spanish Trail highway up into the Nopah Range. (gentle music) -

Ashley

As you climb up this portion of the pass... (gravel crunching) On the left we can see where the old road came up. Oh yeah. - This slope that we're paralleling here?

- Yeah. And then you can also see just beyond that, next into the hill. - Mm hm. Is the trail of the Old Spanish Trail.

The little skinny, the mule trail, right? The mule trail, yeah. - The skinnier version. -

Chris

And is that pole up there, is that one of the markers of the Old Trail? -

Ashley

As we get on top and look over you'll be able to see where the marker is where the Spanish Trail went by. -

Dave

Ah, very cool. (gentle music) Oh, yeah. Wow. Woo!

That's gorgeous. - What a view. (gentle music) The word expansive comes to mind. (Chris chuckling) This is pretty spectacular.

Yeah. - And you can see where the road went down through and then the Old Spanish Trail comes across the top and over there. Thank you, Ashley. - Yes, yes, yes.

This has been such a great day. It's been good being with you today. I appreciate passing through history with you. Yes.

- That was a really interesting day and now sometime we'll have to go the other direction. -

Chris

I kinda now have a little more understanding of what the Old Spanish Trail truly means. Right. - It's not just a term, it was a cultural movement. Yeah.

- I have more respect now for those people who did this because in a car it's significant. Santa Fe to L.A., it's through Wild Nevada. (all laughing) So, we've had a great day following in some very special and historic footprints through the Old Spanish Trail. Actually, some hoof prints, too.

Hoof prints. - Considering all the mules and oxen that were involved. - Yeah. Yeah, it's true.

It was really a blast. And yesterday, we got a reminder, as if we needed it, that no matter how many times you go to Red Rock Canyon it is a unique and spectacular experience. We really enjoyed it. If you want more information about this or any of our "Wild Nevada" adventures, visit our website at pbsreno.org.

Thanks for traveling along with us, and until we see you next time, we hope you get to enjoy some wild Nevada adventures of your own. (upbeat music) (gentle chiming) -

Announcer

Support for "Wild Nevada" is provided by the William N. Pennington Foundation. -

Announcer

The Nevada Division of Tourism provides inspiration for travelers interested in creating their own wild Nevada adventures. More information at TravelNevada.com. -

Announcer

The June S. Wisham Trust. -

Announcer

Support for "Wild Nevada" is proudly provided by Land Rover Reno and Land Rover Las Vegas. -

Announcer

Charles and Margaret Burback. Millie Hopper and Millard Reed. And by individual members. (light music)