Today Duke and I did the regular Thursday hike with the Sierra Canyon hiking group. We hiked up Thomas Creek towards Sunflower Peak The fun thing was that it snowed at higher elevations near Reno last night so once we go to about 7000 feet we were hiking in snow. Here are the pictures.
Category: Sierra Canyon Hiking Group
Hiking and exploring back roads around Reno
Last Sunday we visited the Donner Party Museum at Donner Memorial State Park right off of Interstate 80 west of Truckee. During the winter of 1846-47 a group of emigrants (The Donner Party) was trapped by snow on Donner Pass. The museum tells the story of the group and what happened to them. We watched the film in the museum, walked the short nature walk which goes by the site of one of their cabins, and visited the memorial.
From Donner Pass we decided to take back roads home to Reno. Heading north on 89 from Interstate 80 We turned east on Hobart Mills Road and then left on Dog Valley Road which eventually comes to Stampede Reservoir. We drove over Stampede Dam and stopped to have a look. It is a earth fill dam on the Little Truckee River completed in 1970. From Stampede Dam we took Henness Pass Rd back into Nevada. Except for some of the roads around the reservoir all of the roads after we turned off 89 were fairly good dirt roads. Duke and I love to explore back roads. It was fun to add this to our list of adventures.
Last week we also did two hikes with the Sierra Canyon hiking group. Coincidentally the first hike was also to Stampede Reservoir. It was a short pleasant hike along Sage Hen Creek to the west end of the reservoir. The trail-head was on the east side of highway 89 north of where we turned off for our drive on Sunday. The walk along the creek to the lake was mainly shaded and flat. The water level in the lake seemed fairly low. We walked out to the edge of the water and then back into the trees where we had lunch before heading home. I think the whole hike was about 4 miles.
The Sierra Canyon hiking group does an easier hike on Mondays and a longer hike on Thursdays. Our hike last Thursday was probably about 8 miles long. It was the first hike that Duke and I have done on the south east side of Reno. The hike was on the east side of the Mount Rose Wilderness. We parked at the trail-head on Timberline Road off the Mount Rose Highway. Heading up we hiked along Thomas Creek over a ridge and then down Whites Creek. In addition to being a longer hike than Monday’s hike there were also a lot more ups and downs. Both Thomas and Whites Creeks had quite a bit of water in them and were very scenic.
I thoroughly enjoyed both hikes. I didn’t take any pictures on our Monday hike but here is one I took at our lunch stop on Whites Creek on Thursday.
Sierra canyon Hiking Group Hike on the Pacific Crest Trail to Benson Hut
The Del Webb over 55 community that we live in, Sierra Canyon, has a hiking group that does an easier hike on Mondays and a longer hike on Thursdays. Today Duke and I did our first Thursday hike. It was wonderful. We met at 7:30 at the lodge and were on the trail by 8:30. We started just south of highway 80 at Donner Pass and followed the Pacific Crest Trail to a Sierra Club hut called Benson hut. It was beautiful day and the trail followed the crest of the mountains. We had phenomenal views although it was a bit hazy because of the California fires. The first part of the trail went through Sugar Bowl ski area and over the top of the long tunnel that trains go through to get over the pass.
The first pass we went over was Roller pass where the Donner party used logs and oxen to pull their wagons over the pass.
The trail followed the crest and gave us breath taking views in all directions.
While we were walking along here Duke fell and hit his head. Although it was a scary fall and his head looked bad he didn’t even get a headache. I guess he has a hard head!
Our destination was the Sierra Club Benson hut which was 5.8 miles from the trail head. We had lunch and then headed back.
Although my feet are sore and I am tired it was great hike. I think we should get hiking poles for Duke before our next hike. The ones I have were a gift from Bonnie and they worked great!
Here is a link to my flickr page with all my pictures of the hike.
Sierra Canyon Hiking Group Hike in the Tahoe-Donner Ski Area
Duke and I went hiking again with the Sierra Canyon Hiking group again on Monday. Sierra Canyon is the 55 and over community that we live in so all the hikers are 55 or older. Monday we hiked
Here is the Flickr link for all of my pictures of this hike.
Directions: to Tahoe-Donner
I80 west to Truckee
Exit 184 (Donner State Park/Donner Pass Rd)
Turn Right
0.4 miles turn left at light on Northwoods Blvd
1.3 miles to blinking light
Turn left on to Northwoods Rd
0.7 miles turn left on Skislope Rd
4.2 miles to Glacier Way
Glacier Way Trailhead #24 on left
Park in trailhead parking lot.
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