Hidden Valley (Washoe County, Nevada)

 

Hidden Valley is an area on the eastern side of Reno. Tucked away behind Rattlesnake Mountain, a number of neighborhoods have grown up here in over the last few years. The hills above the residential areas are truly representative of Nevada's terrain with a few steep inclines. I have hiked this area many times over the years and even use it as for some training routes to get in shape for bigger trips, but when I saw one of the meetup groups was planning a hike, I thought it might be nice to put some miles in with some friends and maybe even summit a couple of peaks above Hidden Valley that I hadn't visited before. 

Eighteen of us met at Hidden Valley Regional Park at 8 AM and quickly hit the trail. Our first destination was Road-to-Nowhere, which I have visited a few times, most recently in the spring. Though, we took a shorter, but much steeper route. There are very few switchbacks as we climb from the valley floor at about 4,200' to the top tall rock cairn at the top of the mountain, which reaches about 6,100'. The view of Reno from up here is always outstanding, with Mount Rose and Slide Mountain in the distance. 

Regrouping, we head back down to the trail along the saddle and pass by some wild mustangs grazing nearby. One more reason I love living here. There is such a diversity of life all around us, even here in the high desert. 

Following the ridge line, we follow the ups and downs of the small peaks and saddles, some of which are extremely steep, but we eventually reach a jeep trail leading up to another tall peak that overlooks I80 looking East. A few of my fellow hikers slip on the loose gravel and dirt, but luckily no one is hurt. The jeep trail is incredibly steep, but we reach the top to find another tall rock cairn constructed in years past. 

Taking a few minutes to rest and get a quick snack, we survey the landscape in front of us. From this elevation, we can see interstate 80 far below us snaking alongside the Truckee River. Soon though, we are back on the trail and head down the mountain. We take a different route on the way back, but quickly loose the trail. Scouting around, we re-find it below us and must scramble down a steep hillside layered with tiny gravel. It's a little challenging, but all make it without incident. The remaining portion of the trail follows a small wash before finally dumping us out in the neighborhoods near the park. A short road walk finds us back at the cars. 

As we put on more comfortable shoes, load our cars, and say our goodbyes, I review the mileage of day - just under 8 miles. Not a bad morning.