Another view of Mexican Ditch and the new bridge

I've hiked around Prison Hill often but not since the new bridge had been added over the Mexican Ditch on the east side of the Hill. My curiosity about the new bridge was triggered when Joe Brown, a local, handicapped hiker, called me and said that he had problems getting his assistance vehicle up on the bridge due to a gap between the trail and the bridge surface.

He's right, there is a rise of a couple inches that his go-car can't handle. But that will be fixed, say the people at the Parks and Recreation Commission. A second new bridge over the ditch is about a quarter mile farther along the trail. These bridges give hikers more options.

That noted, I decided to take the ditch trail up to where the road is blocked by a gate. It's a very flat and easy path, perfect for Joe's outings - except for the bridge.

To go back to the trail head, you can start where the gravel road to the Silver Saddle Ranch takes a right-angle turn. Park just below the gate and hit that road, which takes you down to the trail that follows the Carson River. You can also drive down to the ranch and park. The trail head also starts there; signs are posted to direct you.

The Mexican Ditch trail follows along the ditch, which these days is filled with flowing river water. The new bridge is about a quarter mile from the start; it's wired shut but you can slip around it. Cross it and you head right back to the ranch. Stick on the trail and it becomes quite pleasant as you reach groves of cottonwoods and the Carson River.

The river is flowing well right now, placid and still in some spots, rapidly frothing at others. As many times as I've hiked this area, I don't think I ever found the views so enticing, so pleasant, so simply natural. Which is something I think many of us are guilty off: Hiking so intensely that we don't really look at the scenery.

This is a trail that is easy and undemanding, so it's a fine place to enjoy our river. Downstream there are some Class III rapids that take some skill to get through.

There are several spots along the Ditch trail where you can cut over to riverside, perhaps for a picnic or just to stare at the river. As I mentioned, we are often so anxious to complete a hike that we forget why we're out there - to enjoy that natural beauty that surrounds us.

About a mile or so along the trail, things seem to peter out, but if you scramble up a dirt bank you can get back to the Mexican Ditch path. And the views are still fine.

Along the way you'll pass a couple of old wooden canal locks, obviously no longer in use. But they look sturdy and probably will still do the job.

You can hike the north end of the Mexican Ditch trail from Hells Bells Road. This crosses East 5th Street and links up to the south trail at Silver Saddle Ranch.

Another alternative is to take the connector trail at the ranch and get on the Riverview Park loop, a 1.6-mile walk. The full loop takes you alongside the Carson River; you can make it a shorter hike by just doing the north or south loop.

There's a fine map of all this on the Internet at www.car

son-city.nv.us/ Index.aspx

?page=1081.

Meanwhile, no word yet on when the Bureau of Land Management will turn over this Prison Hill property to Carson City, or what is going to happen to the Silver Saddle Ranch complex. There's a lovely cottage at the ranch that has been used by a BLM employee but seems vacant now. Behind the cottage is a picnic area, complete with grills and picnic tables. Visitors are welcome to use this area.

SUMMER SKI PARTY

Rusty Crook, venerable ski master and instructor for the Mt. Rose seniors clinic there, held his usual summer ski party at his ThisIsIt Ranch on South Virginia Street in Reno Saturday. He reported that the new Slide Mountain lodge is new and spiffy. Crook said that the old lodge was left over from the1960 Olympics, when there was doubt if there would be snow at Squaw Valley. He was involved in planning the alternate site.

Crook, who was at one time just about the best skier in the West, confirmed that age has brought with it the same kind of problems that I have faced: Apprehension, lack of confidence, etc. Guess time works its way with all of us.

CORRECTION

Last week in writing about Mono Lake and the Los Angeles theft of water from it I used the wrong date for when it all started. Should have been 1913, not 1944. An alert reader straightened me out on this.

• Contact Sam at 841-7814 or at sambauman@att.net.