Chasing Spring Up Ophir Canyon

There’s something about taking a Jeep into the mountains in the spring that makes you question whether you’re actually going on a relaxing day trip—or signing up for whatever Mother Nature decides to throw at you.

At the end of April, we headed out from Fallon, Nevada, with the Outlanders for a day of exploring Ophir Canyon. Spring was definitely making an appearance down in the valley, but as we climbed higher into the mountains, it became pretty clear that winter wasn’t quite ready to give up.

Our first stop was the ruins of Murphy Mine, where remnants of the old mining town still stand scattered throughout the canyon. There were old building ruins throughout the area, giving us a glimpse of the little community that once existed there. We also explored the remains of the mill, another reminder of the mining activity that brought people into these mountains years ago.

It was fascinating to wander around and imagine what the place must have looked like when it was a working town. Unfortunately, our history lesson was cut a little short when the rain started moving in. Apparently, Mother Nature had other plans for our sightseeing.

So, back into the Jeeps we went.

As we continued up Ophir Canyon, the trail followed the creek, winding through thick trees and crossing the water repeatedly as we climbed higher. Each creek crossing added a little more fun to the drive, and the scenery kept getting better as we gained elevation.

And then came the snow.

At first, seeing snow in the mountains at the end of April wasn’t exactly surprising. But the higher we climbed, the more winter seemed to take over. Eventually, we found ourselves driving into a full-blown snowstorm.

The road became harder to follow, visibility dropped, and before long we were dealing with whiteout conditions. Somewhere along the way, the trail that had been so obvious below us simply disappeared beneath the snow.

That was our cue.

As much as we wanted to keep pushing toward the top, sometimes the smartest part of an adventure is knowing when to turn around. With the road disappearing and visibility getting worse, we decided to head back down.

It was a little ironic. We had started the day surrounded by spring, only to end up in what felt like the middle of winter.

But that’s part of the fun of exploring the Nevada mountains in a Jeep. You never really know what you’re going to find around the next bend—or what season you’ll be driving through.

Ophir Canyon gave us a little bit of everything: old mining history, creek crossings, towering trees, mountain trails, rain, snow, and just enough adventure to make turning around feel like the right call instead of a disappointment.

We didn’t make it to the top that day, but honestly, that’s okay.