KNPB Home
|
||||||
      |
|
|
| The
Trip: When we head out of the town of Tonopah, the skies are gray and the rain steady. We drive south on Interstate Highway 95 for about six miles, then we turn onto the dirt road to Alkali. We turn right on Silver Peak Road and after eight miles on pavement and another 11 on dirt, we reach Silverpeak. We then turn south for 13 more muddy miles across Clayton Valley to the base of Clayton Ridge. The rain lets up as we arrive. We will be doing some backcountry hiking through several narrow slot canyons so we hope that the rain showers, and the threat of flash floods, stay out of the area.
At about the half-way mark of our hike we reach the summit; this is the highest point we will be reaching on this outing. The great view is a reminder of the vastness of Nevada’s landscape. From our perch at Clayton Ridge, we can see the Montezuma Range is to the east and the Palmetto Mountains to the south. There is really no end to the potential hiking adventure out here. Because of the rugged terrain, we find ourselves looking down at our feet a lot, which is a shame, because there are wonderful sights all around us. As we hike, we find ourselves awash in a sea of sagebrush, rabbit brush, bitterbrush, mint and Indian ricegrass, not to mention the occasional Juniper tree and still more firecracker penstemons.
Alvin makes us all look like amateurs by climbing down himself. It looks easy when he does it, but there’s no way we would have been able to do it. That’s a testament to years of practice. The hike has been a series of challenges and small triumphs, with beauty, a little danger and something to stimulate nearly all the senses. But it's time to head back toTonopah and get some rest and prepare for tomorrow's adventure. On the second day of the trip, we drive from Tonopah west on Highway 95 for about 32 miles to the Blair Junction turnoff. Opposite the turnoff, on the north side of the road, we take a dirt road north for about four miles to the Esmeralda Badlands, in the foothills of the Monte Cristo Range.
The canyon walls allow us to view the different types of rock that have layered on top of each other, each represents a different period of the area’s geology. It’s fascinating to observe how different the erosion is from one type of rock to another, helping to create unusual shapes and textures in the rocks. We find ourselves in a place that feels otherworldly in its unusual and austere beauty.
After one last look around, we start back down. It’s hard to leave a place like this, but we’ve got one more stop to make, in Silverpeak. We return to Highway 95 and then continue south on Highway 265 for 21 miles to the community of Silverpeak. When we arrive, we’re greeted by our ghost town expert Shawn Hall, curator and manager of the Tonopah Historic Mining Park. Silverpeak is a combination of a modern mining settlement and historic ghost town. Today, what little remains of the old mining town coexists with newer structures inhabited by the current residents. Historically the community was actually called Silver Peak, but the named was changed to Silverpeak not long ago. As our trip comes to an end, we thank Shawn for sharing the story of Silverpeak with us. His descriptions really spark the imagination about what it must have been like to the people who once called this place home. Thanks to the advisors and contributors of Wild Nevada Program #207:
|
||
On
this trip in Nevada’s Esmeralda County, we are joined by Alvin
McLane, a retired archeologist and an experienced hiker and explorer.
His loyal hiking partner –
his dog Petroglyph –
also comes along.
Alvin
hasn’t been hiking in the area in almost ten years, so he brought
his map along to help him remember the way he wants to take us. It is
a path full of narrow slots, interesting scenery and some challenging
scrambling. The first thing that strikes us is just how remote this
place is. We’re quite a few miles from any other people, and it
really underscores how important it is to not hike alone. 
Toward
the end of our through the slot canyons, we come to a new obstacle –
a drop of about 30 feet. Alvin is an experienced climber, which gives
us a feeling of comfort about rappelling drop the drop. So we rig up
the ropes and prepare for the rappel. It is not a long drop, but it’s
important to have a healthy respect for the potential danger especially
in this remote a location.
We
climb to the top of an overlook above the badlands. From the top, we
get a new perspective and after a brief stop to enjoy the view, we trek
out along the slope. The loose gravel and steep drop off force us to
keep alert.