Tag Archives: Trails

Trail Report

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The weekend of February 20th brought a big winter storm to the Carson City area. Surrounding areas received up to a foot or snow or more, but strangely enough, the storm seemed to mostly bypass Carson City. We got up on the Ash Canyon trails on Monday to check the conditions. Here’s what we found.

Ash Canyon
Lower Postal Trail

About the only snow we encountered was along the lower trails, Jackrabbit and Postal. A thin layer of fluffy snow bordered these trails, but there wasn’t much to speak of at all on the trails themselves. We encountered a little mud on the lower half of the Postal Trail, but it was still easy riding.

Ash Canyon
Four Day Trail

Once we got up into the Canyon, there was almost no snow. We climbed all the way to the top of the Four Day trail, and encountered nothing that hindered forward progress. As expected, we found just a little mud on the short north/south section of Four Day. Overall the ground was a little soft, but it made for a great workout on the climb. Coming down, on the other hand, was a blast. Hero Dirt was fully active, and brakes just weren’t required that often.

Ash Canyon
Snow is Still Clear on Slopes with Southern Exposure

Looking across the valley to the Centennial Trail area looked promising. I don’t know for sure what was over the horizon, but it looked mostly clear near the trailhead. Has anyone ridden Centennial since the storm?

Iron Mountain Scouting Mission

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On February 14th, I joined a scouting party that was sent out to Iron Mountain to check on the trail conditions. New trail was marked, soft trail was packed down, debris was removed, and lots of singletrack was ridden. Here’s a look at what we found.

Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain Ranch

A new trailhead was established at Iron Mountain Blvd. This should make future meet-ups easier. Plenty of off-the-highway parking is available right near the giant Iron Mt. Ranch sign. MAP HERE.

Iron Mountain
Zuesa the Dog and Jeff F

The ride began with an easy ride up Iron Mountain Blvd for a good warm up. Out past the houses, we followed a couple doubletrack roads. It soon became singletrack, and included a newly marked section that took us along the cliff walls of a little mesa.

Iron Mountain
Surfing the Mesa

Iron Mountain
Amanda and Toby

Once down at the bottom of the ravine, we began a long steady climb into the Flowery Range, the colorful mountains of Storey County. Climbing was pleasant. The dirt has had a chance to dry, and the tires rolled well on the al dente surface. A week ago, I imagine it would’ve been like riding on pudding.

Iron Mountain
Exploring the High Desert

Iron Mountain
Resting on the Ridge

The terrain is rolling along the 14 mile loop, but overall the trail continues to climb, culminating with a grinder up several switchbacks to the bench overlook.

Iron Mountain
The Bench Overlook

After taking in the views from the bench and refueling the bodies with some snacks, we began the long descent back to the trailhead. There were a few short climbs, but overall, we had lots of fun, tight singletrack to bomb down. The ground is firm, but the dirt is still on the loose side. Extra body English is required to really carve the turns.

Iron Mountain
Dusty

Dusty wanted to finish off the ride by emptying the tanks, so I shifted up into the big chain ring and gave chase. Keeping up with a strong rider on a 29er down a gravel road is no easy task. Dusty and his big wheels were like a runaway locomotive, and the best I could do was get on his rear wheel, tuck and draft.

Iron Mountain
Descending back to the Trailhead

The plan is to ride Iron Mountain again this coming Sunday, February the 21st. Come join us! Stay tuned for more details.

More pictures from the ride can be found on the Bike Carson Flickr page HERE.

Stick to the Trail

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The worst of the winter is behind us, and we are now moving into spring conditions. The trails will be muddy, and there may be snow drifts or fallen branches blocking the trails. Should you ride through the mud and tear up the trail? Doesn’t it look easier to ride around the mud holes and other obstacles blocking the trail? What is the right thing to do?

Tom
Ride in the middle of the trail to avoid creating new trails and damaging trailside plants.

I once attended a Tahoe Rim Trail presentation, and the speaker made a statement that really made me think. He said, “Trails aren’t for people, they’re for the environment”. I had never really thought of it that way, but it makes sense. Today’s mountain bikes can pretty much ride over any type of terrain, the only limitations being rider skill and courage. Bikes don’t really need trails. If we all rode like this though, the land would severely damaged. This is why we ride on trails.

Here is some information on traveling on durable surfaces from the Leave No Trace website (http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles_2.php):

The goal of backcountry travel is to move through the backcountry while avoiding damage to the land. Understanding how travel causes impacts is necessary to accomplish this goal.

Travel damage occurs when surface vegetation or communities of organisms are trampled beyond recovery. The resulting barren area leads to soil erosion and the development of undesirable trails.

I also found some good information on the Leave No Trace blog:

There are a number of reasons why it is important to travel on durable surfaces and stick to the trail in areas where there is an established trail. You want to travel on the trail even when you come to a puddle in the middle of the trail. Here are some of these reasons why Leave No Trace recommends this practice:

  • Concentrating travel on trails reduces the likelihood that multiple routes will develop and scar the landscape.
  • It is better to have one well-designed route than many poorly chosen paths.
  • Trail use is recommended whenever possible. Encourage travelers to stay within the width of the trail and not short cut trail switchbacks (trail zigzags that climb hill sides).
  • In winter conditions, stay on deep snow cover whenever possible; in muddy spring conditions, stay on snow or walk in the middle of the trail to avoid creating new trails and damaging trailside plants.

More from the Leave No Trace blog here: http://leavenotracecommunity.blogspot.com/2009/12/stick-to-trail-even-when-its-muddy.html

Scott J
The goal of backcountry travel is to move through the backcountry while avoiding damage to the land.

From my observations, a properly designed trail largely heals itself after a muddy spell. If care is taken when riding through muddy sections not to displace large quantities of mud off the trail, mountain bike tires will pack down and smooth out the wheel ruts as the mud dries. Off trail short cuts and detours leave scars on the landscape that can last a long time. The ruts through the soft soil also channel water, further increasing erosion potential. While it can take weeks or months to revegetate the landscape, a trail can be repaired quite easily and quickly by comparison.

So get out there and start enjoying the trails! Just take the extra time to be careful navigating the muddy spots. If you encounter debris blocking the trail, take the extra time to clear it to discourage others from blazing new trails. A little patience goes a long way to land preservation.

Ash Canyon Trail Report

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The snow has been steadily melting all week, so on February 4th, I decided to see what kind of shape Ash Canyon was in. From below I could see that the northern slopes were still covered in snow, but that most of the southern exposures were mostly clear. It looked inviting, so I decided to see how far I could get.

Ash Canyon
Jackrabbit Trail

The Jackrabbit trail crosses back and forth across a sand wash several times, so as expected, there were numerous patches of snow to port the bike over. Once the trail climbs to the south and becomes the Postal Route Trail, it was completely covered in snow, and required me to walk until the trail headed west again up on top of the hill. It was nice riding for quite a ways after this, and I didn’t encounter snow again until the upper half of Deer Run.

The snow got a little heavier towards the top of Deer Run, but the Baldy Green trail and Four Day Trail appeared to be more of the same, i.e. partly rideable with a few portages. I turned around at this point and headed down the dirt road to save time and energy. I was able to ride all the way back down without stopping, veering north at the water towers to reconnect with the bike path. Even though I rode down the road easily enough, it was still full of mud and snow, and would be tough climbing.

Ash Canyon
Deer Run

With no large amounts of precipitation expected over the next several days, I expect that the Ash Canyon trails should be good riding early next week. If you don’t mind a little mud and some walking, go check them out now!

West Side Road and Trail Report

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Today was my first lunch ride since the big snow. The recent days have been better for hiking and other winter activities. The lunch hour slush has subsided enough now though, that it looks inviting to ride. I decided to get out and explore the west side of Carson City to see how things looked.

Winter Exploration
The V&T Bike Path is Free of Snow

The main routes, King Street, Mountain Street, Washington Street, Ormsby Blvd, and Winnie Lane, are pretty much free of ice and snow. Just about all the other streets are still full of slush and ice. I still wouldn’t recommend taking your road bike out, but you can pretty much ride all over the west side now on a mountain bike. Most of the wheel ruts in the snow are nearly worn down to the pavement, making a decent path for those with knobby tires.

Winter Exploration
The trails will be under the snow for a while

The V&T Bike path is mostly clear and open all the way from Ash Canyon Road to Combs Canyon Road. Those looking for some good exercise can do the Kings Canyon and Combs Canyon climbs, and connect them with the V&T bike path.

I rode up to the Ash Canyon singletrack trailhead, and it was apparent we won’t be riding these trails any time soon. I gave riding on the snow a shot, but it’s too warm right now. It’s slushy and greasy, making it hard to get any traction. The snow seems to be taking forever to melt, and when it does finally melt, it’ll be muddy for a few days. I think our best bet for trail riding will be the Centennial trails sometime next week.

Longview Trail

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When I was a kid, C-Hill was my playground. I spent many hours up in the foothills exploring the roads and trails on my Schwinn Stingray. Right about the time mountain bikes came along though, the developers came in and built on every part of land that wasn’t steep hillside. The playground was finished. There was nothing left but steep 4×4 roads going straight up the mountain. Biking, hiking, and winter sledding were gone.

Longview Trail
Jeff F, Craig, and Dusty

Fast forward several years later though, and the trails are starting to reappear! Recreational trails that are appealing to mountain bikers and hikers are making a comeback in the area, as people begin to realize the importance of having these assets close to home. One of the newest trails on the map is the Longview Trail.

How to Get There

The Longview Singletrack trailhead is located at the intersection of Longview and Kings Canyon Road. On the south side of the pavement there are two dirt roads. One heads steeply up the ridge, the other leads into the ravine. Follow the lower trail into the ravine for a short distance, and look for the singletrack on that right that continues up the ravine.

Longview Trail
Longview Singletrack Trailhead

Trail Description

The trail starts off following an old foot path, but eventually leaves the old trail and begins to cross back and forth across the ravine where it makes more sense to have a trail. The trail climbs pretty steep, the narrow ravine offering very few options for an easier line. I was able to make the climb up the ravine on my single speed, but had to rest frequently to do so. At least this offered plenty of opportunities for pictures! I’m looking forward to trying out the climb again with a granny gear.

Longview Trail
Dude, where’s my truck?

When the ravine becomes too steep and narrow to continue up, the singletrack switchbacks out of the ravine and onto the western ridge above. The trail meanders around fun trail features such as boulders and abandoned mines, and eventually crosses the upper road mentioned in the beginning of the post. When you finally come out on top, you are rewarded with fantastic views of Carson City and Kings Canyon.

Longview Trail
Climbing out of the Ravine

The steepness of this singletrack classifies it as an intermediate skills level trail. There are a few technical challenges along the way, mostly in the area of the switchbacks, but overall the trail is pretty smooth. Beginning riders will enjoy the trail if they don’t mind resting often on the climb.

Longview Trail
Views of Kings Canyon and Carson City

Other Trails in the Area

The trail continues south to a plateau above Borda Meadows where it terminates at this time. From here, you can ride back the way you came, get on the doubletrack that crosses the south side of Borda Meadows and eventually connects to Kings Canyon Road, or head east to the canyon behind C Hill. There is a crude trail in the canyon behind C Hill that goes all the way to Rhodes Street where it meets Curry Street. I haven’t ridden it this year, but it can be overgrown at times, doesn’t connect all the way to the top, and has gaps in the middle due to intrusive geological exploration by land developers. Thankfully, the housing crash has spared further development in this beautiful canyon.

Longview Trail
Riders on the Ridge

The Longview Trail is a welcome addition to the Carson City Trail network. Every new section of trail opens up new possibilities. Trails and roads are suddenly connected, and new loops are formed. In the future, it’s not hard to imagine connecting Douglas and Washoe counties along Carson’s west side. Or how about a giant loop around Carson City when all the trails are eventually connected? Now wouldn’t that be cool?

Trail and Bike Lane News

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Pine Nut Mountains
Last Friday, Jeff Potter and I went on a field trip with the BLM.  BLM is interested in creating more of a presence in the Pine Nut Mountains, by use of designated trailheads, official routes, and trail kiosks. The BLM called in several trail user groups to get our input on how we use the trails, and where we thought the access points should be. User groups included Muscle Powered, the Carson Valley Trails Association, the Pine Nut Mountains Trails Association, The Great Basin Institute, Pine Nut Preservation League, and NASTR.  It was a great opportunity to network with other trail users, and hear other points of view.

Following BLM to El Dorado Canyon

NASTR proposes Hobart Road Trailhead
Tonight, Tuesday November 3rd, the equestrian group Nevada All-State Trail Riders is asking folks to come down to the Community Center and support a trailhead project. The meeting is at 5:30PM in the Sierra Room

NASTR proposes the improvement of the existing multi-use (non-motorized) trailhead located at the end of Hobart Rd, Carson City (Lakeview Park) as follows: relocation of the property access gate to another on-site location thereby providing for, yet restricting, vehicle access; construction of a gravel access road in a single loop configuration, wide enough to accommodate parallel parking for cars, trucks, and horse trailers; installation of equine tie-racks which double as barriers to off-road vehicle access; placement of trash receptacles; and, construction of a trailhead kiosk.

Hobart Reservoir

Roop Street Widening Project
On Wednesday November 4th at 5:30 PM in the Community Center Sierra Room, the Roop Street Widening Project will once again be on the agenda of the Regional Transportation Commission monthly meeting. Last month several cyclists showed up to support the inclusion of bike lanes in this project. Tonight, Public Works will be bringing a revised plan of the project to present to the Commissioners for review. This will be informational only, and no decisions will be made.  You can read more on this issue over on the Muscle Powered blog.  Please come down if you can, but we probably don’t need a large show of support until next month when a decision will be made.  Last month’s large attendance should be fresh in their minds for this meeting.  And of course, we’ll keep you posted of the outcome of the meeting.