Northern Nevada was visited by winter over the weekend but with our spotty snow flurries I did not know what conditions to expect above Hungry Valley. On the drive out to Hungry Valley I was able to point out to Dean Magnuson the vast terrain above Spanish Springs which is only enjoyed by OHV users. But now with the popularity of fat and plus sized tires exploring these areas that were once too sandy, too rocky or too steep and loose is a worthwhile endeavor. We will definitely be revisiting the pygmy forest of juniper trees on either side of Eagle Canyon Road.

 We started just beyond the Reno Sparks Indian Colony in Hungry Valley. The north/south road at the base of Hungry Ridge was clear of snow but muddy in spots. We climbed a fire road that had been tracked by a 4WD vehicle over the weekend but eventually got above where they decided to turn around. This route was a bit to the north of where I had climbed Hungry Ridge in a previous outing so we traversed across several washes to get back on track to climb to the saddle. The conditions were challenging to the point we decided to turn back. The sun and warming temperatures were making the mud unrideable.

We descended a snow filled wash that in drier conditions was a moto singletrack. This short section was a blast! This area is littered with these moto sections which are often too soft and sandy for conventional mountain bikes. Again, fat tires to the rescue! We made it back down to the road and continued to explore north.

As snow and ice melted the road softened but was still passable. We made our way to Little Hungry Spring. I didnt want to tempt fate with muddier conditions so we made our way back to the vehicle with intentions to come back and explore this area more thoroughly. We had great views of Fred’s Mountain, Dogskin Peak, and the cloud hidden Thule Peak, all on my short list of near to home places to explore. We drove away in a snow flurry, how quickly the bright warm sunshine had yielded to this band of snow.