David And Brenda Hiking In Valley Of Fire State Park
Our last day at Valley of Fire State Park was filled.
Right next to the campground was an area known for it’s Petroglyphs. It’s been said these date back over 3000 years!
Petroglyphs On The Side Of The Red Rock Sandstone
Petroglyphs On The Side Of The Red Rock Sandstone
It simply amazes me that after all this time and various weather conditions that these Petroglyphs still exist.
David Hiking Up The Red Rock Sandstone That Makes Up Mouse’s Tank Hike
A Crevasse Off The Beaten Path Of Mouses’ Tank Hiking Path
We were told by some fellow RVers that we should hike this one particular wash. So once we found the wash, in we went. As you can see from the pictures above, there were some amazing slot canyons that you have to squeeze through. Some areas are so tight you actually have to turn side ways to get through. That was fun.
David Making His Way Through One Of The Slot Canyons In A Wash That We Hiked
We hiked through Mouse’s Tank. Mouse’s Tank is a popular hike among visitors. The story is that Mouse (a renegade Indian) used this area as a hideout back in the 1890’s. He protected this area because their is a natural basin formed in the rocks that collects and keeps any water from rainfall for months. Being a desert, this water was a hot commodity. So Mouse defended this area as his own.
The Slot Canyons In A Wash That We Hiked Through
An Old Movie Set At The End Of The Hike Through The Wash
When we reached the end of the wash, we found an old movie set. The set was constructed for the 1966 film, The Professionals starring Burt Lancaster. Other movie scenes that were shot here at this park are the Mars scenes from Total Recall, a scene from Star Trek Generations, and the 1984-87 television show Airwolf.
This area was actually part of the White Domes Hiking Trail. We just happened to take a more interesting way to get there.
We also noticed there was a geocache in the area.
David Found The Geocache. We Signed The Book And Added A Couple Trinkets.
Brenda Putting The Geocache Back Were It Was Hidden
David found the cache easily. We signed the log, added some trinkets that I had brought with me just for this reason and re-hid the cache box.
This was also a nice time for a rest.
David Taking In The Nice Weather
We had some snack bars and water and David found the view relaxing. It was another beautiful day.
Hiking Back Through The Wash
When we left we had to turn around and go back the same way we came in, as our car was left there. However we found some interesting side trails that we explored.
The next day it was time to pack up and hit the road for Vegas. We’d personally rather stay here. We don’t like Vegas. Too much traffic. Too many people. Too expensive. But alas, we have to make our way there for the Consumer Electronic Show for work.
BK And Whisper Taking In The View
Even BK and Whisper didn’t want to leave. They loved the views. The peacefulness. The serenity.
One Last Picture On Our Way Out Of Valley Of Fire State Park
So we pulled over and took one last picture as we headed out.
Then a little further down the road we saw this…
A Big Horned Sheep Munching On Dinner Next To The Roadside In Valley Of Fire State Park
Our first sighting of wildlife (other than squirrels which don’t count). On the road heading out of the park, we spotted, right next to the roadside, a big horned sheep. He didn’t seem to have a care in the world. He was munching on something and he was happy. I jumped out of the motorhome to get a picture. Cautious not to get to close. I really didn’t want to see him charge me because I disturbed him.
He seemed to care less that I was there. There were other vehicles driving up and down the road and only a small number of them slowed down to take a look at this creature.
Being from New York, I was amazed at him. Others, whom no doubt are from this area, seemed less amazed. It’s sad thinking you would become so blase about such things.
Throughout this whole trip I always have my eyes open for wildlife and I was excited to finally seem some!
Now on to Vegas.
