Moapa Peak Revisited (70 miles ENE of Las Vegas, NV)

Moapa Peak Revisited (60 miles NE of Las Vegas, NV)

H.W. Stockman
Saturday April 16, 2005

For more hike instructions, see older trip report.

It was hot -- 87F in Las Vegas, probably at least that hot at the base of the hike.

GPS trace	Desert chicory.	Larkspur.

Mariposa Lily.	Primrose (after seeing this, a Stephen Foster song was in my head all day).	Strawberry Hedgehog cactus.

Mark gives sage advice. I'm reminded of the town of Glendale, en route to the hike, and the song by "New Riders of the Purple Sage". Alas, that "other" Glendale was in MO.	Coming up to the 1^st saddle, view NE. If you should be tempted to make a "shortcut descent" late in the day, remember that these cliffs are here, and they are largely hidden from view when above.	Phacelia. We saw three species; these were at mid-elevation, while Freemont's phacelia was above 5500', and a very pale purple species was at the lowest elevation.

View ENE.	The rock is very frictional, and Luba decides to test how well it holds.	Claret Cup.

View WSW at 2^nd "saddle", right before we traverse the base of the wall.	Looking back WSW at the wall base (Luba comes up on right). Off to the left, out of sight, are the cliffs mentioned above.	Looking WSW at group, before we hit the knife edge.

View ENE, coming up the knife edge.	More views on the edge. Photos tend to de-emphasize the extremely serrated nature of the edge; one must climb down and over sharp blocks for ~150 meters.	More view ENE.

Luba and Mark leave the edge for the summit block.	The group stops for lunch, view ~NE.	View ~ WSW from other end of summit block.

Look at me! Look at me!		Look at you! Look at you! View ~WSW as we descend back along edge. In this and subsequent pictures, Mark and Alan tend to fade into the rock -- look carefully and you may see them!

	Here is a close-up of the people in this picture. Still looking ~ WSW.

		More WSW. Almost off the edge!

Claret Cups.	Globe Mallows, not yet in their prime.	We practice field CPR/EMT training, by hooking up an IV to Alan.

Poppies.	Ah! may the red rose live alway, To smile upon earth and sky! Why should the beautiful ever weep? Why should the beautiful die? Lending a charm to ev'ry ray That falls on her cheeks of light, Giving the zephyr kiss for kiss, And nursing the dew-drop bright-- Ah! may the red rose live alway, To smile upon earth and sky! Why should the beautiful ever weep? Why should the beautiful die?	Desert Marigolds..

More Hedgehog.	Long may the daisies dance the field, Frolicking far and near! Why should the innocent hide their heads? Why should the innocent fear? Spreading their petals in mute delight When morn in its radiance breaks, Keeping a floral festival Till the night-loving *primrose* wakes-- Long may the daisies dance the field, Frolicking far and near! Why should the innocent hide their heads? Why should the innocent fear? --Stephen Foster	View NNW toward the peak. We're almost back to the car, crossing Jack's Pockets.