Virginia Range Ride

Made a milestone in my explorations of the Virginia Range, finally traversed the whole range in one day on the Surly.

Dodging horse shit on Lower Toll Road with my playground ahead.

My original "plan" was to climb up a road called Bain Springs Road. I passed a woman in an SUV and asked her if she lived up the road and if it was all right to climb it. She said she'd just moved there but that she thought so. However, when I got to the road split where I park for hiking, there was an impressively scary No Trespassing ("This Means You"). It was already fairly late and Renee's mom was coming over for dinner at about five. So I told myself I'd just ride back down Toll Road, cross over to Miraloma and ride up to Hidden Valley. A nice ride, good sensible plan.

But when I got back to Toll Road I couldn't resist the climb and chance to have another day to explore around this incredible range (especially with pretty perfect picture possibilities).

Toll Road views.

Looking up Toll Road

I kept telling myself that once I reached the top I would just coast back down Geiger Grade from the top of Toll Road, from Geiger Summit.

The Surly on Geiger Grade.

Geiger Summit, portage to the right.

The road ahead from the portage.

There I knew the road that would theoretically follow the crest should begin. Sure enough, beyond the summit pull-out it was only a short portage to the road with no No Trespassing signs (although I think if I'd gone down to the actual turn there probably would have been one, but what I can say, I'm no mind reader). I passed a dark little rocky turnout that headed down the hill and guessed that it must have been the terminus of Bain Springs Road and thought that could be a good way down (no signs at the top). I thought I'd just climb a bit further to see how the road was, but around the bend I ran into a mountain biker on the way down. He was friendly, said he lived in the area. I asked if the road went through the Davidson Peak and he told me that it did. He also confirmed that road behind me was Bain Springs Road but that the people at the bottom were weird about trespassers. He told me I could shortcut some of the upcoming knolls on horse trails (which I tried but not sure was worth it except for the first one).

Horse trail cut-off.

 From here to Davidson Peak I pushed and carried the Surly much more than I rode all the way through to the large mesa that forms the block of the range, with the peaks sort of humps projecting over canyons running down toward Virginia City.

Big push ahead.

Davidson Peak and a little corner of Virginia City.

Start of the jeep trail not taken.

 I was a bit late by now, but had great cell service (I was about a hundred yards from towers). I started down the western slope. My plan was to take a jeep trail that supposedly dropped down to Ophir Road (which I'd climbed part way before). I found the turn off for it easily enough, but somehow some of the google satellite photos I thought I had I didn't and the rocky ATV rut dropped straight down into fairly trackless juniper canyons. By now mostly through four liters of water I thought it better to stick to the road more traveled, even though I really had no idea where it came out.

Some shade on Jumbo Grade.

Along Washoe Lake.

The road I did end up on came out right at Washoe City and is called Jumbo Grade. It was a steep drop. I ran into one truck climbing up (driver proudly drinking a tall boy on his Sunday drive), but friendly and otherwise had the ATV tracks all to myself (which seemed a bit strange for a weekend, but no complaining). By now I was too late to make it back to Reno, so Renee came and met me at Upper Washoe Lake park. And then back to Margie's visit!