So, I was in Vegas for a bud's wedding, and took some time out to get away from the craziness of the strip and explore. We went to Red Rock Canyon, 20 miles away. Cooler, a nice breeze blowing, and mountains of sedimentary red rock to clamber over.

This "crevasse" has an odd skin of black substance on it's sides.

Lots of cracks and crags to creep through, Thoughts of that guy who cut off his own arm to get free after a boulder rolled on him kept me from becoming too adventurous, though.

The small valleys among the cliff provide shelter for a few distinctly non-desert plants. They looked oddly lush against their stark background.

Bouldering opportunities galore.

The route is a BLM managed 13 mile one-way loop. You can see it off in the distance curving along. This shot was taken from the highest point on the route, looking back toward the reddest rock outcrop.

Pockmarks and depressions dot the landscape, it's all a bit surreal for a coastal boy like me.

I'm disappointed that the true color wasn't captured. These ?lichen were a brilliant green, almost fluorescent against the red substrate. Think Kawasaki motorcycle green.

To show some scale, I took a shot with a few tourists in it. they're the tiny dots at the base of the furthest cliff, midway.

I like this shot, the sky, the lone tree, the deep crag, the texture of the rock, I feel all artistic (?autistic?) when I gaze upon my wondrous creation.