We took a quick family day trip up to Mount Charleston to do the Fletcher Canyon trail. We hadn't done this one before and were pretty excited to give it a try. This was Winston's first hike and we were a bit nervous he would be a hassle on trail. After a short drive, we packed up our backpack and headed out to the trail. Mount Charleston is real good about labeling their parking lots and trail heads so it was easy to find the start and follow the trail during.
The trail starts off with a very slight climb on a wide path. Winston enjoyed the experience from the start. The hike stayed quite open and full of good views over Mount Charleston. As we progressed further and further along, it got tighter and tighter. But, as we went further into the canyon, the canyon walls blocked out the sun and the temperature noticeably dropped. In the midst of summer, the break from the heat was much appreciated.
The trail went from a smooth, groomed track to more rocky with the occasional tree root in the path. This gave Winston a chance to practice his jumping! He was nervous at first but quickly grasped the concept and was embracing his inner mountain goat before long.
Near the end of the trail deep in the canyon, it became harder and harder to follow the trail. Although we had the general idea of where it was, other travelers deviating from the normal trail made it confusing. Since we were already close the end and already saw some good views of the canyon, we decided to call it a day and start our trek back.
Our final count was 3.20 miles in one hour and 57 minutes with a total ascent of 738 feet. More importantly, Winston had a great time and slept for the rest of the day!
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