czenkov
Adventurer
This was not an expedition, and hardly could be called an adventure due to the brevity of this trip. What it was is simply a pre-scout of Great Basin National Park outside of Baker Nevada. I am, confidently, like the majority; where taking off on an extended overland trip is not something we can readily do, so we make up for it by taking small adventure excursions out into our respective "hoods" (my apologies). I call this "extended duration camping". Although by rights this wasn't really EDC either.
Date: Memorial Day Weekend May 27-28, 2011
Vehicle: 1997 Defender 90 - largely stock minus a lift, bumper and winch.
Off Tarmac: 0%
Remoteness Scale: 7 (based on 10 point scale of my own invention)
Who: Me and the GF
Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy, chance of rain.
On to the story. (Editors Note: Please casual reader, I strongly suggest that most everything is taken as sarcastic and or dry wit - it will be a more enjoyable read that way!)
We took I-15 South to Santaquin where we turned west towards Delta, Utah. I had explored parts of this area previously, during what I will call, my "mining phase" in the late 90's and early 00's. It is here where I discovered the joys of being a "digger", finding garnet, topaz and red beryl all with a 3lb. hand sledge, chisel, custom pry bar, a screen and a "spoofer" (you googled it didn't you? - no not THAT spoofer - What you found is incorrect in technical mining jargon - for my purposes it is a thick gauge wire flattened and bent 90 degrees on one end for pulling material out of "vugs" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vug) - but I digress. That is another story for another time.
We drove through Eureka, Utah where main street has numerous opportunities for the risk tolerant in the fallen down rooftop, window missing structures. We envisioned a fashion boutique, rock shop (it is a mining town after all), bike shop, 4x4 specialist shop, an "I survived Eureka, Utah" shirt shop, and brewery (it is a mining town after all). Beyond that there are several interesting vehicles throughout the Eureka, Delta, and Hinckley area waiting for someone to restore including a 'Cuda, '50's cars and several others that I cannot think of right now - and that is along the main 6/50 highway!
Drive far west and watch your map because coming from the east there is precious little warning for the GBNP turnoff - however from the west there is an impressively large sign (we found this on the way to Ely Nevada upon our departure but more on that decision later). We left and arrived (5 hours later) on Friday. We immediately drove up the mountain which is a 12+ mile one way scenic drive with plenty to see. This time of year, due to our impressive snowfall numbers, the top of the mountain was covered. However, from my viewpoint, it made the mountain that much more impressive. Were we to have had better timing we would have found great hiking and camping opportunities at the top above the 10,000 foot mark (my favorite, feet on the ground place). On our way down we stopped to read a "point of interest" marker defining the Osceola Ditch. Apparently the ditch was a way for the miners to get enough water to actually mine minerals - which was a water intensive effort in those days. The ditch was in use for a mere 10 years, yet allowed the miners to recover over $2m worth of gold a year. We decided to walk down the barely discernible trail about a 1/4 mile. With the runoff, however, it became increasingly difficult to follow the path and as such we turned around.
We returned to our campsite to set up at the Whispering Elms. The GF prefers civilized camping and as such on these occasions I am obliged to honor her wishes. A shower is a pre-requisite. And before you think it, I have offered to set the Defender up but she prefers, in her words "I want walls, structure, so I don't feel the wind on my ...." well you get the point. Once camp was set we walked into the bustling metropolis of Baker. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE remote. The two shops were very cool. Both doubled as the eateries in town opening at 1600. One had the normal offerings in the way of food and refreshment. The other (forgive me for not remembering the name but was on the right side of the road coming from "The Elms" as I like to now call it) had a nice selection of refreshments from Nevada and Mendocino County in California. We did not try the food but took a selection of his finest brews back to camp and enjoyed my absolute favorite cool weather camping food - Progresso Clam CHOWDAH! We called it an early night so we were fresh for the adventure awaiting us on Saturday morning - the CAVE TOUR!
Saturday morning we awoke to a brisk morning with little to no cloud cover. We arrived early for the tour and initially it looked like we would be the only fools there! However, within minutes of the 0900 start time others appeared bent on attending the tour. The tour was well presented by Josh, our guide. The tour was also punctuated by the incredibly intelligent 8 year old that knew more about caves and most things in general than most high school graduates, the 50 something motorcyclist that nearly knocked himself out when he tried to stand up in a small area, and the photographer that always seemed to be aiming her flash straight at my cornea's as I tried to appreciate the "decorations". Although I find caves interesting, they are just something to do upon arrival - I do not seek them out.
When we got back to camp we were met by the most inquisitive Siamese cat we had ever seen. She was interested in everything! Three of the funniest was when she thought the rain sheet was the opening to the tent and hung on the screen to see what was in the tent. Second was when I put on my belt and as she promptly sunk her claws into my leg trying to play "cat and mouse" with the buckle. Third when she got tired of the GF ignoring her and jumped onto her lap in the chair and almost put her tail in the GF's nose! Too funny. Although the cat and area was interesting we decided to break camp a day early and head for Ely Nevada to see what it was about. For us the most interesting thing about Ely was the surrounding valleys and of all things Arby's!
As we headed towards Ely we drove around the mountain (well, sort of) and it was apparent that there are plenty of gravel track roads for exploration. Although some, admittedly, were due north in the Humboldt National Forest. Hence, the pre-scout of the area - Eureka! (pun intended) we had found what I was looking for. Throughout our return trip from GBNP to Wendover Nevada I saw many things that have convinced me I need to return to the area with like minded friends. Could it be that we will spend a few days exploring the area? Maybe the next guys trip will be the time. Alas, the GF was ready for a warm shower (as she hadn't taken advantage of those provided by the Elms) and a soft bed. And so we headed for home across Utah on I-80 post haste.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108120709113354283994/May302011?authkey=Gv1sRgCO3VvcLs9NLyLQ#
Date: Memorial Day Weekend May 27-28, 2011
Vehicle: 1997 Defender 90 - largely stock minus a lift, bumper and winch.
Off Tarmac: 0%
Remoteness Scale: 7 (based on 10 point scale of my own invention)
Who: Me and the GF
Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy, chance of rain.
On to the story. (Editors Note: Please casual reader, I strongly suggest that most everything is taken as sarcastic and or dry wit - it will be a more enjoyable read that way!)
We took I-15 South to Santaquin where we turned west towards Delta, Utah. I had explored parts of this area previously, during what I will call, my "mining phase" in the late 90's and early 00's. It is here where I discovered the joys of being a "digger", finding garnet, topaz and red beryl all with a 3lb. hand sledge, chisel, custom pry bar, a screen and a "spoofer" (you googled it didn't you? - no not THAT spoofer - What you found is incorrect in technical mining jargon
- for my purposes it is a thick gauge wire flattened and bent 90 degrees on one end for pulling material out of "vugs" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vug) - but I digress. That is another story for another time.We drove through Eureka, Utah where main street has numerous opportunities for the risk tolerant in the fallen down rooftop, window missing structures. We envisioned a fashion boutique, rock shop (it is a mining town after all), bike shop, 4x4 specialist shop, an "I survived Eureka, Utah" shirt shop, and brewery (it is a mining town after all). Beyond that there are several interesting vehicles throughout the Eureka, Delta, and Hinckley area waiting for someone to restore including a 'Cuda, '50's cars and several others that I cannot think of right now - and that is along the main 6/50 highway!
Drive far west and watch your map because coming from the east there is precious little warning for the GBNP turnoff - however from the west there is an impressively large sign (we found this on the way to Ely Nevada upon our departure but more on that decision later). We left and arrived (5 hours later) on Friday. We immediately drove up the mountain which is a 12+ mile one way scenic drive with plenty to see. This time of year, due to our impressive snowfall numbers, the top of the mountain was covered. However, from my viewpoint, it made the mountain that much more impressive. Were we to have had better timing we would have found great hiking and camping opportunities at the top above the 10,000 foot mark (my favorite, feet on the ground place). On our way down we stopped to read a "point of interest" marker defining the Osceola Ditch. Apparently the ditch was a way for the miners to get enough water to actually mine minerals - which was a water intensive effort in those days. The ditch was in use for a mere 10 years, yet allowed the miners to recover over $2m worth of gold a year. We decided to walk down the barely discernible trail about a 1/4 mile. With the runoff, however, it became increasingly difficult to follow the path and as such we turned around.
We returned to our campsite to set up at the Whispering Elms. The GF prefers civilized camping and as such on these occasions I am obliged to honor her wishes. A shower is a pre-requisite. And before you think it, I have offered to set the Defender up but she prefers, in her words "I want walls, structure, so I don't feel the wind on my ...." well you get the point. Once camp was set we walked into the bustling metropolis of Baker. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE remote. The two shops were very cool. Both doubled as the eateries in town opening at 1600. One had the normal offerings in the way of food and refreshment. The other (forgive me for not remembering the name but was on the right side of the road coming from "The Elms" as I like to now call it) had a nice selection of refreshments from Nevada and Mendocino County in California. We did not try the food but took a selection of his finest brews back to camp and enjoyed my absolute favorite cool weather camping food - Progresso Clam CHOWDAH! We called it an early night so we were fresh for the adventure awaiting us on Saturday morning - the CAVE TOUR!
Saturday morning we awoke to a brisk morning with little to no cloud cover. We arrived early for the tour and initially it looked like we would be the only fools there! However, within minutes of the 0900 start time others appeared bent on attending the tour. The tour was well presented by Josh, our guide. The tour was also punctuated by the incredibly intelligent 8 year old that knew more about caves and most things in general than most high school graduates, the 50 something motorcyclist that nearly knocked himself out when he tried to stand up in a small area, and the photographer that always seemed to be aiming her flash straight at my cornea's as I tried to appreciate the "decorations". Although I find caves interesting, they are just something to do upon arrival - I do not seek them out.
When we got back to camp we were met by the most inquisitive Siamese cat we had ever seen. She was interested in everything! Three of the funniest was when she thought the rain sheet was the opening to the tent and hung on the screen to see what was in the tent. Second was when I put on my belt and as she promptly sunk her claws into my leg trying to play "cat and mouse" with the buckle. Third when she got tired of the GF ignoring her and jumped onto her lap in the chair and almost put her tail in the GF's nose! Too funny. Although the cat and area was interesting we decided to break camp a day early and head for Ely Nevada to see what it was about. For us the most interesting thing about Ely was the surrounding valleys and of all things Arby's!
As we headed towards Ely we drove around the mountain (well, sort of) and it was apparent that there are plenty of gravel track roads for exploration. Although some, admittedly, were due north in the Humboldt National Forest. Hence, the pre-scout of the area - Eureka! (pun intended) we had found what I was looking for. Throughout our return trip from GBNP to Wendover Nevada I saw many things that have convinced me I need to return to the area with like minded friends. Could it be that we will spend a few days exploring the area? Maybe the next guys trip will be the time. Alas, the GF was ready for a warm shower (as she hadn't taken advantage of those provided by the Elms) and a soft bed. And so we headed for home across Utah on I-80 post haste.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108120709113354283994/May302011?authkey=Gv1sRgCO3VvcLs9NLyLQ#
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