Valley Of Fire State Park

BOU AVENUE
Valley Of Fire State Park

After spending the previous day golfing and gambling in Las Vegas, Nevada, I hooked up again with Dinah Kruze and Bob Spirko for a hike on 17 October 2013. Although the end of the recent US government shutdown meant that we could visit any of the nearby national parks, we had already made plans to visit Valley of Fire State Park. Bob had planned out a couple of short loops for us to hike, and we spent a leisurely day wandering about and photographing some of the park's unique rock formations. Although we had no plans to bag any peaks in the area, we ended up scrambling up a few minor summits anyway. I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed this outing. The wonderful weather, amazing scenery, and fantastic company all contributed to a thoroughly satisfying trip.

Be sure to check out Bob's trip report here.

You could spend all day just scrambling among the rocks here. Dinah and Bob head for the visitor centre at Valley of Fire State Park.

Don't even have to get your boots dirty to see this! Right beside the road is Striped Rock.

Can't get lost in this canyon! Bob and Dinah hike through a short canyon.

Go right. Bob and Dinah try to figure out which way to go next as the terrain opens up.

All of sudden, I feel like having ice cream... Some swirling colours in the sandstone hint at things to come.

Looks almost like a skateboard park here! Valley of Fire State Park lives up to its colourful reputation.

Catch a wave and you're sitting on top of the world!

Bob and Dinah stand on the Fire Wave.

	Here is another perspective of the Fire Wave.
	Gibraltar Rock rises up prominently behind the Fire Wave.

Wanna eat me?

A side-blotched lizard pokes about the rocks near the Fire Wave.

	The sandpaper bush (Mortonia utahensis) has unusual leaves.
	Several of the summits that are visible here would later be climbed by Bob and Dinah or Sonny.
	These unusual pieces of sandstone resemble animal pellets.
	Bob stands below what would turn out to be the higher of double white summits.
	Bob and Dinah survey the route ahead. They would eventually climb onto the plateau on the left.
	Some of the rocks look like granola bars.
	Bob watches Dinah climb up a Class 3 gully.
	The double white summits are begging to be climbed. The elevation of the higher summit is about 620 metres.
	Dinah stands on the lower of the double white summits with the rather underwhelming Crazy Hill below her to the right.
	Bob and Dinah backtrack to the Class 3 gully.
	At left is the eastern and highest peak of the White Domes.
	Bob peers through the Fire Cave.
	Dinah expresses herself beside Thunderstorm Arch.
	Dinah stands below the impressive east face of the eastern peak of the White Domes.
	The tower on the right is a pinnacle while the one on the left is actually a buttress (see next photograph).
	Bob and Dinah stand atop an unnamed summit just northeast of the White Domes. The buttress from the previous photograph is visible in the foreground.

At the time, I didn't even realize this was the high point of the White Domes.

Sonny checks his cerebellum on the summit of the eastern peak (684 metres) of the White Domes.

	The class 4 gully with a tree protruding from it provides access to the top of the eastern peak. A few stemming and mantling moves are required to get up the gully.
	Bob and Dinah check out the remains of a movie set with the White Domes in the background. The movie that was filmed here was "The Professionals" starring Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin. Other notable actors in the 1966 movie included Robert Ryan, Woody Strode, Jack Palance and Ralph Bellamy. Interestingly, Claudia Cardinale, the only actress with top billing in the movie, is also, to date, the only surviving member of the main cast. In the movie, this wall was part of the protagonists' makeshift campsite. A graveyard was also nearby.
	Bob and Dinah negotiate a tight and twisty canyon.
	Bob passes a checkered wall along the Kaolin Wash.

	Dinah and Bob head for the visitor centre at Valley of Fire State Park.
	Right beside the road is Striped Rock.
	Bob and Dinah hike through a short canyon.
	Bob and Dinah try to figure out which way to go next as the terrain opens up.
	Some swirling colours in the sandstone hint at things to come.
	Valley of Fire State Park lives up to its colourful reputation.