Yeah! We made it to Nevada

Whewww! It's hot here! Should be no surprise, but when you've been up in the forested mountains it does come as a shock.

At the entrance to the interpretive center

We had originally planned to space out the distance over two different stops, on our way to Minden, but with the heat we decided to condense it to just one. 'Might as well spend the day in an air-conditioned truck! We did make time to stop along the way at the California Trail Interpretive Center, near Elko.

The temperature prevented us from exploring the trails around the center, but we did enjoy the inside. Life size dioramas and other historic displays, short videos, very knowledgeable docents, and a variety of beautiful artwork make this a stop worth devoting some time too.

Back side of the statue

Much of the information is presented in a hands-on format so it's great for kids too.  If you're really pressed for time a pull-off with several information kiosks is located just before the center, off to the side of the highway. 

The artwork, dioramas and murals depict the local tribal life as well as the pioneers. 

Our last night on the road, for awhile anyway, is the New Frontier RV Park, in Winnemucca, NV.  This was a rather unusual RV park in that at least half of the area was filled with brand new, very nice workforce housing units. It appeared some of the occupants are miners or other similar jobs, but many appeared to be otherwise employed. There's huge growth in the area in all kinds of services, so apparently the standard housing hasn't kept up with demand. The park is quite new, and very nice, with large spaces. 'Mostly graveled sites, with a little grass here and there, and a small fenced dog run, so the pups weren't thrilled. It had been a long day in the truck, but we made-do. We had dinner at the nearby Wingers and called it a day. 

Saturday, June 24 - We made it!  We pulled in to the Finch Estate in the early afternoon, and promptly settled in. Now it's time to start getting ready for the big Happy Birthday American party!!

Nevada welcomed us with one of her famous beautiful sunsets!

Rye Patch Reservoir

Tuesday, July 27

We stop at the campground on Rye Patch Reservoir quite often as it's a good distance from our annual 4th of July gathering in Fish Springs (Gardnerville).

Rye Patch Recreation Area is on the Humbolt River. . . yes, there are rivers in Nevada. You might not know this one is here. Driving down highway 80 the scenery is typical dry and dusty sagebrush desert, though this year the rabbit brush is looking nice and bright due to recent rains. The park is about 50 miles southwest of Winnemucca, which has a very nice county museum if you'd like to learn more about the area, and also a couple of good Basque restaurants, so check those out locally.

The drought that has hit the other western states is definately taking its toll on Rye Patch. The reservoir is down so low that boats can't launch from the usual ramps, but boats under 20 ft. can launch from select spots along the shore. 
The river, below the dam, is where our favorite camping area is situated. Our favorite site, right at a bend in the river, was available so we slid in and set up in record time as it is completely level (a rarity!)


We noticed a distinct change in the shoreline this year, not only with the water receding from the banks, but the dense brush that has grown up in the silt that is now damp but not covered with water as it was before. The shoreline is pretty, with the contrast between the silvery blue-gray of the Russian olive trees setting off the green of willow shrubs, sedge plants and the three foot tall giant Indian paintbrush flowers. It would be prettier with more water though!

All I could think of is, when the river fills back up and people come here to fish again there's going to be a lot of tackle lost among those weeds! The fish will love all those branches to hide in of course, but it makes a real challenge for fishermen.

We had a classic dinner of fried trout (thanks to our fishing friends at the Ochoco campout) and then very pleasant evening enjoying the gentle breeze and almost bug free evening. Shade in the campground is provided by sever large Russian olive and other native trees, so it's cool, and the birds have places to settle when they aren't feeding out on the river. I think due to the loss of deep water at their usual fishing holes we didn't see as many cranes and herons as usual, but the birdlife around the river is still worth watching.

Next stop, our friend's place in Gardnerville, where we'll do the final packing before we head North, To Alaska! There probably won't be many updates along the way, depending on connections, but we'll catch up after the cruise.

Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

Saturday, July 25
We packed up and left the Junipers RV Resort behind, heading south, and timing our departure so we could have lunch at the Adel store. (Adel is south of Lakeview on 140, on your way to the Nevada border.)

The little store is really more of a cafe, with a few odd bits for sale around the corners, and gas is still available too. The town of Adel was the headquarters for the MC ranch when it was a major working operation (see previous post for more on the ranch.) The area's long ranching history is commemorated in the little store with branded boards, saddles and branding irons hanging from the ceiling, and the many local customers wandering in and out, garbed in the expected boots and hats.

We had a great burger (me) and eggs (Steve) and chatted a bit with a few folks. It's a friendly little place, though not geared for tourists especially. I don't think they get many. It's a homey little place where locals hang out and all seem to know each other's names. Drop in if you're out that way!

Happily stuffed after lunch we continued on to another of our favorite rustic stops.

Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge is in the far northwestern corner of Nevada, a place so isolated few even know it's here.

Driving west on hwy. 140, from the CA/NV border to the interior of NV, looking south, there are only one or two small signs indicating the road into the campground, and not a bit of the beautiful green marsh landscape can be seen from the highway. Tawny, rocky rolling hills appear all to be what lies beyond the blacktop. Not so!

Hunters know about Sheldon, as it's an antelope and bird refuge, so during hunting season it gets quite a bit of attention, opal hunters and other "rock hounds" know it's here, as there are pay-to-dig mines here and the area is famous for its fire opal.

We and a few other hardy souls know it's here because we enjoy the quiet beauty of the area. The Virgin Valley campground where we stay is rustic to be sure, but that's why it's not crowded!

Our favorite spot was occupied (there aren't really any designated sites, just picnic tables scattered about) so we huddled down among the shrubs. That's our rig on the far right in the photo.

We've dubbed this area "hunter's camp", as it boasts a lift hoist and game gambrel, which probably get a lot of use during hunting season.

We spent the afternoon settling in, looking at the changes since the last time we camped here, several years ago. It was a busier campground this time, but that's to be expected on a weekend.

Children and seniors can fish off a little dock on one of the ponds at the edge of the campground, so that's a draw for several of the families. Many visitors are undoubtedly drawn by the naturally heated pool and pink sandstone bathhouse. Others just like the relaxing pace. Shiner enjoyed the opportunity to explore out in the sagebrush with no traffic or other dogs to distract her.

The refuge is a stopover for many migrating birds, so the list of birds you might find here is extensive, depending on the time of year. Now, in early summer, most of the travelers have moved through, and the population seems to consist largely of night hawks, song birds, crows, summer tanagers and the like.

There's a resident jackrabbit who tours the campground on a regular basis too. Fortunately, Shiner was usually looking the other way when he loped by.

Sunday we went for a drive. First venturing down the short dirt road out of camp to view the very impressive Thousand Creek Gorge. This rugged volcanic outcrop towers over the low lying marshes, the red stone provides striking contrast to the green and gold vegetation below.

Though the old maps show the road going through it appears it hasn't for several years.

We backtracked and took the highway east, looking for Baltazar hot spring, which we found on the map. (Toppo map here if you are into such things.)

We enjoyed the scenic geology along the way, but really weren't prepared for the dramatic view when we crested Thousand Creek Summit. Wow! I'm sure we could see most of the state from our vantage point.

According to the maps we consulted, Baltazar Hot Spring is located at the north end of a Continental Lake, a dry lake that is leased for cattle grazing.

We found the road to take us into the area and decided it looked like a good place to stop for lunch. I've never seen a state highway sign hung on a good ol' Texas gate like this one, but this is Nevada, so it didn't really surprise me... and we did shut the gate!

The remains of two stone rooms, or small stone buildings connected by some newer concrete walls, and a stone dugout, gave us an opportunity to think about who might have lived there, and what the intent was of some of the features we noticed about the buildings.

The cows were a bit curious about us, but none ventured too close. They all seemed to be doing well on the grasses growing around the spring and the creek that feeds them.

We never made it to the hot spring itself, as it seemed to be quite a ways out from the road, and we didn't want to disturb the herd.

The area has several hot springs in addition to the one that provides the pool in the campground. Further exploration is possible for those who don't mind logging several miles on gravel roads.

Leaving our picnic site we ventured further on, to the east, to Denio Junction (the intersection of hwy. 140 and hwy. 292), then on north to Denio itself. Denio is right on the Nevada/Oregon border and believe me, there isn't much there. We couldn't locate any business that appeared to be functioning, but there is a post office.

Turning back to Denio Junction we thought we'd drop into the little store and pick up an ice cream or a cold drink, but the store wasn't open. There weren't any hours posted, so we chalked it up to the day being a Sunday, and just enjoyed the sculptures out in front. The cute little car appears to have once had an engine in it, and the gas tank on the motorcycle says "God's Ride". Very creative!
The store appears to still be in business, but no guarantees.

Back in camp we watched dark storm clouds build up, and as the wind began to pick up we contemplated the possibility of a storm. Not wanting to take chances Shiner and I headed out for our after dinner walk immediately after dinner.

Hoping for a good view we worked our way up to one of the ridges near the campground. No view was to be had, just another ridge, but I did get that great distance shot of the campground (middle photo), and some lovely cloud photos to inspire future art projects.

It never did rain, but the winds shook the trailer for a few hours after dark, finally settling down in the wee hours of the morning.

We packed up quickly in the morning and were on the road by 9 A.M. Next stop, another of our favorite desert stops, Rye Patch Reservoir.

Cave Lake and the Charcoal Kilns

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Cave Lake State Park is just a few miles east of Ely. We stopped here, at Elk Flat campground, in the past (see that post) and had a good experience so decided on a repeat visit. We like Elk Flat campground, as the spaces are widely separated with the juniper trees providing considerable privacy. Ely is close enough to run in for groceries and other necessities which is nice if staying for several days.

Thursday was the day for exploring. We took hwy.50 (hwy.6) north just a few miles to the turnoff for the Ward charcoal kilns historic site. 

Cave Valley Road leads to the kilns, where you turn off at the sign for the Willow Creek Trading Post.

You'll find charcoal kilns like these at many locations throughout the west, as in pioneer times charcoal was an important fuel used in mining and metallurgy industries. 

The process was long and complicated, involving 35 cords of wood cooked through a special process for 13 days for each batch produced. 

The active mining area here required so much charcoal the surrounding hillsides were almost completely stripped of trees by the time the mines petered out.

These particular kilns have weathered the years quite gracefully, perhaps because of their remote location and the generally dry weather. 

Now, with desert shrubs softening their edges and colorful lichens growing on the stone blocks, they are interesting relics of a time long past. The skill in stone masonry required to build the kilns is to be admired.  

Willow Creek runs past the kilns, and though the area is largely sagebrush, the creek itself is lush with grasses, mint and pennyroyal, which sent of a wonderful aroma when Shiner went down to check out the fresh water gurgling under the little footbridge.

If you're looking for an out-of-the-way place to camp, Willow Creek campground, near the kilns, is attractive, with generous sites and thick stands of juniper and pines between them. And it was completely unoccupied! 

Each site has a covered picnic table, and there’s a smallish group site available. There’s also a picnic area halfway between the kilns and the campground with two tables and restrooms. 

Leaving the kilns we backtracked to the Ward Mining District turnoff. As the term "district" indicates there were, and are, several mines here. Some are still in operation and not open for exploration. The actual Ward town site is at the upper end of the road, past the cemetery.

The Ward Cemetery is an interesting place to explore. An information sign board at the entrance tells the history of several of the individuals and families buried there. Several ornate markers still stand, a few plots are set apart with wrought iron fences, but most of the graves are protected with simple wooden fences. Many are unmarked now, the names and dates lost to time and weather. 

There isn’t much left of the town now but a few stone foundations, though more can be seen if you hike out among the sagebrush. As the temperature was dropping rapidly and we were being pelted with icy raindrops we passed up that opportunity in favor of continuing our tour on the road. 


At the end of the road there's the remains of a mining operation and a few metal structures surrounded by colorful piles of tailings.

We returned to our campsite by the alternate route, taking the cutoff east from the charcoal ovens site back to hwy 50 (this would be the southern entrance to the kilns from hwy 50). This road is shorter (3 miles less of gravel) and with less noticeable washboards than the northern route. If towing a trailer in to the campground at the kilns we’d definitely recommend this route. 

Elk Flat is definitely a dog-friendly place to stay. Surrounded by wide-open spaces there are opportunities for hiking in all directions. Shiner and I headed for a nearby ridge for this view of the campground.

Our campsite as seen from a ridge to the NW of the campground

Elk Flat campground is situated high up on a ridge so there are nice vistas from several of the sites. Many of the sites will accommodate our length so it's easy to find a space, and there’s a restroom with showers, as well as an RV dump.

Cave Lake

The Lake View campground, higher up, is nice, but steeper, tighter and designed more for fishing and boating visitors.There's usually more traffic there, which means more dust too. The sites are higher up than the lake, affording a nice view from many of them. 

All things considered, this is a nice state park for those who like to hike (there are several trails) fish, boat, or just relax!

Cave Lake State Park and environs album here.

Bob Scott Campground, Nevada

July 9 

We left Fish Springs, through Carson City and turned east on hwy. 50 – Nevada’s Loneliest Highway.

Traveling east, we pass through mining country, and then out into the wide open spaces of the Great Basin. A little east of Fallon a highway points to the the Navy's Centroid Facility. This area contains a simulated air defense network, including approximately 20 operational radar installations. Most of this area is publicly accessible, with the exception of areas immediately surrounding the radar installations. You won't see much more of it than the sign on the highway as the facility is situated quite a ways off the road.

Whizzing by in an automobile the highway does look lonely now, from the asphalt, but examining the map one can see what a busy area this stretch of Nevada has been over the years. The Pony Express Route, The Overland Express Route, and the Lincoln Highway all share this same ground along this stretch of the Great Basin. 

The map is dotted with the names of long gone communities, rail sidings, ranches and mines, in addition to currently active military installations and test sites, like the Centroid Facility. There are remains of stone and wooden structures at several points along the highway, some with historic information plaques. If you use your imagination it’s far from lonely or boring!

We spent time in the well-known town of Austin a few years ago, so didn’t stop this time, choosing instead to move on to the campground. See the post on that previous trip here.

About four miles east of Austin we stopped at Bob Scott Camp Ground. This is a nice, quiet hideaway that's probably designed more for hunters than today's average RV traveler. There are only 9 spaces, and 1 group site, and most are fairly small. We managed to find one we could tuck ourselves into. The restrooms are small, but do have running water, though no showers.

Sheltered by juniper trees, the sites are fairly private. The campground is surrounded by a log fence to keep out cattle and other grazers one would suppose, as you cross a cattle guard when entering. Shiner found crossing the cattle guard a bit of a challenge but eventually tiptoed across it. 

We hiked up the hillside in back of the campground (outside that log fence) and she really enjoyed the opportunity to check out all the rodent holes, follow the hunters' trails and just generally run around like crazy. This is a very dog-friendly site for large critter like her who need some space to run now and then.

A curious phenomenon had occurred in the area recently, leaving the ground resembling Swiss cheese. 

Closer inspection revealed nymph shells, some stuck in the holes in the ground and some on branches, and a few adults that didn’t survive the hatch – cicadas! 

Considering the number of holes there were hundreds and hundreds of them crawling out of the ground at nearly the same time. It must have been quite a sight to see when they were all hatching! 

More info on the cicada hatch of 2013 and a chart of when and where the next hatch can be expected. Most of the western states don't show up in the chart, but maybe yours does! The site includes a video of the nymphs as they emerge from the ground and a wealth of additional information on cicadas. According to the chart we're due for them in Texas in 2015.

Nevada State Train Museum

July 5 

The fire in the hills behind the house in Fish Springs looked pretty calm in the morning, so we loaded up our kids and headed for the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City.

Who doesn't love a an old fashioned steam engine? There's one in every old cowboy movie it seems, and they show up often in all the mystery and spy movies. Many of those famous "actors" are now living here, in the Carson City train museum, and we had a ride on one of them.


Our grandson Jax loves trains, and he enjoyed seeing the real thing he’s been seeing in his picture books. 

We were barely in the door when he latched on to the small wooden train set up in the lobby.




The museum houses lots of restored cars and engines, well presented with historic information about the individual train cars as well as the history of trains within the state of Nevada, and in some cases, the names of the movies they've appeared in. 

Trains played an important role in the development of Nevada's mines, and are still important in the state. The route from Carson City up to Virginia City, the historic silver mining city in the mountains, has been restored and there are several opportunities to ride the train over that route.

There's  also a real steam train to ride around the museum property. There are several choices of cars to ride in, some open and some more closed in so in any weather the passengers can be comfortable

My favorite of all the restored cars was the McKeen Motor Car. 

Such an unusual example of engineering! 

In searching for engineering solutions to the strength needed to build the car as designed the knowledge of boat and plumbing experts was incorporated, resulting in a machine reminiscent of a diving bell, and worthy of a Jewels Vern novel.

It manages to look very Victorian, yet modern at the same time. Today's Steam-Punk fan would feel right at home in this train car. It is operable and does run fairly often, so there are opportunities to experience this unusual and elegant form of transportation. 

The restoration of the car is impeccable. Volunteers spent many hours and the results are amazing. All the brass has been reproduced, and the light fixtures, while appearing authentic, have been changed from the original gas to electric without altering or harming the design.


The train departs from an original, restored, depot building, and the volunteer conductor and engineers all dress their parts. (You can buy little engineers overalls in the gift shop - guess what Jax went home with!)

The train travels two circuits around the museum property, which gives the passengers time to view many of the historic rail cars waiting to be restored, as well as a railroad turntable and other pieces of railroad equipment. This is a really wonderful experience for kids, of all ages! 
   More train photos here.

We had a nice lunch at nearby Schatts bakery just a few blocks away, picked up a few baked goods, and then headed back to Fish Springs, with Jax making train noises in the back seat all the way. 

We were hoping to see the Bison fire had been contained by the time we arrived back in Fish Springs. Unfortunately the famous Washoe Zephyr had no mercy on the firefighters, and the fire had spread to the northeast, by this time the acreage increasing to an estimated 17,000 acres. 

In the evening we all settled in to the Finch’s elevated deck, a good place to view the smoke and the flames, which become visible in the dark. 

The local fire department prints up commemorative T-shirts for large events and neighbor Aaron and his father gifted several of us with one of them. 

The pattern we’d been observing over the first two days of the fire is pretty consistent. After sunset the winds calm down, the humidity levels come up, and the fire settles down. The winds pick up every day around noon, gusting up to 25 mph at times, and often changing direction for brief periods which make fighting the fire very difficult. 

Each morning we looked hopefully at the hills that had been blazing the night before, thinking the cool, damp morning conditions would give the firefighters a break, and then, the winds would again whip up the flames and the fire was off and running. 

In the photo at right, the small glow to the far right is where the fire started, but by the time this was taken the winds had pushed the flames to the east (photo is looking south from the Finch's deck.)

As the wildfire grew it became the focus of everyone’s attention. We watched planes and helicopters deliver retardant and water to the fire. By evening it looked as though they had a pretty good handle on the fire, again. It seemed so in the morning too. 

Fortunately the winds were cooperative in direction if not intensity and the fire circled around the small community of Fish Springs, to the northeast. The firefighters managed to keep it out of any residential areas in the foothills, though a few mining buildings were lost. 
As we left Fish Springs, on July 9, the fire had moved clear around to the east, over several ridges, into the juniper and sage forest beyond. It was estimated to have consumed about 25,000 acres, and was still burning.

UPDATE: See the Inciweb map and report for the details of the fire.The Finchs' place is just about in the middle of the loop road labeled Pinenut Road. As of July 14, 2013 the fire was 100% contained, and the cost, to date, of fighting this fire is $7,729,660. That doesn't begin to describe the lost forest cover, or the archeological damage, as much of the acreage is Washoe ancestral land.

Independence Day, Nevada style

July 4 – Happy Birthday America!

This is an annual event for us, and has been for many years.
Friends and family from several states have attended this reunion for so many years that we all really look forward to the gathering every year as a chance to catch up, as well as to eat some amazing food. Many of us arrive in RVs, camping around the perimeter of the property.

With the yard all decked out in bunting and lights, several flags flying in the front yard, and many of the guests dressed for the event, it's a festive affair.
 

The making of the sauce, cooking the meats, and preparing all the side dishes is very much a community effort. 

Some of the cooks have been helping out since they were in elementary school! It's a good thing there are some BBQ chefs to help carry on the tradition when us old folks decide to retire. Those who started attending as children now have children of their own, so the tradition continues.

 
About 3:30 in the afternoon there was a brief cloud burst and a bit of lighting, sending everyone scurrying to the garage with their lawn chairs. Pounding, icy rain interspersed with half inch hail pelted us, and the temperature dropped quickly. Nevadans are accustomed to lively weather so everyone adapts quickly.

The kids were happy as soon as the toy boxes were pulled out. . . . . 

. . . .and the adults just grabbed a drink and kept on visiting. 

A few minutes after the storm we noticed a little puff of smoke in the hills south of us. 

The puff grew quickly and before we knew it there was a pretty sizable cloud of smoke, rather worrisome in these dry conditions. 

Spreading quickly, the fire soon consumed about 7,000 thousand acres, and was dubbed the "Bison Wildfire.” We estimated the fire to be 4-6 miles away, and watched the direction of the wind carefully as that distance isn't much buffer if the wind is pushing the fire your way.

The party wound down and most of the guests went home. Those remaining adjourned to the upper deck to watch the fire.

Lagomarsino Petroglyph Site, Nevada

Our annual 4th of July BBQ and reunion with friends from "the old days" brings us to Gardnerville, Nevada, every year. As usual we had a terrific time - and ate way too much! It is always wonderful to catch up with old friends, and this year almost everyone's children, and in some cases their grand children, were able to attend so it was a particularly historic year.

There was also an additional treat this year. Our hosts, knowing of our interest in rock art, asked if we were interested in seeing the largest petroglyph site in the state. It took about 10 seconds of serious deliberation to answer that question!

Plans for the trip were interrupted by a thunderstorm - not only NOT a good time to be up on a mountain top, but also not a good time to go exploring on primitive roads. A sunny day followed, so cameras and lunch loaded up, my guide, Grant, and I took off for Logomarsino Canyon. (Steve unfortunately had been committed to another activity that day.)

Grant had warned us the road was narrow and rough, and it wasn't an exaggeration. Heading out to the suburbs of Virginia City we followed an organized pile of rocks that passes fairly well for a road, wandered through the canyons, and admired the scenery along the way.

One striking feature of the landscape is the number of rock walls - remnants of the early sheep ranching era. Miles and miles of wall run up and over the rolling foothills. Some of the stones used to build these walls are amazingly large, and one has to wonder at the technique and pure brute strength needed to construct them.

There are no sheep to speak of now, but there are herds of wild horses everywhere. Presumably they've either learned to jump the low walls or have knocked paths through them, as the horses seem to go pretty much where they please. There are also springs and a free flowing creek available, so water is easily available for the wildlife.

Wild horses rest near one of the stone walls

Though the drive from Virginia City is only a few miles, it takes about an hour and a half. A high clearance vehicle with 4WD and low range is recommended. Some of the springs make lovely mud holes and getting stuck wouldn't add to the enjoyment of one's trip. Grant's previous trips to the area had him well prepared and thanks to his driving skills we didn't have any difficulties.

The entrance to the site is protected by a locked steel gate, but it's only a few yards from the parking area to the first of the glyphs. Looking up from the trail at the bottom of the slope for the first time can only elicit a "Wow!", or something similar.

Note the crack in this boulder.

 The area is packed with petroglyphs, over 2,000 panels, and obviously of varying ages. The range of symbols, the varying styles, and the size of the area involved are all very impressive.

We hiked around for about three hours, trying to avoid stepping on any of the glyphs, but anxious to gather all the photos we could. (We took over 400 between the two of us.) Many of the motifs clearly relate to hunting and fishing, others feature humans, water symbols, and others could be maps of some kind. It is fun to try to interpret them, even though putting yourself in the mindset of someone hundreds of years ago is not really possible. The area was undoubtedly different then too. We know from geologic records this area was much wetter then, and what is a creek now may very well have been a river then.

Many of the boulders at the bottom of the slope have been abraded by the horses tromping on them, others are fractured and the weight of a horse may eventually complete the process of breaking the rock. The droppings in the area indicate it's horses doing this, not cows, but keeping them out might be difficult as the whole wild horse issue has become a real point of contention in the state. It's become quite emotional, and much of the problem comes from the use of the term "mustang". These horses should more properly be called "feral horses", as they do not have the bloodline of the historic Spanish Mustang.

It's obvious because of missing pieces in designs that many boulders have broken off and fallen to their current location, leaving us to wonder at their original placement, as well as what's under those other boulders? And where did the boulder fall from? Location is important in interpreting the meaning, and hard to do once it has been relocated.

Three hours in the sun at 5,000 feet will work up a good appetite, so we found a shaded spot by the creek on the way out and munched while we watched birds flutter around and a chubby marmot give us the evil eye. I don't think he likes trespassers on his nice little green creek.

If planning a trip to the site: There's plenty of parking at the site, but no restrooms or drinking water so be prepared. A couple of interpretive signs provide specific facts about the glyphs, which enriches the visit. A recent survey identified over 2,000 panels at the site - enough to keep us rock art lovers busy for quite some time so do have your camera battery charged!

There's an extensive report on how the most recent survey was done and a nice summary of their findings on the  Nevada Rock Art Foundation website.

The report also delves into the importance of the first survey done on the site, in research done by Heizer and Baumhoff  in the 1950's.

There research at this site was responsible for the development of their theories of rock art interpretation related to hunting activities and hunting magic. The report also delves into other interpretations, and is definitely worth reading.

Vandalism - someone attempted to cut out this petroglyph

The Nevada Rock Art Foundation conducts field trips throughout the year to various rock art sites and encourages their preservation. For information about upcoming tours check their site or contact them at info@nevadarockart.org

For a few more select photos of the site visit the album.