Basin and Range – Nevada September 2010

[Echo_29]

Last month my wife and I made a bombing-run like drive from Los Angeles to Ketchum, ID and then back to Los Angeles four days later. I was a painful drive, piloting our car up U.S. Route 93 from Las Vegas, along the eastern edge of Nevada then returning to Ely, NV then west towards Bishop, bisecting Nevada via U.S. Route 6. While our little GTI was the right car for this particular trip it was the wrong vehicle to pull off the road and wander into the distance or to even pull off onto a soft shoulder to take a photo! This was not one of the trips we’ve become accustom to taking in Nevada.

Our last wander into Nevada was September 2010 in our 80 Series Land Cruiser—an appropriate vehicle for Nevada. This was our third and longest trip to Nevada so far, and at 19 days and 842 off-pavement miles, our best. Unfortunately other priorities have prevented writing and posting a trip report but last months road trip inspired me to finally put something together. Here’s the 2008 Nevada trip report on Expedition Forum.

To organize the trip I once again relied on the DeLorme’s Nevada Atlas & Gazetteer, GoogleEarth, Nevada Map Atlas, and Panoramio. Routes are also organized around fuel; trying to find out where gas is in some of the more remote locations can be a challenge.

I make 11x17 prints then work out routes that are eventually marked on the map in red.

Simultaneously I build up the route with Garmin’s MapSource software. While there’s seems to be little written about the back roads of the vast majority of Nevada, there are some fine, small press books about out of the way ghost towns.

I mostly rely on GoogleEarth to spot interesting topography that I’d like to drive through then try to determine if routes actually go through, which we found out many times don’t. GoogleEarth can’t show you the 4 foot deep vertical chasm that used to be a placid stream crossing, the five-foot tall ungrazed sage brush choking out a road (quite a sight), the three-foot deep dried grass that we feared would set half the state on fire (we turned back), or the trees along the Bruneau River that had grown so low we thought they might take off our roof top tents. Another thing you can’t see from space is how many of these back roads, often just two tracks, are becoming three tracks or less. Presently they’re being used less by trucks and more predominately by ATV’s. We also ran into many hunters on ATV’s that were none to happy to have a couple of large trucks rumble up the road while they sat on their ATV’s, rifles in hand, waiting for something fuzzier to come their way.

Videos
We’ve never shot videos on our trips but we had a new camera with video function that we really didn't know, at the time, how to use properly. Therefore, the exposure and balance isn't always right or even close. Also, we've learned that you need to shoot a lot of video to have something to work with! We were very fickle about taking videos, so there are big holes in the story. When I started writing up this story I thought I'd try putting together a video or two to post along with the photos...then I started playing with, then yelling at iMovie. I finally got the basics down and have included these very simple videos at the end of each days travels.

Here’s the link to the GoogleMap and downloadable GoogleEarth KML file of our route. While we didn’t get to go everywhere we planned, due to weather; roads; fuel; or time; we will be back again and again.


View on Google Maps

 

[Echo_29]

Basin and Range – Days 1 & 2

Day 1 – 3 September 2010

M o r m o n M e s a • V i r g i n R i v e r

Los Angeles to Las Vegas, then easterly to Overton, NV, then off pavement to the top of the Mormon Mesa to revisit Michael Heizer’s monumental earthwork Double Negative. My wife and I first visited Double Negative in 1988 while in college. Double Negative was constructed in 1970 along with a number of other famous earthworks, including the most recognizably from the era, Spiral Jetty on the eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake and Rodin Crater started in 1979. I won’t attempt to define a work of modern art that many might just scoff at so here’s a description of the work:

Double Negative was among the first "earthworks," artworks created as part of a movement known as "land art" or "earth art." Earthworks are contemporary artworks that use as their canvas or medium the earth itself. In keeping with the mission of modern art, Double Negative blurs the distinction between sculpture ("art") and normal objects such as rocks ("not art"), and encourage viewers to consider how the earth relates to art. The sheer size of Double Negative also invites contemplation of the scale of art, and the relation of the viewer the earth and to art itself. How does art change when it can't fit in a museum? How does one observe an artwork that's a quarter-mile long?​

Double Negative 1970

Forty-one years since it was constructed the giant cuts in the mesa are a little worse for wear. Substantial landslides have brought down tons of rock and debris that they artist has said he’d like to repair in the future, but as you’ll read in Day 2 he’s presently preoccupied with a project some 100 miles away and a little project in Los Angeles.

P a h r a n a g a t R a n g e • H i k o R a n g e

After departing the scorching ground of Mormon Mesa, we headed north on Route 93 via Route 168. Our intended campsite was to the west of us, on the other side of the Sheep Range. As we approached our turn off, we decided it was too hot and exposed to camp at the sand dunes adjacent to Desert Lake (dry) so we proceeded north, chasing elevation and a camp with shade. We were quickly rewarded when we spotted the lower and upper Pahranagat Lakes, a National Wildlife Refuge.

Camp alongside Pahranagat Lake


Day 2 – September 4, 2010

S e a m a n R a n g e • G o l d e n G a t e R a n g e

After a surprisingly peaceful night on the edge of Upper Pahranagat Lake, and adjacent to Route 93, we headed north to Hiko on Route 318, then off-pavement for the first time on this trip. We crossed two ranges before descending into Garden Valley in search of Michael Heizer’s ranch and his grand endeavor: City. Visible from space, City has been a work in progress for over 38 years that Heizer has spent, “…many millions of mostly other people's dollars constructing ''City'' -- one of the biggest sculptures any modern artist has ever built, one and a quarter miles long and more than a quarter of a mile wide.”

Michael Heizer’s Ranch and “City” and agriculture at the bottom of Cherry Creek

G a r d e n V a l l e y • C o a l V a l l e y

We knew we couldn’t get in or get close enough to see anything; Heizer says in interviews that the work isn’t complete and he’ll shoot trespassers, but we just had to see what we could see. Like those that creep up to the edge of Area 51 and see nothing, we suffered the same fate. I won’t attempt to explain our motivations or Heizer’s, but below a couple of paragraphs from the New York Times Sunday Magazine article from 2005 where the author interviews several of the men on the ground constructing City.

When I came across Bill Harmon, who pours concrete for the curbs, he echoed what Hicks said about discovering, in the process of building ''City,'' an American can-do ideal, the fine art of heavy construction. Harmon is from Ruby Valley, 230 miles north, and during the week he lives in a trailer at Uhalde's ranch across the valley with six other guys working on the project, including his two sons, Clint and Bo.

''Mike is demanding,'' he said. ''But that's why things are as good as they are. I've worked in concrete all my life, and I've never had the time or money to do something to the best of my ability. Everything is hurry up. It's about making money. That's the American way. But here we have to produce something that has more to do with accuracy than I've ever been allowed even to imagine. This here is my chance to do the best I can. I travel over 400 miles a week just to be here. And my boys take pride in it, too. When it's finished, I'll be able to say, I had the chance to do that.''

I asked him what he thinks the sculpture is about. ''It's hard to explain,'' he added. ''At the beginning I was lost. I can read a set of blueprints, but I had no idea what we were building. I could not see why we were doing this. I got stuck on the practical stuff -- was this a stadium? Were we going to live in it? And then Mike wanted everything within a sixteenth of an inch, even on a concrete slab that was 78 feet by 240 feet.

''But gradually I got the idea. I can't say exactly what it means now, but I know it has to do with history and with making something that will last. I'm not an artist, but I can tell you I'm real proud to be working on something like this.''​

G r a n t R a n g e

Alright, enough about massive artworks in the desert! Departing City we crossed the valley and headed up into the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, climbing Little Cherry Canyon, passing vacation cabins and abandoned Forest Service Houses, before lunching at Cherry Creek Summit.

R a i l r o a d V a l l e y

After lunch we descended into Railroad Valley then quickly turning up Troy Canyon to visit the last vestiges of Troy. [1871]

Troy Mill chimney c.1881

C r o w s N e s t • B a c o n F l a t

From Troy we continued north up Railroad Valley to the roadside remnants of Current, then proceeded via Route 379 to Duckwater Indian Reservation. Our objective was the Duckwater Big Warm Springs that turned out to be the most beautiful water and spring we’d ever seen. We quickly entered the huge, 95F water, and with our dog, enjoyed these magnificent waters.

Soaking and swimming in Big Warm Spring, Duckwater, NV

P a n c a k e R a n g e • D u c k w a t e r V a l l e y

Reluctantly we continued north up the valley, climbed a slight grade, rounded a corner, and came upon a dense stand of large cottonwood tress surrounded by acres of blooming yellow rabbit bush and long protruding fingers of water. Surprised and intrigued we circled around to investigate what the trees could be concealing. Turning into the ranch we were met by a Mormon Hay Derrick, positioned at the entrance like a sentinel, guarding a desiccated farmhouse, surrounded by outbuildings of wood, stone, and concrete. As soon as we arrived, we quickly decided that this would be the night’s camp. With the golden hour upon us, we quickly dispersed to capture the vestiges of another time in the optimum light.

Green Springs Ranch House

Green Springs camp

 

[Echo_29]

Basin and Range – Day 3

Day 3 – 5 September 2010

R a i l r o a d V a l l e y • W h i t e P i n e R a n g e

Pancake and White Pine Ranges from Green Springs

Concrete Barn and Hay Derrick [Diana F+/Fuji Pro160]

M o o r m a n R i d g e • J a k e V a l l e y

Leaving Green Springs I had plotted a path up Cathedral Canyon and back into the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, then onto the ghost towns of Shermantown and Hamilton. Right out of camp we saw a sign directing us to Shermantown and I followed it without consulting the netbook. It wasn’t until we reached the top of Cathedral Canyon that I realized we hadn’t followed my plotted route, so we drove down into the canyon to take a look. The descending took us into a deep and colorful canyon that quickly came to an end where the canyon and road had sustained a significant wash out followed by years of vegetative growth.

Cathedral Canyon

Shermantown c.1869

Shermantown c.1869 [Holga 120N/Fuji]

Shermantown and Hamilton mill chimneys c.1869

 

[Echo_29]

Basin and Range – Days 4 & 5

Day 4 - 6 September 2010

S c h e l l C r e e k R a n g e • S p r i n g V a l l e y

Nevada Northern Railway Museum

After our third visit to the Nevada Northern Railway Museum in Ely we made the one-hour drive to Baker, NV then up the hill into Great Basin National Park. Once in camp we made the short hike down to Grey Cliffs with the intent of exploring the petroglyph cave; unfortunately a permit is required and we had missed being able to enter the cave by one week due to it being closed from April 1 through September 15 to protect a maternity colony of Townsend’s Big-Eared Bats.

Baker Creek Campground at Great Basin National Park

Grey Cliffs



Day 5 – 7 September 2010

While our dog and I sat out, the rest of the group toured Lehman Cave. “Lehman Caves is a beautiful marble cave ornately decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, flowstone, popcorn, and over 300 rare shield formations”. At the completion of the tour, we continued up to the top of Wheeler Peak Road to enjoy the magnificent view of Wheeler Peak.

Lehman Cave

 

[Echo_29]

Basin and Range – Days 6 & 7

Day 6 - 8 September 2010

S p r i n g V a l l e y • M o u n t M o r i a h • W h i t e C l o u d W a s h

With a long day ahead of us, we hit the road early, dropping out of Great Basin National Park and into Baker for fuel and supplies. Nineteen miles northwest of Baker we exited the pavement and drove due north up the long, wide, and windswept Spring Valley. Eight Mile Ranch Road is like many of Nevada’s valley roads, well graded and smooth. We made good time with several quick stops including Eldridge Well and First, Second, and Third Buttes. As the valley topography tightened the road turned west and intersected Route 893, another wide graded north-south ranch road. Leaving behind the wide desiccated valley and with the road closer to the toe of the slope of the Schell Creek Range, the valley came alive with bright green vegetation.

M u n c y C a n y o n • M u d S p r i n g s D r a w

We made our lunch stop at Stone House (as noted on multiple maps), a large and seemingly sturdy house that is slowly succumbing to the elements. With most of the roofs shingles blown away and only the sheathing for protection it’ll only be a matter of time before the house is a pile of stones. Yet someone or some agency has gone to considerable efforts to preserve this bit of Nevada history by shoring up the rear stone wall thus preventing the rest of the structure from being pulled backwards into the valley.

Stone House

S t a g e C a n y o n • G a r r e t t C a n y o n

Pressing on we turned west over Schellbourne Pass, crossing Highway 93, across Steptoe Valley, and into the partially occupied ghost town of Cherry Creek.

R a y S i d i n g • C o c o m o n g o M o u n t a i n

Cherry Creek

C h e r r y C r e e k M o u n t a i n s • B u t t e V a l l e y

After crossing the Cherry Creek Range we turned west and followed the Pony Express Route along Overland Road. Do not ever go this way—ever. Ahead of us in Butte and Long Valleys were miles and miles of six to twelve inch deep talc—talc that when driven into at just the right speed, enveloped the trucks in thick dark clouds of powdered grit. Unfortunately we never captured the complete and prolonged periods of encapsulation on video. Simultaneously as we crossed these wide wash filled valleys the little sky above our self produced clouds was getting darker and more threatening.

B u t t e M o u n t a i n s • L o n g V a l l e y • M u r r y C a n y o n

The goal of our days drive, still fifteen miles away, was Ruby Lakes Hot Springs where we had planned on spending two nights of relaxing and soaking. The closer we got to the springs the cooler the air became. By the time we reached the springs we knew we were in trouble, it was 50 degrees outside and the weather report on the 2-Meter forecasted a night of cold winds and pouring rain with snow predicted in the Ruby Mountains to our west. With camp pitched, we headed for the springs for warmth, only to discover a warm spring where a hot spring should be. With such a large surface area (the largest spring is almost a perfect circle 40-50 feet across) the water had cooled considerably in the wind. Our cool soak was followed by rain that forced us into our trucks cabs for refuge and dinner, then into the tents for an early night.

M a v e r i c k S p r i n g s R a n g e • S t a t i o n B u t t e

Camp at Ruby Lake Hot Springs (not visible—freezing wind)



Day 7 - 9 September 2010

H a r r i s o n P a s s • T o y n C r e e k • M o u n d V a l l e y

After a continuous night of rain we woke to scattered, but still threatening skies, and were now surrounded by sticky, tacky mud. With another day and night of rain and snow forecasted we broke camp and headed south to cross the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Once rolling our fears that of the once billowing talc would turn to truck stalling slime was unfounded—the rain had simply flattened the talc and made the trails a pleasure to drive. We crossed Ruby Lake where it is bisected by a dike that took us to Ruby Valley Road at the foot of the Ruby Mountains. Driving north we turned west onto Harrison Pass Road and proceeded up and over the Ruby Mountains.

Fresh snow on the Ruby Mountains in September

Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge

T w i n B r i d g e s • E l k o S u m m i t

With snow now covering the Ruby Mountains we scrapped the 2 nights we had planned on camping in the Lamoille Canyon and headed into Elko for Basque dinner at the Star and a motel room for the night.

 

[Echo_29]

Basin and Range – Days 8 & 9

Day 8 – 10 September 2010

S t a r r V a l l e y • C l o v e r V a l l e y • G o s h u t e V a l l e y

Still stuffed from the Basque family style dinner the night before, we departed a rain soaked Elko and moved east on Interstate 80. Back in Los Angeles when I was poring over maps looking for places to go I had spotted some odd bends and a loop in the railroad tracks adjacent to I80 west of Wendover, NV. The map said simply The Loop but a search of the Internet pegged the spot as Arnold Loop, constructed in 1902. Exiting the interstate, we wove through a maze of intersecting roads until we finally arrived on the east side of the tracks. Ahead of us a train was heading away towards the loop. Quickly we took chase but soon discovered that the terrain would prevent us from catching our prey so we dropped back and waited for the train to return. Once it passed, we lunched overlooking Arnold Loop and waited for the next train that never came while we were there.

Arnold Loop and Pilot Peak

C l i f f s i d e W e l l • L e p p y H i l l s

Returning to Interstate 80, we crossed into Utah and to Wendover Airport to visit the Center for Land Use Interpretation.
From our 2009 write up:

In 1945 the Enola Gay bomber was based at Wendover where the crew laid over the B-29 on its way to its mission to drop Little Boy on Hiroshima.

Now with the airport under municipal ownership the hanger and a majority of the buildings have been left to decay. Private operators run businesses out of some of the facilities and CLUI has refurbished a number of the buildings for an interpretive center and galleries where the works of resident artist are displayed (yes in Wendover open to those that call the L.A. office to get the combination for the lock and code for the doors). The Interpretive center, new since our last visit, provides an excellent overview of the landscape-altering infrastructure that surrounds the Wendover area: from chemical weapons disposal plants, military infrastructure, and salt processing plants.
​

G r e a t S a l t L a k e D e s e r t • R i s h e l P e a k

By late afternoon we finally headed east out of town and out onto the Bonneville Salt Flats to wander and race before heading into the adjacent Silver Island Mountains to camp for the night.

Happy to be outta’ the truck

Tracy, Allen, Cima, Scott, and Mary-Austin

Salty Dog: Cima speed run

Camp at an old mine in the Silver Island Mountains



Day 9 – 11 September 2010

S i l v e r I s l a n d M o u n t a i n s • P i l o t R a n g e

Breaking camp we drove back out onto the salt flats for additional photos then it was back into Wendover to refuel and wash-away the thick accumulation of salt that now coated the undersides of our trucks. Helpful hint: The last time we were on the flats we learned, after the fact, to stay on the groomed portion of the salt and off of the crunch non groomed areas. Take this advise and you’ll have 2/3rds less salt to deal with at the carwash.

Silver Island Mountains [Holga 120N/Fuji Provia]

P i l o t C r e e k V a l l e y • To a n o R a n g e

We briefly jumped on the I80 west out of Wendover then north on the well-graded Pilot Peak Road to the hamlet of Montello, NV. Northeast on County Highway 765, a smooth, twisty, and narrow road located at the bottom of a valley amongst rolling hills that made every curve a blind one. For this reason we were exceedingly cautious as we progressed up Thousand Springs Canyon. Suddenly around one of those blind curves came barreling a big rig that skidding to a stop within 15-feet of us. Leaping out of the cab, the driver came running over to us to express his regret for almost flattening us. He then proceeded to inform us that he was hauling 85,000 pounds of cattle and that another 10 trucks were heading down the valley behind him. As he left he radioed the other trucks to be more cautious than he was. Rather than continue to poke our way up the canyon we decided to skip tempting fate and turned north up Schoolhouse Canyon for lunch.

T w e n t y o n e M i l e D r a w • E m i g r a n t S p r i n g s

Returning to the cattle highway, we passed Eighteenmile Ranch and Twentyone Mile Ranch before turning north along Rock Springs Creek. After about five miles of this smooth path we turned northeast on a lightly traveled two-track. Today’s final destination was like most days, unknown until we arrived. The plotted path was to lead us over Devils Pass simply because it was on a map and the topography looked intriguing on GoogleEarth. As we drove forward our pace slowed as the road surface continued to disintegrate from smooth two-track to rocky then a narrow passage through five to six-foot deep sage until finally the road just died. Exiting the truck I hiked around in the overgrowth and finally stumbled on a four-foot deep vertical washout ten-feet wide—Devils Creek! On the other side where the maps and GPS showed the route I could find nothing. Turning around I plotted an alternate path paralleling Devils Pass. This route too proved slow, rough and decimated by fire followed by rain, and cattle. With the road cutting perpendicular to the canyons, our drive was a rough and rutted Billy goat ride on a rarely used route.

D e v i l s C r e e k • M o o n s h i n e S p r i n g

After many miles of very slow going, and a run in with a buck the size of a small Elk, we came to the first road that would connect us with the other side of Devil Pass. Tired and cranky we entered a wide valley and spotted a far off rock formation—we headed to it and decided we’d go no farther—this was camp.

Trucks for scale: Camp beneath The Rock

View south, from where we came, from on top of The Rock

O p a l S p r i n g • T r o u t C r e e k

Intrigued by the formation before us we climbed to the top.

 

[Echo_29]

Basin and Range – Days 10 & 11

Day 10 – 12 September 2010

D e v i l s P a s s • T i j u a n a J o h n P e a k

Dawn above camp [Holga 120N/Fuji Provia]

Decamping we decided to backtrack and see if we could get to Devils Pass from the south, we drove to the edge of a burn area we had encountered the day before then hiked up to the top of the pass. Back down at Trout Creek we rounding Tijuana John Peak before continuing north along Trout Creek and on to Jackpot, NV for fuel.

Devil Pass

G r a s s y M o u n t a i n • B e a r M o u n t a i n

Eleven miles south of Jackpot we jumped off Highway 93 and turned west into rolling, grass covered lava fields. Travel was slow going and rocky. High ground offered magnificent vistas while the lowlands tended to be covered with cattle. Even with the clumps of cattle the topography kept offering up scenic rewards. Proceeding west the terrain transformed from rolling hills, deeper cut valleys with shallow streambeds, and canyons topped with small buttes.

S h e l l C r e e k • W h i t e E l e p h a n t B u t t e

W r a n g l e M o u n t a in • E l k M o u n t a i n

Tired from our slow passage we were ready to camp and had high hopes for ditching the pervasive cattle and finding a campsite upon reentered the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest. Alas, there was no relief from the cattle and nowhere to camp as we wrapped around Wrangle Mountain and descended into Lime Creek Basin. Finally, out of the mountains and back into the rolling plains we headed down a cattle road, stopped where the wind had the potential to be the worst, and claimed our camp at just past 6PM.

L i m e C r e e k B a s i n • B u c k h o r n R i d g e

Buckhorn Ridge from camp

My wife claims this was her favorite campsite ever



Day 11 – 13 September 2010

J i m B o b C r e e k • B i r o t h R i d g e

From our amazing campsite above Buckhorn Ridge, our route continued on the still rocky path besides Jim Bob Creek. Slowly we lost elevation and gained vistas of the East Fork of the Jarbidge River and the rolling grassy hills of Idaho in the distance.

East Jarbidge River

While rolling down to Idaho a herd of Pronghorn Antelope came out of the ripples in the hills and charged away from us—nineteen in all.

Foreground Pronghorn Antelope, Background Idaho

M u r p h y H o t S p r i n g s • W i l k i n s I s l a n d

After a brief drive into Idaho we looped back into Nevada and into the scenic Jarbidge River Canyon.

Jarbidge Canyon

Briefly we wandered the street(s) of Jarbidge then drove to the outskirts of town to the Jarbidge Campground for the night.

 

[Echo_29]

Basin and Range – Days 12 & 13

Day 12 - 14 September 2010

B i g I s l a n d • J o h n s G u l c h

Back into Jarbidge we stopped for gas (at a fair price!) then crossed Corral Creek where it meets the Jarbidge River. We climbed along a narrow shelf road until we were atop the towering buttes and once again took in the endless vistas.

Climbing out of Jarbidge Canyon

D i a m o n d A R a n c h • G r a n i t e M o u n t a i n

Now heading south between Deer and Corral Creeks we climbed back into the tree line of shimmering Quaking Aspen until we emerged from the trees and onto a ridgeline with panoramic views of the snow covered mountains of the Jarbidge Wilderness.

John’s Gulch

P a l a c i o R a n c h • R o s e b u d M o u n t a i n

This was the beginning of a measured descent into Wickiup Canyon. The treeless range was covered with dry grasses and recently bloomed Goldenrod—while scenic it was also narrow and off chamber. Once again we proceeded down a path that appeared to have had little or no recent truck traffic. We didn’t know if it went through or worse yet, if we’d have to back up one half mile to the tiny turnout we’d just passed. This was a great road!

Wickiup Canyon Cabin [Polaroid 320/Type 669]

U n i o n G u l c h • M u d S p r i n g s G u l c h

Reaching the bottom of the canyon brought us to a tiny, long-abandoned cabin.

Bruneau River Canyon

M o u n t I c h a b o d • F o r t G o i c o e c h e a R a n c h

Turning south we entered Bruneau Canyon and proceeded along an unseen river beneath towers of overhanging volcanic buttes. As I noted earlier, this canyon and road was completely overgrown (best seen in the video below). When we finally cleared the vegetation and turned west on FS 249 we had an uneasy feeling. The entire area had burned during the last couple of years and now we were entering another unused road with two to three-foot high grasses. Rather than setting another fire with our cats we turned back and continued back down the canyon and rerouted ourselves out to Highway 225 then up to Wild Horse Reservoir Campground for the night.

Camp above Wild Horse Reservoir



Day 13 - 15 September 2010

W i l d H o r s e R a n g e • R o c k y G u l c h • T i m b e r G u l c h

Today the plotted path was into the Owyee Desert, but with all of the prior days slow going we’d burnt up a lot more fuel than I had planned. So before we went anywhere we were going to need more gas. Our closest potential gas looked like it could be northeast up the 225 to Mountain City. Wrong, there wasn’t much of anything left in Mountain City except for a great little historical society museum and a few homes. Without additional fuel, except for our five-gallon jerry cans, we decided to see how far we could get. At the recommendation of the gentleman at the museum, we took a detour to check out the ruins of Rio Tinto, an old mining town with the ruins of the schoolhouse and mines offices.

Porter Peak

M a g g i e S u m m i t • T a y l o r C a n y o n

Just beyond Rio Tinto we left pavement again and headed southeast along Trail Creek, back into the Aspens on Maggie’s Summit, then back into the high desert flatlands at the edge of the Owyee Desert. Once we reached the site of Deep Creek our fuel gauges to us we couldn’t continue on our planned route. Nonetheless we took a ride out to Wilson Reservoir for a dog swim and lunch then we backtracked to the pavement down Highways 226 and 225 to Elko for the night.

Wilson Peak from the west (top)

T e l e g r a p h F l a t • G r e e n C a b i n M e a d o w s

On the way to Elko we made another recommended detour to Tuscarora ghost town to check out the ruins of the mill and wander around the habited portion of town.

Tuscarora Mill Chimney [Polaroid 320/Type 669]

 

[Echo_29]

Basin and Range – Days 14 & 15

Day 14 - 16 September 2010

P i n i o n R a n g e • S u l p h u r S p r i n g s R a n g e • G a r d e n P a s s

Leaving Elko we headed west on I80 to Carlin then south on Route 278 and made a quick detour to Palisades, where two railroad lines thread a narrow canyon.

Palisades, NV: Waiting for a train that never came

Palisades, NV [Polaroid 320/Type 669]

W h i s t l e r M o u n t a i n • D e v i l s G a t e

Returning to the 278 we drove south to Eureka for fuel then west on Highway 50 to Spencer Hot Springs. Luckily the springs, there are four different pools, were not too crowded so we settled in to soak and spend the night.

H i c k i s o n S u m m i t • B i g S m o k e y V a l l e y

Late in the afternoon a farmer from California’s Central Valley stopped by to check out the springs and for the next hour and a half we had one of those great chance-meeting encounters you can only have in the middle of nowhere. The farmer, in his mid 70s, was returning to his ranch after helping find rogue cattle on a friends ranch near Great Basin National Park. We learned about him growing up on an orchard just east of Los Angeles, selling out to developers in the 1950s, buying his ranch up north, and the trials and tribulations of owning and working a farm. It was a real pleasure to meet this gentleman and spend far too little time hearing his fascinating stories.

Views west and east from Spencer Hot Springs

Spencer Hot Springs: Happy Soakers


Day 15 - 17 September 2010

L i n k a M i n e • C o n q u e s t M i n e

After a morning soak we headed southeast over the Toquima Range in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, stopped at Pete’s Summit and peered into the fenced off Toquima Cave to see the petroglyphs, and then down Sam’s Canyon to Potts Ranch and Hot Springs.

Morning soak

P e t e s C a n y o n • M o n i t o r R a n c h

Arriving at Potts we redirected the three large water-spewing plastic pipes from a porcelain bathtub and into the large and empty cattle tube to fill it. While the tube was filling and we were making lunch, a truck with five filthy hunters showed up. How do we know they were filthy; we could smell them and they said they hadn’t bathed in four days and needed a soak! We chased them away telling them we just got there. They said they’d go to the coffee shop and wait for us to finish! Forty-five minutes later, they got their bath after we departed.

Pointing out Diana’s Punch Bowl to Cima

S t o n e b e r g e r C r e e k • W i l l o w C r e e k

Take Only Bones, Leave Only Holes

W h i t e R o c k M o u n t a i n • I k e s C a n y o n

Pott’s Ranch House

W i l d c a t P e a k • M o u n t W i l s o n

Next, several miles south of Potts, we made a quick stop at Diana’s Punch Bowl a one hundred foot high mound of tufa rising out of the basin like a tiny volcano.

Diana’s Punch Bowl 180 degrees Fahrenheit

A l t a T o q u i m a W i l d e r n e s s • P i n e C r e e k R a n c h

From Diana’s we returned to shady Pine Creek Campground where we’d spent a couple nights on our last trip. We settled in for two nights of relaxing.

 

[Echo_29]

Basin and Range – Days 16 & 17

Day 16 - 18 September 2010

Pine Creek hike with North Summit beyond

On our second day we hiked up Pine Creek where Cima scared up a sizable Bighorn Sheep.


Day 17 - 19 September 2010

T o q u i m R a n g e • M o n i t o r V a l l e y

After two restful nights at Pine Creek Campground, we coasted down into Monitor Valley then turned south for a quick tour of historic town of Belmont and the nearby ruins of Highbridge Mill. Cutting southeast across Monitor Valley we drove into the hills on yet another little used trail that quickly became a slalom course of pines with extremely low hanging braches. Finally reaching the top of the pass we stopped for lunch overlooking an amazing white rock formation straight out of Cappadocia, Turkey.

White Rock Canyon

M o n i t o r R a n g e • T a b l e M o u n t a i n

After lunch, we started our decent but things become hairy rather quickly. The underlying base went from dirt to white pumice-marbles that crushed and gave way more and more as the trails cross slope continued to increase. Looking down at the ground as we slowly moved forward I noted the ease at which the truck slid sideways. I radioed back to have the other truck wait and at the suggestion of my wife went for a little hike. The trail grew narrower until I got to a recent washout, which I thought we could pass, but it wasn’t until I turned a switchback that I found the washout had grown in proportion and was impassible in our vehicles. Now for the fun part, backing up the road for one quarter mile, all the way to the crest where I could finally turn around. Afterwards looking at the various maps, they either showed no road, a trail, or “4WD”.

C e m e t e r y H i l l • H o r s e H e a v e n

Ultra Vivid Rabbit Bush [Diana F+/Fuji Provia]

Disappointed we drove back down through the RTT scratching branches, then south through another beautiful valley of lava, past Hunts Canyon Ranch. Then we turned east through McCann Canyon until we finally reached the small valley full of the magnificent white hoodoo formations.

We spent hours wandering about and climbing over these amazing white rock hoodoos that are completely neglected in both of our books on Nevada Geology.

Hold

 

[Echo_29]

Basin and Range – Days 18 & 19

Day 18 -20 September 2010

Departing Little Cappadocia we continued southeast down McCann Canyon and into Stone Cabin Canyon where we ran into four more Pronghorn Antelope, Including one that was a little too curious for his own good.

Pronghorn Antelope

After passing our second Nevada Department of Transportation road crew, in the middle of nowhere grading the gravel road, we headed south and reluctantly turned west, off of gravel and back onto asphalt.

WWII Army Air Force hanger, Tonopah Airport

Out of Tonopah we continued west on the Highway 6 with a detour into Fish Lake Valley to check out the hot springs and pools. Unfortunately, RV’s surrounded the springs and Quads were tearing about, so we continued on to where we knew we’d get a final comfortable soak—Benton Hot Springs.

Fish Lake Valley

Benton Hot Springs

Nevada Pinstripes



Day 19 – September 21, 2010

Home to Los Angeles…


Our trip photos can be found Flickr: Digital and Film.
Tracy's photos can be found on Flickr too.

 

[chicken corners]

Thank you for the trip report.

 

[cnskate]

Awesome trip and an awesome multimedia write up, many thanks. I'm fascinated with the Nothingness and somethingness of Nevada too. We have explored around the the Ruby Mountains a couple of times. Bummer on Lamoille Canyon, but good call on the Star. We encountered that white talc powder near the Ruby hot springs and bailed before we reached them. I'm looking forward to taking our 80 series to a bunch of the other places you went. Thanks again!

 

[scarysharkface]

So much eye candy!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Excellent trip report, I've covered some of those areas in my travels before, particularly the Pony Express Trail from SLC to Reno. The silt beds west of Cherry Creek were un-real, half our group got stuck fighting them, thankfully I was out front and had a clean run, I think some of the others are still cleaning the silt out of their trucks

Hope you don't mind, I'm going to share this link with the ExpeditionNevada folks