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Hiking Near Las Vegas, Nevada: Mary Jane Falls Trail Mt. Charleston

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Sign for Mary Jane Trail

Most visitors to Las Vegas don’t think of hiking when traveling to Sin City but to the outdoor enthusiast it might elicit enough excitement to agree to a road trip.

My idea of fun doesn’t involve sitting in a smoky casino losing my money and fantasizing about all of the gear I could have purchased with what I lost gambling. I would rather be hiking and jumped at chance to visit Mary Jane Falls with my sister-in-law.

 

The trail starts on an easy and wide gravel path. It travels through Ponderosa Pines and Fir as well as aspens and mountain mahogany. The 7800 – 8800 feet elevation makes it the perfect spot to escape the heat of Las Vegas.

 

 

It isn’t until about the last third of a mile that the trail gets harder. A few switchbacks may make the inexperienced hiker ready for a rest but the experienced hiker will find the moderately rated trail on the easier side. The falls lie in a straight shot just beyond the switchbacks. We hiked mid-spring and encountered some snow which we passed over with caution.

 

 

The spring runoff created plenty of water for the falls. Two caves, located at the bottom of the falls, also have water dripping over them. The day we hiked, a group of hikers had already filled the cave so we watched instead of venturing into them.

Overall, at 2.5 miles round trip, Mary Jane Trail is a great out and back for the beginner or intermediate hiker. I enjoyed the views of the mountains and still can’t believe of all of the times I’ve visited Las Vegas, I’ve never taken the time to hike the surrounding areas. Next time I visit Las Vegas,  I would like to explore the longer trails on Mt. Charleston. Make sure to visit on a weekday as weekends get busy.

Getting to Mary Jane Falls Trail from Las Vegas:

Take I-15 North out of Las Vegas to US-95 toward Reno.Turn left at NV-157 and take 2nd left on roundabout onto Echo Road. At .35 miles take the left fork on Echo Road until the road ends. Park in the parking lot and use the restroom facilities at the lot instead of on the hiking trail.

Trekking in Peru Wiñaywayna to Machu Picchu Day 6

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I admit, Machu Picchu has always been on my bucket list of dream adventures. So after hiking the Inca trail for five days, overcoming altitude sickness, and battling a head cold, I was still excited enough I didn’t sleep well the night before we we were scheduled to arrive by foot into the famed Inca site. It didn’t help with sleep that we had to wake up at three in the morning so we could be on the trail by 4:00 am.

On day 6 of our epic adventure, we donned our headlamps and set out on our final section of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

As daylight approached and we made our way toward the infamous Sun Gate, we were excited to take in the views.

 

Instead of awesome views, we were greeted with morning fog. Ironic since we had enjoyed crisp views the previous five days, even on day 1 when we hiked at high elevations to Salkantay.

 

Upon arrival to the infamous Sun Gate, we were greeted with the crowds we had followed on the trail but no view of Machu Picchu through the fog. Honestly, I didn’t feel disappointed I wasn’t getting the post card perfect photo. I was too busy taking in the experience.

 

We still got to experience the famed city of Machu Pichhu, even if we had to share our photos with the thousands of other tourists  vying for the same experience. I also got to enter the city with my family instead of them being far ahead on the trail. The swelling in my face and hands had started to subside too making the descent down the Inca stairs into Machu Picchu so much more rewarding.

 

Everything about Machu Picchu is awe inspiring and the ancient Inca city more than deserves to be on the list of the “new” Seven Wonders of the World.

We may not have gotten that post card perfect picture but we got the trip of lifetime. I also gained confidence knowing I can do hard things, even when I don’t feel like it. And we got the chance to take llama selfies. What can be better than that? If Machu Picchu isn’t on your bucket list, it should be. For those not up to a backpacking trip, it is possible to take a train into Aguas Calientes and take a bus to the entrance of Machu Picchu. There are also plenty of places to stay in Aguas Calientes to really soak up the experience. The hardest part about planning a trip to Machu Picchu is getting the permit so make sure to plan ahead of time. Our tour group at Auqui Peru is a great place to start with trip planning. We had a wonderful experience with them with five star food.

For those wanting information for a full backpacking experience, check out our previous posts day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4 and day 5.

 

Peru Machu Picchu Trek: Chaquicocha to Wiñaywayna Day 5

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I love that I had the chance to take the bucket list trip of a lifetime. My family and I did a six day hiking trip in June on the Inca Trail from Salkantay on day 1 to Machu Picchu on day 6. The views in the Andes Mountains in Peru were incredible each hiking day. I can’t say that I had a favorite day. Every day brought something new.

On day 2, we hiked the most miles at 11.5 and saw our first ruins. On day 3 we saw our first llama. For me, day 4 was the toughest but not because of the terrain or mileage, it was from illness. A bad head cold combined with the high altitudes made my face swell.

 

Our hike to Wiñaywayna on day 5 gave me some much needed relief. Our day began with a pass through our first Inca Tunnel then an easy climb to the pass at Phuyupatamarka. Here we spent time taking pictures of the llamas, the views and more llamas.

Really, who wouldn’t want to take a selfie with a llama?

 

My family spotted ruins on top of the peak nearest the pass and wanted to explore. I stayed behind to watch their little dots move up the mountain and enjoyed a break. I’m sure our porters and tour guide, Big Willy, were glad the family took a detour so they could have a much deserved rest too.

We had a great view of the peak of Machu Picchu while a short descent took us to the ruins of Phuyupatmarka. Here we had as long as we wanted to enjoy the site. The best part about this part of the trail is that there aren’t as many people as there are at Machu Picchu.

 From the awe inspiring views to the complexity of the Inca trails and ruins, it’s hard not to feel small in the vast empire.

 After exploring the ruins we descended down a lot of Inca stairs, way too many to count and yet our tour guide told us somebody had counted them. My thighs were too busy burning to remember the exact number he mentioned. This brought us to our campsite and the archeological site of Wiñaywayna. We had a chance to rest and read while our porters set up camp. We also had the option of showering but the cold water didn’t sound appealing to anybody but my husband.

 

The archeological sites at Wiñaywayna are very well preserved and impressive. Even with the cloud cover, I couldn’t get enough of the gorgeous views of the Andes mountains.

We hiked about 5 miles throughout the day but it was easier hiking than we had done on previous days and much of it was spent exploring the sites. The camp at Wiñaywayna was crowded as it is the final camp site before Machu Picchu. We camped along the trail that is used for the shorter two day treks. Many day hikers passed by our camp. We also had campers right above and below us so the night was not as quiet as previous nights. However, I was relieved that the camp site was at a lower altitude than our other sites and it was warmer. I have mixed feelings when I know my trips are coming to an end and my final night camping along the Inca Trail was no exception.

 

 

 

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Peru Trek Salkantay to Machu Picchu Day 4 to Chaquicocha

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After a rough night of battling the worst of my head cold and some altitude sickness, we began our fourth day of our Peru Trek from Salkantay to Machu Picchu with a steady climb to Warmiwañuska Pass, also known as Dead Women’s Pass. Though not as high as the first pass near Salkantay, Warmiwañuska Pass is the highest pass at 13,776 feet on the official Inca Trail.

 

Sadly, by this point, my entire body was swollen from the altitude changes and my eyes had become little slits. This definitely made the pass a little tough for me but the rest of the family did great. Our tour guide, Big Willy, took pity on me and stayed with me so the others could hike at a faster pace. Still, I didn’t let illness get in the way of enjoying the fabulous views. I definitely felt better on Day 1 and even though Day 2 had a higher elevation, I did better. Check out the hikes for those days as well as Day 3 by clicking the links.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It took us a little over an hour to climb over the pass where we rested and took photos. Then for the downhill portion. Paved in stones, the Inca Trail is a different hiking experience than we’re use to. The downhill portion of the hike was longer than the climb to the pass but the uneven stairs make the downhill hard on the legs from the constant pounding. Our descent took us into the beautiful Pacamayo Valley

We climbed a second pass on our day four. Halfway to the pass, we stopped at the Inca archeological site of Runkurakay. This site sites at 12,464 feet and contains a small oval structure believed to have served as a watchtower.

 

I liked that we got to learn a little bit about the Inca Empire while we visited ruins before we got to Machu Picchua. It was nice to have some of the ruins to ourselves and not have to fight the crowds.

After climbing 13,022 feet pass at Runkurakay, we made our descent toward Yanacocha (Black Lake) and entered the cloud forest.

As we made our descent, the archeological site of Saycamarca came into view. When we made it to the site we had plenty of time to explore.

 

Besides giving us a lot of information about the Inca people and what the archeological sites were used for, Big Willy, had fun with us too. In fact, the Auqui Peru Tour Group will always be highly recommended by us. Big Willy one of the oldest tour guides and many of the others have learned from him.

After we spent plenty of time at the site, we descended into the cloud forest for another 20 minutes.

 

When we reached our camp at Chaquicocha, our porters had already set up everything. We just had to enjoy afternoon tea time, a great book and then a four course dinner. I tried to think about how I was on one of my bucket list trips and not how sick I felt.

Salkantay and Machu Picchu Peru Trek Day 3 to Ayapata

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Not a sponsored post but does contain affiliate links.

A trip to Peru wouldn’t be complete without a hike to Machu Picchu. We traveled with the purpose of enjoying the journey and wanting to see as much as we could on our trek to Machu Picchu. We opted for a six day instead of the more popular but shorter four day Inca trek. This allowed us to see Salkantay on day 1 and hike over Incachiriasca pass on day 2. We started our third day exploring the Inca fortress of Inkaracy (Paucarcancha) which gave us a small glimpse of what we had to look forward to. Then we set off on our hike through the village of Wayllabamba.

The small village bustled with the native Peruvians hard at work and without many of the modern conveniences we’ve grown accustomed to. Our tour guide at Auqui Peru, Willy, knew many of the villagers by name and it was fun to watch their happy interactions.

The trail on the third day is officially part of the famed Inca trail. This meant we had to leave our horsemen and mules behind as they are not allowed on the trail. The Inca trail is paved with rocks and has many uneven steps.The vast Inca Trail system immediately left me in awe of the Inca Empire.

After we hiked through the village, we enjoyed the canopy of the forest. I was especially relieved to get a chance to hike at a lower altitude than we had experienced the first two days. I fought altitude sickness and then got hit hard with a head cold. Already the slowest of the group, the cold slowed me down even more.

 

 

Luckily, Willy stayed with me while my family set a fast pace ahead. He let me stop to take pictures so I didn’t miss the fabulous scenery. He also loaned me one of his hiking poles since I hadn’t packed mine. With being  sick, it was nice to have the pole for the stairs. Also, my legs were sore from the 11 miles of downhill we had done the day before. I definitely didn’t fare as well as the rest of the family.

 

 

We couldn’t have asked for a better backdrop of the Andes mountains for our lunch stop. We had porters who joined us for the first time on our third day. We couldn’t believe the amount of gear they carried on their backs and how fast they hiked with the gear. Of course, Kalina, couldn’t wait to try to lift the porter’s packs. It made us feel guilty that they insisted on carrying part of our gear too.

After lunch, the trail became more challenging as we started our ascent to Warmiwañuska (Dead Woman’s) Pass. Since we are avid hikers, we handled the trail with no problem. We hiked just over 5 miles for the day when we reached our camp sight at Ayapata (Yuncachimpa), just below the pass.

 

We arrived at our camp sight with plenty of time to rest our feet and to have our afternoon tea. We even had time to read and explore. Luckily, none of us had blisters. It helped that we used our trail shoes that our feet were already used to.

 

We finally got to see our first llama. Just in time since I was starting to wonder if llama’s really lived in Peru.

Overall, with only five miles of hiking, our day 3 was one of the easier days, though the climb toward camp was challenging with all of the uneven Inca steps.

Note: For those wanting to do a backpacking trip to Machu Picchu via hiking across the Inca Trail, you must have a local tour guide and permits to enter the Inca trail. Our first two days did not require a permit but our third day did. Plan ahead. Permits sell out fast. Contact a tour company about a year before you plan to travel. We went with www.auquiperu.com and received exceptional service from our tour guide, porters, and cooks. Our food was top notch and better than any of the restaurants we visited while in Cusco.