The returning runner…
Act 72 – Washoe County Area Trail Review #2 – Jones-Whites Creek Trail Loop (3 stars – this one is the “b-word”)
It had been several years since I had run this challenging loop and I was a bit nervous about the difficulty and water availability for my labrador, Beau. So, I had opted for the more gentle counter-clockwise route (more gentle being relative) and a planned drop off of Beau after just a couple of miles (no water along this first stretch except at the very beginning). The roughly 2.5 miles from the trailhead to USFS Road 047 wasn’t bad – gently rolling by trail standards but still with a net elevation gain of 250 feet or so (an overall grade in the 2% range). Teeing into 047 it was apparent that the connection would have been easy to miss coming from the other way – the “T” actually dead-ended into a small trail paralleling the dirt roadway and would haven’t been apparent from the road. Also, it was apparent that the terminus for vehicle traffic didn’t reach this far up the roadway. I would have to take a detour downhill to meet up with the wife and the Beau handoff. Turned into an extra 0.8ish miles down and back (I hated going downhill just to know I was going to have to turn right around to regain elevation…ugh – a long enough run already.
Now the trail headed west generally following Whites Creek. This long uphill (average 7%ish) stretch seemed to go on forever with the first in a series of somewhat challenging creek crossings occurring after following Whites Creek for 1.5 miles. After that, the trail became somewhat diabolical – repeatedly dipping down toward the creek again for the promised upper-most crossing only to veer back up the hillside to the north. Further, the trail (a mere trace of footprints in some stretches) seemed to cling precariously to the very steep decomposed granite slope with a vertical drop the last 10-15 feet to the creek. I cringed at the thought of a thirsty dog attempting to access the cool water…Finally, finally, the last dip to the creek and the upper-most crossing of Whites Creek approximately 5 miles along the route (with my Beau drop-off detour 5.8 miles).
By this point, I longed for relief. But, the trail continued upward toward a ridge – but somewhat more gently. Multiple log crossings of minor water courses continued to impair the route. And…the more gentle slope shifted to the steepest climb of the run – a grueling 10%ish for the last part. Aside from the creek crossings, I had managed to run the whole time – with the exception of a couple of check in calls when cell services would allow. Now I conveniently paused to make one of my check-ins. Convenient as I was ready to toss-cookies…
Cresting the high point of the route (having gone from 6,200 to 8,100 feet) my legs longed to stretch out and “cruise” the downhill to the finish. Again, the trail provided a cruel response – the descent was too steep to do anything but put on the breaks until the very last portion. There were multiple turnoffs at the end to different parking areas. I, of course, managed to overshoot and had to turn back a bit to meet up with my wife and Beau and the welcome ride to the nearest Dairy Queen and a large shake…
Mark’s Jones-Whites Creek Trail Loop Rating – 3 Stars
Factors:
Parking – Ample.
Restrooms – Located near the parking areas.
Trail surface – The full range from a dirt road, to sandy, to rocky, to log creek crossings.
Terrain- A butt-kicking hill workout!
Dog friendly – Water available in several spots with the longest stretch without water accessibility 2.5 miles or so.
Aesthetics/other factors – This just kicked my butt. Runners should definitely carry water/electrolytes on this one. The mileage on the map adds up to something like 9.2 miles but my GPS gave me a full mile longer than that (10.2 miles) and with my sidetrack to drop off Beau added up to be one tough 11 miler. Quite a bit of shade so that was helped.
Additional Information: https://www.washoecounty.gov/parks/trails/images/Truckee%20Meadows%20Trails%20Guide
Photo: One of several “log” creek crossings