Trails

It is not advisable to off-road until trail conditions improve, says 775 Offroad and Recovery, a volunteer Northern Nevada organization that removes struck and stranded vehicles from public lands.

The group noted that especially now with the rain and added snow melt that off-road trails have become saturated with mud.

After an irregular COVID-affected 2020, Muscle Powered looks forward to a full slate of Trash Mob events for the summer and fall. This special “Bike Month” edition of the Trash Mob will be held this Saturday, May 22 and will meet at 8 a.m. at the lower ball fields at Centennial Park for one hour of focused litter clean up.

The Carson City and Quad-County region is experiencing a downward trend of COVID-19 hospitalizations since the start of the new year. However, while rates of transmission for children and teenagers have remained low since the pandemic began, new reporting shows a significant increase in minors contracting the virus, according to statistics.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. — Spooner Lake is one of Nevada’s most popular places to hike, mountain bike, ride horses or simply enjoy nature, and welcomes more than 150,000 visitors every year. On Thursday, the Nevada Division of State Parks is pleased to launch the bidding process for the park’s much-anticipated Spooner Lake Improvement Project, which involves a complete redesign and update of the facilities, including construction of a visitor center and amphitheater.

It was an eventful year around the Carson City region notwithstanding the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's some notable stories that were not pandemic related that happened in 2020.

Every winter, Carson Valley becomes a nesting ground for bald eagles, golden eagles, falcons, hawks, owls and other wildlife as they congregate to the region. Carson Valley’s expansive open space and cattle ranches provide habitat for the wintering birds of prey.

On a picturesque lakefront property with mountain views sits Reno’s new independent living retirement community, Mountain Lakes Estates Retirement Living, 765 South Meadows Drive. The active lifestyle community completed construction and recently welcomed its first residents.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort kicked off a successful start to the 2020-21 ski and ride season Frday. With a winter operating plan focused on comprehensive safety protocols, Kirkwood opened with more than 180 acres of beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain.

Muscle Powered, an award-winning nonprofit that has dedicated itself to safe walking, biking and hiking in Carson City for more than 20 years, is seeking the community's support this #GivingTuesday for its Connect Nevada Trails project.

In an era of social and physical distancing, people crave the communion of family, friends and neighbors more than ever before. As we enter another month of pandemic restrictions, many in our community seek a safe way to connect in-person with their loved ones during these uncertain times.

Wildland fire officials have lifted fire restrictions across much of Nevada’s public lands. The Bureau of Land Management, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Nevada Division of Forestry have rescinded the current 2020 Nevada-wide fire restrictions as of Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020.

The gate located at the Carson City trailhead, Ash to Kings Trail, will be closed beginning Monday, Nov. 9. The Ash Canyon Road gate will be closed to all motorized vehicle traffic for the winter season and is expected to re-open in the spring after winter precipitation has passed.

Former Vice President Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States after notching a projected victory in Pennsylvania Saturday morning that was cemented just a half-hour later by an expected win in Nevada.

According to Carson Now reader Robynn Wartooth, a mountain lion was spotted early Friday morning on the bike path by Emerson and Roop Streets.

The Carson City Parks, Recreation & Open Space Department opened three new segments of trail following an Oct. 30 ribbon cutting. These fun new trails are part of a network of non-motorized paths that connect residents with almost 5,000 acres of Carson City Parks and Open Space within the Carson River/Prison Hill area. Future plans include completing a multi-use path around Prison Hill.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has begun closing recreational facilities for the winter season. Seasonal closures apply to many National Forest recreation sites in the Tahoe Basin including beaches, campgrounds, picnic areas and forest roads.

The Bureau of Land Management, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and Nevada Division of Forestry will jointly reduce the current 2020 Nevada-wide fire restrictions, effective for all three agencies by Friday, Oct. 16, until further notice. The reduced fire restrictions will allow campfires in designated campground areas within Nevada.

For winter enthusiasts eager to explore South Tahoe’s vast outdoor winter wonderland, tourism officials recommend advance planning, mid-week stays, and securing reservations early for desired attractions and dining. To help visitors plan a safe, healthy winter adventure, Tahoe South offers updated information on its website at “Know Before You Go” and Responsible Recreation with all current state and county health protocols.

Fall has arrived in the Sierra Nevada bringing the steady change of turning leaves and a noticeable chill in the air. The fall season also means bears are actively searching for food, even down into the lower valleys.

Due to continued public health safety concerns related to COVID-19, trail improvement work, the risk of bear-human encounters and in order to discourage large groups from gathering, the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has issued a Forest Order that temporarily closes Taylor Creek and the surrounding area from Oct. 3 through Nov. 2, 2020.

It’s no secret that Carson Valley is an exceptionally beautiful pocket of northern Nevada where nature, landscapes and legendary characters come together throughout the region’s four communities of Genoa, Gardnerville, Minden and Topaz Lake. The destination offers photographers a wonderland of opportunities to capture telling moments in time.

Dayton native and Life Scout Suzanna Stankute is making strides with Boy Scouts of America.

Stankute, 14, is one of the only girls in her council on the verge of earning her Eagle Scout rank. The Eagle Scout rank is the highest achievement attainable in the Scouts BSA program. Members who earn this rank must go through a lengthy review process and complete an Eagle Scout project.

The Waterfall Trail in Kings Canyon is currently undergoing maintenance. Trail access will be limited Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Oct. 1. Users are asked to please observe all cautionary signage.

National Forest trails, trailheads, beaches and other day-use areas in the Lake Tahoe Basin have now reopened for day-use only as of Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Camping and overnight stays will not be permitted, and campgrounds will remain closed. Resorts will reopen for day-use only. Emergency Fire Restrictions will remain in effect through Nov. 30. I’ve attached the Forest Orders for your awareness.

Remember the old days when school would get cancelled for weather aberrations like snow? Aww, the excitement of that early morning phone call and the joyfulness of being able to go back to sleep with the anticipation of a full day ahead of hanging out in pajamas and watching Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Due to unprecedented and historic fire conditions throughout the state, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region on Tuesday extended the temporary Forest Closure Order of all 18 National Forests in California, which began last week.

Bike Month has always been a cornerstone for Muscle Powered to bring community together every May to share our love of biking. Back in March, as we began to watch the COVID-19 outbreak unfurl in the United States, we held out hope that we could still come together to celebrate as usual.

With the Slink Fire burning south of Topaz Lake continuing to grow westward, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest expanded the fire closure area as of Saturday evening. The closure now includes all areas, campgrounds trails and roads at the following areas:

Placer County, a 1,400-square-mile destination in Northern California, is inviting responsible leisure travelers in accordance with the California Department of Public Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Travelers are now permitted to safely enjoy the diverse geography encompassing a range of cities from Olympic Valley to Foresthill, and Auburn to Roseville this fall.

The Slink Fire burning south of Topaz Lake and two miles west of Coleville, Calif., reached 14,200 acres early Thursday and was 10 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service.