Jones Whites Creek Loop (Washoe County, Nevada)

As I spent all of last Saturday in Yosemite, I decided to hike a little closer to home this weekend. I have been wanting to complete the Jones Whites Creek Loop from Galena Park ever since I hiked to Church's Pond a couple of months back. Today, seemed like as good a day as any to knock this one out.

Galena Park is only about 20 minutes from my home and so I didn't get started until about 9:00 AM, but before leaving, I put the top down on the jeep for the first time this season. Ah, I love being able to do that. The drive to the trail head was uneventful and there weren't as many cars in the parking lot as I would have expected with this being Memorial Day. Ah well, more trail for me!

After a quick jaunt to the actual loop trail, I started up the grueling climb to the Church's Pond detour. This is the same section I hiked a short time ago and it is no more forgiving. I gained about 2000 feet over only a couple of miles. Compared to Yosemite Falls though, which I did last week, this is a picnic. A few long switchbacks and get past the worst of it, eventually reaching the sign indicating the way to the pond. I decide to skip the pond today and continue on the loop.

As that turn off was pretty much the high point of the entire trail, I enjoy a nice leisurely down hill of most of the rest of the hike. I had considered doing the trail in the counter-clockwise direction, which would have had me coming down this step part instead of climbing up it, but I really need to get my arse into gear in preparation for Mt. Whitney, and so, chose the more difficult route.

This trail doesn't offer any spectacular waterfalls or superlative mountains. There are no petroglyphs or geothermal anomalies that I'm aware of. What it does have is a few outstanding vistas of the Washoe Valley and Mt. Rose Wilderness. 

The way down along Whites Creek offers a chance to cross the creek in various places, including a crudely fashioned bridge. However after seeing the next couple of crossings, which were merely falling trees, I was thankful for the rickety old bridge.

The trail is surprisingly lonely today. I pass a few hikers, but not many. And the vast majority of them, are on the adjoining Whites Creek Trail. After about four hours, I'm ready to head home. It's been a nice day, though it's hot and I'm sweating. In total, I logged just over 10 miles today. Not bad!