Friday, June 10, 2011

Needlepoint hike Wendover, Utah June 6, 2011


The view towards West Wendover

Today I decided to hike up a peak in the Leppy Hills called Needle point. It has no snow on it and is close to where I live in West Wendover, Nevada, making it a nice early season hike.
Directions: I started my hike at the Wendover Cemetery near Anna Smith Elementary School. To get to the cemetery take N. Arrien Blvd away from the casinos (main part of West Wendover). The road will gain elevation on its way to the cemetery.
The hike: There is no formal hiking trail up Needlepoint but one can follow dirt roads most of the way up the mountain. I left my car and walked around the outside of the cemetery keeping the mountain on my left. I continued walking through the desert on an ATV road to the north side of the mountain. Here there is a little used dirt road that goes most of the way up the mountain. From its end is about 50-100 feet of skree slope hiking to the top. The trip is no more than two miles one way with moderate elevation gain (600 feet). At the top the wind was blowing extremely hard; making it tough for me to stand up. In fact at one point it blew me over.
Skree slope hiking at the end of the dirt two track
Looking through the "needle point" near the top
The wind kicking up dirt near West Wendover Elementery school

3 comments:

  1. Thanks kindly...for ideas on this area. I love the history behind this region. We drove through in 2011. Will be going there again in 12. Will do photo shoot this time. Thanks again for your help, and also the images.

    All the best...

    Glen B

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  2. Did the hike back in 1999. Amazing graffiti, on the walls, inside the needlepoint cave, going back to the 1930's. Most, written in pencil, by the service men stationed there during the war. It looked as if it had just been written the day before, as the dry conditions keep them from aging. Great hike experience-

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  3. Did the hike back in 1999. Amazing graffiti, on the walls, inside the needlepoint cave, going back to the 1930's. Most, written in pencil, by the service men stationed there during the war. It looked as if it had just been written the day before, as the dry conditions keep them from aging. Great hike experience-

    ReplyDelete