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| The
Trip:
This fossil-plant site was discovered in 1951 by Doctor Ira La Rivers of the University of Nevada’s Biology Department. Over fourteen hundred fossils were recorded here, and the best of them are kept in the Museum of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley. The scientists who have studied the fossils at this site have dated them at 15 million years old.
The area of rounded granite outcrops on the right is informally called “Moon Rocks” by locals. Granite bedrock outcrops here show signs of Spheroidal Weathering, which Jonathan explains is typical of granite rock. He also shows us that several fault planes cut the granite of the Moon Rocks area. In fact, from the Moon Rocks we have a great view of the Warm Springs fault zone in the area. It is one of many fault zones that make up the Walker Lane fault zone, which runs parallel to the Nevada-California border and extends as far south as the Death Valley area. It’s difficult to imagine the ground we walk on shifting so dramatically. Jon and D.D. keep us moving as we still have a lot to see, so we are soon back on the road and heading toward another feature in the area.
Jonathan
and D.D. point out another interesting feature of these rocks. The boulders
have been eroded and carved by the area's wind storms. Dirt and sand
carried in strong winds have sand-blasted the rocks in exposed places
leaving pitted and grooved surfaces called “ventifacts.”
The higher we go, the tougher the terrain grows. The footing gets slippery with the looser rock and, in places, sand-like surfaces so we have to be careful. Hiking shoes or boots are recommended. We hike along trail the base of the canyon's volcanic tuffs. They form the red, gray and white cliffs of the canyon. These tuffs are very different than the other volcanic outcroppings and structures we've seen through the day — much softer and more eroded.
From the Red Rock Canyon, we continue west on Red Rock Road all the way to the junction of U.S. Highway 395. A left turn takes us south, and two miles down the road we take another left through a gate at the base of Petersen Mountain. We then have to drive uphill the last two bumpy miles of rough dirt road.
There might be quartz anywhere on this slope. The trick is to look for a glint of sunlight and then see if it comes from quartz on the ground. Visitors should be aware that there are patented claims at the top of the hill. Those areas are to be respected and left alone. We spend quite a bit of time rooting around in the dirt and sage trying to find some good quarts samples, and as the sunlight begins to fade we have just enough time to compare our findings. Before thanking Jonathan and D.D. for an educational and enjoyable trip and heading home. Thanks to the advisors and contributors of Wild Nevada Program #211:
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The
adventure begins early on a very cold autumn morning, and from Reno
we head east on Interstate 80 into Sparks. We then turn north on Highway
445, the Pyramid Lake Highway, and drive for seven miles to the Washoe
County’s Lazy 5 Regional Park where we meet Jonathan and D.D.
As a group,
we continue north on Highway 445 for almost 18 miles, then just pass
te access road to Washoe County shooting facility we turn left onto
a dirt road. It’s not well graded but it's driveable, and we are
able to follow Jon and D.D. in our two-wheel drive vehicle with some
careful driving. A couple of winding miles along this road brings us
to our first stop, 
After
we have a handful of good fossil samples, it is time to head on to the
next leg of the trip. To reach our next stop, we return to Highway 445
and head south to the junction of Winnemucca Ranch Road, which we follow
northwest for a little over four miles of paved road and then two more
on the dirt. Just past an alfalfa field we take a left turn on an unnamed
dirt road and follow it for one more mile. Our destination is obvious.
We
continue west for a mile or so, then turn south for a short distance
and stop at the side of the road. The subject of our attention is at
the top of the ridge. The rocks are known as the Tuff of Whiskey Springs
or the Big Sanidine Tuff. Tuff is a volcanic rock that forms when material
is erupted from a volcano or caldera. The ash, fragments of pumice,
and other volcanic rock fall back to earth, travel down the slopes of
the volcano, and are deposited at lower elevations. These rocks have
been radiometrically dated at 30.75 million years old, a time that predates
the rise of the Sierra Nevada. Geologists who have studies the area
believe that the volcanic caldera that was the source of this tuff was
in the Clan Alpine Range in Eastern Churchill County. 
It
is a relatively simple hike at first — a steady incline, but nothing
too difficult. The icy cold of the morning has finally mellowed into
a mild afternoon as we head out into the canyon. 
The
area is as visually stimulating as it is scientifically intriguing,
but we have one more stop to make, so it’s time to return to the
vehicles for the last leg of our trip. 
We
arrive in an open area that at first glance doesn’t look like
much. As usual, though, Jon and D.D. know more than we do. They explain
that the area is rich in quartz crystals and that here we can search
for and collect quartz crystals that were formed in pockets in the granite
in the area cooled. The area offers smoky, citrine, milky and clear
quartz, and some rock hounds have even been lucky enough to find amethyst
here.