Earlier in the day I had climbed Mount Jefferson, the Nye County highpoint, a big hike that left me pretty beat, although feeling great. After a long, lonesome drive out NV-376 and US-50 via Austin (and bypassing a huge wildfire in the Clan Alpine Mountains east of Fallon), I arrived in Storey County and its seat, Virginia City, around 5 in the afternoon. The weather was dry and cloudless, and a bit warm. Virginia City is a real tourist draw, and a very interesting town despite the crowds. The Storey County highpoint, Mt. Davidson, overlooks Virginia City and as its highest point, features some communications towers. Although people have hiked to the summit from town directly below, it's not entirely clear (to me) if that route is all public land. Instead, being late in the day, I decided to attack this peak via a poor-quality mountain road called Ophir Grade Road. With luck, I would be able to get within a half-mile of the peak and make quick work of the highpoint.

The Ophir Grade Road shown on the topographic map is not the easiest road to find when in Virginia City. The main drag (NV-342) is choked with tourists and not all the street signs are visible, or even existant! After a couple times up and down the road, I finally asked for directions to the road at a gas station, and I was on my way. The Ophir Grade Road is the first road on the left, immediately after two steep (15% grade) switchbacks and a Nevada-DOT yard, as one heads north. A storage/garage unit and a water treatment pond are in the area. This is still a short bit before the main downtown touristy area of Virginia City. So I found the road and followed it generally south and west as it contoured up and around the range. It was in pretty bad condition - lots of ruts and rocks sticking up from where they blasted the road out of the rock. After about 4 miles or so, it came to an intersection. I made a hard right here and went up a steep section, then up and down the ridge about another three miles until it topped out on a knob not far from the summit itself. I parked here.

The hike was quick, following the small ridge spine up and down over three intermediate bumps. The final bit was up a trail through the rocks to a jagged summit and some towers. Very windy. A band of wild horses took refuge on the slopes just below the ridge, and there was also a gravesite along the way. Net elevation gain was probably about 75 feet, but with the undulating approach the gross gain might have been about 200 feet. I didn't stay too long. I egressed the same way I came in, and spent the evening inn Carson City.