Running in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

Five days in Las Vegas and no running? ... I don't think so. Before we even went there, I was looking for places to run in Las Vegas. Staying at the New York New York Hotel, my options were limited. Las Vegas in July is hot and no consideration is given to outdoor activities beyond a pool with an average depth of 4 feet. After all, you can't swim with a drink in your hand. Anyway, my search pointed to Red Rock Canyon, a 40 minutes drive from the Hotel - perfect. With temperatures close to 40 degrees (over 100 F ) during the day, I had to be there as early as possible.
Alarm went off at 5am, and we were on the road by 5:30. The Red Rock Canyon is a national conservation area and you can find some information here. We arrived around 6:15am and the park was already open (they open at sun rise). The sun didn't yet make it over the mountains. Starting at the visitor center running north, the road was still in the shade. A perfect combination of weather and nature and the road ahead of me. From the start to about mile 5, there is over 100 meter height difference. So I appreciated the shade on my uphill stretch.

I was not alone, the Red Rock Canyon seems to be favored by many runners and cyclist - and not too many cars so early in the morning. The one-way loop in the park has several parking areas to view the breathtaking rock formations and colors.
I had to be back at the hotel by 9am, I jumped into the car at mile 7. We made it just in time for the meeting start at 9am.

Running on the road in Red Rock Canyon may be exhausting, at least for me, but the scenery is worth every drop of sweat. The first 4 miles follows the foot of some rock formations and several parking areas. Excuse my ignorance and not using the right names of all the locations - I was there to run and enjoy the outdoors. I had no time to read the panels, but I was educated by my wife later on the way home. The rocks also attract climbers. One climber was just on the way up, squeezed between two rock faces. The rocks here are made of compacted sand and get soft and brittle when wet. They urge climbers to stay away after rain for at least 24 hours. The rock gets its red color from minerals, in this case it's iron.

In the picture to the left, very bottom you may notice a little white something - that would be me.

Half way on the road in the park, no more uphill running. Also no more shade, the sun is up but the temperature is still very comfortable. A gentle breeze keeps the air moving. The view is breathtaking.

Should I ever make it back to Las Vegas, I have to schedule more time so I can finish the whole loop or make a short run part of my daily morning routine.