Climbing in Red Rock Canyon has been a dream of mine since I first visited as a newbie climber 8…read moreyears ago. I was finally able to return last November, and Donna at Mountain Skills made it incredibly easy to coordinate my trip. My guide, Thomas, was incredibly open to providing the kind of climbing experience I wanted and made thoughtful suggestions based on my skill level and experience. Thomas does it all, from sport climbing to multi-pitch and multi-day classes, self-rescue clinics-- seriously, climbers of all levels can learn something from him! I would highly recommend climbing with Thomas, as he is knowledgeable, professional, and enjoyable to be around. He truly has a passion for teaching, and teaches in an engaging and memorable way. He even emailed me more climbing material to read and practice afterward! Thomas is also a great person. He took the time to (safely) snap some pictures of me working on a project and even stayed out late that day to give a rescue belay to a climber (not with a guide!) who dropped their rope while at the top of a wall. The entire experience, which I expected to be great, exceeded my expectations. Thank you, Thomas and Mountain Skills! Can't wait to come back to do some multi-pitch!

This was the best part of our week in Las Vegas! Mike, our knowledgeable guide, gave us the best…read moreexperience. He knew where to go when the wind kicked up and gave us variable climbs for our varied levels of ability. I am a completely new climber, and this was the best introduction I could ever hope for!! We are signing up for lessons, here in Washington State,with a climbing gym and will be making frequent trips back to Mt Skills to hone our skill. Thanks Mike for an awesome day!

My current gig requires a certain level of fitness for pounding one leg and then another leg many…read moretimes over and over into the pavement. In my youth I could run like a gazelle....well, maybe a gazelle with a cheetah attached to one leg. This is not the case now. At this stage in my life, I run like a hippo, who is capable of quick speeds over short distance...a sprint that in short order becomes a lumbering trot. At 260 lbs, I have built myself up over the years in a different way, but I want to be better at running.....I really do. Never really heard or knew much about trail running. I had seen some trail running crazies while out and about in the Mojave and other difficult places. I have even seen them ditty bopping up to the peak of Mt. Charleston. I thought of this type of physical fitness activity as hardcore...and sometimes just plain insane. Since arriving at my current assignment, I have often heard from the more cardio fit coworkers spinning tales of being out in nature and getting after it on dirt trails. The conversation extended into trail shoes, playlists, trail names, fitness watches, and phone apps. Though I was never really a part of the conversation, I eavesdropped and a statement struck a cord with me. It was said trail running makes you a better runner on the hard top. Really? I love nature. I like fitness. I want to be a better runner. I then heard about Law Dawg Trail Tours (LDTT). For $30 bucks, LDTT would come and pick you up (house, hotel, etc.), and guide a trail running trip for you. I hopped on the computer and scheduled a trip. I spoke with the owner/operator, Josh about the when and the wheres. Josh is clearly passionate about trail running, trail running in Southern Nevada, and wants to share what he knows with others. He informed me the trail we would be taking did not require trail shoes, and my current go fasters would be fine enough. We set a date to go run the Calico Basin Trail and made arrangements for him to pick me up at my house at 7:00 in the morning on a Saturday. I woke up to a torrential downpour occurring outside. I was good to go, but was not sure if LDTT would be. I checked my phone and there was not text or phone message. Then I received a text at approximately 6:30, letting me know Josh was on his way. At 10 minutes till there was a light knock on the door. Much appreciated as it did not wake up the GF. I stepped out into the rain and placed my gear in an immaculate (minus being wet) looking Toyota FJ. Josh asked me I wanted a water or a snack but I was content with my bulletproof coffee. Off we went into the cloudy, rain soaked morning. While driving to the trail head, Josh threw out multiple factoids about Vegas, and that transitioned to factoids about the Red Rock area when it's beauty came into view. It helped cut the edge off nervous excitement I was feeling. When we arrived at the trail head, the rain was a still coming down. Josh gave a quick brief on the trail and running tips on how I should attack it. He threw some water, first aid kit, and other gear in a back pack and pointed the way. With a beep of his watch, we were off. We chatted about this and that as I enjoyed the cold, wet morning. With the first splash of a puddle, I was immediately reminded of my childhood and looked for every puddle to splash in after that. With every step I enjoyed my rising heart rate enjoying the surroundings. The desert a majority of time is one tough bitch. When in the desert during rain, you get to see and experience it's almost softer side. Water can most certainly invigorate and/or weaken just about anything, including the Mojave. The trail split this way and sometimes that way, Josh was behind me giving direction...tips on the value of duct tape, and.......more factoids! We would eventually summit a rather large hill after an approximate 500 foot elevation gain. I would imagine this vantage point offers a great view of valley below, but not on this day. The valley was sacked with moisture laden clouds. Not to matter, the clouds hanging around the Red Rock area, made for a beautiful and seldom seen landscape. After a photo op, we headed back down to complete this 3.5 mile trail. After much fun, many puddles, and spying a lone jack rabbit, we ended up back at the FJ and with a beep of the watch...we were done. With a huge smile on my face, I swapped out gear for some dry stuff. One thing I noticed as I was throwing on my flip flops, was that my knees, hips, and lower back weren't as sore as when I normally run on the streets. LDTT is punctual, knowledgable, friendly, and more than reasonably priced. I would imagine even a Uber/Lyft from anywhere on the Strip is going to be a pricey proposition. But to be picked up on the Strip or any other area of the Vegas for that matter, and taken to whatever trailhead you desire on the website, and guided after that...It just can't be beat!! I am now a convert!

I recently had the pleasure to go on a great trail adventure with Law Dawg Tours. What an amazing…read moreexperience!!! Josh picked me up, in the cleanest vehicle I have ever been inside, immaculate!!! While on the way out to beautiful Red Rock Canyon we engaged in a variety of conversational topics. Josh is very knowledgeable about fitness, nutrition, and trail running. Upon our arrival at the Calico trail, Josh gave me the run down on what to expect and see along the moderately rugged path. Josh had great information about the area, the landscape, and some of the critters we may see along the way. We began our run, all along the way Josh made sure it was a comfortable pace for me, which is not real fast, but I could pass a desert tortoise if put to the test. The highlight of the 3 mile trail was getting to the top of the mountain we had circled along the way. What a view!!! The beautiful red cliffs to the west and the Las Vegas valley to the east!! What a great experience with a great tour guide!! I highly recommend Law Dawg Tours to anyone of any skill level to go out and set a path on these amazing trails!!

Apparently Facebook ads work. Had I known all the issues that this race would have, I might not…read morehave signed up- but at the end of the day I got to eat chocolate after going for a run on the Strip, so it can't all be bad. PROS: + The bowl of finish line fondue is actually really good, tasted like Ghirardelli. + One of the few runs to use the Strip area (Linq/Flamingo/Paradise section). + Super cozy zip up sweater instead of your usual cheap participant tee. + Training program and pacers available for the route for beginning runners. CONS: - Stupid early start time, likely due to the chaos of shutting down the Strip. 7:15 start with 6AM suggested arrival was not disclosed until a couple weeks before the event. And then we didn't even start on time! And why was the 5K before the 15K instead of after?! - No day-of packet pickup, had to go to Friday or Saturday afternoon "fitness expo" at the Linq to get your stuff. Tons of weekend Strip traffic, and there was no expo. I didn't stick around, but apparently there was no after-party either as advertised. - No finishers medal for the 5K. This is not explicitly spelled out on their website and only reluctantly answered when directly asking their social media manager. Really? Like it's so hard to leave the "1" off of the "15K" medal?! - One hydration/treat station for 5K route. Site advertises sweets throughout the run but heavily favors the 15K participants (they get 5 stops). Not sure if I'd sign up for this event again, at least not the 5K distance. Certain organization decisions make it seem like 5Kparticipants are not as valued as those doing 15K. Rather than subtly diss those who aren't up for the longer distance, maybe don't offer it at all.

3.5 stars Likes:…read more- Awesome finisher's medal (has amazing and accurate details of landmarks in Las Vegas, distance, name of the run and year on the medal. It's a nice size and is pretty heavy without being gaudy. The ribbon it comes on also says the name of the run and distance. If you collect running medals, you'll know why this matters.) - Relatively flat course with shade here and there - Gender specific jackets (because Tshirts are a dime a dozen and let's face it, men and women have different curves) and a thin plastic draw string knapsack included with registration - Greatly appreciate the pacers & volunteers; police did a great job of blocking traffic and keeping runners safe, frequent mile markers so you're not just guessing how far you've gotten - Chocolate fondue was pipping hot and suuuuuper delicious. Stuff to dip in it was perfect. - Nice photo opportunities in front of their (3) blow up displays. - Had chocolate chips, M&Ms, strawberry marshmallows & chocolate marshmallows throughout the run. Dislikes: - No expo or after party as promised. This was really disappointing consider how much they promote and it's a well known and popular run. We booked an extra couple of days anticipating an expo with sponsors, freebies, etc. - Pretty weak giveaways (just papers: discount coupons and flyers) - Free photos, but they were only at the finish line. Expect only one to two pictures of yourself, max!

Such a cool event! We live right in front of Sam Boyd…read moreStadium and for many years have always just disregarded what goes on there! I guess this year my little one is old enough to ask and say "Mommy I wanna see those big monster trucks!" I couldn't say 'no', it's really hard to miss all the traffic flow, fireworks, and loud music that goes along these events. The stadium set up was small, I thought we got higher seats but we were actually pretty up close! Clear sight and great view of the designs on all the trucks and the dirt obstacle course that had hills, turns, little pond, and fire. It's a 3-day event, we decided to go Friday - kind of a mistake on our part because we didn't really know how the event really is. Friday is just the racing part. Saturday and Sunday is when they freestyle and destroy the trucks, which is obviously more exciting! The racing competition wasn't bad though. Tons of these big, cool/funny themed trucks race for the championship. One truck flipped over and it got the crowd (including us) off of our seats! Then during the finale a bigger truck flipped over another truck, fireworks and great music included! Next time we know to go either Saturday and Sunday to really see the trucks get destroyed, after all that's were all the excitement is! I think only thing that made me choose Friday over the weekend is because there was a $70 difference on the tickets, which is a lot for one ticket. Not sure how much parking is for the event but I would say get there early, there's parking available at the actual stadium parking lot, there are tons of dirt lots around and then there's also a big soccer park that ton's of people also park at. Grave Digger, I believe is the all time favorite, he's won ton's of championship. Son of a Digger (clever), and you guest it.. Grave Digger's son.. beat his dad this year and was named the champion for 2017.

Great free event held at the South Point arena with archers from 55 countries. Over 4500 archers…read morecompeted it's my favorite event every year with lots of stadium seating and food for sell. Shout out to all the archers who hit the bullseye every time.

PROS: + Benefiting a great organization, Crohns & Colitis…read moreFoundation of America! + Quick and easy pickup, on time start. Map was provided beforehand with detailed elevation gain info. + Beautiful route through the golf course, enthusiastic support staff at water stations! + Great price, included timing, separate start for runners and walkers. CONS: - Three porta potties for 200-300 participants seemed like it was going to be an issue, but luckily there was never too long of a line. - No mile markers along the course, just general knowledge that the first water station was at 1M. If I weren't wearing headphones I probably could have asked, but didn't realize the last stop was at 3M and would have pushed myself a bit more to finish closer to my goal. - Not a huge issue, but surprised there wasn't a finishers medal. There was a snack table and DJ though. - It's a timed race but I've yet to receive any information on my time or where to find it, nearly a week later?

The Mustache Dache 5k is fittingly held during the month of November with proceeds going towards…read moreprostrate cancer. The race was held at Sunset Park on a sunny Saturday morning. The Mustache Dache is one of the better organized races I've participated in - the lines were short, they had t-shirts in my size, and all I had to do was give them my last name before being handed my registration packet. Hooray for efficiency! This 5k race also tries to spice things up a bit: a mechanical bull, a DJ set up, a photo booth complete with props, and a mustache station were on hand for runners to enjoy. The course was an easy flat run on the paved trails at the park. There were tons of volunteers steering runners in the right direction, as well as appropriate signage. The race was timed and all runners got a snazzy finisher's medal. I bought a Livingsocial voucher for the Mustache Dache for $35 (included a shirt, registration, and medal). It was available on Groupon as well. Costumes are encouraged! There's contests for best costume, group costume, and best mustache. I went as a lumberjack. ;) YELP 100 CHALLENGE 2015: #265

A 5K with facial hair?! Celebrate your carefully coiffed Movembeard here. I have no clue how long…read morethis run has been around (3-4 years?), but with Lyft recently opening here (and doing a partnership promo!) and No-Shave November going on, this run is well-timed and popular! Plus, funds raised go to Zero Cancer, a group specifically focused on mens cancers. Run was well-organized, including an on-time start, QR codes for packet pickup, a clearly marked course, and lots of friendly staff. Sunset Park has been the setting for a few lesser-organized 5Ks, and the improvements with this version were much appreciated. Finishers medal doubles as a bottle opener and the participate shirts are actually cute enough to wear in public. Staff were helpful and friendly, atmosphere was fun, race was timed despite the low price. TIP: Check Groupon for discounted participation packages. This was one of the cheaper fun runs, with last-minute pricing topping out at $35, but saving a few bucks is always pretty cool.

This marathon is run in the desert outside of Las Vegas in late June, over the steep rolling hills…read moreof Lake Mead National Park. Needless to say, this marathon is a challenge for even the most experienced marathoner. I ran this race in 2012, and although the temperature was only in the high 90s and did not climb above 100 degrees as in previous years, it was still an extremely challenging race. With a very small field (less than 100 combined in the full marathon and ultra), this race was designed only for the experienced (and slightly insane) marathoner. Even though this is a smaller event, it was very well-organized. The packet pick-up was easy. The race organizers require that all runners carry water, and they give you a cool Polar water bottle for that purpose (I elected to wear a Camelbak). The course support was AMAZING...the volunteers were the most friendly and helpful I've ever experienced in a race. They provided ice, water, and a generous amount of snacks at each stop. At one stop, the volunteer offered to fill my Camelbak with ice and water for me while I helped myself to snacks and cooling ice water for my hat. The T-shirt and medal were very nice for a race this size. Congratulations to the folks at Calico Racing for putting on a stellar event. I look forward to running more Calico Racing events in the future!

Did the Calico Racing's Running with the Devil Marathon back in September 14th, 2013…read more The organizer was excellent, detailed information about packet pickup and parking. Provided us with plenty of aid stations supported by knowledgeable volunteers, who themselves are runners and friends of Calico Racing. The paved course at Equestrian Park was well laid out. It was not an easy course but all of Calico's courses are not made for PR's or BQ. They are made to challenge all runners to dig down and see what they are made of. Calico Racing is very considerate about all of it's runner's needs by providing necessary support, i.e. medical ambulance on site, portable restrooms, aid stations with water and food, sport drink, ice and cold wet towels at every 2 miles.There were plenty of food and fluids when you cross the finish line to get yourself replenished.You get a cool finisher's medal and special awards for the top 3 overall, top 3 males, top 3 females and top 3 age group finishers. A lot of runners know each other because we've all run with Calico Racing numerous times so it's more of a family atmosphere. Everyone encouraging each other on is one aspect than is most prevalent. ***WARNING ABOUT ANOTHER ORGANIZATION TRYING TO PLAGIARIZED A CALICO RUNNING EVENT*** There was an example of a non local copycat (plagiarism) running organization who have even copied and pasted Calico Racing's Red Rock Marathon, 1/2 marathon and 5k event description page onto their own to set up a race here in Las Vegas. It was D2E Endurance Racing out of Miami, FL. DO NOT confuse this organization with Calico Racing. Looking forward to Running the Devil on June 25th, 2016. See you there.