May2, 2013

Boulder Beach Campground

 Lake Mead Recreation Area

 Boulder City, NV

The start of the Historic Railroad Trail is located at the top of the hill, two miles from our campsite.  The bike trail meanders along the road from the campground up to the Railroad Trail parking lot so we could have ridden our bikes right from our site.  But it is all uphill and I knew if I did that I would be tired by the time we biked to the parking lot.  So Monte moved the bike hitch from the rear of the rig to the rear of the truck and we drove up to the Trail parking lot.

It is 3.7 miles one way from the parking lot to Hoover Dam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along the trail there is a section of rough, rocky road on the south side of the railroad bed that is believed to be the first section of the pioneer trail for the construction of Hoover Dam. 

There are signs along the trail with interesting facts. 

Spectacular view of Hemenway Harbor

Tunnel 1 has eight sections of vertical supports, five of which have horizontal planks to prevent the fall of loose rock on to the tracks so there would be few delays during the 24-hour dam building schedule.  Weight from the rock has damaged the outmost, eastern arch.

 

 

 

 

Tunnel 2 burned in an arson fire in 1990.  You can see it looks different from the other tunnels.  It was sprayed with shotcrete to fortify the looser rock.

 

 

 

 

 

Before entering tunnel 3 there was a placard stating tunnels 1,2and 3 are home to bats.  We didn’t see them but when I heard them I peddled just a little faster through the tunnel.  I wish the sign about bats living in the tunnels would have placed before tunnel 1.

 

 

Tunnel 5 was burned in 1978 and then sealed.  The tunnel was restored, sprayed with shotcrete and reopened in 2001. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All tunnels are 25 feet in diameter.  They are oversized to fit huge penstock sections and large equipment being transported to Hoover Dam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really appreciated the benches along the way and took advantage of a few of them to rest.  There is even a vault toilet midway on the trail.  YEAH!

 

 

 

 

 When we reached the dam, we ate our lunch at a picnic table. 

 

There is a trail that leads down to the dam but we didn’t take it because we had already toured the dam and mostly because I was already dreading the long, LONG, UPHILL ride back.

(Most of the time I walked my bike)

 

Another spectacular view of Lake Mead 

Boulder Beach Campground in the far distance.

I was really happy to see the parking lot.  My legs actually felt a little wobbly as I got off my bike.  I was tired but it was a good kind of tired.

         We spent a very enjoyable evening with our neighbors, Anke and Herb, who have been full-timing for 10 years and have kind of taken us under their wings by imparting some of their knowledge and experience.