Weather clears for New Year?s day hikers

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4For the fourth year in a row, the state parks in Lincoln County have participated in the nationwide Free First Day Hike event. Lincoln County is home to five state parks, each with their own stunning features.
This year?s hikes were hosted by Echo Canyon and Kershaw Ryan State Parks.

Echo Canyon kicked off the hike at 9 a.m. with only three hikers. Yet the troop made the hike steadily, going through the Ash Canyon trail, looking at the different outcrops in the rocks, the vegetation around the area, and discussing different wildlife in the area for the season. After going up 200 feet in elevation, the entire reservoir at Echo Canyon was viewable, in full display, with a small hole in the ice in the center, due to the warm temperatures. A team of ducks sat on the ice?s edge. The hikers were treated to a glimpse of an American Bald Eagle. Park ranger Josh Rhein led the trek, and told hikers there were actually two eagles in the park at the moment. The other was a gold eagle, yet the crows don?t seem to care for either one in their area.

The wind that was so prevalent in the county during the week leading up to the hike subsided long enough to make the two and-a-half mile journey pleasant.

At 1 o?clock, Kershaw Ryan saw a larger crowd with 10 hikers, and some new faces, including their first four-legged companion for the New Year?s Day hike. ?Dogs are welcome at Nevada State Parks,? said Kershaw Ryan Park ranger Andrew Porter. ?That?s a difference between National and State Parks.?

Porter said he was worried about the cold weather and that people wouldn?t show up, but, ?it really warmed up by 1 [o?clock]. It was perfect weather, couldn?t ask for better. I always think nobody?s going to show up, but it?s getting more popular.?

Kershaw Ryan participants went along the Overlook loop, just over half a mile. Porter said, ?Most people hike a trail the same way every time, so we did it a little different and went backwards.?

Porter said a lot of the hikers commented on the social atmosphere. With cocoa and hot tea before and after the hike, many attendants stayed after the trip to continue socializing and enjoying the beautiful winter scenery Kershaw has to offer. ?We knew everyone there, so that made it nice.?

The next event for our county state parks is the annual Icehole Invitational at Eagle Valley reservoir, however with the abnormal warmer temperatures, the event could be postponed or even canceled. The decision should be made by next week.

The annual Fire and Ice show at Cave Lake in Ely this year, which is slated for Jan. 16 – 18, is also canceled for lack of ice.