(Connor Fields) On this episode of Outdoor Nevada, I visit a different side of the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area, Lovell Canyon.

Here, I learn about the area, it's trails, and the horsemen who help out the Forest Service.

And I ride a horse.

Then it's over to one of my favorite trails, the Showgirl.

This was a lot of fun.

I hope you're ready.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ -Not far from Las Vegas is Lovell Canyon, a serene escape from the city.

It may not be as well known as Mt.

Charleston or Red Rocks, but it offers a beautiful place to escape and unwind.

Visitors can traverse the network of hiking trails that wind their way through the canyon, offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys and offering a great place to chill out among nature's splendor.

♪♪♪ -Ray, it is great to see you again.

Last time we caught up, we were at Mt.

Charleston looking at some of the damage from the rainstorm at Mary Jane Falls and checking out some other hiking trails in the area.

We're in a totally different part of the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area today.

Tell me where we are.

(Ray Johnson) Well, we're in Lovell Canyon.

This is Lovell Pass.

Most people in Las Vegas equate Mt.

Charleston with Kyle and Lee Canyons over by the ski area.

They come out of town, they go up to all those popular hiking trails.

But we're a lot more than just those canyons.

Over here in Lovell Canyon, it's a little more rustic.

We have a number of dispersed campsites out here.

People love coming out here all summer.

One thing they really need to be aware of is that as we go into summer, the likelihood of fires increases.

So they really have to know their fire restrictions.

They need to be smart about where they park.

Don't park in dry, grassy areas.

If there are going to be any kind of target shooting, they have to have a bucket and some water.

So as we move into fire season, people need to start being aware.

-Where would you be able to look and find if you are or are not allowed to have a fire?

-On the Forest Service websites or www.gomtcharleston.

We'll have everything posted on there.

Or if up on the mountain, you could stop by the visitor center.

-You said there's camping up here at Lovell Canyon.

Are there other activities in the area?

-Sure.

A lot of people come up here with horseback riding.

Mountain bike riding, as well, is starting to really increase.

We have a ton of people who like to do UTVs and ATVs and dirt bikes on some of our roads over here.

We do have quite a variety of things to do here in Lovell Canyon.

-You mentioned horseback riding.

Something tells me I'm going to be doing a little bit of that today.

-Yeah, we're going to go meet some of my friends with J&M Outfitting, and we'll talk about how to be a cowboy.

-Oh, boy, here we go!

♪♪♪ Mike, thank you for having us out here today.

We've got these beautiful animals behind us.

Tell me a little bit about what you do.

(Mike Flood) So we have an outfitting business, and we have joined together with Forest Service over the years.

My granddad was the one that actually started it.

And what we do is we haul gear up the mountain that may be a little challenging for people to pack up on backpacks.

And that can be any sort of gear.

It could be hauling water for a fire.

We haul camping gear.

If you have a crew out there and they're going to be overnighting, our horses and mules will take it up the mountain.

-Your granddad, your father, the ones who started this business before you, were they working with the Forest Service as well?

-Yeah, absolutely.

They've been working for Forest Service for a long time.

-Yeah, they've been doing a great job for us for not just since I've been here for 25 years, but many years before that.

We've used them to help out with our trail program, carrying heavy supplies, especially up into the wilderness, on fires many times, search and rescue as well, and quite a while ago, bringing some of the wreckage down from the plane wreck on top of Mt.

Charleston.

So we've had long relationship, and they've always done a great job for us.

-What kind of stuff do the horses bring up to help put out the fires?

-Well, certainly the food and water, which is absolutely critical.

Some of our firefighters are up there for a couple days at a time.

They run out of what they take with them.

Oh, timbers, that kind of stuff for trail work.

We have used them many times for that.

So lots of different ways they help out firefighters and the Forest Service on our trail work.

-One thing I'd like to add to that, Ray, is helping with fires goes deeper than helping with the actual fire.

Those trails, if they're not maintained throughout the year, you know, by trail crews and whatnot, it's hard during a fire to get the meals up there and the horses up there if the trails are washed out.

I mean, Ray's got a big job.

They have to prep all winter long to see, What kind of damage are we going to have this spring?

What's going to happen with the trails?

Where do we need to get the trail crews out there so that their team of fire fighters and our team of horses can get up there to help them the best we can.

-I want to go back to something.

We're talking about cowboys.

What exactly is a cowboy?

-That's a hard question to answer.

Somebody that wasn't smart enough to make a different living.

[laughter] Cowboys, the term "cowboy" came from people spending all their time chasing cows.

And then we have, nowadays, we have terms like "horsemen."

And horsemen would have been people that spent their life training horses.

Then we have these guys that are "packers," that spent their life packing, you know, like we do up the mountain for the Forest Service and stuff.

So the word cowboy is a really vague term that we kind of use for all around to describe people, but cowboy is just somebody spending their whole day on a horse.

-And so I was just gonna ask, what do you think makes somebody a cowboy?

Is that spending all day on a horse?

-Yeah.

I think it's somebody that makes their living with the animals and enjoys what they do.

-Well, speaking of all day on a horse, I hear I'm gonna ride some horses today, or one horse at least.

-Yeah, you're gonna ride Faith today, and we're gonna take you up the trail and show you a little piece of Nevada.

-Will I be a cowboy after that?

-We'll call you one today.

-Beautiful.

Let's go check 'em out.

-All right.

-Mike gave me the full experience of prepping the horse for a ride.

One of the first things that needed to get done was get a saddle on Oreo.

-And then you gotta attempt to swing all that gear.

But when you swing it, let's swing it from this side.

Start back here.

Get some momentum, and get that stirrup clear up and over.

-All right.

-Go ahead.

-All right, Oreo, I'm gonna do my best for you.

-That wasn't too bad.

-I was trying to be gentle.

I didn't want to be too tough.

Mike also threw in some tips and enlightened me about his family's training methods and practices.

-You're told never walk behind a horse your whole life.

We teach something a little different, because we have to walk around our horses.

We're up there on a single-track trail, and sometimes you gotta walk on the trail with your horse and get around the back of her, and sometimes you gotta go underneath horses that are tied together.

So what we teach around here, talk to your horse and put a hand on your horse and let them feel them, feel you as you come around.

Horses generally kick out because they don't know what's behind them.

They're trying to protect themselves.

So here, we make sure our horses always know where we are.

-I let Mike do the rest with the straps, the front cinches, the back cinches, the breast collar, and everything else.

The last thing I wanted was to have the saddle slide off.

Mike is the pro here.

I'm just a temporary cowboy for today in name only.

-Your saddle goes off the butt-- -You go off the horse.

- --you go with.

-You're going up some steep terrain, so it's got to be nice and held down.

-Absolutely.

Sometimes we're starting clear down at 7,000 feet in elevation.

By the time we're done, we're clear up at 9,500.

And you know, Mt.

Charleston Peak-- How high is Mt.

Charleston peak, Ray?

-11,916.

-And you know, a lot of times we're climbing up that high.

Yeah, go ahead.

Go for it.

-Before I knew it, I was up, I was on Faith, and I was ready to hit the trail.

I would love to say that we galloped off into the forest and rode away at full speed, but that was definitely not the case.

Oh, we're getting a snack.

-Whenever your horseback riding, it's always important to check these trail markers.

Make sure you see there's a horse sign on it there.

That way you'll know you're on a horse trail.

-If she stops to get a snack, is that okay?

-Yep, that's all right.

Just give her another little kiss, and we'll start headed off.

♪♪♪ -Like that?

-Yep.

Don't be afraid to bump her.

♪♪♪ -Look at you, a natural cowboy.

[laughter] ♪♪♪ -This was just my speed, a nice mosey, a chill stroll on a beautiful trail.

So me and Faith are just going for a ride right now.

She's crushing it.

I'm almost a cowboy.

-The biggest cause of horse wrecks in the back country are caused from people behind bushes.

-This was so much fun.

And once I got over the initial nerves of it, I actually found it pretty relaxing.

These horses are workers.

And in order to be good workers, they have to put in the time.

They have to train and stay in good shape.

It was great meeting Mike and learning about his heritage and career.

Him, his horses, and his mules serve an important role in the ability for all of us to enjoy these trails.

-Well, that wasn't too bad, was it?

-That was a blast.

I had so much fun.

Thank you.

Thank you, Faith.

-Faith says she's a little exhausted after that long ride.

-Are you calling me fat?

-I think Faith was.

It wasn't me.

[laughter] -So how do I get off?

-Okay.

Follow what I do.

You're gonna keep your right hand on this horn, grab a little bit of hair.

A lot of people don't know horses don't have feeling in this hair right here.

There's no nerve endings.

Hold it, throw your leg over the back, and when you hit the ground, make sure your feet hit the ground.

-What do I do with the rein?

-You're just gonna let go.

-Let go?

-Yep.

-So grab here, take my right out, swing it on over, and come on down.

-Just like that.

Not bad.

-Thank you, Faith.

You're amazing.

That was fun.

I haven't ridden a horse in so long, but I definitely think I'll be out here riding some more horses.

-Yeah, it's pretty neat.

Lovell Canyon's a little piece of Mt.

Charleston that people don't realize is right there.

It's a neat place.

-Awesome.

I appreciate you taking a few minutes with me, and thank you, Faith.

Thank you, Oreo.

Lovell Canyon has some great hiking trails.

The Spring Mountains is an amazing range of landscapes with activities for all skill levels to enjoy.

The US Forest Service looks after this land and makes sure that it's in tip-top shape.

There are other groups who help look after the land as well.

One of those groups is the Southern Nevada Conservancy.

Today, I'm meeting up with a couple of members of the Conservancy to learn more about the organization and find out exactly what it is that they do.

Miles, Rosa, thank you so much for taking a few minutes with me today.

I've lived here my whole life, and I'm always excited to find new areas to explore.

Can you tell me about where we are?

(Rosa Prasser) You're in Lovell Canyon.

It's part of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, but less known.

-What do people like to come up here and do?

(Miles Woodruff) Hike.

I mean, it's beautiful.

It's out of the city.

It's a little cooler on a summer day, so you get to get out in the trees instead of being in the desert.

-I feel that's a great thing in the summertime.

When it's 100-plus degrees in Las Vegas, you can escape up here and cool off a little bit.

-Absolutely.

Even today, it's much cooler than it is down in the valley or at other parks in the area.

-Is there anything that people should know before they come up here?

-Oh, definitely.

Know before you go.

You want a map and make sure if you're using a map app, download your map before you leave your house.

We're at a little bit higher elevation, so it's gonna be cooler.

Make sure you check the weather before you come.

-Does it snow in the winter?

-It definitely does.

I wouldn't recommend coming back in the snow.

-And get stuck, right?

-You could get stuck, yes.

-We're doing a hike?

-We are.

-And is this place known for hiking?

-Mostly camping, a little bit of hiking.

-How many trails are there in the area?

-Just this one.

-How long is the trail?

-12 miles.

That's the big loop.

-Are we doing a 12-mile loop?

-Not a 12-mile loop.

-There's a small loop?

-Yeah, 2.3 miles.

-That's a lot more manageable.

I think I'm ready.

-Sounds good.

-After you.

When Rosa said 12 miles, it caught me off guard.

I was definitely not prepared.

But to know that there are alternatives to the full trail made me feel a lot better.

Today I'll take the 2.3 miles.

I'll have to come back for the full trail another day.

The 12-mile Lovell Canyon Loop Trail offers a serene hiking experience through diverse desert and mountain landscapes.

It winds through juniper and pinyon pine forests, providing stunning views of the surrounding peaks and valleys.

For those seeking alternate routes, the Lovell Canyon Trailhead connects to a network of paths, including the Schaefer Springs Loop and the Griffith Shadow Loop, each right around 2 1/2 miles.

Rosa, if I was going to come up here and camp, what is it important that I know?

-You want to make sure that you bring everything that you need and you're well prepared.

There's places that don't have cell service.

Everything that you also bring, you want to pack it in and pack it out.

All of your garbage, nobody's going to remove your garbage for you.

-Are there garbage cans up here?

-No, no garbage cans.

-So it's real important that you remove your garbage.

-Yes.

-And Miles, is this area animal friendly?

-Oh, yeah.

You can bring your dog.

Just make sure that it's on a leash and pack out any treats that the dog leaves behind.

[laughter] -Good to do.

Miles, I'm feeling it.

Do you know what elevation we're at?

-Yeah, we're at about 6,000 feet right now.

-That's why I'm feeling it.

-Yeah.

-Does it keep going up?

-It sure does.

-Rosa, we're not far from Vegas, but it's a very different look.

Tell me about the plants.

-Yeah, you're in the pinion pine/juniper life zone right now.

So you'll see a lot of pinyon pines and a lot of junipers, some dogwood.

-Some cacti.

-Oh, some cactus too.

That's right.

-Rosa, is there much wildlife in the area?

-Yeah, there's actually elk over here.

They were introduced in the '50s, 1950s.

You might not see them.

Mostly when you come out here, you'll probably see your birds, maybe see a coyote or two.

-It is gorgeous up here.

-It is.

-And what a beautiful day.

-Nice and cool.

-Miles, can you-- can you tell me a little bit about the Southern Nevada Conservancy?

-Yeah, Southern Nevada Conservancy has been serving the public lands in Nevada since 1988, and we work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management to provide educational interpretive programs to the public.

-So when you say you provide educational programs, what kind of activities does that entail?

-Drop-in programs, school groups, homeschool groups, and large events.

-And if I wanted to find out more or get involved myself, how would I do that?

-Go to our website, southernnevadaconservancy.org and you can sign up for our newsletter.

From there, you can navigate to other websites, for Red Rock Canyon and Mt.

Charleston, and you can see our event calendars on those websites and see everything listed there.

-Miles, what does it mean to you to protect and steward these lands?

-Well, I'm a conservation biologist, and I've been doing this for 20 years, trying to do sustainability and conservation.

And so protecting the land is just what I do.

And this specific area is special because of the indigenous population that lived here and does live here and is involved in our events that we host regularly.

-Rosa, what does it mean to you?

-Oh, it's so special to me.

I've been using public land since I was little, loving them as well, and I want to teach future generations how to take care of these lands so that they can be around for years and years to come, and so that we can enjoy them like we're enjoying them today.

-It's about leaving it better than you found it.

-That's true.

-I'm motivated, I'm inspired, I'm appreciative of what you do; but for now, we are almost done with the loop.

Let's finish the hike and bring it back?

-Sounds good.

-Let's finish.

-This is a great trail.

You will gain about 500 feet of elevation within the first couple of miles.

It definitely takes some effort.

There are also some gradual declines.

I would rate this trail as a moderate hike.

The trail itself is wide and even.

It is an equestrian trail, so be aware.

Overall, it's a good workout with great scenery.

It was great learning about the Southern Nevada Conservancy and meeting Rosa and Miles.

I look forward to more meetups.

Now it's off to the other side of the Spring Mountain National Recreation Area.

I'm meeting up with a new friend for a quick ride.

There are so many amazing mountain bike trails in Southern Nevada.

And this one, the Showgirl Trail, it's one of my favorites.

I know, I know, they're all one of my favorites.

But this trail, along with many of the others that are in Telephone Canyon, which is part of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, are shuttle trails.

A shuttle trail means that they are 100% downhill and that you need two vehicles if you want to shuttle it, one to drive up to the top and drop you off, you ride on down, and another one to pick you up and bring you back up to the top.

Today, I'll be shuttling with Jake, who is part of the Southern Nevada Mountain Bike Association.

♪♪♪ Jake, thank you for taking a few minutes and meeting me up here today to ride.

How long have you been riding?

(Jake Billings) Pretty much my whole life.

You know, just as a kid, never really stopped.

Riding with my dad through the woods growing up, and then in college, switched over to mountain bikes.

-When you're riding, what is it that you're looking for in a trail?

-I love trails that have lots of good flow and turns where you can kind of pump the trail along and really kind of get the juices flowing and feel like you got some speed.

-I feel that's exactly why you like Showgirl, then.

-Exactly.

This trail, it's got lots of turns and flow and all sorts of different obstacles to ride through.

-You work with the Southern Nevada Mountain Bike Association.

How long have you been involved with them?

-Probably about five years now.

We really started getting a lot done the last few years, though.

-What made you decide that you wanted to give back and be part of the community?

-Just exactly that.

I used to race a lot of mountain bikes and kind of got tired of racing and wearing myself out all the time and was looking for a way to still be involved and take care of the trails that I love to ride.

-When you're riding on a trail like this that's up in the mountain, it's frequently visited by people that are hiking, mountain biking, even some horseback riding.

What is important for people to know when they're on a multiple-use trail?

-So be aware of other users.

You're not the only one out there.

Everybody's coming up here to have a good time.

As a mountain biker, we're the fastest moving user, so we always yield to hikers and horses, especially.

If you come across a horse, you want to actually dismount from your bike and pass them on the lower side of the trail if you're on a hill.

And just be aware, because around any corner could be another biker, another hiker.

It could be a tree that fell down.

There's always obstacles you want to be aware of.

So always staying in control.

-I think it's time for our first ride of the day.

What do you say?

-Let's do it.

-All right.

After you.

-All right.

♪♪♪ -The Showgirl Trail never disappoints.

Like Jake said, it has an awesome flow.

♪♪♪ This trail is a little over five miles.

At the top of the trail, you're at an altitude of 7,159 feet.

At the bottom, 5,783.

That's a big drop.

♪♪♪ The trail starts off pretty wide open, but it tightens up real quick.

There are a couple spots where you'll hold your breath as you cut through the pinion and juniper trees.

-Thank you.

-Quick tip: If you've never ridden this trail, just like any other, take the first ride slow.

Get to know it before you cut loose.

Riding with Jake was great.

He was all get up and go.

It's not often I gotta work hard to keep up with somebody, but Jake kept me on my toes.

♪♪♪ Whoa!

-Wow, that was a great ride!

-Always is.

-That trail has so much.

It's a little bit of everything.

There's rocks, there's some chunk, you're going through tree roots, which is not something I'm used to every day riding in Vegas.

-Right.

Something different up here.

I especially love that high speed descent at the end.

It puts you in this parking lot, Cliff Rose parking lot.

It's perfect.

-Yeah, that was a fun part.

I was a little scared.

My arms were getting tired on the way down.

But one thing I always forget is just how many trails are up here.

There's forks all the way up there.

-Yeah, it definitely helps to have an app on your phone that has trail maps already downloaded or, of course, riding with a buddy who's been here before.

-I guess if it was my first time, you'd have to stop and pull your map out and figure out exactly where you're going so you don't get lost.

-But no matter what, if you head downhill, you're gonna have a good time.

-That's true.

Shall we go again?

-Let's do it.

-I love getting out and exploring.

There is so much to see right here in our own backyard.

You can plan a day trip that will transport you from the urban sprawl of Las Vegas and put you in a beautiful place like this.

Amazing.

Southern Nevada has so much to see and so many amazing places to explore.

I suggest you get out there and check it out for yourself.

You won't regret it.

Until next time, I'm Connor Fields, and this is Outdoor Nevada.

♪♪♪