Several Lake Mead trails to close due to coming high temperatures
With an official high of 97, Thursday was the hottest day the Las Vegas Valley has seen so far this year.
But the triple digits are lurking.
Thursday’s reading at the National Weather Service measuring station at McCarran International Airport was four degrees hotter than the average for this time of year.
But valley temperatures vary depending on location.
“In general, you can add a couple degrees in the east valley, take off a couple in the west,” meteorologist Nathan Foster said.
Friday’s high high is expected to hit at 99, Foster said. Saturday’s high is 102 and Sunday should reach 103.
The spike will be a change from the 21 straight days of below-average temps the valley saw throughout most of May.
In response to the coming heat, the National Park Service announced Thursday it would be closing several trails within Lake Mead National Recreation Area for the summer.
Starting Friday, the Goldstrike Canyon trail in Nevada and the White Rock Canyon trails in Arizona will be closed to hikers until Sept. 8.
A similar closure was put in place for the trails just downstream from Hoover Dam last summer after a sharp rise in emergency calls. So far this year, rangers have conducted 14 search and rescues in that area, including five within the past week.
The area known as White Rock Canyon has multiple trails leading to the Arizona Hot Spring, Liberty Bell Arch and the Colorado River. The Goldstrike Canyon trail, which requires some bouldering and climbing, leads to Goldstrike and Nevada hot springs and the Colorado River.
Visitors can still access the popular hot springs from the river.
Summer hikers are encouraged to follow the Park Service’s summer safety tips at www.nps.gov/lake/planyourvisit/summer-hiking.htm.
Three of the five trails damaged in the July 2013 Carpenter 1 Fire and closed since March 2014 have reopened, the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area announced Thursday. Cathedral Rock, Echo and Little Falls trails reopened this month, while South Loop and Griffith Peak trails remain closed.
Review-Journal writer Henry Brean contributed to this report.
Contact Chris Kudialis at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0283. Find him on Twitter: @kudialisrj. Contact Ricardo Torres at rtorres@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Find him on Twitter: @rickytwrites.
