The Spring Mountains ECHO

MEET THE MOUNTAIN CAR TOURS Search for Fall Color

By Barbara Washington

The Spring Mountain Association's search for spectacular fall color was originally intended for Lovell Canyon; however, controlled burns in that canyon and reports of truly outstanding reds and golds in Kyle Canyon changed our destination.

The one thing about MTM's is that we take time to visit some of the places we pass by so quickly on our way to our chosen destinations. The first stop of the this MTM tour was at the Red Rock Conservation Area overlook on Highway 159. It is a first class stopover, now, and we recommend that you visit the area on your next trip. A three sided raised relief map gives the names of peaks and canyons. A rock wall provides sitting and viewing areas and lots of parking spaces and rest room facilities are available. At this first stop, we got to know each other a little better.

We headed off to Kyle Canyon via Rampart and Summerlin. This, too, was interesting for those of us unfamiliar with the fast-growing northwest side of Las Vegas. Our first stop up Kyle Canyon road was met with a rattlesnake who objected to 12 people invading his sunning spot! After we all had a good look, we decided to head up the road and let Mr. Snake have his territory back. The corner of Deer Creek highway and Kyle Canyon Road was snakeless and afforded us our first glimpse of the golds, oranges and reds that lay ahead.

Bob Maichle tells us that the intense and varied color in Kyle Canyon is an abnormal occurrence. Usually the aspen leaves turn to yellow, but the orange color is the result of an undetermined sequence of events that obviously happened this year. We agreed to park at the Mary Jane Falls parking lot so we could take photos and walk around a bit. The area was closed for repairs to the trail, so we parked where we could, hiked up to the base of Mary Jane Falls trail. The colors were magnificent!! We met again down the road at the Kyle Canyon Information Center. The conversation at the Information Center was about the need for volunteers to open the Center on weekends and the benefits to the Forest Service and to the volunteer.

The trip across Deer Creek highway was enjoyable, as always. The views for the passengers were truly great. Perhaps we should have traversed it a couple of times so the drivers could have a good look, too. As it was, they had to be content with a few stops on the way.

Early afternoon found us driving up Macks Canyon. I am always surprised how far back the road goes and what nice terrain it crosses. I must visit more often. Several pullouts, along this sometimes rugged road, offered vistas that must be seen to be believed; we could see forever. We lunched at the spring at the end of the road. This spring is really an area that "weeps." Water seeps from the slope and runs down to the stream tracing outlines of rotting logs and fallen limbs. The small stream flows slowly but steadily for quite a way.

On our way home, we met Pat and Bobbye Fitzgibbons gathering pine nuts for Bobbye's college class project. We stopped and introduced some SMA new comers to the hunt for the perfect pine nut. Latex gloves and mineral spirits are a must for this sticky activity! We added a little time for bird watching and then headed back to Las Vegas with photos and memories of this lovely October day.