Mount Charleston Nv

Volunteers Prep Mt. Charleston for Fire Season

MOUNT CHARLESTON, Nev. -- Nearby Mount Charleston and the surrounding forests are more likely to catch on fire with plenty of fuel to burn. So Nevada Conservation Corps volunteers started their week of clearing trails on the mountain.

Many of the trails they're clearing lead through areas that nearly burned in last year's Cathedral Canyon Fire. With thick trees, trails aren't just for hikers, they're also for firefighters.

"The work they're doing is dangerous enough without the trails making it harder for them to access," said AmeriCorps volunteer Kristine Kula.

"Especially in the Spring Mountains, where they have such high fuel," said Robert Vaghini with the Nevada Conservation Corps. "When its dry, it's important the fire crew would have access."

Around two dozen AmeriCorps volunteers camp in the Spring Mountains all summer, four days a week. They earn a living stipend, but many do it for federal college tuition money.

"A lot of it is a mental game. You've got to flip the rocks. Many times you have to haul huge, huge rocks weighing a few hundred pounds," said volunteer Amanda Rauh.

Early into the project, they hit a snag. Actually, they hit a rock -- a big rock. The question is, how are they going to move it? Sledgehammers didn't work, and neither did bare hands digging underneath the boulder.

So the rock is going to stay until Wednesday, when they are going to bring in a special rock driller to try and crack it in two.

The Nevada Conservation Corps runs wilderness programs year round. Those interested in joining can go here for more information .

Arizona & Nevada - mt charleston nv, USA Travel Blog

Have you ever thought that you probably shouldn't do something, did it anyway, and were surprised when your original concerns came true? How stupid is that? This is what I was pondering as I used every ounce of my being to paddle into a stiff headwind and small white capped waves on the McPhee Reservoir. Prior to leaving southwest Colorado, I decided to take my boat out for the first time of the trip, and not wanting to hassle with a river shuttle, I decided to go out on a lake or reservoir.

I was originally planning to find a relatively small body of water, thinking that a larger one provided the opportunity to get much farther from my starting point, which could be trouble in high winds. But the larger McPhee reservoir, with its canyons, looked way more interesting on the map, so I went for it. I leisurely paddled with a slight tailwind, doing my best Harry Houdini act with the beers in my cooler (the coozie necklace does it every time), and before I knew it, I was halfway up one of the arms of the reservoir. Being of sound judgment, I knew that I needed to head back well before I was ready to be done, so I turned around. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I turned around the wind began to blow much harder. Waves crashing into the boat, me spilling beer, it was a mess. A great experience and funny looking back, but at the time I was cursing up a storm.

With my hiking permits in California approaching, it was time to leave my favorite state and head west. After doing a little online research on the Arizona fires, I decided to head for Flagstaff as planned. Driving through northern Arizona, there was a definite haze, but I never saw or smelled any smoke. Of course my eyesight's terrible, and I've been told my sense of smell is below average.

I spent some time walking around Flagstaff, and drove down to check out Sedona. Not knowing what to expect, I was really blown away by the beauty of Sedona. It's nestled at the mouth of this gorgeous canyon, and I would've stuck around to do some mountain biking in the area had it not been over 100 degs. Probably a great place to visit anytime but summer. There were still plenty of tourists there, but they probably all had air conditioned hotel rooms and access to showers.

So with the intention of escaping the heat, I headed to the coolest spot in Arizona. Humphreys Peak. Humphreys is the highest peak in Arizona; I think about 12,600'. Since the highest peak in the lower 48 states (Mt. Whitney) was less than a week away, I decided Humphreys would be a good warm up. Plus camping at around 9000' would be much more comfortable than the blistering desert. What I hadn't anticipated was the sunset, and it was amazing. Maybe the haze from the fires contributed?

Clark County, Nevad, Las Vegas, Nevada, Spring Valley, Nevada, Sandy Valley, Nevada, Boulder City, Nevada, Mount Charleston, Nevada

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