Lone Mountain - Solo Hike

Shaka from Lone Mountain, Las Vegas, Nevada

Lone Mountain 
Elevation 3,342 ft
Trail: Regular Route
Elevation Gain: 542 ft
Distance: 1.3 miles

Billed as the "locals hike" I finally got to hike Lone Mountain. We had a view of this hill from our room when my husband and I were here in Las Vegas last month. You can read about our visit here. Today I had a bit of time to check it out. It's super fun and if you don't have a whole lotta time, you can get this hike in. The views are phenomenal, well worth the burn on the steep ascent. To access the Regular Route, I parked at the trailhead on Vegas Vista Trail. The parking lot isn't paved and it's across the street from the entrance of a gated community. 

Lone Mountain is a hill that is detached from the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It's an isolated, rocky butte just northwest of central Las Vegas. The unincorporated community surrounding the hill, is named after it. The Perimeter Loop trail can also be accessed from the East Trailhead at the Lone Mountain Discovery Park on Jensen Street. 

Enjoy some photos taken of my hike!

Along the trail

Summit Marker

Summit Pano

Las Vegas in the distance

Looking down the South Ridge Trail

Sterling Hollow Block - Rappel Backup

So thankful that Alexa told me about the Sterling Hollow Block (shown below) during my private ice lead lesson in 2016. After my lesson at Cathedral Ledge I went straight over to IME and bought one. It's just $12 but this "$12 piece of gear" saved my ass when rappelling off the Eaglet Spire in Franconia Notch, NH! 

When going over the edge both my feet slipped out from under me and I let go of my brake. It was instant and I didn't even realize that I had let go until I was stopped by the face of the cliff. I looked down and there was my Sterling Hollow Block - it had caught me like it was supposed to! I sent Sterling an email explaining how their Hollow Block saved my life and they in turn sent me a bunch of cool swag. 

I personally set this up with the Sterling Hollow Block tied in an autoblock to my belay loop via locking biner, and with my rappel extended on a sling. The Sterling Hollow Block is always on my harness. Always back up your rappels! Sterling Rope of Biddeford, Maine, USA.