Huffaker Hills (Washoe Valley, Nevada)

Because of its close proximity to my home, I frequently spend a few hours hiking the familiar trails of Huffaker Hills on the eastern side of Reno. The drive from my home is only about 5 minutes and while I really enjoy seeing new landscapes, sometimes you just need a quick place to put some miles in. Huffaker Hills offers just that, along with some nice views and decent inclines. Rattlesnake Mountain in particular is a nice steep climb, though short, to a peak overlooking Reno-proper. 

Hitting the trail head early this chilly Sunday morning, I head out NW route through the park, which drops down to the lowest point and then climbs back up towards the Twin Peaks. The climb to twin peaks can be a little challenging for those out of shape, but the rewards is worth it. Reaching the top of Southern Peak, which is where the commonly traveled trail leads, one finds the stone fort built for unknown reasons by unknown hands. It does make a nice windbreak on a windy day though.

While I won't make my way across the saddle and up the next-most peak to the south, I have visited it many times before and upon my first visit, was amazed to see a large rock piling in the shape of a stylized big-horn ram. The construct is large, with dimensions approximately 40' by 50', and only visible from the mountaintop or above. Pretty cool. In fact, among my friends we have names this particular peak Big Horn Mountain.

Returning to the parking lot, I decide to summit Rattlesnake Mountain, which sets on across and above the other side of Alexander Lake Road. The climb is always steep, but is forgiving at only about a mile long. Upon reaching the top, one is rewarded with a fantastic view of the Reno/Tahoe airport and all of Reno laid out before me. 

This was intended to just be a quick training hike and it succeeded in that. At a little over 3.5 miles for the morning, I will consider it a mile work out and get on with the rest of my day. I'm sure I will return many more times in the future.

Oh, I must not forget the wild mustangs. Though they rarely wander directly into the park itself, they frequent the nearby hills to the east and this day is no different. On my way out, I encounter a few of the gentle beasts. I understand that many people dislike these horses running wild and ruining their lawns, but it's difficult for me to imagine doing harm to these beautiful creatures.

Petrified Forest (Sonoma County, California)

Petrified trees have always interested me. Seeing these living things transformed into stone to last through the ages is a pretty awesome thought. When I recently learned of a magnificent example of a petrified forest in Sonoma County, I had to make the trip and traveling through wine country to get there was just a little bonus.

Passing through a small gift shop attached to the privately held lands starts the tour. A nice trail leads through the woods and signage offers details on the history of the area and the specimens, which Iearn are the largest petrified trees ever discovered. The vast majority of the numerous examples here are an extent subspecies of the giant sequoia, and the stone-rendered trunks of these gargantuan trees give testament to the relationship.

Strolling the entire maintained path, I am able to see about a dozen examples. Some are nearly intact tree trunks that have been excavated, while others have broken into sections over the ages. While I've seen petrified trees before, these specimens are substantially better preserved, larger, and more densely packed. It's a bit of a drive to get over here, but the mile-ish trail through this ancient petrified forest was definitely worth the trip.