Vegas

Back in the old days, when my knee was still intact, I was talked into going to Vegas for a soccer tournament in mid-May. It didn't take too much convincing -- I love Vegas, I hadn't been there for a couple of years, and I always had a great time playing in the tournament. After the knee injury, however, I began to rethink my plans. Up until a week before the tournament, I flip flopped on whether to go. In the end, I decided not to change my tickets. I found a cheap car rental and noticed that there was an interesting looking recreation area not far out of town, so I decided to check out Red Rock canyon the first day of the tournament.

What a great place. It's only 17 miles outside of Vegas, but it's a world apart. Great sandstone formations that used to be the floor of the ocean on one side of the park. On the other, treed canyons that almost reminded me of Zion. It was a pleasant alternative to watching soccer all day without being able to play.

In Red Rock, I took my first several hikes without an ACL. The first was flat, a three mile loop around the sagebrush flats. The next hike was more challenging, and more interesting. I climbed through the rock to a hidden oasis, with a total elevation gain (and loss) of 420 feet. I made it! The 105 temperatures were probably the worst thing about this hike, and it was only May. Can't imagine what this furnace would be like in August.