| | | Mount Rose - Washoe COHP, NV | | | |
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Mount Rose - Washoe COHP, NV
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Hiking | 10.94 Miles |
2,375 AEG |
| Hiking | 10.94 Miles | 5 Hrs 22 Mns | | 2.32 mph |
2,375 ft AEG | 39 Mns Break | | | |
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Partners |
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| no partners | | This hike was to the summit of Mount Rose (elevation of 10,776 feet and prominence of 3,630 feet), the highpoint of Washoe County. Washoe County is in northwest Nevada; Reno is the county seat.
Mount Rose is between Reno and Lake Tahoe, and it is in the eastern part of the Sierra Nevada range. Mount Rose gets more snow than most peaks in Nevada.
I started and ended the hike at the Mount Rose Trailhead, which is at a pass on Highway 431, which runs between Reno and Lake Tahoe. This is the highest pass in the Sierra Nevada that is open year round.
The first 2.5 miles of the hike are on a very nice hard-packed dirt trail with very little rock or tree roots on it. There were lots of trees in this section so it was nicely shaded.
After 2.5 miles I came to Galena Creek Falls, which was flowing nicely. From there I went across a meadow that had some nice wildflowers, including lupine that was 5-6 feet high.
Once past the meadow the meat of the hike began and the trail got steeper, gaining about 725 feet per mile over a couple of miles. This was about half the rate of ascent compared to some hikes that I have done lately, so I didn't think that it was too bad. The tread on the trail continued to be good, although there were a couple of rocky sections.
Views at the summit were really nice, so I hung out there for a while. There were great views of Lake Tahoe and the snow capped peaks to the west of the lake.
I had the summit to myself for a bit, and one other guy came up there and we talked for a while. Once I left, I met quite a few people on their way up. Some of them were really struggling, so I doubt if all of them made it to the summit. I imagine that this trail would be crowded on weekends, so I was glad to have ascended on a Thursday.
Synopsis
This hike checks a lot of boxes for me: nice trails to hike on; prolific wildflowers; creek crossings; a waterfall; awesome scenery; amazing summit views; a peak; and a county highpoint. Accordingly, this one is a 5-star hike as far as I am concerned! |
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Wildflowers Observation Moderate Wildflowers were prolific in some areas, and were nonexistent in other areas; so overall I'll call it moderate. |
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Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there |
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