Pine Grove Ghost Town (Lyon County, Nevada)

 

All over the high desert and mountains of Nevada, there are ghost towns to be found. Communities that were once exploding with hopes and dreams of buried treasures deep within the earth, were quickly abandoned to the ravages of time when the mines ran dry of their precious silver and gold ore. One such town was Pine Grove, located in the hills a few miles south of present-day Yerington. 

From my research, two mines were established in the town. The Wilson Mine was first dug in 1866 and the Wheeler mine the following year. Between the two mines, they produced approximately $8M in gold and silver ore before the main strike finally ran dry. During the town's boom in the 1870's and 1880's, it boasted a post office, weekly newspaper, dance hall, five saloons, three hotels, and many other shops, all in the service of a population of 600 residents. However, mine production was slowly abandoned in the mid-1890's with the last residents deserting the community in the 1930's.

For a while, I have been wanting to visit the ghostly remains of this once booming town in my jeep, but when my hiking group posted a meetup to explore the area, I jumped on the chance. The five of us met in Carson City and carpooled the seventy or so miles to the bottom of the hills below the town, and then hiked the rest of the way. While there was some steady uphill as we climbed approximately 1400', it was a very easy hike through the picturesque Nevada landscape of sagebrush. 

Finally, reaching the first signs of the abandoned community we noticed a hot spring pool and a stone wall on the far side that may have served as an ice house or other water-related utility building. A bit further, we find the stone walls of the post office and a sign telling the story of Pine Grove.

While there are likely many foundations and partial walls hidden in and among the sage, only five (including the post office and water facility) poke out of the desert. One building, just a bit beyond the post office is in relatively good condition. I enter it and find the floors very solid. Someone else has apparently thought so too, as there is a modern (though heavily worn) mattress and box springs in the corner of the one-roomed building. It must get cold up in these hills with no glass in the windows, but someone has obviously been here at some point in the not-to-distant past. Nearby, some large mining equipment juts out of the hill.

Making our way further up the road, we next encounter what I believe to be one of the former hotels. It is a fairly large two-storied building and when comparing the layout to old pictures of the two before it's eventual demise, I'm pretty sure it once had a balcony. Now, however, the first floor is partially buried in dirt and gravel, likely from the run-off of the hills above.

*Note: Photo courtesy of Google

The final building we discover is only thirty or forty yards away an looks to have served as a barn or garage back in the day. It's fairly sturdy and would still provide some limited shelter. It does provide a good spot to take our lunch break before returning the way we came. After finishing off my soup, kept warm in a my new thermos, I hear one of the guys mention a cave or mine shaft nearby while walking around. We head over as a group to discover what appears to be a natural cave with a large iron grate over it's entrance. A sign indicates the cave serves as a bat preserve and should not be entered or interfered with. Fine with me.

As we being heading back down the hill, we explore a couple of side trails, but never find anything more of real interest other than a few piles of rusted out cans - obviously, the dump of the community. Arriving back at the cars, I see we've hiked just over 8.7 miles. It was a decent workout and it's always to explore with these folks. I look forward to our next adventure.

Half Moon Lake (El Dorado County, California)

 

Desolation Wilderness, in the southwestern corner of the Lake Tahoe Basin, is for many, including myself, the jewel of the Sierra’s north of Yosemite. It abounds in mountains and lakes, and is a very popular hiking destination, both for overnight and daytime adventures. I’ve visited numerous times and even backpacked through the area, but I had never hiked to Half Moon Lake. I’ve only seen it from above while hiking over Dick’s Pass.

When the hiking Meetup group that I often go out with, scheduled a Sunday hike to visit this lake, I jumped on the chance to see a new area of the wilderness. Those of us in Reno, met up at the Park & Ride at Sierra Summit and carpooled down to the trail head, where we met our Carson City friends before setting out into the forest – eighteen of us in all.

The early part of the trail has been covered with gravel and rock, which is not the best surface to hike on and is good for rolling ankles. As we got a bit higher in elevation, the trail surface turned to dirt and solid granite, both of which are much easier to walk on. As usual, the group was comprised of a combination of long-time members (of which, I suppose I now count myself) as well as some new comers. It’s always a great group of people though and it’s always fun to chat and get to know the newer members as we make our way into the wilderness.

Everyone was commenting on how wonderful it was to be able to hike into Desolation Wilderness this late in the season. Normally, this area would have already seen significant snowfall, but the winter storms haven’t shown themselves just yet and gave us a gorgeous day to explore. While it was a bit cold standing around the trail head waiting for everyone to gear-up, once we started moving, people were quickly dropping layers.

A couple of miles in, the trail begins to parallel a small creek, which is frozen. While it the air temperature doesn’t feel like it is below the freezing point, the overnight temperatures and shadow cast in the little canyon cut by the creek, will probably allow it to maintain a solid state until the spring. The trail overall is not terribly difficult. There are a few short steep sections, but mostly it’s a gradual climb to the lake, which sits at the end of the long canyon with Dicks’ Peak above.

We reached the lake without incident and decided to have lunch here. I decided to try out a new thermos I recently acquired. The boiling vegetable soup that I had pour in it over four hours earlier, was just now at the perfect temperature to be enjoyed. That and a protein bar and I felt rejuvenated enough to walk around the area a bit.

The lake itself is shaped much like a crescent moon. Our lunch spot was near one of the points of that crescent, but high on the mountainside of the far end, tall waterfall has frozen over. The ground is made up mostly of granite slabs with the occasional gnarled juniper jutting out of the rock. I find one group of stunted junipers who’s girth is nearly the same as their height. With the lake in the background, it makes for a great picture.

After our short lunch break, we start heading back to the cars. I begin chatting with another long-time member about our past adventures and some we plan on accomplishing in the future. Overall, it’s a marvelous time. With good company, the fresh autumn air, and some of the most stunning scenery on earth, who could want for more. We hiked right at 9.9 miles and make plans to grab some food together once we return to Reno. Thank you all for a wonderful day.

Philosopher's Way (San Francisco County, California)

Just outside of the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco, sits a small hill, which is home to John McLaren Park. Within the park near it's outer perimeter, I recently learned of a short trail known as the Philosopher's Way. Knowing that I'm going to be trapped in the city for the next couple of days, I decided to take a detour and hike this short urban-ish trail.

Starting the somewhat popular trail on the southwestern corner of the park, I quickly enter a wooded area, which seems a little odd in the bay area, but it's a pleasant escape nonetheless. The trail meanders around the edge of the park, occasionally offering views of the city or the bay. Large stones with an etched triangle mark the way, but even with this I find myself loosing the correct path periodically. Being within the city, this trail and the park as a whole gets a lot of use and a network of interconnected trails have been worn over the decades.

After cutting across a hillside carpeted with the golden grasses that are so prevalent in California, the trail opens up to the small Jerry Garcia Amphitheater. I think I would enjoy seeing a performance here someday. For the city-dwellers, I can imagine this nearby retreat may give them a chance to breathe and open their minds beyond the confines of the concrete jungle. For me though, as someone who lives to be in the backcountry away from all of this, it's much like any stroll in any city park - pleasant, but not overly enlightening. 

With the sun falling in the west, I head back to the jeep. I have to get checked into my hotel and then over to Oakland for a concert. Still, it was a nice distraction and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to hike the 2.6 or so miles right here in the heart of the bay.

Jack London State Park - Vineyard Trail (Sonoma County, California)

 

I'm in San Francisco for a couple of days this week for some training, but since I have the whole day to get there from Reno, I thought I would take some extra time to get a couple of hikes in. Driving through Napa and Sonoma this time of year, it's impossible to not smell the grapes having been recently harvested. That wonderful aroma occupies and the thoughts that it inspires occupy me until I reach the small village of Glen Ellen. I've stayed here before and find this little hamlet intriguing. It has a wonderful feel to it. 

For many years, Glen Ellen was home to the famous turn of the century author, Jack London, and where he finally met his ultimate end. He attempted to popularize the idea of sustainable farming here, but his thinking was unfortunately far ahead of his time. He essentially drank himself to death on the land he so loved. In the years since his wife's passing, the lands have been acquired by the state and turned into the Jack London Historical Park. This will be the source of my first adventure today.

Originally, I had planned to hike a collection of trails forming the Sonoma Ridge Loop here, but as time is passing faster than I had anticipated, I have to settle for a few less miles. As I explore the grounds of the ranch, I quickly get lost in what London was trying to do. The trail departs the parking lot and quickly enters the main structures of the ranch. A large (no roofless) hall opens up to the vineyard, rich with the colors of fall. We're only a couple of months after the harvest and most of the grape leaves are still clinging to the vine.

At the prompting of a sign, I wander a short side trail up to an area known as the Pig Palace. Apparently, London built a luxurious pen for the porcine inhabitants of his ranch, with sanitation heavily on his mind. From what I've read, he believed (rightfully) that if he could maintain a clean and disease-free area for his livestock, he could produce very high quality pork, and while his hypothesis was correct, it failed to be economically viable, at least in his time.

From here, the trail wanders alongside the vineyard and into the woods behind it. A short distance further, and I reach London Lake, which these days is overgrown, but when the Ranch was a home, the author and his guests enjoyed a wonderful swimming hole, complete with a bath house and "floating" walkway to the lake. A large retaining wall on the eastern side, allowed a service road to pass by the lake. 

Continuing on into the woods along the Vineyard trail, I finally reach a dry creek bed, which signs indicate as a local water source (at least in the spring). Here a couple of things catch my attention. 

First, I'm mesmerized by the loud chirping of what I believe to be a tree squirrel in the canopy above. For several minutes, I listen to the lonely hum reverberating through the forest. While there is a sadness to the creature's voice, I can not know if it is truly in pain or just lonely. Perhaps, it is not sadness at all and my squirrel-ese is just out of practice. Regardless, I remain still and just listen for a while 

The second item that really seems odd is the way the trees grow. Tall clusters of redwoods have grown in a number of what I can only describe to as huddles. In these groupings, eight to twelve mature trees seem to have grown around a central point, all within a twenty-five or so foot circle. Seeing one group like this would be strange, but here there are numerous clusters growing like this. Were these trees the offspring of some mighty ancestor that once stood at the center of each huddle? Were the trees planted like this by London or someone connected with him? I really have no idea, but it's certainly an oddity.

Turning back, I mostly retrace my path. As I return to the jeep, I see that I've hiked about 3.3 miles. I really want to go further, but today's time is limited and this place will be here when I'm able to return in the spring. 

Peavine Peak (Washoe County, Nevada)

 

With my foot and ankle feeling pretty good on a short hike last week, I decided to test them a bit further today. Overlooking Reno from the North, sits Peavine Peak. So named by the early settlers due to their finding of wild peas on the northeastern side of the 8,269' mountain. The mountain houses a number of radio and television transceivers, and provides a pretty backdrop for anyone driving into downtown Reno from the south. I've hiked in and around the peak a few times in the past, but never summited. Time to change that.

The trail I decided to take starts at the very northern end of Robb Drive. Immediately after leaving the neighborhood, the trail quickly starts gaining elevation as it roughly follows a small drainage offering up the last remnants of the spring rains to the sparse inhabitants of this yellow hillside. Hopefully, what little remains will sustain them until the oncoming winter.

These hills have a number of jeep and dirt bike trails, which make navigation a little challenging, but I find that using the contours on the topographical map I downloaded to my phone keeps me going the right direction. In the distance, I hear a drone buzzing around overhead. It stops briefly to take a look at me and I wave at the controller, but it quickly moves off and over a distance ridge.

From here, the trail gets incredibly steep. There are a number of sections that I can barely traverse without dropping to all fours. Incredibly, I see some tire treads. I must assume they were going down instead of driving up, as it would take quite a vehicle to make it up this and several other inclines.

Shortly thereafter, I finally reach the first of the two peaks, both of which are crowned by broadcast towers and equipment. I make my way around to the other peak, just a quarter-mile or so to the east. This second one is actually Peavine Peak, but both are nearly the same elevation. From up there, I can survey the entirety of the Truckee Meadows where Reno and Sparks sprawl from one side of the valley to the other.

Instead of returning the way I came, I decided to descend via the service road, which is a much more manageable grade. I'm able to make my way down much, much more quickly and finally return to the neighborhood where I left the jeep. Today's hike covered about 8.8 miles with right at 2,800 feet of elevation gain. It was a good workout for someone that hasn't been on the trails as much as he would like, but my ankle and foot seem to be okay.