On Saturday I headed south towards Rivers Mountain Trail, near Lake Mead/Boulder City – weather forecast had a predicted high of 18C, and sunny skies. It started out cloudy but soon cleared and roads were quiet even though I left relatively late (8:30 a.m.). Had originally intended to head again north of town towards Lee Canyon in Mt. Charleston Park but further research showed it wasn’t a low altitude canyon as I had thought, rather was the ski resort which I hadn’t found last trip! As ski season is starting there this weekend, an abort seemed prudent…
With only a brief detour due to wrong turn the trailhead was easily found. Those highway diverging points are very confusing as the highway number labels are constantly changing even when you continue on the same road – Richa can attest to this… It was rated at the trailhead as moderately challenging to strenuous – not sure that agrees with my experience, it was a lovely, gradual and well marked trail that switchbacked steadily up the valley and the hill. Blissfully quiet, surprising for such a lovely trail with nice views at the top…Perfect temp for hiking comfortably in capris and short sleeves. Still only four cars in the parking lot when I got down; ?was everyone Xmas shopping? Lovely interlude with bonus vistas and a workout in the warm sunshine.
Sunday saw the usual trek to Wetlands Preserve to ride the desert trail and around to Las Vegas Lake. Lovely as usual, and the roadrunners were out in force – saw 6 of them in different parts. Getting the hang of the trail except for that one pesky hill that always makes me hike up – too short a run-up to it, and too steep to get the bouncy LaTrek up it… knocked a bit of time off today, though. I was optimistic and shed my leg warmers at the far end of the trail, so had to keep moving to keep warm – it was 16C when I was out but not super warm for short sleeves and shorts.
Have only had very brief showers in Las Vegas the entire 8 weeks here – one solitary morning where the roads got a little wet, but nothing more. The mountains have seen some snow, though.
A brief stop at Ethel M’s chocolate factory on the way home to check it out – a botanical cactus garden was advertised as part of it. It was a HUGE complex, with a window to watch production which today was chocolate bars and panning. Gigantic machinery and everything done by automation… prices were not cheap, they were charging $2.50 per piece. I was intrigued by the one labelled “silky prickly pear cream” so tried it out – tiny bonbon with crude red cocoa colouring, it didn’t snap, the walls were too thick but the ganache flavour was good – floral and citrus together, although a bit too sweet for my taste. A 5/10, and the colouring of the others was also pretty basic. Definitely for the mass production market, albeit better quality than “Pot of Gold” types…. The cactus garden was decked out with Xmas lights, I suspect a nice display at night, and was big – pleasant sitting in a corner of the garden soaking up some rays and listening to the birds in the Joshua Tree singing, happily louder than the cheesy Xmas music being piped throughout. Good display of cactus, at least what could be seen through the Xmas decor!
And so we head into the second to last week, entremets, one of the modules I’ve been looking forward to….