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| - First of all, many thanks to Christie L. for extensively researching this hike and setting up a group event for us to scale this highest peak in Vegas! We went on a great fall day, and it's definitely a bucket list hike to set out to accomplish while living in the valley.
As always, safety first. Note that you will need a high clearance 4WD vehicle (such as a Jeep) to get to the trailhead. Take more water than you think you will need and pack snacks or a lunch to eat at the summit. Our group agreed that hiking boots with good traction would be better for the terrain than sneakers. If you don't have good trail-finding skills, I suggest you go with someone who does, because there are times where it's difficult to follow but it is the best route. On the trail, keep an eye out for the silvery Cholla cactus, endemic to this area.
I work out regularly and still found this hike to be more intense than I'd expected, partly due to the difficulty finding the trail but moreso due to the ever-changing terrain (from rocky to slippery slate to sandy to volcanic and back) and the steepness of the route. Going up, we took several breaks and went off trail, taking 4 hours to ascend, but the trail was more easily found on the way down and we took virtually no breaks and made it in 2 hours. Between 3 different fitness trackers, we got distances between 8-9 miles rather than the 6.5 round-trip stated on Bird & Hike. This is a challenging hike to undertake, but the views are incredible- you can see Lake Mead to the south and the grid-layout city view of Vegas is comparable to what you see from a plane. Many thanks again to Christie & Co for planning, navigating, and including me on this great hike!
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