Hikers warned to bring water after Sheep Mountains spring runs dry
The U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service is warning hikers not to count on finding water on the Hidden Forest Cabin trail in the Sheep Mountains about 30 miles north of Las Vegas.
For just the second time on record, Wiregrass Spring has run dry, most likely as a result of drought at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge.
Southern Nevada just emerged from a winter that saw below-average snowfall in the mountains. The spring is 7,100 feet above sea level and depends on precipitation for its flow.
“It happened once before (in April 2010), and it came back,” said Dan Balduini of the Fish &Wildlife Service.
Wiregrass Spring usually provides a source of fresh water for hikers who make the 12-mile round trip to the cabin made from notched Ponderosa pine logs, probably in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Historians believe it was used by hunters and trappers and probably by bootleggers during Prohibition. It is available for overnight stays on a first-come, first-served basis.
Just don’t forget to pack plenty of water with you if you go. Balduini said failure to do so, especially during the summer, could prove deadly.
The spring is being checked regularly. Any change in its status will be reported on the Desert National Wildlife Refuge website at www.fws.gov/refuge/desert/.
Anyone wishing to visit the Hidden Forest Cabin can contact the refuge at 702-879-6110 for current conditions or stop at the visitor center between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Find him on Twitter: @RefriedBrean.
