There are some routes for winter hiking that climb into the hills and go through sagebrush grasslands.     Many of these possible routes are used for grazing in spring and summer.     Hiking them in the snow, quietly, leaving no trace (except footprints), using gates where available and respecting fences is all part of the code of conduct for these kinds of hikes.    This post shares some of the photos of one such route, but no information (maps, directions, etc.) is provided to prevent misuse.

On this day, the sun was shining through the clouds.    I followed some footprints over the whole route, but there were also deer, coyote, rodent, and hare prints along the way.   It was quiet in the upper hills.

This is beautiful terrain and some photos are shared here  as a slideshow only (no captions):