Red Rock Canyon- Rescues, Lizards and Desert Sheep, Oh My

While I am not necessarily a nature enthusiast, I do love to hike when I am in Vegas.  However, I was not prepared for the excellent adventure that I was to experience yesterday while hiking for 4 hours in the desert sun of Red Rock canyon. 


First of all, it was a gorgeous day, it was a sunny 80 degrees with high winds - just the right temperature to get a good work out with minimal sweat - ha!  right!  I was a sweaty mess within the first 30 minutes but then again - I was there to get a good work out, right?  

THE RESCUE: My friend K and I decided to take a easy to moderate hike through the Pike Canyon trail and then our adventure began. We were following the trail into the meat of the canyon when we heard a helicopter fly over head.  As the helicopter slowed at a high peak, we thought, "They must be taking pictures of something there, maybe a herd of desert sheep."  But it wasn't that,  it was a rescue operation of people stranded on the top of one of the canyon peak.

Then they circled again, not once, not twice but three times to pick up more people.  We couldn't believe what we were seeing but so glad that they were safe and couldn't believe it happened during the first hour of our hike.


FREAK OUT:  I watch a lot of Investigative Discovery Channel, ID on the weekends.  I probably shouldn't watch those stories of murders in the wilderness, canyons, forests, etc. But I do because I have a morbid sense of curiousity.  As the Pike Canyon trail was peetering out, we came across an opening where three men came out of nowhere from a different trail.  We said hello and they went on their merry way.  My friend K got a weird vibe and after they passed, she asked me to stop so she could climb up on a boulder to make sure they went on their merry way.  My spidey sense was not up but I trusted her judgement and then realized, holy shit, we are in the middle of nowhere, on a meandering unmarked trail with no cell service.   But we were lucky and the men we saw, well, they did go on their merry way and so did we - we definitely turned around to go back to a better marked trail after seeing a beautiful waterfall in the desert! 

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, PART 1 - MATING LIZARDS:  After K and I decided to back track and try a better marked trail, we found the Knoll Trail that began with a steep incline and then a level path.  My knees were holding out pretty well and I was so glad to be on a better trail.  Plus it was such a beautiful day.  

As we headed up, K went, "Oh my god - Look!"  And there were two salmanders mating.  I turned my head because afterall, do you want to be watched during your private moments?  I wanted to give them privacy.  Not my friend K, she was fascinated, and kept saying, look how heavy he is breathing and the female was just laying there.  I felt bad for the female, she was stuck in an embrace in the bright sunshine of the trail.  After a bit, they kept on going and so did we.  As I stepped by them, the female salmander broke from the embrace and scooted into the brush.  K and I both thought the same thing, "your fate is sealed lady, you are off to motherhood :)"


NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, PART II - DESERT SHEEP:  The Knoll Trail was absolutely gorgeous and plush with vegetation.  I couldn't believe how green it was.  We were in hour 3 of our hike and neither of us were tired - instead K and I were enjoying catching up and dishing about our respective lives.  We stopped for a moment to get water, I was facing the trail and K was facing me, and then in a distance I saw them and said, "Oh my god, K - LOOK!" 

There were 8 desert sheep running straight towards the mountains one after the other.  Desert sheep with horns like rams.  She turned and it was if we were frozen in time.  We couldn't believe our luck and then we didn't know what to do as the 
sheep stopped, lined up and turned to face us.  I said, "Don't move."  

What does K do?  She moves to get her camera.  Then we saw more sheep who were behind us in a distance also not knowing what to do, they were looking at us and wondering what we would do next.  

K got her camera out and was able to snap some shots of this miraculous event.  Nothing happened to us except the wonderful feeling of experiencing something one never gets to see except if you are watching Discovery or National Geographic on TV.


As we headed back on the trail towards the car, we both couldn't believe all we had experienced on our 4 hour hike and will never forget this experience for as long as we live!