Stretching the mind and the body in Washoe Valley

Sniff a tree. Learn about fungus and snags. Gain a greater understanding of the history of Washoe Valley.

Do it all, while burning off breakfast.

Sunday afternoon, Seasonal park ranger Rochelle Pope took visitors to the Bowers Mansion Regional Park on a historic hike.

Over the course of 11Ú2 hours, hikers learned about the history of the mansion and the valley itself, as well as about the natural world that surrounds it.

"This a natural hot springs, and the water is still used to heat the swimming pool," Pope said. "This area has been used for recreation since 1862."

The hike allowed the public a chance to see an area of the park normally closed because of fire concerns. It offered a panoramic view of the valley.

Along the way, Pope used the natural setting as her visual aides, pointing out the different types of trees and how to identify them by smell and their pine cones.

"Jeffrey pines smell more like a pineapple, and ponderosa pines smell like butterscotch or vanilla," Pope said. "The Jeffrey pine cones are bigger, and the spines are curved under so it doesn't hurt to hold them. Ponderosa pines (cone bracts) stick straight out and are smaller."

The information presented included the life span of a dragonfly, how to tell deer droppings from those of elk, and why fire and the forest are interconnected.

"Fire has always been a part of this forest. We know that because some of the pine cones needed heat to release their seeds or burn off the outer layer," Pope said.

With an unobstructed view of the valley behind her, Pope talked about the importance of the forest and Washoe Valley to Carson and Virginia cities.

"The V flume was believed to have been invented in this area to get the lumber across the valley to Virginia City for the mines," Pope said. "There was very little lumber in Virginia City so they needed the lumber from these hills."

Hikers also learned that the powder on aspen trees is a natural mosquito repellent; standing dead trees, also called snags, provide habitat for smaller creatures; and the famous afternoon winds that sweep through the valley are called the Washoe Zephyrs.

The hike is one of several planned throughout the summer to introduce the public to the history and natural beauty of Bowers Mansion and Washoe Valley.

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.