River Mountains Loop Trail

Bobcats – Roam the River Mountains

 

Bobcat in the wild.

Bobcat, (felis rufus) file photo

Since the subject of wildcats has come up this week lets talk about the real wildcat of the River Mountains area. More specifically called the “Bobcat” (Felis rufus or Lynx rufus).  The Bobcat is rarely spotted or seen by humans as they are very elusive and nocturnal. This cat is named for its tail, which appears to be cut off  or “bobbed.”  His other identifying feature is his “tufted” ears.  A bobcat is generally twice the size of your house cat and has long legs, large paws, is brownish in color with a white underbelly.

Bobcats are fierce hunters and can kill prey much bigger than themselves, but generally eat rabbits, birds, mice, rats, squirrels and other smaller game.  With there close proximity to urban develop around the River Mountains they may also enjoy house cats and small dogs from time to time.

Bobcats are solitary animals.  Females choose dens in secluded areas to raise a litter of kittens ranging in number from one to six.  The kittens will remain with their mother up to 12-months while learning to hunt before heading out on their own. Bobcats may range an area up to 80-square miles or an area that is less than one square mile, depending on food availability.

In the River Mountains Bobcats have been seen feeding on Desert Big Horn Sheep lambs in the spring.

If you are ever hiking alone in the River Mountains and all of a sudden you get that feeling that you are not alone – that something is watching you and chills run up and down your back – Bobcat!

Mountain Lion sighted Near Trail

Dec. 16, 2010 – Boulder city, NV. – According to a report in the Las Vegas Sun this a.m. a mountain lion was recently sighted near Keyes Drive in Boulder City.  Keys Drive going east turns into the Old Historic Railroad Grade/trail which in turn becomes part of the River Mountains Loop Trail system.   Mountain Lions have always been part of the wildlife mix in the River Mountains, just not seen that often.  These big cats have a taste for Desert Big Horn Sheep and the River Mountains are home to one of the largest reproducing herds in the State of Nevada.  The LV Sun goes on to report that yearling cats are often booted out of their home this time of year to fend for themselves, so they are looking for their own territory to roam and hunt.

Mountain Lion

Mountain Lion file photo….

Mountain Lion file photo….

National Park Service Advice for Mountain Lion Encounters:

  1. Avoid behavior that may attract a mountain lion. Avoid hiking or jogging alone. Children shouldn’t run ahead on a trail.
  2. If you see a mountain lion:  Remain calm. Never run.!!! Report the sighting to the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 702-486-5127.
  3. If you encounter an aggressive mountain lion: Do all you can to appear large and threatening. Hold your ground. Wave your arms. Shout. Throw rocks if the lion approaches.

If you have a cell phone and feel in immediate danger, call 911.

Note: Since 1999 when the trail became operational, this is the first reported sighting near the trail.

Burkholder Trail Connection

Burkholder Trail is now complete and connects up with the River Mountains Loop Trail.  Connectivity – Linkage – are two key phase words in the trail building community.  Trails need to go somewhere….connect to other trails and link you and me together.   October 2010 the Burkholder Trail was completed and accepted into the Henderson trail system.  The trail follows Burkholder Road from it’s intersect with Lake Mead Parkway east until it connects with the Loop Trail at the northeast corner of the SNWA River Mountains Water Treatment facility.  From Burkholder Trail you can link up with Heritage Park & Senior Center, Basic High School, connect to the Lake Mead Parkway Trail, connect to Morrell Park on Major Ave., Robert Taylor Elementary School, Valley View Recreation center and commercial shopping at Burkholder and Lake Mead Parkway.

Burkholder Trail from Lake Mead to Racetrack Rd. is on the south side of Burkholder Dr. and is landscaped and lighted for night-time travel.  At Racetrack Rd. your crossing is a striped cross-walk then crosses to the north side of Burkholder and continues as a 10-ft paved trail without landscaping and lighting as most of the right-of-way is on federal Bureau Of Reclamation (BOR) managed lands.  The other thing you will note is the trail is all uphill from Lake Mead Parkway starting out on a gentle grade and gradually increasing the further east you go east; of course it is all downhill going from RMLT west.

Burkholder Trail

Burkholder Trail looking northwest toward Lake Mead Parkway Oct. 2010

But connectivity doesn’t end here. The Burkholder Trail links up with the newly completed Lake Mead Parkway Trail system.  When complete Lake Mead Parkway Trail will run from Boulder Highway east all the way to Lake Mead National Recreation Area which means connection back to the River Mountains Loop Trail and connection to the Wetlands Connector Trail and more.

Silverman Aid Station “Wild West” Theme

Nov. 7th, 2010  Silverman Aid station #10 – The River Mountains Trail Partnership once again sponsored Bike Course Aid Station #10 at the 100.0 mile mark on the 112-mile bike course for the full Triathlon.  The station was located at old Vegas Trail and Foothills Dr. where a connector trail drops riders off the RMLT on to Foothills.  This year we had a great team of volunteers show up (over 30) and many worked the station all day from set up at 8:00 a.m. to clean up at 4:30 p.m.  As the photos will show we had a wild west theme to help create fun and a theme to inspire our riders as they came throught the station.

Silverman Aid Station Wild West Theme 2010

Our first rider showed up at 11:00 a.m. and buzzed through the station without need of aid….a few minutes later the next three or four had passed through. By 11:30 a.m. we had a steady flow of riders all from the half-triathlon ride.  At times we had 20 volunteers on the line offering energy bars, gel, water, Gatorade, bananas in a repeat  series in case they missed the first hand-off.  By early afternoon the wind pick up and blew from the southwest directly into the riders face creating a headwind on a long uphill climb. We started seeing cramping issues among the riders.  During the course of the day we saw about five (5) riders drop out at our station, two for mechanical problems, three were physically done for…

Volunteer Cowgirls 2010

Volunteer Cowgirls 2010

National Recreation Trail Presentation

 

NRT presentation to Mayor and council 7-20-10

 

July 20, 2010 –  During the regular Henderson City Council meeting July 20th,  members of the River Mountains Trail Partnership presented Mayor Hafen and council members the National Recreation Trail designation plaque from Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.  Henderson has 11.5 miles trail under the National Recreation Trail designation .

Some of the presentation highlights follow: 

For the local community the River Mountains Loop Trail is a place to:

  • Walk the dog….go jogging….
  • Ride the bike with family & friends
  • Enjoy horseback riding
  • Go hiking….take wildflower and wildlife photos
  • Train for races & marathons like Pumpkinman & Silverman & many others
  • Roller-blade, skateboard…and long boarding
  • A place to explore local history….Railroad Pass,..Texas Acres…Henderson town site…Three kids Mine…and more
  • A place to learn/become educated about Water, Power, and how man has changed the desert landscape.

Henderson has completed 11.5 trail miles of the 34-mile total.

These 11.5 miles provide: 

Connectivity and linkage to:

  • Boulder City and Bootleg Canyon
  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area & Hoover Dam – designations in their own right
  • Lake Las Vegas Resort
  • Other trails like the Equestrian Trail, Wetlands Connector, Burkholder Trail soon to be completed and the McCullough Hills Trail in planning

Alternative transportation: 

  • To work and play from Henderson to Boulder City & visa versa…
  • To many locations within Henderson and beyond via connectivity to other trails
  • Provides safety to Cyclist getting them off of US 93/95 through Railroad Pass

View-shed – yes views of: 

  • Las Vegas (night and day)……The River Mountains…..
  • McCullough Mountains…..Spring Mtn. Range in early spring with snow

Venue’ for Special events: 

  • Silverman Triathlon
  • Calico Racing 5-K,10-K runs
  • Pumpkinman Triathlon
  • International Triathlon Union Championships 2011
  • Viva Las Vegas 100 ride
  • Training rides for various bike & running organizations

Tourist Destination Trail: 

  • Outdoor get away for business visitors
  • Eco-tourism visitors experiencing Mojave Desert via bike
  • Resort to Resort Trekking

With trail completion the Trail Partnership is already working with city park planners on safety enhancements and completion of the River Mountains Loop Trail Interpretive Plan.  Going forward we hope to help implement a system wide, possibly a regional “Trail Watch” program of volunteers to be the “Eyes & Ears” on the trails.

With tonight’s presentation of the National Recreation Trails Designation to the City of Henderson we are here to say thank you for your support;  your dedication… and for being the best Trail City in the State of Nevada.

Henderson Trails  really  make  this   “A Place to Call Home” ….“You guys get it!!!” 

 

SNAKES….SNAKES ON THE TRAIL

 

Western Diamondback snake —file photo

 

We  get many reports from trail users about snakes on the trail; most are rattle snakes some are gopher snakes.  All snakes are part of the wildlife scene along the trail.  Please leave them be.  It was a very wet winter and spring thus more snakes are about.  Our rattler friends are seen early morning on the trail as they lay in sun and warm up and late evening again on trail to keep warm.   We have the Western diamondback, Sidewinder, and the Mojave Green frequenting the areas along the trail.

Mojave Green Rattle snake – file photo

I had a report of a rattler 38″ long on the trail this past weekend…..I’m curious how they got the snake to lay out so they could get that measurement without getting bitten.   Oh, well a snake that long could be a Mojave green which are very poisonous.  A Mojave looks much like a diamondback but has  greenish hue and the diamonds fade out near the tail, not that I’m going to stick around and find out.

Every year we hear about dogs getting bitten near the trail; the primary reason is they are off leash. Protect your dogs by keeping them safe on leash.

National Recreation Trail – Boulder City

  June 8th, 2010 – The River Mountains Trail Partnership present the City of Boulder City with their National Recreation Trails Designation during June 8th, 2010 council meeting.  The presentation was made by Chairman John Holman and other partnership members.

National Recreation Trail Presentation June 8, 2010

During the presentation Holman highlighted the significance of the 6.5-miles of trail Boulder City had built.  He pointed out that in combination with Bootleg Canyon’s 50+ miles of Mountain bike trails the two systems together make Boulder City a cyclist paradise or a destination.

For local residents the River Mountains loop trail is a place to: 

  • Walk the dog ….. Go jogging
  • Ride the bike with family and friends
  • Go for a hike …. Take photos of wildflowers and wildlife
  • Train for races & marathons like Pumplinman & Silverman
  • A place to explore local history

This 6.5 miles of trail provides Connectivity and Linkage to: Henderson and the rest of the Las Vegas Valley via trail; Lake Mead and Hoover Dam…both designations of their own; Downtown Boulder City’s entertain and restaurant district.

Alternative transportation route:  To work and play Boulder City vs. Henderson; Safety to Cyclist getting them off of US Hwy 93/95

View-shed – Yes views of: Lake Mead, River Mountains, Red Mountain, Eldorado Valley, Nevada Solar One

During the presentation discussion council recognized Gary Zupanic for his many years of support and dedication to the development of the RMLT.  Below in the photo gallery are photos from the presentation.  Also below is a link to the Boulder City TV link for video of the actual presentation.  Once the link is opened click on item #5 under the video screen to open just our presentation segment.   Happy trails to all….

Boulder City TV link: http://bcnv.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=226

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Move – Outdoors on the RMLT

Michelle Obama  is in Nevada at the  Redrock National conservation Area  promoting the administrations new get the fat off our kids by outdoor activities.  When I was a kid it was called play…”go outside and play with your friends until dinner”.   The idea is a good one… but we as a nation, as a community, as families have got to change our ways. It is all about healthy living, which is a lifestyle change for all too many Americans.

RMLT Family outing on trail with dogs, kids on bikes & stroller 2010 jeh

We didn’t have TV’s or iPods, cell phones, commuter games, DVD’s …Cd’s etc.etc.  We had friends and played outdoors….we rode bikes, go-carts, we played “Cowboys & Indians”…we played army & G.I Joe.  We even had P.E. and recess at school.   But now the local school district did away with recess, to save money and time; P.E. is no longer required in Junior High or High School but an elective.  Kids all (too many) have cell phones, iPhones, iPods, etc. and they text all day.   No wonder they are getting fat…no physical activity.  I won’t even start on fast food & energy drinks…..Who to blame???  Just look in the mirror and we have our answers.   I keep having these images of how science fiction movies depict ‘aliens’….beings with big heads small pale weak bodies….hmmmm.all brain power and no physical exercise….is this what we are to become if we don’t change our ways???

What is the answer???  “LET’S MOVE…” is a good start.  Get off the couch…turn off the TV/Computer etc. open the door and go for a walk…take the kids…take the dog.  Better yet head for a local park, a local trail.    Hey, kids….you can use the River Mountains Loop Trail and pretend you are early settlers moving into Las Vegas “The Meadows” via a wagon train.  Look for sources of water, shelter, food, etc. Try it, you’ll like it.

For me the best day on the trail is to see a family outing using the trail….small children on little bikes with helmets and mom & dad maybe pushing a stroller or walking the family dog on a leash, of course.  These are good days and ones to promote over and over again.  Happy Trails means Happy days and better living…. so Let’s Move…

National Recreation Trails designation to River Mountains Loop Trail

May 25, 2010 -  Secretary Salazar Announces Designation of 31 New National Recreation Trails in 15 states.  The River Mountains Loop Trail is the only Nevada trail designated in 2010.  The designation announcement comes the week before National Trails Day on June 5th this year.  The 35-miles of the River Mountains Loop Trail is part of the 716 miles of newly designated National Recreation Trails this year. 

Quote from Salazar news release: “From Coast to coast, the National Trails System helps connect American families with the wonders of the great outdoors. These new national recreation trails, built through partnerships with local communities and stakeholders, will create new opportunities for fitness and stewardship while creating a lasting legacy for our children and grandchildren.” 

Link to news release: http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Salazar-Announces-31-New-National-Recreation-Trails-in-15-States.cfm?renderforprint=1&

 
 
 

River Mountains Loop Trail Logo is a Desert Big Horn Sheep with mountain backdrop with rising Sun/moon

The 35-mile loop is nearing completion with only 2.5 miles remaining to close the loop. The last segment is funded, designed, and waiting final right-of-way clearance before starting consturction later this year. This last segment is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.  The non-motorized trail is used heavily each weekend and through out the week by cyclist, walkers, joggers, dog walkers, and equestrain riders.  It is also becoming a destination trail for out-of towners wanting to experience the desert southwest in a more natural state.

For more information please tour this BLOG site, visit one of two websites listed, or join us on Facebook.

Happy trails to all…..John