Nevada County Life

The recent series of winter storms have dropped some considerable amounts of snow on Grass Valley, and one of the best local places to go and walk in the snow has to be the Empire Mine State Historic Park. 

I arrived at the Penn Gate parking lot at about 9.30am and although it was empty (unusually so because by this time normally the parking lot is full and there are a good number of horse trailers in the trailer area) I was not the first person to enter the park that day.  Ski tracks and footprints led from the parking lot along the Hardrock trail through the six or so inches of fresh powder.

I followed the Hardrock trail first past the Pennsylvania mine buildings and then past the WYOD mine before doubling back in a loop and climbing through the WYOD mine spoil heap joining the trail leading back past the mule corral and the back of the Pennsylvania mine buildings. 

The Empire Mine State Park is an amazing recreational resource right here in Grass Valley, and the trails never lose their appeal, especially when weather events such as snow storms change the whole experience.  Only a few days ago the weather was unseasonably warm, the trails were dry and people were walking them in shorts and t shirts!

Are you a horse enthusiast? Have you ever ridden on the horse trails in the Gold Country? We have miles and miles of trails in Nevada County from the rolling hills and open space in the horse country of Penn Valley to the Bureau of Land Management trails winding amongst the majestic trees outside Nevada City. Empire Mine State Park in Grass Valley has some of the best trails around and it’s right in town! There are also some beautiful ranches in the Chicago Park area east of Grass Valley and out McCourtney Road west of Grass Valley.

Neighboring Placer County emphasizes the endurance rides and runs with the spirited Tevis Cup ride and the UltraMarathon run, one the best of the original trails winding through numerous mining camps and ending near the Auburn Ravine.

If you are a horse lover, but you haven’t been for a ride on our Nevada County trails, it’s time for a visit!

Yuba River at Bridgeport

This week we had a nice stroll on the Buttermilk Bend Trail at Bridgeport, part of the South Yuba State Park system. Each season is different at Bridgeport. In a couple of months, the Buttermilk Bend trail will be the most beautiful place to find wildflowers in Nevada County, and the flowers will bloom in waves throughout the Spring. In Summer, there’s nowhere more relaxing to spend a Summer day than at one of the swimming holes along the South Yuba River. For now, Winter at Bridgeport has its own charm. It is quiet with fewer visitors, and all you hear is the sound of the river flowing by and the gentle sound of the wind. The pools in the river are deep emerald green in the Winter light. And if you’re a dog person, you are only allowed to take dogs to Bridgeport October-April, so now is the time. Our dog loves to walk there and take a dip in the water.

So, if you’re looking for a nice place for a Winter hike, hed down to Bridgeport. It’s at a much lower elevation, so you won’t have to worry about snow making the trekking difficult! See more photographs of Bridgeport at thisisnevadacounty.com.

Taking the Bowman Lake Road off Highway 20 eventually takes one up to Grouse Lakes, but in the winter the road is not plowed past the PG & E facility, but this allows people to get into a short but very nice loop trail maintained by PG & E themselves.

An enjoyable trail in summer, due to the gurgling Bear river that runs next to the trail for a while, it’s also an excellent location for a short snow shoe or cross country skiing excursion.  Look out for wildlife footprints in the snow, and on the far side of the trail, walk out into the alpine meadows bordered by the Bear River on one side and the South Yuba Canal on the other.  Also watch out for the informative interpretive signs that dot the trail as these contain an introduction to the plant and animal life of the Sierra Nevada.

For those wanting a little more action the area across Bowman Lake road from the Sierra Discovery trail is often frequented by kids and sleds and many small sledding runs can be found here.  One caveat being that it does get rather cold at this elevation and the icy snow makes an unforgiving surface to land on.

A few days ago we did a small piece on the hiking trails from the Penn Gate entrance to the Empire Mine State Historic Park (SHP) in Grass Valley, Nevada County, California.  But there are other hiking areas in the park too, one of those being the Union Hill trail area.

This area is across the Colfax Highway from the main area of the park including the visitor center, and the best access to the trails is reached by parking right at the top of Gold Hill Drive where there is a small gravel parking area next to a fire gate (keep the gate clear at all times).  There’s a small wooden box next to the gate that may or may not contain trail maps.

A couple of things make this trail area really stand out:

• Elevation.  The trailhead is at around 2700ft and the trails top out at around 2900ft.  Not only does this make for a more strenuous and rewarding hiking experience, it adds variety to the trails and also means that when we get snow in the foothills, this can be one of the places to experience it in Grass Valley, even if the downtown is not receiving snow.
• Loops.  There are a number of trails in the area, and these may be combined in different ways to create a number of overall trails.  Also you cn pick your distance as it were, without having to return on the same trail you walked on the outward leg.
• Solitude.  It never fails to amaze me how few people walk these trails.  If you want to get away from it all but don’t want to drive too far then this can be the place.  Sometimes you can walk the whole area and never see another person.