My first full day in Las Vegas found me at my favorite spot on Earth, Red Rock Canyon. Rei and I decided to do the Turtlehead Peak trail, one of the more difficult hikes accessible from the scenic loop in the park. The hike itself covers five miles, two and one-half out and back with a two-thousand foot vertical rise from trailhead to peak.

Turtlehead in the background. See the resemblance to a turtle's head? In the foreground is the vivid red and white striations of Calico Hills.

In the desert, trails are sometimes hard to follow so hikers put out small collections of rocks called cairns to help mark the way. I'm pretty sure this one is meant to be more funny than helpful.

The little orange peel man that I found stuck to this shrub was probably placed here by the same person who erected the stone penis.

All kinds of funny thing were lurking in the bushes along the way, including this writhing clumb of caterpillars.

On the mountain's peak is this little metal box which contains a few notebooks for all of the visitors to the peak to sign and a photo map of the mountains on the south side of the park.

Rei signs Turtlehead's guest book.

Six thousand three hundred twenty-three feet, two thousand feet higher than the trailhead two and one-half miles away.

Calico Hills from Turtlehead Peak.

Mt. Charleston from Turtlehead Peak.

Yummy trail mix for quick energy on the trail.

Karsten on Turtlehead Peak.

Reimon on Turtlehead Peak.