Forest Trail the perfect winter hike

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For seasoned hikers looking for a winter challenge, the Hidden Forest Trail might be just the ticket. This is an enchanting hike, or snowshoe if the weather cooperates, to a remote cabin set deep in a ponderosa forest, and offers the bonus of being less than 50 miles from Las Vegas.

The trailhead lies in an isolated part of the 1.6 million-acre Desert National Wildlife Refuge, one of the few areas close by that still provides plenty of solitude. The hike will take you more than 10 miles round trip and has an elevation gain of about 2,100 feet. With a starting elevation of nearly 6,000 feet and a good possibility of freezing temperatures, come prepared.

The weather here seems to head in fast, furious and without warning this time of year and snowstorms are common. Even if the trailhead is bare of snow, there still could be a foot or more up canyon. Pack your snowshoes and trekking poles as well as winter gear for an emergency bivouac.

From the trailhead drop into the broad wash and head right to a metal gate and onto an abandoned road. For the first mile or so the terrain is mostly loose gravel, which makes the traveling slow, but it becomes more forgiving as you travel farther up and into Deadman's Canyon, in a little more than a mile.

The trail is easy to follow and has a steady elevation gain, spread out evenly along the way. There is nothing real tough or noticeable, but there might be on the return, if you end up snowshoeing or plodding bare-boot through deep snow.

Along the way you will travel through three plant communities. Near the trailhead you'll be in a blackbrush plant community with small Joshua trees and yucca, then into a pinyon/juniper one, mostly made up of single-leaf pinyon, Utah juniper and big sagebrush. After traveling about four miles you'll start to see dispersed stands of ponderosa pines and white fir. As you travel further, these stands will give way to the fully mature Hidden Forest.

In this area there are a few downed trees that are minor obstacles, but they can easily be climbed over. Once, while traveling through here in winter, I heard a loud crackling behind me, turned around and watched as a 30-foot snow-laden pine fall directly onto the path I had just traveled, seconds before.

The cabin sits on a small rise in an open area, and you shouldn't have trouble finding it. As you travel up the canyon it will be on your left, at the base of an unnamed side canyon. This federally owned cabin is on the National Register of Historic Places. The details on the nomination form are fairly vague but it does indicate that the cabin is thought to have been built by a cattleman or miner at the end of the 19th century and is made of rough-hewn lumber. Like many cabins located far off the beaten track, this one also was known to be used by moonshiners during Prohibition.

Wiregrass Spring is about 250 yards up the side canyon, north of the cabin. The water may contain contaminants so treat before drinking. For those of you who are making this trip as an overnight excursion, the cabin is available on a first come, first served basis, but you'll probably be sharing it with a few small creatures. A better choice would be dispersed camping, which is allowed, except near the spring. The cabin has a wood stove, pots and pans, various tools and some emergency supplies.

Whether you go for a day trip or are up for a winter camping adventure, it is imperative to sign in at the self-register box on your way to the trailhead at the Corn Creek Field Station. This not only serves as a tool that might save your life but also lets the preserve know that people are using the area, which in turn could provide funding. Snowshoes can be rented from McGhies Ski-Bike-Board, 4503 W. Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, 252-8077.

Deborah Wall is the author of "Great Hikes, A Cerca Country Guide," published by Stephens Press. She can be reached at Deborah@hikingthewest.com.