From US 95 a 640-foot concrete tower can be seen for miles
across Big Smokey Valley. A ring of
heliostats (computer controlled solar collector mirrors) nearly two miles
across encircles the tower to beam solar energy to the receiver at the top of
the tower. Here is where the Crescent Dunes
Solar Reserve gets really different; concentrated energy heats molten salt to
1000F+ which is stored so that the energy can be used later to generate
electricity at night. This is the first
utility scale solar thermal storage installation in the country. It is amazing to see…still plagued by
operating problems-it is down for maintenance today…but interesting to get a
look at the science that folks are attempting to apply to overcome the natural limitations
of solar power generation.
Looking the other way in the valley at the snowy Sierra Mountains
Tonopah Historic Mining Park encompasses a number of the
early mines that were responsible for the boom of Tonopah. We check out the museum and the History of
Tonopah film…we will have to do the site walkthrough another time. It is 45F and the wind is howling.
Did you know… US95 Reno to Vegas is home of Phase I of the
Nevada Electric Highway Initiative? We
noticed many Tesla charging stations as we drove this way. The docent at the historical park filled us
in: it is the result of that initiative.
Tesla funded them all along US95.
Related did you know…the only lithium “mine” in the US is
here in this valley. It is actually “mined”
by evaporating naturally occurring lithium laden brine that is found under
these ancient sea beds. Who knew?
Built in 1907 and beautifully restored in 2011 the lobby of the
Mizpah Hotel is a wonderful space decorated in rich maroon and natural wood
with old west chandeliers. Lunch at the
Pittman Café in the Mizpah was lovely and delicious: Greek lemon chicken soup
and a fantastic burger.
A bit less opulent…actually a little creepy… is the Clown
Motel. The lobby is filled with clowns
of every type and a unique made-up face adorns each guest room door. Fun but potentially nightmare inducing.
Is it art? Is it just
junk?
25 or so miles south of Tonopah in Goldfield NV we find the International
Car Forest of the Last Church. The
pictures say it all.
Cool thing, I saw three pronghorn antelope as we headed back
to Tonopah. I had not seen any yet this
trip through the southwest.
Yep, the weather man was right. Rain started Saturday night and has spilled
into Sunday. By mid afternoon it is
sleet then snow with a promise of below freezing temps tonight. We are inside all day. Monday is to be drier and climb all the way
into the mid 50s. If that “balmy”
forecast holds, we plan to do a bit more exploring.
We trek through wide basins blanketed in desert scrub. Wild burros graze along the fence line; even a
few foals. In several places thousands
of years of prevailing winds have swept the fine sand into massive sand dunes
piled up against the mountain ridges. As
for evidence of mans’ presence; we pass the Area 51 Alien Center at Scotty’s
Junction, the Dinky Diner in Goldfield and an unexplained row of 10 ft high
sticks or bare trees with ribbons tied in them spaced about a mile apart along
a stretch of 95.
US 95 climbs up out of desert into the surrounding mountain
ranges. That couple thousand feet in
elevation brings with it some significantly cooler temperatures. Temps didn’t exceed 60 the entire trip. We settle in at Tonopah Station, a
casino/motel/restaurant with an Automated Washboard and a row of RV sites. Nothing special but a level spot with power
(we are going to need heat the next couple days) and there are museums and such
to check out here.
We make a quick trip to the Central Nevada Museum – it is
one of those small-town museums filled with items donated by local residents
and businesses. It is an interesting peek
into the history of this place and the lives of those who have called it home
over the years.
Off we go to China Ranch Date Farm. China Ranch Road winds down a steep, narrow
wash then opens into a lush oasis. Date
palms are scattered among the cottonwood and willow that line the banks of a meandering
creek. It is a lovey setting. The “Ranch” is a collection of run-down
buildings with a fair number of trailers thrown in for what we imagine is housing
for ranch labor. The gift shop is chock
full of stuff ranging from Native American crafts to spiritual crystals and hand-made
soap. We sample a half dozen varieties
of dates from the dozen or so they grow here.
I come home with a pound of Zahidi dates. They are not as sweet as many we tried with
more of a real flavor. We passed on the
many baked goods (cookies, muffins cakes and breads) but did share a date
shake. It was tastier than I recall my
last date shake…not just sweet but sort of nutty or earthy tasting. Quite good.
Trails along the creek and ridges are probably quite nice
but it is rainy and muddy so we take a pass on the hiking and head back to town. The weather didn’t allow for a great first
impression of the place. Perhaps it is
worthy of another stop some bright, sunny, but not too hot day to check out the
rest of what the “Ranch” has to offer.
Ash Meadows NWR protects a cluster of clear warm springs
that bubble up in the desert. Amazingly,
geologists have determined that what appears here is actually ancient snow melt
off Mt. Charleston and the other Spring Mountains. The water moves this 80 miles or so through
porous underground layers of rock. When
the flow collides with less porous upturned mountains it is forced to the
surface as springs creating crystal clear pools surrounded by lush oasis in the
desert. The largest spring on the refuge,
Crystal Spring, flows 2800 gallons per minute.
Geology of this basin and range area is amazing.
In these springs live tiny fish, pupfish. The populations have been separated for
thousands of years and are now unique genetic species, all of which are critically
endangered as ground water levels drop with drought and pressures from human
water consumption. They are not exactly
the charismatic megafauna like elk, bear and wolves that we flock to see at our
national parks but still a marvel of nature’s evolutionary flexibility.
Boardwalks let us get close to the springs. We get a good look at pupfish at Point of Rocks and not bad at Crystal Springs. Devils Hole Spring is actually an extension of Death Valley National Park and the most famous of the springs in the refuge but fences and protections are so restrictive that it is impossible to see the fish. Birds are drawn to feed on the insects and seeds found in the oasis. This is a great place for a stroll.
Sphinx Moth
Firecracker Dragonfly
A word of caution, refuge roads are nominally graded dirt/not
gravel. A number of them are closed
today after a moderate rain and the poor Focus is pretty messy after today’s
outing.
We have marveled at the presence of snow-capped Mt. Charleston
towering above Vegas and the seemingly endless desert that surrounds it. Today we head up for a closer look. The forecast is not great, rain by mid-day,
but here we go. In the fifty or so miles
we climb from 1800 ft to 8400 ft elevation as cactus gives way to pine shrouded
mountains. The thermometer dips to 37F
at one point. Glad we brought fleece and
jackets and; yes, it was a good idea to wear long pants! Before the day is over, we will have wished we
had brought gloves.
We head out on a trail to Mary Jane Falls. Early on we are passed by a firefighter who
reminds us, rain forecast for 11AM. It is
pretty well marked yet we manage to wander off along one of the many social
trails inherent in these heavy use, urban area parks. The last ¼ mile of the trail feels more like
hiking up the streambed, turns out it was.
The sound of falling water guides us.
A bit winded and having shed much of our warm gear, we make it to the falls. Four rivulets of snow-melt cascade from the
cliff tops. It is no Niagara but pretty
impressive for these environs. Locals we
encounter say it’s the most water they have seen on the falls. They also say that two weeks ago we would
have found deep snow at the foot of the falls.
Today we find only traces of it in sheltered areas. Most of it has retreated to higher elevation
and creates beautiful contrast in the rugged terrain. Rest. Breathe in the pine scented air. Absorb the calmness. Very nice.
Ok, back down. We take the actual trail down. It is a bit longer with lots of switchbacks but infinitely better underfoot that the streambed. We meet a group of Marine trainees who are heading up to the falls, and they overtake us as we make our way down. We take our time birdwatching and admiring the view. We are greeted by a Stellars Jay. We are mindful of the forecast though. The first drops hit at about 11:15. We pick up the pace and dash to the car just as it begins in earnest.
We check out the Visitor Center. It has this fantastic window clinger of
desert to high mountain terrain. It nearly
goes un-noticed with the naked eye but with a polarized viewer bright colors jump
out. It actually shows the seasons as
you rotate the viewer. I want one of
these in our cabin!
There are many more trails but they will have to wait for
another/drier day. We take the scenic
drive out but by now it is raining hard and clouds are making their way down
the mountain obscuring views and hiding any wildlife from our view. I think we will be back. It seems mid May and mid-week is a good
time. Snow is off many of the trails,
crowds are not too bad and, the snow melt feeds the many falls.
