River Mountains Loop Trail

Cell phone coverage improved along Trail In Lake Mead Recreation Area

Nov. 20th – 2009 – Cell phone coverage enhanced in Lake Mead Area ….(this news brief was posted in The View this week)   Verizon Wireless expanded its network coverage and capacity in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, enhancing a number of services for customers, the company announced. The move allows customers to make calls and send e-mails, text messages and pictures, as well as access the Web in a territory where services may not have been previously accessible. For more information, visit verizonwireless.com.

NOTE: Cell phone coverage has been an issue among some trail users.  This enhancement may bring improvements along that portion of the River Mountains Loop Trail within the Lake Mead Recreation Area . Alway be prepared and if traveling or riding alone let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.

From a trail enjoyment and safety point of view we suggest cell phones be used for emergencies only.  Remember you are on the trail for peace and quiet; recreation; fresh air; so keep your mind and eyes on the trail ahead…..:)

Roadrunner – Beep….Beep

Greater Roadrunner – A member of the cuckoo family, the greater Roadrunner (Geococcyz californianus) is zygodactylous or two toes pointing forward and two backwards.  It has heavily streaked plumage, a bristly crest, short rounded wings an upward tilted tail, and long legs.  It rarely flies and has been clocked running at speeds up to 17 miles per hour.  It is said to have gotten its name in the Old West from running ahead of horse-drawn carriages.  Its diet of lizards, insects and spiders, small rodents, birds, and snakes is supplemented with occasional fruits and seeds.

Roadrunner - Lizard for lunch - file photo

Tarantula Spiders

Tarantula – These spiders have hairy,brown to black bodies, and a leg span that can exceed 4 inches.  Despite their intimidating appearance, they are generally non-aggressive and will avoid confrontation if possible.  north American desert tarantulas do have venom, but the effect on a human is generally equivalent to a bee sting.

Tarantula on trail 102409

For most of the year tarantulas are solitary creatures that seldom move far from their burrows to hunt lizards, insects and other arthropods.  They are most likely to be seen on summer nights when males are out and about searching for mates.  The mortality rate for mature males is high.  Those who manage to survive the search for a female will most likely be eaten by her soon after mating.  Females, who tend to stick close to the home burrow, may live for 20 years or more.

Photo Gallery:

Historic Railroad Trail featured in Rails to Trails Magizine

Nov. 20, 20009 – The winter 2009 edition of Rails to Trails is out and it feature The Historic Railroad Trail At Lake Mead on the cover, plus a six page article and photos within.  The photo shoot took place back in the spring which several of us from the River Mountains Trail Partnership participated in.  Only Jim Holland’s photo made it into the article.  Jim is the Lake Mead Park Planner and was deeply involved in the completion of the Historic Railroad Trail.  I also interviewed twice with Ben Spillman, but of course was not quoted in the article either, such is the life of one who works behind the scenes. 

Link to article:  http://www.railstotrails.org/news/magazine/index.html   

 The article is well written and certainly covers the many user groups who visit the trail on an annual basis.  The history of how the trail was built makes another story which is covered elsewhere in this BLOG site.   Look under “History” category.

JIm Holland posing for shoot, Low Lake mead shoreline spring 2009

I have a few behind the scenes photos of part of the official photo shoot.  You will also find detailed information, photos, and maps on both the Historic Railroad Trail and the River Mountains Loop Trail at  www.traillink.com

See Gallery below.

Desert Kit Fox – kit fox

 
 
 
 

Desert Kit Fox NPS file photo

Desert Kit Fox (Vulpes macrotis) – The smallest of foxes, the Desert Kit fox is about 30 inches from nose to tip of tail.  It has very large ears and is gray and buff colored with a black-tipped tail.  The bottoms of its fee are covered with fur to faciltate travel on sandy soil.  Mostly nocturnal, the fox hunts rodents, lizards, birds, and insects. (the ocasional house cat).

NOS - Desert Kit fox file photo

Habitat -Likes open desert, on cresote bush flats, and amongst sand dunes if any.  The Kit Fox is almost exclusively carnivorous.  They are will adapted to desert living seldom needing water to drink. They get most their water from the food they eat, dining mostly on the Merriam’s kangaroo rat. They also like jack rabbits and desert cottontails.  Kit foxes are active at night and stay in dens during the heat of the day.

 Note: It is rare to see one of these guys along the trail, but they are out there. The only one I have seen was a road kill, I wore his tail on my hiking hat for awhile.

 

Gambel’s Quail

Gambel’s Quail – (Callipepla gambelii)  have plump, stocky bodies, rounded wings, and prominent head plumes.  The name Callipepla comes from the Greek kalli ( beautiful) and peplos (robe).  The body is gray above and buff below, with streaked sides. Males have a black face and throat and a white headband.

These birds spend most of their time on the ground, often near washes and springs.  At night they roost in low branches of shrubs or trees.  They are generally gregarious and form coveys of 20 or more in fall and winter.

Gambles Quail male file photo 2009

 These Quail can be seen along the trail early mornings if one is quiet. Located in washes and areas where water can be found. They are fun to watch and they have a series of calls they make to each other.

COYOTES

Coyote Howling file photo 2009

Nov. 16, 2009 – Coyotes – (Canis latrans) are grizzled gray or reddish-gray with buff underparts a bushy tail with a black tip, and prominent ears.  They are excellent runners, with cruising speeds of 25 to 35 miles per hour and short bursts of up to 40 miles per hour.

Extremely intelligent and adaptable, the coyote is expanding its range despite loss of traditional habitat and human hunting pressures.  Today the coyote can be found in desert, grassland, mountain and suburban environments as far north as Alaska and as far south as Central America.

The coyote is an opportunistic hunter employing a variety of methods to obtain food. It patiently stalks and pounces on small mammals. It has trememdous endurance and can simply chase prey until it is worn out. Where the food supply is predominantly small animals, it hunts alone or in  breeding pairs, while in the presence of large prey such as deer, it will hunt in packs. Coyotes will also make do with insects, lizards, carrion, fruit, and even pine nuts (grass seeds).

Coyotes are usually heard between dusk and dawn. Barks and yelps followed by drawn-out howls serve to announce location, strenghten social bonds, and reunite separated members of a band.

NOTE: The above definition of coyotes comes from a Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication called “Geologic tours in the Las Vegas Area”.

NO DUMPING….?

 

No Dumping cartoon

"No Dumping" says it all....?

Nov. 16, 2009 – Cartoon says it all…..It is what it is…!   We in the trail business do have a sense of humor, sometimes.  To bad dogs can’t read, because dog owners sure can’t.  On a recent hike to pick up trash along the trail from a trail head all I found was piles and piles of dog crap along the trail.  The responsible dog owner picks up after his dog then dumps it in a trash can at the trail head.   “Pack it in…Pack it out!”    There is another cartoon out there from the “Far-Side” I think….shows a bear putting a sewer pipe from the woods/forrest through a side window into a house and giving the signal to the pipeline operator(another bear) to turn it on…

Then there is the dog owner who picks up his dogs business in a bag (thank you); but then leaves it along side the trail???@#@#$  Why?    Or how about the 16oz soda cup or Grande Starbucks cup found sitting 1-mile in from the trail head? You drank it walking here when it was full and heavy, why not cary it back light and empty?  “Leave No Trace” that you were here .

 

Hoover Dam Connecting Trail – Historic Railroad Trail

 
 
 
 

Hoover Dam trail up DCP 2004

Hoover Dam connector trail canyon wall 2004

Nov. 6, 2009 -  I ran across these old photos of the building of the connecting trail from the Historic Railroad down to the Hoover Dam Visitor center parking garage.  This was probably one of the most expensive trail segments due to the NEPA and historic nature of the area; plus it had severe construction challenges. We had to hang a trail on the side of a canyon wall.

Historic rail trail switch backs dam 6

Hoover connector trail - contractor & trail partners 2004

 The River Mountains Trail Partnership was activily involved in the completion of the Historic Railroad Trail including the Hoover Dam connector as it would become a landmark and historic destination on the whole trail system.

Hoover Dam trail down DCP

Hoover Dam connector trail switchbacks down canyon wall to garage...2004

The completion of the Historic Railroad Trail and the Hoover Dam connector trail were dedicated and open to the public in October 2007 with a bike ride from Boulder City to the Hoover Dam. The trail section from tunnel #5 to the dam is only open during daylight hours. 

In the gallery photos below is one old B & W photo from Bureau of Reclamation public file photos showing the Hi-mix concrete plant with a steam locatmotive. This is the same location of the current Hoover Dam Connector Trail.  If you look closely you’ll see the same large crack in the rock formation on the left.

Hoover Dam Connector Trail photo Gallery:

 
 
 

 

Electric bikes allowed on Federally funded trails

Nov. 5, 2009 – The subject of electric bikes really  has not been an issue on local trails; but yet the Nevada legislature passed AB 441 this last session specifically allowing them on trails and pedestrian walkways that were built with certain* Federal money.  In the legislation the electric bicylce is defined as follows: 

 
Sec. 2.“Electric bicycle” means a device upon which a person may ride, having two or three wheels, or every such device generally recognized as a bicycle that has fully operable pedals and is propelled by a small electric engine which produces not more than 1 gross brake horsepower and which produces not more than 750 watts final output, and:   1. Is designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground but is not a tractor; and  2. Powered solely by such a small electric engine, is capable of a maximum speed of not more than 20 miles per hour on a flat  surface while carrying an operator who weighs 170 pounds.     The term does not include a moped.

 AB 441 became effective October 1, 2009.  In summary the bill provides that,

First, electric bikes do not have to be registered as a motor vehicle.

Second, they do not require a driver’s license.

Third, they are okay to ride on federally funded bike trails just like regular bikes.

Fourth, they are to be included in bike riding safety programs.

Fifth, electric bikes must follow same traffic laws as regular bikes.

***************

Are electric bcycles allowed on the River Mountains Loop Trail?  The answer would seem to be yes, but the law states certain Federally funded trails and walkways. Those certain funds appear to be Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) dollars which were used in limited areas of trail construction.  As stated earlier this has not been an issue up to now.  The RMTP is reviewing this legislation and other issues related to authorized and unauthorized uses on the River Mountains loop Trail. 

   

Electric bike by Giant example of

Example of electric bike by Giant