• Hiking Jones Whites Creek Loop
• Groovy Gear
• Mountain Mutt's Tip o' the Week!
• See the latest Mountain Mutt photo contest winner!
• Information about the Angora Fire
• More about the outdoors

Jones Whites Creek Loop: Great views, tough climbs make for winning combination

By The Mountain Mutt, aka John Trent

The great thing about the Jones Whites Creek Loop hike isn't that it features fantastic views, or that it has some of the best topographic variety imaginable, or that it has great creeks with rushing water, or that it has some of the more interesting switchbacks of any local climb.

No, the entire allure of the Jones Whites Creek Loop is that it has all of this. And that it's difficult to pin it down as a hike with only one clear, definable feature.

"It's got everything you could ask of a trail," says Lon Monroe, 60, of Reno. Monroe, a seven-time finisher of the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run, knows a thing or two about trails. "The variety is just incredible. You start out in the trees of Galena Creek Park, climb above them into a more high desert type of setting, then go back into the trees again. It's truly a gem."

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Groovy Gear: Take care of those feet!

Day hiking is great, in part because it's not gear-intensive, but oddly enough, the most important item may be the least expensive. Socks are a huge industry, and the choices are confusing. Since most brands offer various thicknesses, make sure those you buy fit in your boots. Wigwam makes the Ultimax Cool-lite Hiker -- a medium-thick, very wicking style at around $12. If you prefer natural fibers, anything from Smartwool is fine gauge (non-itch) Merino wool -- the Adrenaline Mini Crew sells for $18. Find a pair you like? Buy a second pair, and change socks at your hike's turn-around point.

Do I really need to warm up?
Mountain Mutt's Tip o' the Week!

The answer is YES! A good warm up raises your body temperature and gradually increases the demands placed on the cardiovascular system. By building slowly from low to higher intensity, your body has time to adequately prepare for more vigorous activity and will also prevent injuries. A good warm up mimics the activity you will be doing, but at a lower intensity and may also include low-intensity aerobic activity. So, for example, if you are getting ready to hike, begin walking slowly, increase speed, then raise knees higher to mimic some climbing, and after 5-10 minutes, you are ready for top speed! Once warm, you may want to stretch for increased flexibility. Tune in next episode to learn more about stretching!

Bonnie Dodson, B.S. Exercise Physiology,
Certified Exercise Specialist NASM and ACSM
Fitness Director at Double Diamond Athletic Club

Mountain Mutt photo winner of the week!

Sampson is the picture-perfect example of a true Mountain Mutt, and wins our Mountain Mutt photo contest this week! Owner Ashley Rojas wins a Mountain Mutt T-shirt and is now entered into the grand prize drawing for a $100 Petco gift certificate.

Think your pup has what it takes to be a Mountain Mutt? Then send us your best photo of your dog out and about in the Sierra Nevada summer. We'll post the photos each week in our Mountain Mutt gallery, plus we'll pick a weekly winner and send a collector's item Mountain Mutt T-shirt (designed by Reno eNVy). At the end of the summer, one lucky dog will be crowned this year's supreme Mountain Mutt and that pooch will win a $100 Petco gift certificate. E-mail your photo to info@TahoeRenoOnline.com. Oh, and we don't discriminate; we love pure bred pups too! Good luck!

NEWS ALERT: Angora Fire still burning out of control, non-residents asked to please stay away from fire areas

The Angora Fire is estimated to have destroyed or damaged 275 structures and more than 2,730 acres and has been burning near the South Shore of Lake Tahoe since Sunday afternoon.

Get the latest news
To read the latest news and find out about road closures and more, visit the South Lake community paper, the Tahoe Daily Tribune.

See the fire map
Click this link to see a map of the fire's approximate path of destruction.

Current road conditions
For current road conditions, click to the California Department of Transportation's website at www.dot.ca.gov.

More about the outdoors
from reno.com and tahoe.com ...

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Wakeboard World Championships in Reno Aug. 23- 26
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