Goldfield Days 2013

I'm going a little out of sequence here.  My last post chronicled a short venture into the Owyhee Desert and was the first post of a two-day set.  I procrastinated a bit in getting to Day 2, and then I was blindsided by Scott Oxarart's write-up in the RG-J chronicling a much more thorough visit to a not insignificant chunk of the same amount of territory as my Day 2 article would have detailed, so...I'll just wait for the dust to settle a bit before the Great Caldera Search Article #2 (in G major) hits a screen near you.

Goldfield Days - this is one of two weekends each year I have circled on my calendar.  "Why," you ask?

Most towns in Nevada outside of the two major metro areas still harbor a certain degree of pride in themselves, their neighbors, and their communities.  To celebrate themselves, their history, heritage, and uniquitude (a term I just invented and simultaneously copyrighted) many of these cities, towns, hamlets, and CDPs hold annual festivals and welcome all comers.  Tonopah has Jim Butler Days over Memorial Day weekend; Jarbidge has Jarbidge Days the second week of August; Austin has Gridley Days (now conveniently combined with their Independence Day festivities) - to name three.  So, of course, Goldfield has their Goldfield Days over the third weekend of August each year, and while you probably won't see single- and double-jack drilling contests (you'll have to go to the Nevada State Mining Championship during Jim Butler Days to see that) there is a sprawling plethora of organized events throughout Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for those who feel the need to be on the go, and another sprawling plethora of exhibits, beer gardens, and even the desert itself with many of the trappings of a turn-of-the-century mining town extant on the outskirts of town for those who prefer to go at their own pace.

Or, if you're Moffett, you take it ALL in.

Now I know Goldfield is not for just everyone: the nearest grocery store is 26 miles away, the motel has but four rooms available, and it's a notorious speed trap.  But I promise you will never feel as "at home" anywhere (even with your own family, I reckon) than while you are strolling up and down Crook Avenue, popping in and out of storefronts, cheering on the pie eating contestant, &c. 

And I won't bore readers with tales of our exploits (I will brag about Moffett, though, who took a blue ribbon in the Pet Parade - HEEZSUCHAGOODDOG!!!).  But I will note that I had the best taco of my life at the Mohawk, not to mention some of the best chicken I've had in a good, long while at one of the concession booths on Euclid - my friend's son came in third in the pie eating contest, and...oops, there I go with the boring exploits.  

There's pie.  There's beer, both root and "tasty."  There's also a new restaurant in town, the Dinky Diner; unfortunately I was a little too late getting there, so their culinary delights will have to wait for another trip.  

But now that I'm back I'm running into a problem: finding ways to write about it.  Having such a great time usually spawns a great wealth of creativity, but...well, the whole weekend was an "experience," and as such it's difficult to detail without either a.) experiencing it yourself, or b.) reading the minute details of someone else's experience and living vicariously through them.  While that's kinda the point of a blog, it would become tedious indeed if an article degraded into "and then we went to the old Cook Bank building where Moffett and I wet our whistles, and then we went to the telegraph office, and then we went to the high school, and then we went to the courthouse..." so I'll just end while I'm ahead with a few of my better snaps and a short encouragement for the reader to experience Goldfield Days themselves - I promise that throwing caution (and possibly a little prejudice) to the wind will reap unimaginable rewards.

Goldfield Days Parade

I think you've had enough there, Moffett.

Columbia Mountain

At the close of day.

Nightlife

Home Means...

Yes, that's a pit bull in a muumuu.

Available at the Goldfield Gift Shop

Dust Devil Crossing Highway 95

A Cozy Weekend Home

The San Antonio Mountains at Dawn

Gemfield

Oh yes, and on the way home I had the luxury of eating one of Socorro's burgers in Mina.  I recommend...I HIGHLY recommend...I DEMAND you try one the next time you drive through Mina.

A Geologic Legacy: the Owyhee Desert

My idea to use these ancient proto Yellowstone volcanic fields as a basis for Nevada trip taking so far has surpassed my wildest expectations.  First on the docket was the Owyhee Desert, which you may remember as "Nevada's Bald Spot."

While the desert overlaps into both Idaho and Oregon, if you've looked at a map of Nevada the Owyhee desert, even just the Nevada portion, is HUGE.  Four hours of driving and we managed only to explore the Western half of the very Southern edge of the desert.

Yet despite its geologic significance, I can find very little written on the subject of the Nevada side.  There is a lot of talk about the Lake Owyhee field and the Owyhee Uplift in Oregon; also for Santa Rosa-Calico in Nevada, but not so much for the South Owyhee-Humboldt.  So I reckon it's going to have to suffice to say that it was active 15-13 million years ago.

But that didn't prevent a weekend of wonder and merriment, and it all started here, in Squaw Valley, just downwind from Midas. 

We definitely took the road less traveled (Left).

The "Caldera Rim" taunting, daring even, to brave the dusty trail.

This took us up Scraper Creek for a good long while, although the road to Scraper Spring was dilapidated...neglected.  So we headed for the route that would take us around to the East of the Burner Hills.

Whatever dug this hole must be about the size of one of my basset hounds.
I really didn't want to see one of these in the middle of the night.

This route, however, does present a couple of nice little chunks of geologic history.

 Ashfall tuff.

And...a close-up, including some past residences.

Mmm...igneousy.

By this point we were starting to get glimpses of what awaited us.

Our forecast calls for gently rolling hills, followed by extended periods

of light blue flatness.

And, true to expectation, there was the desert...

Looking East.

...a LOT of desert.

 Burner Hills from the North.

 Again looking East.

 One of the better sections of road.

Every so often the contour is interrupted by broad, stubby stream channels.  Often the upper reaches of these channels had cut through lava, so running down one side, then up the other, provides a small degree of peril (we never knew if we'd find ourselves unable to continue, forced to retreat from whence we came).

It is something akin to exploring Wyoming without having to drive for a day and a half.  Unlike Wyoming, however, I thoroughly enjoyed this remote section of Nevada.  With almost no perceptible topographic changes the trail weaves in and out of the Great Basin, flirting mildly with the Snake River drainage. 

It is unending solitude; awe-inspiring vastness; unspeakable serenity - interrupted only by the occasion cow pie.  For me, driving the Owyhee is a truly transcendental experience.

 The road, however, progressively deteriorated the farther we went.
It was never terrible, but obvious that very, very, very few people 
ever venture down that path.

 Why does this road keep bending?

There are the occasional signs of humanity, like the McCleary Wells 1 & 2.

Our route took us to Well 2. 

And an almost constantly changing biome.  

Not too often we find lichens growing on sagebrush - let alone red lichens.

Of course the geography begins to change rapidly toward the edge of the desert.

Milligan Creek Canyon

Approaching the Confluence of Milligan Creek and the

South Fork, Little Humboldt River at Button Field

And a simple little digital camera can't do much justice for some of the treats that await the rare, daring traveler.

 Button Field/Little Humboldt Ranch in the distance and the end of the great Owyhee.

And then, faster than it seems to begin, the Owyhee is done.  Past.  A thing to the East.  Now is the Humboldt river drainage.  The road forks, and after a period of deliberation the decision was made to go left...again.  Left had served us quite well thus far, anyway.  

Photo courtesy of David Colborne.

This became the second most terrifying moment of my life.  Luckily, the builder of the bridge used iron "I" beams for support, and it is less than 20' long.  Still, the boards feel/sound like they are the worse for the wear and the iron beams do not line up terribly well with a wheel base.  BUT...it's enough to hold my little Jeep driving over it just as fast as that road will allow.  

It also didn't help to get out and look around.  It's a good 15' drop under that bridge with a foot of concrete on either end.  But, in the end, we live to drive another day.  Which will be the next blog entry!

So upon seeing the South Fork of the Little Humboldt River...

...the objective for the day is behind the bluffs in the rear view mirror. 

Gone but not forgotten.

But it also seemed that my goal of reaching the Virgin Valley was not the least bit feasible - at least not after leaving Reno at 9:AM. 

If you look closely, you can see the hills are laughing at me.

So on to Pleasant Valley!  Then back to Winnemucca and tasty, tasty sweetbreads at the Martin Hotel.

As far as the Owyhee Desert goes...I can't WAIT to go back.  No, seriously.

Seriously.