Point 8364 is located in the Mount Rose Wilderness. It is a rounded, brush-covered summit with open 360 degree views. It rests just to the north of Church's Pond, a small pond below Mount Rose. It is also basically the summit of the Jones Creek/White Creek loop; a popular hike from Galena Creek Park.

The Jones Creek/White Creek loop is quite a pretty hike. It is well-marked, gradually steep, and has open views of the mountains for nearly all the way up. To reach Point 8364 takes little more than an hour via the quickest route. There is plenty to see along the way up and along the loop hike. It is even possible to reach Mount Rose along this route in about a 10 miles round trip.

First view of Point 8364 from the trail

You may be asking yourself: "Of all the mountains in the Mount Rose Wilderness, why climb this one?" There are several reasons.

It is very accessible from Reno and Carson City.
It can be hiked all year long.
It is easy to hike from Galena Creek County Park.
And most importantly, it is the highest point along the very popular Jones Creek/Whites Creek/Church's Pond loop. I believe that for that reason alone, it is worth its submission on Summitpost.

Getting There

From Reno, take 395 South to the Mount Rose Highway (rt. 431). Once on 431, take it to the west for 6.3 miles to the north entrance of Galena Creek County Park. You can park here, and walk towards the woods where a wide trail takes you up to the Jones Creek/White Creek loop.

Two routes to take up Point 8364
1) You can take an out and back route up from Galena State Park. Take the Jones Creek/White Creek loop. Follow signs for Jones Creek. After about 1/2 a mile on the trail, you cross a stream and turn left. After about 1 mile you will see a Mount Rose Wilderness trail sign. From here you have less than 2 miles to go. Head up the trail which has several switchbacks. You eventually reach a ridge where you will see a sign for Church's Pond. You already have Point 8364 right in front of you. Take the trail to Church's Pond for about a tenth of a mile until you see a boulder field on the right. Climb this boulder field the remaining ~250' up to the summit. Descend via the same trail.

Total hiking distance: 5.8 miles
Total elevation gain: ~2100 feet

View to Point 8364 from about 1/2 mile away

2) Ascend the same as route#1, but instead of coming back the way you came, you take Whites Creek trail back to the trailhead. This is part of a loop hike where you get even more great views of the Mount Rose Wilderness and the Carson Range. The loop is 9.2 miles, but if you summit Point 8364, it is about 9.5 miles. The elevation gain for the loop is probably closer to 2500 feet due to some ups and downs.

Church's Pond
Regardless of the route, you should take the time to stop by Church's Pond at 8290'. Church's Pond is about 0.3 miles past Point 8364 and has some great views just under Chocolate Peak and Mount Rose. This is a nice place to stop for lunch, depending what time of year. I was there in early May and the bugs were pretty severe, so I stayed little more than a minute. If you take the entire Jones Creek/Whites Creek loop, climb Point 8364 and visit Church's Pond, the total hiking is about 10.2 miles and the elevation gain is about the same. If you just go out and back to Point 8364 and visit Church's Pond, the total hiking distance is about 6.4 miles. I took this route, and it took just under 3 hours.

As noted above it is possible to hike Mount Rose via this route. You can start the ascent from Church's Pond. There is no trail, but you can find your way up the boulder field if you are prepared for snow climbing. In summer the route should be free of snow. It would be a tough climb, since you are totaling nearly 4700' in 5 miles - with nearly 2600 feet in the final 2 miles. However, it is a good challenge if you wish to take it.

To reach Mount Rose, go straight over the ridge and up the where the snow slope begins

Trail Views

Chocolate Peak (9402')

Slide Mountain (9698')

Mount Rose (10778')

View back down towards the valley

Red Tape

No red tape.

External Links

Trail review #1
Trail review #2
Hike to Mount Rose via this the Jones Creek/Church's Pond route

Images



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