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Calico Wilderness Road Rehab
Rain and cold wind oscillate through the night, but the morning brings some serenity. Playa Sunrise Snow on the Granite Range The weather is still not exactly balmy, but the hardy conservation project leaders are undaunted. I sign up with Sandy from the BLM to do some road rehabilitation in the Calico wilderness area. Here’s…
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Black Rock Rendezvous
I go against my usual behavior and sign up for a group outing. It sounds like a group that suits me: Friends of Nevada Wilderness and Friends of Black Rock. The area is famous as the site of Burning Man. A huge dry lake bed, called “the Playa”, stretches out in an area where the…
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Tahoe Driveby and River Rock
More exploration of the Reno surroundings today. The Mount Rose ski area is closed, but it’s obviously still getting skied daily, and is not yet a pee stop. http://www.flickr.com/photos/96029174@N00/5779802256/ Lake Tahoe is big, the biggest “alpine lake” in North America. Someone told Ann it holds enough water to cover California 14 inches deep. http://www.flickr.com/photos/96029174@N00/5779804874/ We…
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Hunter Canyon Hike
This is a good Reno discovery: a little 10-minute drive takes us to a trailhead with almost immediate access to the Mount Rose Wilderness. An after work jaunt takes us through bunches of Mule’s Ear and Western Peony into ponderosa and cedar forest, and finally into the waterlogged zone just below snow line. Not bad!…
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Checking out Carson City and Dinosaur Rock
There is a lot of climbing around Lake Tahoe, but we hear that it’s mostly still snowed in. Dinosaur Rock is a crag that’s not too far away and has some easy routes for us. I’m curious about Carson City too, the state capital, and closer to Tahoe than Reno. We find the rock south…
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Plan: Explore Reno
Reno seems like a good mix of mountains and desert, not too far from Ann’s parents. Should be lots to do there and easy work situations.
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Leslie Gulch Weekend
I find out about Leslie Gulch because the colorful volcanic tuff rock towers here once inspired the development of some sport climbs. New bolting is now banned, and the little bit of information I find on existing climbs makes me think they’ll be too hard for us, so we explore the area on foot rather…
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Belly Flop at Mid Cliffs
We work in one more trip to the Black Cliffs before we head for Reno. It’s a good day for me with a spectacular belly flop on lead, complete with legs flailing in the blue sky. Next route I pump out and hang before completing a high-grovel factor mantel for the chains. Good stuff. We’ll…
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Cranberry Creek Open Space Hike
I’m in the mood to find a new trail, and end up at this small trail system outside a Boise suburb. The big houses and yards here represent a lifestyle I no longer desire or respect, yet resemble some of my childhood residences so closely that I can’t help feeling almost at home. What has…