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RECONNOITERING*
IN THE EASTERN SIERRA NEVADA & GREAT BASIN |
Great
Basin Research Trips
Trip
2001
Northern
Nevada, Southwestern Idaho
(and
a Blip of Southeastern Oregon Thrown in for Good Measure)
Part
3
June
24-25, 2001
Bull
Run Mts. to Cornucopia to Tuscaurora to Jack's Creek to Wells to
Metropolis to Jarbidge
Sunday, June 24, 2001
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Wake up to wonderful view. Break camp. Alan and Gill leave. Graham and I go and clean up trash dump left by so-called "campers." Beer cans, Ripple bottles, shotgun shells, .22 caliber shells, ripped tent. Rake dirt, left no trace. Drive down dirt road through cattle ranches and creek fed meadows to Deep Creek and junction with paved road. Continue on dirt road to south end of Bull Run Mountain. Park Gil's car and Graham's truck. |
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Drive along dim route eight miles along Deep Creek to Cornucopia ghost town. Along way we encounter a man on a motorcycle, with a rifle strapped to his chest and a Wild Turkey in his napsack (the kind comes in a bottle and you don't have to pluck). Wood and stone buildings, mines and ore cart tracks, machinery, boilers. Graham and I venture into mine tunnel and find two swallow's nests. One occupied by two tiny swallow chicks. Leave Cornucopia. |
Back to vehicles. Drive northeast around to west side of Bull Run Mountains. Try to find Edgemont and White Rock ghost towns. We can see Edgemont on mountainside, but fences and no trespassing signs keep us away. One structure can be seen about a mile off road, mine dumps amid thick coniferous forests. No sign of White Rock. Signs suggest inquiring at office at Petan Ranch, so we drive south to Petan and find office closed. Woman drives up in battered 4x4 truck to use only phone (set up in an outhouse-like building) and suggests taking to man in one of the houses. Alan seeks permission. Permission denied due to man not having authority to authorize entry to Edgemont and White Rock. Drive back to Deep Creek. Graham's smog pump making bad noise, but not vibrating or anything else ominous. Stop for refreshments. Man and son in nice 4x4 truck drive up, both dressed like city people. Asking incessantly about deer and where we might have seen them. I am suspicious about he being poacher and drive off.
Drive south on paved road to dirt road to Tuscaurora semi-ghost town. Walk all over town, taking photos (occupied homes, abandoned homes, brick smelter stack, air of general decay and junky - due to weather and my mood, the town was a bit disappointing). Wind is bad. Leave town and tour large cemetery. Drive back north on paved road to Jack's Creek. Alan stops in bar to have ice tea. Graham, Gil and I drive up canyon to Jack's Creek campground. Set up camp in cottonwoods and willows along creek. Make dinner. Graham and Alan take long walk up on hillside. Find large rubber boa snake. Shower and retire. Graham puts snake in sock and returns to his camper.
Monday, June 25, 2001
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Breakfast, break camp. Graham brings my attention to yellow bird that is admiring himself in his truck mirrors. Bird flys in front of mirror and attempts to hover. At one point bird brings bug offering to prospective "mate." Bird poop all over mirrors and windows, telltale sign that bird spent a lot of time wooing his new "mate." Graham comes out with rubber boa wrapped around his wrist. Video and photos of snake. Graham says he slept with snake on his chest, feared that he might roll over and crush it. Graham released snake, snake reluctant to go away, loosing nice warm spot. |
I note that my truck will turn over 100,000 miles somewhere on this date. Plan to videotape the milestone. Leave Jack's Creek. Drive south over paved roads to Elko, NV, passing through historic Dinner Station. Gil and I go to WalMart for batteries for radios. Graham goes to Chevrolet dealer to have smog pump checked. Alan goes for gas. I go for gas after getting batteries, Texaco - $1.59 per gallon. We meet at same gas station as Alan. Graham has no luck at Chevy dealer. Woman blows him off, telling him there are no smog pumps in Nevada and refuses to allow a mechanic look and listen to his truck. Graham doesn't want to chance the run east with us to Wells and Metropolis ghost town, so decides to venture north to Jarbidge and wait for rest of us to come in later.
Alan, Gil and myself run east to Wells. Top off gas tanks and eat at Burger King. Weirdo guy hangs around us and Burger King, giving all of us willies. He leaves later. Drive over to old downtown Wells along railroad tracks. Photos and video. Some buildings occupied with business, others vacant. Each structure has a plaque with history and historic photo of building. Drive out to Metropolis ghost town (ruins of Lincoln School and hotel, other foundations). As we drive up, two couples in VW van drive up. We ignore them for a while until all of us met at school building. In conversation, Bodie came up, older man a California State Park Ranger near San Francisco, but spent many years at Bodie. His son, who was there, is BLM ranger at Elko. Drive back out south road to Wells. I nearly roll my truck as I came over a hill on dirt road at 55mph, road took off camber left. I managed to keep off my brakes and gas the truck in 4x4 around corner completely sideways, skirting the edge of road. Took out sagebrush along edge of road, it's a wonder that the heavy brush didn't cause me to roll. Adrenaline rush continues for hour after that stunt. Go back west on I-80 to Deeth ghost town. Drive north on dirt road out of Deeth 50 miles to ghost town of Charleston (log structures, wood frame structures. Occupied two-story home appears to be very old). Road is a she-devil - lulls you into a bit of speed, then throws heavy blows of flour dust that hide two foot deep holes; cows, off camber curves on blind corners, big rocks. First 20 miles over featureless badlands, then gets more interesting with aspens, meadows. Lots of cowboys and cows in road. Lots of cow poop on tires and truck bodies. Remembered that my truck will turn over 100,000 miles this date, find that it now has 100,057 miles and am disappointed that I didn't catch it to videotape the landmark.
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Drove into Jarbidge Mountains over dirt roads (over 100 miles total of dirt roads since leaving I-80 @ Deeth). Up and over 8,500 foot Coon Creek Summit through tall conifers, aspens, abundant wildflowers, meadows, jagged and spectacular cliffs. Big snow fields on mountains, lakes below road. Scenery and road reminiscent of Rocky Mountains, not stereotypical Nevada. Cross over 8,500 foot Bear Creek Summit. Drive down super steep and switchbacking grade down to Jarbidge River. At canyon bottom drive up to Pine Creek Campground, arriving at dusk. Graham had gotten there some hours before and had walked into Jarbidge, four miles below, and back. Set up camp. Gil makes campfire. Talk around campfire. Crawl in truck, read USA Today newspaper (purchased in Elko) for a bit, then hit the sack. Jarbidge is on Mountain Time, so go to bed late.
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©2002,
2004, 2005, 2006 D.A. Wright
All Rights Reserved
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