HENDERSON PICNIC
Bike: 14.6 miles | Paddle: 2.5 miles | Hike: 2.8 miles | Repeat
Overview: In the Spring of 2017, YouTube recommended a film called “A Walk In the Park” that featured a backyard adventurer doing an epic combination of biking, swimming and hiking while exploring the Grand Tetons. It was as seemingly impossible feat, so true to form, they sandbagged the title and called it a “picnic”. Being a masochist myself, I loved the idea and immediately began designing my own version, right in my backyard of Henderson, NV. But, since I was more of a paddler then I was a swimmer, I replaced that swim leg with a SUP paddle and since I was 1,000 miles from the Tetons, I opted for my old stomping grounds of Lake Las Vegas to host my Picnic, with the 2,800 ft Lava Butte serving as my Grand Teton. It was an audacious goal and one I relished from the very minute I started. The craziest part was I enjoyed doing it so much, that two days later, I actually did it again.
Friday, May 26, 2017 | Henderson, NV
CHALLENGE MAP
CHALLENGE SPLITS
Looking back on my notes from this trip, I realized that I never kept time or even wore a watch. It was all about having fun.
CHALLENGE IMAGES
MY SET-UP: I’m not gonna lie, my knobby tires and upright frame, matched with a Burley trailer filled with a paddleboard were probably a poor choice for moving fast across pavement, but I didn’t care. I was in it more for the adventure than the desire to move fast. For the record, 100% of the trail I biked from my house out to Lake Las Vegas was paved and aside from a few side streets, I never had to ride in the road. This photo was taken on the return leg as I stopped on the 215 Trail for a quick snack break before tackling the endless uphill slog to my house.
DAWN PATROL: I love waking-up before the sun rises and getting after some crazy physical challenge. It’s something that I became extremely used to while living in the desert. A lot of my adventures started at 4:00 AM or just before sunset so that I could avoid the punishing temps and relentless sun that came with exploring the Mojave Desert in the warmer months. For this picnic I was up at 4:00 AM and out the door and in the saddle by 4:20 (not surprisingly). This photo was taken around 4:45 AM as I was making my way along the Union-Pacific RR Trail just outside of Downtown Henderson.
LAKE LAS VEGAS SUNRISE: I covered the first bike leg in a little less then an hour and arrived to Lake Las Vegas just in time to watch the sunrise. I ended up stashing my bike and trailer on the Pontevecchio bridge (which took longer than expected) before pumping up my SUP and heading out on the lake. Technically, you are not allowed to bring outside water craft onto the lake, but the only other thig stirring at 5:30 AM out on the lake were the Coot birds and they didn’t seem to care.
OPEN WATER: There is no better place in the world to watch the sun rise then on the water and I got a front row view this morning. I made short work of the 2-mile paddle across the lake and set my sights on Closer Cove as my destination. It was a remote finger on the northern most point of the lake that got its name from all the real estate deals that got closed once potential buyers got a tour of the lake. Legend has it that once a buyer got a chance to experience the beauty of Lake Las Vegas from the water, they would sign whatever contract you put in front of them.
LAVA BUTTE IN SIGHT: Having worked in Lake Las Vegas for the better part of a decade, I knew every square inch of this place and prior to this trip had made several summits of Lava Butte over the years. The peak itself is a riddled mess of shattered volcanic rock that rises nearly straight out of the desert landscape and requires traversing a maze of washes to even get to the base. Over the years, I had developed a love affair for Lava Butte, but hadn’t been back to see her since 2010.
THE SUMMIT IS ONLY HALFWAY: By 8:00 AM I was standing on the summit, basking in the warmth of the morning sun. Without a Ridgerest for comfort, my time on the summit was short lived. I cleaned-up the peak, reattached the tattered American flag using some zip ties I had in my pack, and mentally prepared for my return trip home. So far, I was loving this Picnic idea and was already concocting a litany of other variations, including a multiday bike, paddle and climb out at Lake Mead.
SUMMIT REGISTER: Lava Butte is a relatively lonely peak that doesn’t get too much foot traffic. This means that the summit register doesn’t get filled up and you can leaf through entries from nearly 20 years ago. I found each of my summit registers including my first attempt back in 2003 when I clocked a blazing 45-min ascent from MiraLago. In the years that followed, I was never able to break that time, which isn’t too surprising since I never climbed it the same way twice.
SUN BAKED: The sun was in full swing by the time I returned to the board and I got blasted on my return paddle across the lake. I was feeling good and moving fast. I needed to be off the board by 11:00 AM to jump on a conference call with a client. After deflating the board and eating breakfast, I was back on the bike by 10:45 AM and made my way to the newly installed Terrazza Park where I set-up shop. I sprawled myself out on a picnic bench and took my call in the comfort of the shade, all the while basking in the realization that I had just had an epic morning and that I still had an adventure ahead of me.
REFLECTIONS ON A GREAT DAY: This is one of my favorite images from that day. I snapped it as I was riding through downtown Henderson on my way back home. As with every picture of me that day, I am flashing a big toothy grin at the camera. It wasn’t out of habit, I was genuinely happy every single second of that day. Nothing brings me more joy than doing something adventurous and this idea of combining multiple passions into one outing opened up a world of possibilities. Actually, I had so much fun doing the Henderson Picnic, that I ended up doing it all over again 2-days later.
BEHIND THE SCENES
THE OBJECTIVE: Lava Butte makes a beautiful silhouette.
REFLECTIONS: There’s no better way to start the day then by jumping on my board for a paddle.
SUMMIT LINE: It’s gnarly from the minute you say go on Lava Butte.
CLOSER COVE: A few years after my trip, developers leveled Closer Cove.
HARSH TERRAIN: this area is a geologists wet dream.
ENDLESS PUMPING: Not sure why I’m smiling in this photo, as I hate pumping up SUP boards.
GEAR MANAGEMENT: Aside from a light jacket, I used everything I packed. Which is always a good sign.
PERMASMILE: I literally enjoyed every minute of this challenge and never had a bad moment.
FUEL: Since this was mostly an urban adventure, I was able to indulge in a Roberto’s breakfast burrito on the way home.
SHRUNKEN HEAD: The sun shrunk my head on my ascent of Lave Butte.
MINI SLOT CANYON: The washes on the way up Lava Butte even include a few mini-slot canyons.
UNTIL NEXT TIME: this photo was actually taken 2-days later, when I returned and repeated the Picnic on Sunday morning.
