LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – People who work on Mt. Charleston know how tough it’s been for the public not to hike the very popular Mary Jane Falls trail.
“It was almost like they lost a family member,” said Ray Johnson with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Heavy flooding from the remnants of tropical storm Hilary last year washed away part of the trail. A wall of water 300 feet wide left trees, tree roots and rocks scattered all over.
“The sides can cave in. The footing is unsure. Any type of rescue type of event is then putting the rescuers at risk as well. So, for the time being, it’s very clear why these trails are closed,” said Johnson.
FOX5 got an escorted tour of the Mary Jane Falls trail this week. Officials want people to see the condition of the trail, so they don’t try to hike it. The trail is closed, and anyone found on it could face a fine up to $5,000.
But during our tour, FOX5 saw nine people who were hiking the closed trail. Some said they saw “road closed” signs but walked into the trail anyway. One person, in a group of four people who walked through some large orange barriers, along with a large road closed sign, said he didn’t see the sign.
Officials say hikers on the closed trail can cause some big problems if they have to be rescued. Fire officials on Mt. Charleston said a rescue could draw resources away from other emergencies on the mountain, such as a fire or car accident. They say they can call Las Vegas for backup but it would take those crews a minimum of 40 minutes to get up the mountain.
Forest officials talked to all nine people who were on the closed trail but didn’t cite any of them.
“We’re using some of these efforts for education over citations. However, that doesn’t mean that people won’t get citations if they’re up here,” said Johnson.
National Forest officials say the closures of the Mary Jane, Cathedral Rock and Bristol Cone trails make up a very small portion of the mountain. They say 99 percent of the mountain remains open and they encourage people to take advantage of the many other trails available.
They also urge hikers not to wear flip-flops while hiking because of the risk of slip and fall injuries. And they tell people to be prepared for hikes by taking extra clothing for sudden changes in the weather.
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