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Christmas in Las Vegas LbNA #19845

Owner:Doublesaj & Old Blue
Plant date:Dec 21, 2005
Location:
City:Las Vegas
County:Clark
State:Nevada
Boxes:3
Found by: Kelsung
Last found:Dec 10, 2020
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Dec 21, 2005
We spent the week before Christmas in Las Vegas this year for 2 reasons: 1) To watch Alma Mater, CAL beat BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl and 2) to celebrate Doublesaj's birthday. The glitz and glitter of this place stands in shocking contrast to the canyon where we planted these letterboxes.

The Red*Rock*Canyon is located less than 10 miles from "The Strip" in Las Vegas but is a world away. You can take a walk there, hike there or climb to the top using ropes and pitons and you'll probably see people doing all three no matter when you go. Whichever way you choose to enjoy this area, GO! You will see the reddest mountain ever with the bonus of, literally, candy cane stripes running through some of them! Red and white strips, we kid you not! You must see them. Bring plenty of water in the warmest months, of course.

This series will take you 3/4 mile round trip tops over a dirt and rock path that's not difficult at all. You'll be able to get to each box easily if you look for the right path but you can choose to climb a little if you'd rather.

Getting there: Traveling on Charleston Road as it heads west from Hwy 215, it's 3.7 miles to Calico Basin Road. (You can't miss the red mountains you're heading for!) Turn on to Calico Basin Road and proceed 1.2 miles to the parking / picnicing area and park.

Clues: Box #1 "Xmas in Las Vegas" (a 2-sided stamp)

Between the 3rd and 4th handicapped parking signs near the picnic area, you'll find a faint trail heading up the hill on the right side of the fence. About 120 steps up the trail, it forks and you'll want to take the right fork. You'll be walking on this trail for 10-15 minutes or so.

Use your imagination to spy "King Tut" looking skyward on your left. This is a rock outcrop immediately adjacent to the trail you're walking on. You might see someone climbing him! From there the trail crests then you start walking down hill. Go about 63 steps and you'll be at the lowest point where you'll see scrubby bushes on your left and a tall ledge of rock with a perfect 'cranny' in which to place a letterbox. Make your way up to that cranny under the overhanging rock, just beyond a pronounced, near-vertical crack in the rocks, 15 feet above the trail. (This is where you can climb or continue on the path to find an easier route back to this ledge). The box is at the far right side under the overhanging rock behind some movable rocks.

Box #2: "Calico Canyon"

Go back to the path and continue 40 steps to the next crest. Take a bearing of 245 degrees and spy a pair of split red rocks 95 paces ahead. (The trail peters out and you'll be crossing bedrock of striped sandstone.) There's a split boulder, predominantly red that sits distinctively on white bedrock the size of a 2-person pup tent. Behind and under this rock, under movable rocks, is your prize.

Box #3: "Birthday in Las Vegas"

Take a bearing of 270 degrees, almost due west and head 90 steps or so over the striped bedrock. Bear left around the 25 foot tall outcropping toward the SW mountain of stone. As you round this point (25' tall), you'll spy a square hole in the rock the size of a microwave. Go to the location of the missing microwave. Six feet in a westerly direction, between and under the 2nd and 3rd broken rocks at your feet, under a few rocks is the Birthday in Las Vegas box.