Winnemucca to Rye Patch SRA

I stayed three days in a BLM campground, Water Canyon, which is an awesome place to stay.  Unfortunately, because it is a "high use" area, the limit was three days instead of the normal 14 days on BLM land so I had to move on.

Not only did I have the place to myself, but I also had a babbling brook outside my door.  I loved the sound.

The local tourist guides suggested a drive to Paradise Valley.  It's about 40 miles north on US95 and NV 290.  I guess it's kind of a little beauty spot outside of the "city."  Hinkey Summit is a big draw, but it was closed because of snow.  A large creek, Cottonwood Creek, runs throughout the town and local ranches.  Like most of Nevada, this is open range territory and you can see cattle graze everywhere in large fields; they even come into town.

I took these pictures on my drive to Paradise Valley.

Besides the cattle, the other thing I have noticed about my time in Nevada is, if I'm not on the top of a mountain, I'm in a valley surrounded by snow-covered mountains.  I feel like I'm in a bowl.

The other constant in this state is that you can't throw a rock without hitting a ghost town.

Eight miles north of Winnemucca are some sand dunes that are very popular with the ATV crowd.  I drove by just to check them out; they are just sitting beside the road.  I don't know what caused them, but it seems weird for them to just "be there."

It started to rain on my drive back, hence the messed up windshield in the picture.

Because my three days at Water Canyon were up, I moved the coach south to Rye Patch State Recreation Area.  

While here I drove out to Unionville.  Maybe 20 people still live here.  The town was unusual to me because it was built along the main street which winds about 3 miles into Buena Vista Canyon, with no "side streets,"  long and narrow.  The other interesting thing was the economic difference in the houses; some were large range houses while others were actual shacks that didn't look habitable.  You wouldn't think anyone could live in them except for the propane tank, mailbox and satellite dish.

Mark Twain came here to do some prospecting, but only stayed a week or two.






In Lovelock I found a couple markers indicating the start of the California Trail in Nevada, a 40-mile stretch of "waterless Alkali wasteland."  The trail was considered to be "the most dreaded section of the California Emigrant Trail" by travelers.









My last stop in this area was Thunder Mountain Park, created by Frank Van Zant, a Native American Indian chief who made statues, folk art and other unique works and spread it across a five-acre "park of art"  Creations are made from bottles, chicken wire, windshields and other parts of cars, among other items.