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From Carlin, we head to the remains of Palisade, an old railroad town that is now all but memories. The drive is about 10 miles south on State Route 278, and the views along the Humboldt River are lovely. The nearby Humboldt Palisade Cliffs were named after similar cliffs located in New York on the Hudson River. Once
we reach the Palisade turnoff, we follow a dirt road for a couple of
miles. There is not much of the town left, just a few foundations and
a few structures all but hidden by sagebrush. We have the good fortune
to tour the site with former residents Charlene and Floyd Slagowski.
Charlene attended school in Palisade and has vivid memories of her time
there. We conclude our visit with a stop at the Palisade Cemetery, which
is well maintained by family descendants and those with a fondness for
the old town. A number of the cemetery's markers date back to 1918,
reminders of the influenza epidemic that moved through the area at that
time. We continue down Highway 278. Along the way, we see the Roberts Creek Mountain Habitat Management Area. The area is designated as important to a number of the region's animal and bird species, including sage grouse, mule deer and Lahonton cutthroat trout.
The repel to the floor of the cave is long, more than 100 feet, and though it is not overly steep it is complicated by a good deal of loose rock and dirt. Once we are safely inside and we begin to explore. The floor of the cave is covered with bat guano and the remnants of their diet. It's a challenge to move around because the cave slopes down at a forty-five degree angle, so every step slides us a bit closer to the bottom and Emerald Lake, an incredibly clear pool of water from the region's underground aquifer. Utilizing a rope ladder to exit, we climb out of the cave and back to ground level. Soon we are back on the road. Winding through the farms of Diamond Valley, we turn toward our day's final destination — Eureka.
On the second day, we head a few miles up State Route 892 toward Tollhouse Cave and Canyon for some desert hiking. Jack Tribble from the Bureau of Land Management leads into Tollhouse, where we explore the canyon and enjoy its beautiful high desert views. After our hike and a brief run-in with some stinging nettle, we head back to Eureka and the conclusion of our adventure.
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This
adventure begins in 
At
the junction of State Route 278 and Sadler Brown Road we meet our guide
Alvin McLane and head out across Diamond Valley toward our next adventure
at Emerald Lake Cave. About 16 miles later, we stop, gear up, and move
out on foot to find the cave entrance. Though Alvin hasn't visited this
particular cave since he mapped it in 1964, he has a great deal of experience
in a multitude of other caves. No one should attempt 
