The air is crisp and fresh, like the kind that blows out of the freezer after you have left it open too long; it naturally makes me inhale deep and exhale in peace. My skin reacts and gets the chills so I turn on the heater of my convertible BMW. It is very clear that I am almost there when I notice the big red mountain shaped stone that reads: “Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area”. I pull over and in the rear view mirror I can see the dust build up behind me as I slow down on the side of the road. When I open the door, I inhale and can taste the dirt in the powder that still hasn’t settled. I pull out my phone and I snap a photo of the stone. When I look at the picture in the aftermath I can see a beautiful sapphire blue sky with long clouds that look like cotton that has been stretched across the sky. I put my phone away and I smile with excitement and get back in my car and continue to drive.
After going through the toll road I drive for about 4 miles and find one of my favorite hike trails: “Calico Tanks”. Rented or owned I think to myself… Mustard yellow is the color of this Lamborghini that I am about to park next to. I know they won't ding my car with their car, plus the only space available to the left of them is the last spot so ha! I got lucky! I get out of my car and start my hike. As I climbed and hiked across the red and crème stone and dirt… after about a mile and a half, I reach the top of a peek. Green algae covered stones rest at the bottom of a clear natural puddle that has been filled from the rain from a few days ago. It looks like a child size pool and looks like the universe carefully put it here for thirsty hikers like me, that is when I realize, I noticed smaller ones on the way up and didn’t really bother to recognize… that is why it is called “Calico Tanks” maybe these natural spring water filled “tanks” are what gave the name of this trail.
Red Rock, Nevada
Felt like a dried out dead cactus waiting for it to rain. I need water… so get a bottle of water out from my backpack and start gulping down the entire water bottle like I have not drank water in days. The after taste in my mouth is the same you get after chugging a very dry white wine. Felt refreshing but dry. I take a deep breath and now start planning my trip back down the canyon.
Jumping from rock to rock until I stumble across a really big water hole. This is exactly what I imagine the water hole looked like for animals looking for water just like in Lion King, it is about seven feet long and three feet wide. Seems like someone dumped his or her leftover melted ice water here, you know the king that collects at the bottom of the cooler after a hot Summer BBQ? Well it was that chilly. I washed my hands in it and finished my hike.
If you ever find yourself in Las Vegas, Nevada and are looking for an amazing trail, come to Calico Tanks in Red Rock Canyon!
Hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed the hike!
I want to thank:
For the post about editing, giving me the ability to easily organize my photos on this post!
Namaste