Riverside Park north, south loops are lovely, easy hikes - even in 100 degrees

Linked to the Mexican Ditch trail are the Riverside Park North and South loops. Both trail heads are at the end of East Fifth Street at the Korean Memorial Park, where a South Korean flag waves.

The north loop (about a mile long) follows the Carson River on the last half. Even in these dry days, the river continues to flow smoothly. South heads toward the Mexican Ditch and is less colorful.

This hike starts out as a bare-to-the-sun trail so a hat is standard issue; if it's a baseball hat wear the bill to the front like all the great baseball players have done. There's no drinking water along these trials so bring your own and use sun screen.

There are mutt mitts at the trail head, which is a good idea; too bad some dog owners don't bother to use them. (The horses get a pass on this.) No motorized vehicles allowed, but bikes and handicapped carts are OK on this very smooth set of tracks.

This is perhaps one of the most civilized trails the City's Park and Rec Commission has. Trash cans dot the way and litter (except for the dog pooh) not in sight. There are nice benches lining the loops, some out in the sun but several along the river are shaded. The benches offer nice places to sit and watch Ol' Man River wander by. You get the best river views (and benches) by taking the side paths in the tree area.

Keep an eye out and you'll find trees coated with mud 3 or 4 feet high - high water marks from the river's wilder moments. This area is, of course, a flood plain, and at least two pumping stations on elevated sites are evidence of the river's power.

The North Loop is the most scenic because of the river; the South Loop takes you to the Mexican Ditch area, which has some views of its own.

For hiker Joe Brown, who called about a place where he could safely take his handicap vehicle, this has got to be perfect. The trails, actually dirt roads, are smooth; nary a rock to be seen. Next to no elevation change. There's plenty of parking at the Riverside Park, and benches and grills.

On a Tuesday morning, I only met two people out there, both of them running along, oblivious to the temperatures. This has to be a beautiful place to walk in the fall as quaking aspens are all along the river. For more quaking aspens later this week, I'll see what's happening at Spooner Lake, maybe try the offshoot trail up to Marlette Lake.

BEST FOOT FORWARD

I received a couple of queries from people new to the area asking about hiking shoes. I don't feel particularly qualified to answer them, but I have a couple of basic ideas on hiking shoes.

If the trails are going to be easy, like the North Loop above, sneakers or low-heel hiking shoes are fine. Not too long ago I picked up a fancy pair of Italian hiking shoes, low and professional looking. Mistake; they were for someone hiking the Alps. Those classy-looking shoes are overkill. Go for pure comfort and fit.

For more rocky hikes like Echo Pass to Aloha Lake, ankle high boots are my choice. Easy to twist an ankle on rocky trails and the higher wear offers some protection. Never twisted an ankle hiking, but that doesn't mean I won't.

For true back-country bushwhacking, there's those shin-high boots. They would be an asset when going down the trail to Fourth of July Lake off Winnemucca Lake.

Prices are all over the place for hiking footwear and I haven't bought any for a couple of years. At my stage in life about the only clothing I buy are shorts and socks, but the Sierra Trading Post in Reno just sent me a catalog with some decent prices. We've got The Sporting Rage right here in town.

STICKS ON THE SLOPES

Once upon a time, a cane was the mark of a dandy. Nowadays it's more often the mark of someone recovering from a knee operation. But a cane, or a stick, is a handy item when hiking the hills. It can serve as a "third leg" and help a hiker up a steep trail. Most walking sticks are commercially made, but you can find a good one on the trail, as I did several years ago. I was going up Echo Lake to Aloha Lake and the trail was very rocky. I spotted a tree limb along the trail, picked it and started using it.

At home I trimmed the knots and added athletic gripping tape, and it has been a fine leg ever since. I have no idea what kind of wood it is, but it has sustained some real strain at times and stayed solid.

If you don't have the kind of luck to find a stick, ski shops like The Sport Rage on South Carson Street and the Sierra Trading Post in Reno offer sticks.

Best known is Komperdell out of Austria. A pair at the Trading post starts at $39.95 and up to $119.99.

You needn't be embarrassed about using sticks on the trail; experts as well as seniors use them.

If you want to get sticks cheap, try the FISH store in town; there's a barrel of used ski poles there. They won't be a pointy as the Komperdells, but they'll do the job - at $5.

• Contact Sam at 841-7818 or at sambauman@att.net.