Old Geiger Grade Toll Road (Washoe County, Nevada)

Virginia City, the queen of the boom-towns, lies in the above Reno in the mountains of the Carson Range. Back in the day, all roads leading to the source of the Comstock Load were toll roads. Road builders had to get their piece of the silver riches after all. Most of those roads have never been modernized and are little more than jeep trails in this day and age. 
One such road was built up Geiger Grade. In modern times, traffic now follows the NV 341 from Washoe Valley to Virginia City, but the Old Geiger Grade Toll Road makes for a great local adventure.

Yesterday, I decided to drive my jeep up the old road. There are a number of deep ruts carved by running water and a couple of precarious turns, but beyond that, it offered very little challenge and some nice scenery. I decided to return to the trail today and hike it's distance out and back.

Parking the jeep at the end of the residential area of lower Toll Road, I headed up the gravel road into a deep canyon that cuts far below the modern roadway. Even further below me, I can see the frozen creek. While it is cool, this morning, it's not that cold now, but it likely got well below freezing overnight in this hills.

The road offers great views of the canyon through which it passes, a true representation of Nevada. Yellowish amber soil with the occasional juniper or sagebrush over a sea of yellow grasses. It's quite solitary, but in the distance I can hear gun enthusiasts practicing their marksmanship in these long deserted hills. Personally, I never understood the allure of firing a gun for enjoyment, but to each their own. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-gun. I am a gun-owner myself, but I just don't find any enjoyment in recreational shooting. To those that do enjoy it though, more power to you.

Continuing around the bend, the grade increases a bit and finally reaching the neighborhoods on near the intersection of the highway, I turn around and head back the way I came. My mileage today was just shy of 5.5 miles, nothing too extreme, but it was good to get out and get some exercise and explore a new area.