Enjoy the Snow at Mt. Charleston, a short drive from Las Vegas
As the holiday weekend nears an end (and hopefully my cold as well), here's some thoughts about the beautiful Mt. Charleston area. I'll be back tomorrow and will return to the regular blogging about Las Vegas history.
From the R-J:
When winter storms frost the mountains to the west of Las Vegas, hordes of visitors head for the high country in search of snowy adventures. Following Christmas, visitors don bright new mufflers and gloves, load sleds or toboggans in the car and eagerly aim for the alpine wonderland. The only place in Southern Nevada with enough snow, the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, part of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, offers a variety of winter activities. Accessed by a network of scenic highways off U.S. 95 north, the mountains lie within an hour's drive of most of the Las Vegas Valley. Drive up Highway 157 to reach Kyle Canyon or Highway 156 to Lee Canyon. Highway 158, the Deer Creek Highway, links the two canyon roads. The picturesque Mount Charleston Hotel stands near Highway 157 where it reaches the forest. It commands magnificent views up Kyle Canyon from windows in its restaurant, lounge and hotel rooms. Call 872-5400 for information and reservations. In Kyle Canyon, a couple of forest service campgrounds remain open for winter campers and picnickers. Higher up the canyon, the rustic Mount Charleston Ledge welcomes overnight guests in cozy cabins. The lodge boasts beautiful views of the cliffs and forest from its restaurant, bar or outside porch. Reach the lodge at 872-5408. Lee Canyon's developed recreation sites make it the hub of winter sports in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. On the way to the popular Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Area at the head of the canyon, the highway passes a snow play area in Lee Meadows, the turnoff to the only cleared sledding runs at Foxtail Picnic Area, a horse-drawn sleigh ride route near the Old Mill Picnic Area and a campground open for winter visitors. Skiers and snowboarders can leave the driving to somebody else by taking the ski shuttle from valley locations to the ski area's facilities and lifts. For information on the bus schedule and skiing details, visit skilasvegas.com. Lee Meadows, a grassy, flower-strewn open area in summer, is a great place to make snow angels, have a snowball fight or build a snowman. For sledding or tobogganing, turn off the highway to reach the Foxtail Snow Plan Area, where sled runs are cleared of stumps, rocks and debris for safer sledding. Visitors pay $10 per car for use of the area with its picnic tables, pedestal barbecue grills and heated restrooms. Snowy forest roads near the Old Mill provide pathways for horse-drawn sleighs scheduled by Mount Charleston Sleigh Rides, operating for the first time this year in Lee Canyon under a special use permit from the forest service. The sleighs will run as long as there is sufficient snow. The half-hour rides through snow-glittered woods cost $25 for adults and $20 for children. Schedule your sleigh ride by calling 596-6715 for reservations. Following winter storms, chains or snow tires might be required. Slick or icy conditions create problems for desert drivers not used to driving in snow. Check on road conditions and closures at safetravelusa.com/nv or call for statewide conditions at 511 if you are in Nevada or from out-of-state at (877) 687-6287. A little planning helps make a trip to the snowy mountains safer and more memorable. As weekends and holidays draw the biggest crowds, choose a weekday for your trip, if possible. Travel in a reliable vehicle with a full tank of gasoline, as there are no services on the mountain. Car pool to a location below the snow level, then use the best-equipped vehicles to ferry your party to the snow. Wherever you park, make sure your vehicle is well off the travel lane, with its wheels to the right of the white line or edge marking. Hefty fines accompany tickets written for mountain visitors found parking improperly, trespassing or littering. Stock the picnic boxes with containers of hot beverages and hearty hot fare such as soup or chili. Pack enough extra clothing and blankets that everyone goes home dry and warm. Bring plastic bags for tailgate picnic debris and extra garbage bags for wet clothing.
LasVegasLynn
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Reader Comments (1)
I purchased a Living Social coupon and phoned the number listed to schedule an appointment, as instructed. I chose 2 p.m. I mentioned that I had a tight schedule, and didn't have much longer than the half hour allotted for the sleigh ride.
"No problem," the operator said.
I called at 11 a.m. to reconfirm my afternoon appointment. A man who answered the phone told me "everything is on schedule," "the roads are clear," and "see you then!"
On the 45-minute drive from Vegas to the mountain, my wife sang "it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together" to our young daughter nonstop. This was going to be fun.
Driving up Lee Canyon, we came upon two dozen cars parked in front of the location. Then a line of about 45 people became apparent. A woman in charge apologized and said they had problems getting the sled set up and "we're a little behind today."
How much was a little?
"At least an hour."
She said the owner was on the premises. I asked to speak to him. I explained that we couldn't wait, and that we had a scheduled appointment.
"So does everyone else," he said. "You're just going to have to wait in line."
Making an appointment is a ruse. They do not take reservations. This is a first-come, first-served operation. But the operators who confirm and reconfirm you do not explain this.
Later, when I called, a different operator explained that, even though he answers the phone "Mount Charleston Sleigh Rides," the operation is indeed "a separate business" and "they do their own thing up there."
"There are no working phones between the sleigh area and the call center, so we have no idea what's going on up on the mountain."
Fair enough. But then why does everyone answering that phone try to mislead people into thinking that they do? Each and every customer needs to be told, each and every time, that there is no communication and that wait times can be in excess of an hour past their reservation time. I would not have picked today for my ride if I knew it might eat up three solid hours of my day.
At the very least, Mt. Charleston Sleigh Rides should send someone up and down every hour to update the call center for anyone calling to reconfirm.
While I'm explaining how unacceptable this situation is to the owner -- and my wife is happily bundling up our daughter for the thrill of her young lifetime -- I'm noticing that the sleigh isn't even the Santa variety pictured on its website. Instead, it is a huge trailer on rails, with seats facing inward around the edges. Not forwards, but inwards toward other passengers, giving an experience that must seem like an uncovered paddywagon.
Before he abruptly ends our conversation, the owner asks me: "Don't you have any patience?"
Thanks, dream-crushing jerk. But I didn't spend $30 and drive 90 minutes back and forth to learn lessons about patience from someone who thinks that inconveniencing hundreds of paying customers is an acceptable business practice.
Living Social kindly refunded my money, gave me extra reward points, and indicated that he was launching an immediate investigation into whether maintaining a relationship with Mt. Charleston Sleigh Rides was in their best interest.
By the way, before he cut me off, the owner suggested that we reschedule for another magical sleigh ride.
Perhaps in hell, buddy, when it freezes over.