The Pine Forest Range

Our campsite at Onion Valley Reservoir

Memorial Day weekend in the time of Covid meant a fairly long drive to the remote Pine Forest Range of northern Nevada.  None of us had ever been up in these mountains though we have noticed them for years.  The weather started cold, windy, and snowy but ended in beautiful sunshine.  Long day hikes from a perfect base camp on the shores of the still mostly full reservoir revealed all sorts of great surprises.  It was a really great time in an interesting place.

Looking north towards Oregon's Pueblo Mountains

Onion Valley Reservoir

Blue Lakes, 8000' up in the Pine Forest Range

A fawn hides out in the sage (photo by Evan)

Arborglyphs were abundant

A Rainy Day along Paulina Creek

Paulina Creek

I needed a hike.  It was raining.  Paulina Creek and the Ogden Trail seemed like the perfect solution.  And it was.  Fourteen miles up and back from McKay Crossing to Paulina Creek and, other than someone at the Paulina Lake Lodge, I did not see another soul.  It was a beautiful walk - I had forgotten just how nice this trail is.  And this was, indeed, the best weather and time of year to enjoy it.  Mission accomplished.

Looking downstream toward the brink of a waterfall

Human augmented swimming hole 

Out of the burn area the Ponderosa are beautiful

More Paulina Creek

Even better swimming holes upstream

Paulina Creek Falls

A hot Mother's Day weekend at the Bogie

Lake Crescent

We enjoyed a long weekend at the Bogie for Mother's Day.  Temperatures almost hit 90 at the cabin and, combined with the humidity and lack of options for activities due to Covid19, it was a lethargic weekend. But is was supremely relaxing, a nice escape from the tumult in the world today.

So much vegetation!

Bogachiel River

Tumalo Creek Hike

Tumalo Creek

While there are hundreds of miles of predominantly mountain bike trail to be found right from our front door, hiker only trail is less common here.  There is a stretch along the Tumalo Creek Canyon below Tumalo Falls that we've only hiked once so we headed there on a classic mixed weather spring day this weekend.  Saw a couple of groups near the trailhead, but once we were a mile or so out we had solitude.  We also had a spectacular creekside and canyon edge hike.  Delayed by a extended sun break on a perfect sitting rock, we did not even make it to the end of this section - leaving something for another trip.

Turkey Vulture