5 Peaks - Above Washoe Lake (Washoe County, NV)

 

It is New Year's Day and while there is snow on the ground and frigid temperatures lingering over Reno, those are not good enough excuses to keep me from starting the year off the right way. A week or two ago, I got an email from the Reno Hiking Meetup Group concerning a hike today. While I have only done a couple of hikes with the group since joining a couple of years ago, it seemed like a good way to meet some fellow enthusiasts and visit some new trails. Early in the week, Dan, the organizer of this particular event, had contacted me to ensure I was up for what he was calling a 'difficult peak-bagging' adventure, which I appreciated, but I assured him that was in good shape and fully capable of keeping up. As I understand it, he has had difficulties in the past with individuals signing up, but not truly being ready for what he was wanting to accomplish, even though he labeled the hikes as 'difficult' on the event site.

The six of us met at the park-and-ride area of the Sierra Summit shopping center at 9:00 AM, with a balmy 12 degree temperature in the air. Carpooling down to the south side of Washoe Lake (or the dry, wind-swept sand dunes formerly known as Washoe Lake), we hit the trail almost immediately. The pace was good and all but one hiker was keeping up. After the first couple of peaks, she excused herself and returned to her car. I guess she wasn't really ready for this. I certainly was though. I wanted a good workout and climbing these 5 (actually six in the end) peaks seemed like a great way to get it. 

We bagged Sugar Loaf Peak, Duck Hill, and six other peaks ranging from about 5600' to 6200'. Nothing overly impressive, but there was one that was extremely steep and with the snow on the ground, we all found it difficult to find good footing. Coming down that on was a lot of fun though, as you might imagine. What was impressive were the views from the top fo the various peaks. Overlooking Carson City, Washoe Lake, and Washoe City, with the Sierra Nevadas, Slide Mountain, and Mt. Rose to the west and some of the higher peaks of the Carson Range to the East. A cold fog was visible to the west, but as the sun came out, we warmed up a bit.

Overall, we put in about 8.3 miles and with the snow, frigid temperatures, and somewhat rocky terrain to trail blaze through, I think we made pretty good time. It was a great experience and it's always nice to meet new friends.