As
I was out hiking Sunday morning, 2019-04-28, gathering information on another hike some
movement caught my eye. I wondered over and it was a lizard. Not just
any lizard mind you, this sucker was at least 18 inches long,
head-to-tail. I've seen plenty of lizards in my time, but I have never
seen one this large.
As you can see it's not a Gila Monster. This is a bona-fide giant lizard. It would be interesting to know if the rings on the tail could indicate its age.
Happy Hiking
If
you haven't gone, Gold Strike Hot Springs is one of the great ones here
in Southern Nevada. Go and check it out. There are five to six rope
descents and ascents and should not be done by young children who are
not capable.
The
pic above shows the wash outlet to the Colorado River. There are many
natural hot spring and pools on the way down the trail.
Be
very careful on this trail. This hike should be noted as a Class 3+
because there are some large boulder maneuvers and necessary rope
climbs.
I
would recommend bringing a good pair of gloves. You will need to make
some strong hand-grabs on the rocks, but they really help when you're
using the ropes.
There are several very dangerous spots on the way down, care should be taken.
This is not a hike to take your pets.
Leave early in the morning as parking fills fast.
Currently
the spring water has a large outflow because of all the rain. I've
hiked these and other areas around here for over thirty years and have
never seen this much water from the springs.
Use discretion if bringing young children, there are often nude bathers in the pools.
The pic above shows one of many seeps coming from the rock walls.
Most of the water is a very pleasant approximate 99 to 100 degrees F.
It's not very clear in this photo, but there's a large amount of water falling to the ground from the rock-face.
Have a great time on your hike.
Watch
out soon for our Hiking Guides at all the major book sellers. We are
publishing many of the hikes we've done in Nevada, California, Arizona,
Utah, and Wyoming over the last thirty years. The hikes include pictures
and complete GPS way-points and trails.
It's
taking some time because we're once again retracing many of our
previously best hikes with our new GPS trail equipment and cameras.
Look for "Petersons Hiking Guides" available within the next couple months. They will be available as eGuides.
Don't confuse this title with the current Peterson books for sale, they're not us.
Thanks for looking.
