Weekday Trail Outlook and Upcoming Events 04/03-04/09, 2023
Trail Outlook: Everything Burger
Thursday and Friday should be the prime days this week. The Sunday/Monday snow showers have landed as mostly snow on the trails so, as of writing this, every trail on the mountain is covered or mud. Temperatures are not expected to start rising until Wednesday and the wind is expected to continue to blow through the midweek as well. Wind and direct sunshine will be the primary drivers of drying so I think we can expect great trail conditions for sun exposed routes in the latter part of the weekdays. Shaded slopes will continue to hold snow so if you want to get loop routes in, get creative with connecting 4wd and single track on the mountain or check out some of the regional parks that dry faster.
This winter has reshaped a LOT of trails. Keep your head up and speed down even on trails you knew well last season. Nearly every trail has new hazards this year.
North Valleys facing trails and anything climbing out of Hoge road, or more northern access points, are snowbound still. Very large snow fields and cornices are sitting on or above PoeDunk, Halo, Bacon Strip, Stagecoach, and Total Recall.
Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, Hidden Valley Regional Park, North Valleys Regional Park, Sierra Vista Park, and Centennial Park (Carson City) were dry this past weekend and will be the first to firm up again. Sierra Vista’s lower basin had some very soft mud so expect to stick to the upper 2/3rds of the park once it firms back up.
Up top, Nevada Nordic grooms trails in the trees to the West of Tahoe Meadows for public usage. The trails are primarily designed for cross country skiing, but are also great for snow shoes and fat bikes. If you are not skiing, it’s kind to the skate and classic skiers if you only use the right third of the trail. For more information and the latest grooming reports, check out their Facebook Group page linked here.
Peavine Trail Damage: Keystone Canyon is washed out for a couple hundred yards above the intersection with the Fisticuffs trail. If you would like to connect the East Keystone and Hoge Road trailheads, please use the ridgeline 4wd road on the Rancho San Rafael side (East side) of the canyon. PoeDunk trail on the West side of the canyon still features significant mud and snow and won’t be in usable shape in the near future.
Local Trail Closure: In Carson City, King’s Canyon loop and waterfall trails are closed due to a rock fall. Check out the monster boulder and debris field on Carson City Parks and Open Space’s Facebook page here.
Weekend Trail Reports:
A lot of us got out and let us know how it was. Here are all the trail reports that were sent in this past weekend. Thank you kind people for sharing the stoke!
Friday, March 31:
5:00 pm
Got out to Sierra Vista this evening. The wind was brutal so we kept the tires mostly on the ground. All trails and paths except the lowest loop are dry and firm. Just past the lower old outhouse on the beginner trail, there is a long section that switches back around a cotton wood tree that is deep peanut butter mud. As soon as we saw it, we turned around and rode the rest of the park without issue. All of the trails are pretty ragged from the winter but the only major damage we noted was near the bottom of the beginner trail just before the intersection with the outhouse. A few yards of trail have a 4-6” deep runoff rut that could take a front wheel of a rider not paying attention. Otherwise, the landings of the largest drops in the drop zone are a bit washed and rocky but mostly fine. If anyone is riding up there this weekend, sight it before you send it. There are some new features and ruts from being ridden too early that can make a great day go bad if your style is mach chicken blindly expecting the trails to be the same as last summer. -Patrick Smith
5:30pm
Hidden Valley highland trail is dry and ready to ride. -Christopher D.
Saturday, April 1:
7:45 am
This morning I rode a small loop while the ground was still frozen. Las Brisas trail is good to go. From there I climbed Halo to Crispy Bacon to Bacon Strip. Large snow drifts ended my ride around 1/2 to about 3/4 up bacon strip. Some very bad erosion was also present on bacon strip. On the way home, B-lite was dry but I wouldn't get on it late in the day. That actually goes for most trails right now. B-lite was in the worst condition with erosion and ruts. -Chris G.
8:30 am
Left Kings Row and climbed up the West Halo switch backs to Crispy Bacon. Turned around when we hit a large snow field about a quarter mile up Crispy Bacon. The first North facing section of Crispy prior to the snow field was still mostly frozen but will be bad mud by midday. Connected by 4wd roads over to Halo above the R and headed East toward Curt’s Cutoff and Snow Terraces. Hit major snow less than a mile from the R and turned back. Dropped to West Keystone trailhead and rode over to Keystone Canyon (East Keystone). Rode up the canyon until we hit the washout just above Fisticuff and then scouted on foot to see how far the damage goes. Most of the trail above the junction with Fisticuffs to the top of the rocky technical section has been washed out, still has running water in it or is deep mud. We didn’t look higher than that but can guess that trail sections further up that run in the old creek bottom will be similarly severely damaged. Best to avoid the canyon bottom at this time by climbing the Rancho Connector switch backs and then staying on the ridge line 4wd road that goes between Keystone Canyon and Rancho. The lowest section of Keystone Canyon single track is mostly in good shape but there are some ruts and washouts that change the flow of the trail. That goes for pretty much everything we rode this morning. Spring conditions mean lots of new natural trail features. That’s especially the case on the West Halo switch backs. What has always been a very technical climb now has a few new challenges and the corners have been reshaped drastically. Overall plenty of miles to knit together, but not a lot of loops open yet. -Patrick Smith
This Week’s Events:
Monday, April 03:
5:30 pm
Radical Adventure Riders of Reno (RAR) are leading a road ride from The Hub on Riverside in downtown Reno out to and along Somersett Parkway for a total of 2 hours of riding. For more information, follow @rar.reno on Instagram.
6:00 pm
Reno Wheelmen’s monthly meeting will be held at Elemental LED Inc (885 Trademark Dr, Suite 200, Reno NV, 89521). The address is unusual because they are expecting an increased turnout. If you are a member and haven’t been following the email list conversations recently, this is a meeting you want to go to. The meeting is open to non-members, but for the same reasons, this will be an atypical meeting and probably not as useful for non-members.
Tuesday, April 04:
Tuesday Night Ride Group normally launches on the first Tuesday after the time change, but for obvious reasons they have decided to push back the start this year. I’ll keep this space updated when they announce the new ride start date.
5:45 pm
Silver State Striders are running a trail loop from Woodchuck drive. This is a very welcoming group for all skill levels. The planned route is 8ish miles and may feature snow and mud. Check their Facebook Group Page for more details. You can also find their training schedule on their website at this link.
Wednesday, April 05:
7:45 pm
(New Start Time) Bike Night Reno will be rolling out a hardy group of riders of all kinds from the Space Whale in Downtown. As their name suggests, this is a night ride so lights are required. Whether it’s a simple headlamp and taillight or full on burner bike light-splosion is entirely up to you. Expect it to be cold and wet so dress appropriately. This is a mostly flat road ride friendly to all wheeled contraptions at an extremely social pace. For more information, follow @bikenightreno on instagram.
Thursday, April 06:
5:45 pm
Silver State Striders will be running 8 ish miles of hills starting and ending at River Bend. Check their Facebook Group Page for more details. You can also find their training schedule on their website at this link.
Friday, April 07:
8:00 am
Radical Adventure Riders (RAR) Reno and Northern Nevada Bikepacking are teaming up to bring you Coffee Outside. This week’s morning cup of micro-adventure on bikes will meet at Bartley Ranch Park. More information about joining can be found by following @coffeeoutsidereno on Instagram.
6:00 pm
Radical Adventure Riders of Reno (RAR) and Reno Bike Project (RBP) are hosting a free spring bike tune up clinic at RBP’s Grove Street shop. This is open to FTWN-B, BIPOC, or Queer riders. For more information, follow @rar.reno on Instagram.
Saturday, April 08:
8:00 am
Silver State Striders will be running out and back up to 30ish miles of dirt and paved road starting and ending at Mayberry Landing and venturing through the West Reno and Verdi foothills. Check their Facebook Group Page for more details. You can also find their training schedule on their website at this link.
If you are swapping the running and riding for a little back country sliding, check out the latest avalanche conditions over at Sierra Avalanche Center. New snow, high wind, and lots of sun are remaking the hazard landscape daily right now. Knowing where to look and when to stay home can make the difference of coming home.
That’s what’s on my radar at the moment. If you know of something I missed or is coming soon, send me an email and it might get listed. See you outside!
All portions of the Peavine trail network are expected to have snow, ice, and/or mud this week. April 03, 2023.