Fall 2024 Back to the Southwest, 10.19.24 - 11.13.24, Part 14, Lake Mead National Recreation Area/Anniversary Narrows
After our hike searching for Pretzel Arch, Bridgit and I drove back to our campsite while the others did a quick scenic drive through the park. They came back with photos of bighorn sheep that they spotted near Rainbow Vista. That night we had a really nice meal together out at the picnic table.
In the morning I was up before sunrise as I usually am on vacations. Watching the sun come up right from our campsite was a thing to behold and I was so grateful we found such a great site in such a beautiful location.
Site 13 at Atlatl Campground
This was shot from right behind our picnic table!
It took the others a little while to rise and shine but I realize I’m the odd one and they are the normal ones. After they had breakfast we took both vehicles out of the park. We drove south on 169 until it became Northshore Road. I love Nevada. It looks dry and desolate but that is part of its charm. The mountains are rugged and forbidding and it’s pretty easy to find solitude in any number of places. Before this trip I had been doing some research and came across an area southwest of Valley of Fire called the Muddy Mountains Wilderness. Within its boundaries were several large areas with the same kind of brilliant orange rock as Valley of Fire. In these areas you could find all kinds of really wild rock formations, arches, hoodoos, multi-colored rock and after rains even water pockets. In particular is an area called the Bowl of Fire. There is a north and south Bowl of Fire with different access points. It’s all in a quite remote area just north of Lake Mead. We didn’t have time on this trip to get to the Bowl of Fire but there was another feature near that area that was our destination for the day. About thirty miles down Northshore Road we turned off onto the Callville Wash Road. Almost immediately we then turned left onto a four wheel drive road (although I think any all wheel drive could have made it) and drove a mile or two up past an old mine and parked above Lovell Wash. I expected us to be the only ones there but to my surprise there were several vehicles including a big family with a bunch of kids. We let them go way ahead of us for some separation. Dropping into Lovell Wash, we walked up past an old mine adit in the dry wash about eight tenths of a mile around a big bend until we came to the entrance to the Anniversary Narrows. This hike blew us away! The narrows section was just under a mile long, but it was a sensory explosion! There were several rock obstacles to climb over but none of them were too difficult. The walls of the canyon were incredible with water-carved lines sculpting amazing shapes as it twisted and turned. There were golds, tans, pinks and greys all mixed in an incredible array of color. After the narrows section where it opens up the scenery gets less interesting so we turned around and hiked back through the narrows. One of the cool things about slot canyons is that everything looks different on the way back then when you are going through in the other direction. We all really loved this hike.
Shortly after entering Lovell Wash
Convoluted rock walls in Lovell Wash
The entrance to Anniversary Narrows
Just inside the entrance to Anniversary Narrows
Anniversary Narrows
Anniversary Narrows
Anniversary Narrows
Darren in Anniversary Narrows
Anniversary Narrows
Jarelle and Matt
Anniversary Narrows
Anniversary Narrows
Anniversary Narrows
Anniversary Narrows
Anniversary Narrows
Anniversary Narrows
What a phenomenal hike that was! When we got back, we did a little more exploring further up the Callville Wash Road. We found the trailhead which is barely marked that leads to what I think is the southern Bowl of Fire. Then we backtracked to Northshore Road. A bit further on that road coming home we stopped at the trailhead for the North Bowl of Fire. I think this trailhead is called the Northshore Summit Trail but turns into the North Bowl of Fire Trail as you get further back there. With two cars you could make a really nice loop through the area but it’s wild country and GPS would come in really handy. I can’t wait to get back to this area and do more exploring.
The entire area from Valley of Fire to Lake Mead looks like it’s chock full of cool places to explore with names like Hidden Valley, Gale Hills, Buffington Pockets and Colorock Quarry. I’m sure I could devote a week just in this area and barely scratch the surface.
Back at camp I took off alone in search of good spots to catch the late afternoon light and sunset. I ended up driving up the White Domes Road to P2. I t didn’t seem like anyone ever parks there since there are no trailheads there. I just wandered east from the parking lot and found a ridge with some really nice colors in the rock. I was completely alone out there so I loved the peaceful solitude as the sun sank. Just before the last rays, I got back to the Jeep and drove up to Silica Dome and caught the last rays of the day on the Silica Dome and a really nice rock formation underneath it with a prominent color change that divided the rock into two distinctly different colors. It’s enough to make you want to take a class in geology!
Late afternoon light east of P2
Late afternoon light east of P2
Late afternoon light east of P2
Late afternoon light east of P2
Late afternoon light east of P2
Glowing cholla cactus in the late afternoon light
Last light of the day on Silica Dome
Amazing color changes in the rock below Silica Dome
Of course during this entire session of photography I was on high bighorn alert but none were to be seen. Later when I got back to camp, Jarelle and Matt had gone for a drive and saw bighorn on the Mouse’s Tank Road.