Backpacking Trip Report / Route Description
Pictures from Gold Strike Hot Springs - 11-17-02
Quick Facts
Area - Lake Mead National
Recreation Area, Nevada.
Route - Gold Strike Canyon trailhead to the Gold
Strike Hot Springs then back.
Distance - 4.2 miles
Date - 11-13-02 thru 11-16-02
4 days, 6 people, 3 dogs
Points of interest along the way
No side trips or major points of interest to list
General Comments
The trailhead for Gold Strike Canyon is about 2
miles West of Hoover Dam. To get to it follow 93 South from
Boulder City, NV. toward Hoover Dam. After passing the turn off
for Lake Mead you will see the Hacienda (hotel casino) on the left side
of the road. Drive just over 0.25 mile past the Hacienda to a dirt
road that turns off to the right. The dirt road (much easier to
find since the construction of the new highway) will pass under a bridge
for the new highway that has been built. The first 2 left turns
you can make while on this dirt road have gates on them. Do not
turn there. Just past the roads with gates you will come to a fork
in the road. Follow it to the left then drive as far as you can
until the road dead ends at the trailhead. From highway 93 to the
trailhead is a little over 0.5 miles.
This trip was a little reunion for a group of us
that used to do a lot of things together. We just wanted to go to
the Hot Springs and relax for a few days. The area was in great
condition that weekend. There are a number of people that help
maintain the Gold Strike Hot Springs, over the years I have put some
effort into the area myself. Flash flooding washes a lot of debris
into the pools and knocks out dams etc. Some years it is dug out
and fixed up nicely and other years it is filled in. When it is
filled in, it is easy to see
how much of a hurtin' mother nature can put on the pools.
Maps
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GPS Waypoint Information
Trailhead - - - - tGSHotSpng
N36 00.595 W114 46.132 (WGS 84):
Gold Strike hot Springs Trail head.
A spot you need to hike up around a drop - - - - UpAndOvr
N36 00.161 W114 45.561 (WGS 84):
There is a large drop in the wash here. To get around it
hike up and over to the left (north).
Stairs cut into the rock. - - - - Rope1Stair
N36 00.079 W114 45.314 (WGS 84):
Stairs have been cut into the rock here to assist with getting
up and down.
Sometimes there is a rope here as well, although it is really
not needed.
Another trail joins from the north. - - - - tTrailFrk1
N36 00.115 W114 45.215 (WGS 84):
Another trail that comes in from the highway joins from the
north.
A short distance beyond here the canyon closes up again and
there is a short down climb.
A few hundred feet from this down climb is another down climb
through a slot on the left.
A rope is usually at this second down climb but is doable
without the rope.
Gold Strike Hot Springs - - - - hGldStkHS
N36 00.161 W114 44.971 (WGS 84):
Gold Strike Hot Springs.
Details
Wednesday 11-13-02 - 2.1 Miles
Pictures from Gold Strike Hot Springs - 11-13-02
Start - Gold Strike Hot Springs Trailhead
Along the way - A canyon crosses the main
canyon a short distance before the hot springs.
End - Gold Strike Hot Springs
We left the trailhead Wednesday night at 7:30pm and enjoyed a
night hike in. Ed and I were carrying 70 pound packs and found
it wasn't as bad as we thought it might be. It was 60°F
when we left. We got to the springs at 8:57pm. Right
after we got there we all set up camp then hit the water to
soak. After a few hours we all turned in for the night.
Thursday 11-14-02
Pictures from Gold Strike Hot Springs - 11-13-02
We got up about 7am and hit the water to soak some more. Mike and Ed
went back to the trailhead to meet Jose at
8am.That day Window was enjoying the hot springs
a lot. I think it was because she was always
cold and the water felt good on her obviously
sore feet. As the day went on it was obvious
she was not having a good time any more, and I
started worrying about her a bit.
Mid day a guy and two girls came down and went
to the pool below with the cave. I later
went down there as well and joined then in the
lower pool. We rubbed mud on each other
and hung out in the cave. The 4 of us went back up to the main
pool to join the rest of my group.
Later that day I decided to take Window home.
She was not having a good time and I did not
want to see her having a bad time. Mike
talked me out of it saying it wasn't safe.
I hung out with the group for a while then later
headed down to the pool with the cave for some
alone hang out time. On my way back to the
main pool I ran into Kevin and Ed coming down to
check on me. They told me everyone was
headed to bed so I ended up doing the same.
Friday 11-15-02 - 4.4 Miles
Pictures from Gold Strike Hot Springs - 11-13-02
The mileage of this day is not reflected in the total for the
trip. The miles for this day were a hike out to drive my
dog home then return to hike in and rejoin the group.
Both Kevin and Kevin were hiking out that
morning for breakfast so I joined them on the
hike out. I took Window out then drove her
home and drove back again. On the way back
I passed Kevin and Kevin on their way back in
from breakfast. I was made my fastest time
to the springs that day which was 26 minutes 47 seconds.
Later that day A girl hiked in to hang at the
springs for a while (Andrea). She showed
us where some mud was that she thought was good
for the skin so we played in that for a while
with her. She then went back up the trail
to meet with her friend that had been waiting
for her. He was not going all the way in
because he was in flip flops and had a dog he
thought could not make it. So he waited
part way in the trail for her.
Later a couple guys hiked in that like to put
work into the pools there (Mark and George).
They showed us how to pull the drains to empty
the pool then let it fill up to clean it up a
bit. Later that night we worked pretty
damn hard at getting them out but finally did.
We cleaned up the main pool with water from the
upper pools then put the plugs in to let it fill
up over night.
Saturday 11-16-02 - 2.1 Miles
Pictures from Gold Strike Hot Springs - 11-13-02
Start - Gold Strike Hot Springs
Along the way - A canyon crosses the main
canyon a short distance before the hot springs.
End - Gold Strike Hot Springs trailhead
When we woke up we found the lower pool still
not all the way full. We hung out in the
water until it filled up. By that time
there were a lot of people starting to show up.
So we decided to pack up and head home.
When we got to the big open canyon
we stopped to have paint ball wars. On the last
round I shot Kevin dead center on the forehead.
He had a nice red welt there for a while.
After the wars we hiked out and headed home.
Pictures from Gold Strike Hot Springs - 11-13-02
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