A few other people were on the trail too. When they got to the top they did weird exercise-y things like push-ups and other strenuous activities. I was content to take pictures of the view. In the larger scheme of things, the peak is in the southwest corner of the Las Vegas metro area. Below is looking northwest from the summit. If you squint you can see some bands of red, which are part of the sandstone layers that make up Red Rock Canyon.
The picture below shows my way home in every sense of the word -- eastwards. If you're eagle-eyed you'll be able to spot a small water tower in the middle of the picture, slightly to the right. That's what I look for to know that I'm close to home. The only large building you see in this picture, also toward the right and back, is South Point Casino. Being well off of the strip it caters to locals and is where I went for the Impersonator Parade. A little farther over the mountains is my ol' Indiana home.
Looking due west, you get the idea of just how built up some parts of Vegas have become...and how identical it all looks when you start driving through it.
However, southeast from where I was standing is a different story.
I know people make fun of downtown Indianapolis for its puny showing of skyscrapers. I don't see that Las Vegas has a great deal more to boast about. Given the city's population, the only downtown area of note is the strip that rises up out of nowhere.
From where I was standing, it's only about a 15 minute drive to the strip. At the north end of the strip (left in the picture) you can make out the needle of the Stratosphere. At the southern end the first casino you hit is Mandalay Bay. In between the two: a hot mess of lights, tourists and slots.
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