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Black Rock Desert


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#1 craig333

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Posted 03 October 2021 - 12:07 AM

At least we missed the wind that Lighthawk had. This was my first paid trip other than Cal4wheel events. Led by Bob Wohlers from the Off Road Safety Academy. We had no issues, events, disasters or otherwise on this trip. I however had a slight little problem. On my to camp at Rye Patch SRA I had a blowout going down a gravel road. It neither sounded or felt like any blowout I've had before. 

 

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I couldn't fit the bottle jack under the axle so I had to break out the hi lift jack. Then I realized I had no lubricant. I did have some door lock lube that did that trick. I knew Bob was staying in Winnemucca so I called him to try and locate a tire while I put on my spare. Of course they don't carry Coopers in Winnemucca but I told the guy just find me whatever you have thats close. I managed to reach the Les Schwab store seven minutes before they closed. They were good about staying to finish the job. The tire was kind of pricey. I wonder if they added a desperation fee :)

 

Rye patch was a nice place to camp. We all met up at the TA. 

 

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I had to do a little double take when saw the attendees. Tom Hanagan (former owner of FWC) was along for this one. I didn't know anyone else but they turned out to be a nice bunch of people.

 

Unfortunately my Nikon pics all came out very dark. No time to work on those yet so just a few I took with the cell phone. We started the Lassen Applegate trail near Imlay.

 

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I had the oldest truck and camper by far. We lunched at a mine where bob took the wrong way out. He's a pretty good backer upper ;)  We took a small shortcut to wind up at Trejo hot springs before continuing on to camp on the Playa. 

 

The next day we continued on to the hot springs. There were a few wet spots on the playa but it was mostly dry. 

 

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Riley was on tight leash at double hot springs. We continued on to mud lake where I tried to get Riley to swim but he was more interested in looking for rabbits. We camped at the cabin near Soldiers meadow. Nice to have an outhouse and fire pit. The next day we headed over to the entrance to High Rock Canyon.

 

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Bob didn't recommend it for full size rigs. In hindsight where I'd have been happy to do it, trying to get eleven rigs through probably wouldn't have been a good idea. 

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We continued on out to 34? 

 

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Having some extra time we went on in to Gerlach and visited Bruno's before spending the last night back out on the Playa. Had an uneventful trip home.

 

We had two dogs on the trip. Riley got to play with River, a female black lab. I'd be happy to camp with anyone of the people we had along on this trip. Great group.


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#2 Casa Escarlata Robles Too

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Posted 03 October 2021 - 12:48 AM

The people at Les Schwab stores have always been great for me.

You sure messed up that tire.

Things worked out for you though.

Frank


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#3 dakozicki

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Posted 03 October 2021 - 12:52 AM

Great trip report Craig. I’d travel with the group again too. It was great to meet you and Riley. Glad you made it home ok. Also, I have followed your posts on here for awhile. Now, “I can put a face to the name.” Hit me up when you want to do the High Rock.

Edited by dakozicki, 03 October 2021 - 01:03 AM.

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#4 geologyjohn

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Posted 03 October 2021 - 12:56 AM

The Applegate Trail, and especially the High Rock Canyon section of the trail are worth exploring if you are into the events of the 1840’s-1850’s in the far west. I highly recommend purchasing the detailed trail guide books published by Trails West out of Reno. They are the group that placed (and maintain) those “T-shaped” railroad iron markers you see when traveling these “49’er” trails.
Thanks for posting.
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#5 Lighthawk

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Posted 03 October 2021 - 03:58 AM

Trails West looks like a fine organization.  We've certainly seen their T-markers in our travels.  We've got other friends who have participated with their tours in High Rock.  

 

Good call not bringing a eleven rigs through that narrow route.  


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#6 ski3pin

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Posted 03 October 2021 - 05:05 PM

Yes, Trails West is a great resource for overland trail information.

 

Les Schwab helped us the one time we left the truck (prior to our current truck) and hiked out to a larger dirt road where we got a ride with a geothermal generation development foreman who got us the long way out to pavement where he had one of his workers waiting to give us a long ride into Fallon, Nevada to sort out how to get a tire out to our - now incredibly - distant truck. Les Schwab and the crew at the Fallon store received as nice of a thank you from us as we could do for them.

 

There are incredible places to discover out that way.

 

We're glad you and Riley had a great time out there. Thanks for the trip report! :)


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