7 replies to this topic

[clikrf8]

We just returned from a 4 week camping trip from NW Washington to Nevada via OREGON and a tiny slice of California. I quit blogging as no one ever read them anyway but did do a more visual journal using the Morpholio app on my iPad. I wanted to upload one but file size is too large. I post on Facebook for friends and family.

We enjoy exploring Nevada as there are few people where we go. Our hobbies are ghost towns, photography and rockhounding just being where it is really dark and quiet. We found some nice chalcedony like agates and jaspers plus pretty rocks we liked for character and color. Ghost towns were more elusive as increased modern mining has destroyed a few plus now sites are gated. We snuck in a few photographs, too.

We love the sunsets and one lasted quite a long time. We saw several King snakes and rescued one from a road, bald and golden eagles, foxes, coyotes, many hawks, several owls, magpies, etc. We like being in such a different environment from our native PNW. Junipers, aspens, pines, sage, rabbit brush, Joshua trees don’t grow where we live. Well, we have a few pines and aspens on our acreage but they aren’t native.

We spent about a week in the Tonopah area because we found some ghost towns that weren’t off limits plus found a rockhounding site in a book where there were some nice rocks that hadn’t been cleaned out. My husband is on an opiate for back pain and Tonopah has one drugstore that is not open Friday-Sunday so we had a few large extra days to drive back roads. We found a few places to check out like Goldfield, Goldpoint, Columbia, Belleville, Ralston and Candalaria. Goldpoint is now privately owned so although it is not falling apart, you can’t really poke around exploring. Also, I am not fond of seeing RVs parked in an old mining town like here and Belmont. It ruins the ambiance. The owner I was told bought it from BLM.

We also spent much of our time dispersed camping. An old gravel pit, Candalaria, a flat spot off 361, another gravel pit, and along the California Emigrant Trail near Golconda. Until we arrived on the Oregon Coast where it is becoming almost impossible to Boondock due to posted no camping signs, we only spent $18 on camping in 3+ weeks. I think we like our dispersed campsites the best.

We found a gravel road that had some nice agates that was in no book. We were checking out gravel pits and our dog Blitzen began to whine. That usually means he has to go, now! I got out to walk him when I saw agates everywhere, the white lumpy ones. We quickly filled our pockets and plan to return next Spring.

On the way from Tonopah to home, we drove the Poleline Road towards Gabbs. We stopped to see the Crescent Dunes solar array that powers 75,000 Nevada homes. The intensity of the sun heats salt that powers the generator. Novel concept.

We drove two questionable roads asking where did the road go? One was an alternative to 95 after visiting the Gemfield Rock Pits. It looked like a decent road on Benchmark Nevada map. And, it terminated at a paved road off 95. It began okay then worsened. It ended up near a good sized ditch at the paved road so we had to use 4x4 plus drive out at an angle. We did see a mama burro and her baby, though. The other was the road that was or followed the California Emigrant Trail. It became rutted, washed out and at one point we were driving along a rock cliff with a drop off into the Humboldt River on the other side. It was also very sandy and at times I didn’t think our lumbering beast would make it.

Anyway, we love Nevada and plan to return next spring to explore more of the north. Sad about the Lemoille Canyon Fire. I just read about it on this forum. We were there a few years ago. Beautiful area.

[Hoopy]

Like the history of your trip.we are .also based in PNW also based in the PNW😊

[Smokecreek1]

Yep, glad you had fun but at least we can still find places to do "that back country WTW  experience" and that is what counts-right ? That and planning for that next WTW experience are what life is all about!

 

Smoke

[ski3pin]

clikr, you visited a lot of special places in Nevada, looks like a very nice trip! We are looking forward to some photos.

[clikrf8]

We have pretty much given up on Utah, Eastern Sierra, anywhere near National Parks just because all the crowds, even in late October, spoil the experience for us. I guess when we are enjoying what Nature has to offer, we prefer the solitude to contemplate and enjoy without the presence of others.

One area we have yet to explore is North Nevada, Southern Idaho where we will travel next spring. Also, NW Colorado has some beautiful areas where you can have solitude unlike the SW part of the state. We may combine SW Wyoming, the Uintas, NW Colorado next fall plus Bear Lake Area. There are still places to explore that have yet to be over saturated.

Nevada is off most peoples’ radar for some reason. But, there are some really special places there that have their own merits. We did check out Spencer Hot Springs off Highway 50 but it was crowded with clothing optional crowd. The Toquima Caves Rock Art was special and we did venture up to Diana’s Punchbowl. But, we just enjoy driving along the gravel roads wondering what’s up in that canyon or why was that ranch abandoned?

[Foy]

May I suggest keeping north-central Idaho as well as southwestern Montana on your "must see" as well as "not oversaturated" list.  Your "where does THAT road go" urges will make for some totally enjoyable gravel road cruises with the Benchmark on the navigator's lap.

 

We have yet to spend any real time in Idaho, but the section of Montana bounded by I-90 on the north, the Bitterroot Valley and the Idaho state line on the west and south, and the Madison River valley on the east is our favorite stomping grounds.  We've visited that exact area repeatedly over the last 40 years and could easily visit annually for the rest of our lives and never run out of new and splendid places to see.

 

But Shhhhh!  Don't tell anybody!

 

Foy

[clikrf8]

Hi Foy, yes, we have been there and plan to revisit. We enjoy Lemhi Pass, Yaak River and the areas around Challis and Salmon. We also drove the Moon Road south from Wallace to St Joe River. It was an old RR line so I think we drove through 7 tunnels. Beautiful area.

[clikrf8]

I just published my first gallery on WTW. These just cover th3 first 7 days. I started using this app 5 trips ago October 2017. My file sizes even using an iPhone are large. I need to get a resizing app for my iPad. Anyway, this is how I share our explorations via Facebook. I may add them to my Instagram account, too but would prefer to have a small audience. I like sharing with my fellow WTW folks as you like the quiet and remote like we do.

http://www.wanderthe...018-10-waor-nv/

Edited by clikrf8, 01 November 2018 - 08:51 PM.