Boulder City Celebrates Completion of Loop Trail – B.C. News

Oct. 29, 2009 – The following is from the last issue of the B.C. News; but can be found in the L.V. Sun also. Headline is a little mis-leading as we celebrated the completion of Boulder City’s portion of the River Mountains Loop Trail. We still have a 2.5 mile section between mile marker 8.5 and mile marker 11 to complete by late summer 2010.

Completion of loop trail celebrated

By Jean Reid Norman (contact)

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 | 3:30 p.m.

More than 30 people took a train ride and a brisk stroll Oct. 17 to celebrate the completion of the portion of the River Mountain Loop Trail connecting Boulder City and Henderson. Another three people brought their bicycles on the train, then rode the 5 kilometers back to the Southern Nevada Railway depot.

The section connecting Railroad Pass to the Nevada State Veterans Home, was completed last month and now allows hikers and bicyclists to ride from Lake Las Vegas in Henderson through Boulder City and around Lake Mead with only a brief interruption around Industrial Road and U.S. 93, said Gary Zupanic the engineering technician overseeing the Boulder City portion of the project. That portion should be complete by year’s end, he said.

The entire 34.5-mile River Mountain Loop Trail is scheduled to be completed by next October.

The Boulder City Chamber of Commerce sponsored the 5K walk, bike, run and stroll Oct. 17 to mark the completion of a portion called significant by John Holman, chairman of the River Mountain Loop Trail Partnership.

Awards were given to the top three finishers of the run: Jeannine Spicer, first place; Valerie McNay, second place; and Lee Schultz, third place.

Boulder city Cut & Rund oct. 17, 2009 photo by R. Hall B.C>

Southern Nevada Railway & joggers Oct. 17th, 2009 photo by JEH

What is that big black pipeline along the trail???

 

 

 

BMI Water Pipeline along Trail 102409

October 26, 2009 -  I get this question every once in awhile, so here is the answer.  No it’s not oil or sewage.  It is the first water pipeline in the Las Vegas Valley.  Built during World War II to provide water to the Basic Management Industrial complex in Henderson (BMI).  The pipeline still provides all the water needs for the BMI plants and a portion of Henderson water needs also.  Basic Water Co. operates and maintains the pipeline. Near trail mile marker #13 is a water guzzler providing water for wildlife and a very large cottonwood tree sometimes referred to as the “Magic Tree” by local riders.  BMI, Basic Water co. and LandWell Development have been long time trail partners in the development of the River Mountains Loop Trail.  Approximatley ten miles of the trail is located within the BMI water pipeline corriodor.  So as you hike, walk, run and ride along the pipeline you are riding along a historic pipeline which brought the first Lake Mead Water to the Las Vegas Valley.

 

 

 

BMI water line MM 13 102409

BMI WATER PIPELIEN GALLERY:

Magic Tree photo by Paul G. Nov. 2008

BMI water line MM 13 102409

BMI Water Pipeline along Trail 102409

The Magic Tree Spring 2008 photoby jeh

Wildlife – Brown Tarantula on Trail Saturday

Oct. 24, 2009 – While doing our trail watch hours on the trail Saturday we got to see a fair sized ” Brown Tarantula” on the trail.  We watched him for a while and made sure he go off the trail before heading back to the trailhead.  The sighting took place near MM 13 on the River Mountains Loop Trail within Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Here is a couple of photos:

Tarantula & Trail Watch hat photo by John 102409

Trail Alert – Historic Railroad Trail work finished Oct. 21, 2009

October 22, 2009 – Historic Railroad trail is now open again to Hoover Dam.   Reclamation has improved the area that crosses the Police access road.  We have  striped a cross walk, and paved from the exit of the switchyard  to the top of the switchback trail down to the parking garage.

ADDITIONAL WORK PLANNED FOR 2010 - The Bureau of Reclamation Work planned for 2010:

•  install 2 drinking fountains
• Install 1 vault toilet
• Install a shade shelter and table
• Install benches along trail 
• Correct  two dips to bring up to accessibility grade
• open up the back trail loop,
• and develop a trail map complete with lengths, elevations, GPS.

In my opinon these announced improvements will make this one of the best and most unique trail experiences in the Western States.  The back loop mentioned is more of the actual rail bed used to build the dam, which has been off limits to the public for years.  With completion of the bridge next year and these improvements the trail experience will just get better and better.

 

OCTOBER 13th, 2009 -Starting tonight about sundown a contractor will be ripping out the Hoover Dam Police road to repave it.   Reclamation would appreciate it if NPS and River Mountains partnership ask people to be careful in the area where the Historic Railroad trail crosses the roadway to the POLICE substation.

The contractor will be paving the trail from the switchyard exit bollards to the top of the Zig Zag trail, painting a cross walk across the police roadway, and paving the short term drop off and pick up area.

The trail will still be open dawn to dusk as the contractor is working nights, dusk to dawn on the project.  However, at times their will be some cones and tape to reroute the trail while they pave the trail areas.  This is a 2 week project and should be completed by October 23, 2009.

Reclamation will provide you updates as they become available.

 

 

 

 

 

Hoover Switch & Police station work area 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

(NOTE: This area is just before you enter the paved switch-backs down to the dam parking garage. Be safe and tell your friends.)

Big Horn Sheep near trail at risk?

 OCTOBER 12, 2009 – I have received many searches for Big Horn Sheep. This recent article by Jean Norman along with related photos really provides some great insight to the some of the issues these big boys face on a daily basis.  I personally prefer to see them out more in the wilds along the trail which is a rare sight indeed.  This park location where the sheep are photographed is only a block off the trail so one can make a quick side trip while riding trail through Boulder City.  The park is located off of Ville Drive and is called the “Hemenway Valley Park”. 

Photo by L.V. Sun Justin M. Bowen

Story by Jean Norman, L.V. Sun & B.C. News

The desert bighorn sheep that live in the River Mountains in Boulder City, seen here on a recent weekday morning, make their way down to Hemenway Park almost every morning. City officials have voiced concerns about the sheep as traffic in the area they roam is set to increase next year with the opening of the new Hoover Dam bypass bridge.

 

Link to entire article with lots of sheep photos below.

 

 

 

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/05/when-bypass-bridge-opens-bighorn-sheep-could-be-bi/

Runner in race struck, killed early Saturday(Oct. 10, 2009)

October 12, 2009 – (This clip comes from Monday A.M addition of Las Vegas Review Journal) links below to other stories…

http://www.lvrj.com/news/in-brief-63987707.html 

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/11/relay-race-runner-dies-drunken-driving-crash/

http://www.ragnarrelay.com/lasvegas

A man running in a race was struck and killed by a motorist Saturday morning.

Henderson police said the 29-year-old man was struck about 4:30 a.m. on Horizon Ridge Parkway near Gibson Road. Further details weren’t available on Sunday. The jogger’s name was not released.

The man was one of some 2,400 runners in the Ragnar Relay Las Vegas race, a news release from race officials said. The release said the motorist, suspected of driving while intoxicated, was arrested at the scene.

The race took place Friday and Saturday and started in Valley of Fire State Park and ended near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

(Note: Very unfortunate incident…I posted this on our BLOG as 15-18 miles of the race ran on the River Mountains Loop Trail where no motorized vehicles are allowed.  Silverman Triathlon race is up on November 8th this year and Pumpkinman Triathon runs this weekend Oct. 17th and Hoover Dam Marathon will run Oct. 31st on  portions of trail)

CRACK REPAIRS ON THE RIVER MOUNTAINS LOOP TRAIL – 0CT. 15-16TH

 

 

 

Cracks in Trail

October 8th, 2009 -

  We have been advised by the City of Henderson that on Oct. 15th & 16th a contractor will be on the River Mountains Loop Trail repairing cracks in the asphalt. The work will be done from the Lake Mead Parkway underpass south toward the reservoir area on top the three sisters, or mile marker 8.5 south to 6.5.  

 

 Those who ride this area on a regular basis are well aware of the large cracks that have appeared over the last year in this area. I’m not sure of the reason, but my guess is the underlying base was not thick enough to hold the asphalt in place so it moved with the extreme heat this past summer.

 

 

 

Large crack in trail as wide as a $20 bill

 

 

 

 

River Mountains Loop Trail now found on Traillink.com

October 6, 2009 – We can now be found on traillink.com a map and trail location service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.  A good three and half miles of the RMLT are built on Historic Railroad bed within Lake Mead NRA. Also the RMLT links up with the official Historic Railroad Trail at the Alan Bible Visitor Center where a joint trail head is shared by both trails.  By riding or hiking these two trail sections you can experience 7.5 miles of the old railroad grade used to build Hoover Dam.  So please look for us at www.Traillink.com  feel free to post comments and photos there.