Roving Nevada Oct 2019 Day 5

Thursday Oct 10, 2019

I slept off and on during the night mainly 'cause my feet wouldn't warm up until around 2300, the wind kept shaking my motel for the night. Every once and a while I would peer from the mouth of my orange cocoon and I could see the moon or the stars in the dark sky.
    I knew it was cold though as I kept having to turn over to get one side of me warm against my Exped mattress.
     Finally daylight broke over the Eastern Mtns and I was awake. I didn't want to get up it was TOO COLD! Then I had to poo......
     I warmed up clean clothes in my cocoon with me and pulled my down Marmot puffy jacket out of my backpack. Quickly I put on the down then swapped underwear and clean sox. I slipped my frozen Levi's on and put my sweatpants over them and stepped into my sorrel slippers. Next I put my sweatshirt over my down, I glanced at the thermometer. 19°F it was 0724

Taking the shovel and my toilet kit I went to the loo and did my poo.
    Getting back to camp, started to rustle up some grub and coffee. I figured I would use my propane single burner Snow Peak stove. I got everything ready, oatmeal and raisins, coffee ground and in the filter. The water was cold--- it had ice crystals in it. It heated up and the crystals melted, the little bubbles formed on the bottom and sides when the Coleman propane bottle stopped.
      I tried another one and it must have been frozen too, neither worked and the water wasn't hot enough to use.
    I picked out my Snow Peak fuel can and it lit and brought the water to a boil! YAY! I poured some in my oatmeal then the coffee filter.
FUCK!  My insulated container with the filter on top fell over! Grounds and coffee spilled all over my 2 burner Coleman white gas stove and my 1650 Pelican case. And there it FROZE,................................ I checked it was 21°F.............

   It was frozen, I could not clean it up. I tried, then disgusted I sat and ate my cooling oatmeal before it too froze.
    My Kelly Kettle was set up so I filled it with water and ground more coffee then fixed it up. Luckily the wind was light this morning. This time I used my Stansport kettle to brew coffee in prior to transferring it to my insulated container to which I added a pack of hot cocoa from Safeway in Hawthorne.
     After a break to recuperate from my morning trauma I began breaking camp and with no hurry I was done, the coffee debacle cleaned up and I was on the road. It was 0950
    My dripping water nozzle made icicles.

I did some metal detecting and found scraps of wire and ;

Some of the roads you see from space are not so easy to see on one's you want to drive on down here.
     I followed my map and space images to a couple of deadends and then set off for FSR44428 and to try to find Golden Spring.
   It is a lovely double track to the springs and I was totally blown away with the "Golden" quality that abounds, I was able to drive right out to the lip of the spring.

Looking back away from the spring;

I checked it out it was full of cat tails! Then checked the map to see how to get back to 428 and head over Golden Summit.
     Nice drive nothing really at the summit, then it is all downhill to Road 21 onto which I turned right.
   It is a big wide road and I followed it to around the turn for Secret Basin. There are 3 left turns but which one? I almost stopped at the first, it has a florescent red pile of rocks at the entrance, but my gps said to go farther. The next had a bend right at the start and my maps said it went straight so I kept going and door #3 looked like my turn! It was 1230
     I was hungry and drove to the foothills and had a bagel. It looked on the gps that I had chosen wisely, Grasshopper, the road continued into the mountains.

    Following the dusty track I was in 2hi and a few small surprises but nothing needing 4x4 let alone low range.

After a few miles I came to a Y in the road and hedging my bets went left.

Another correct choice as the road led me up a valley with tall overgrown sage and Rabbit Brush on both sides. Eventually I shifted to 4x4 4hi to go through a bad spot and 4lo to go slow through a brushy area. The view opened up and I saw an old cabin that the road led directly to. There is an out building and stone fences for a corral?

I think the out building was a tack room;

I walked past the cabin looking for a turnaround spot and found a long unused campsite. The fire ring has weed growing in it. I went back to the 109 and drove it to my next campsite. It was 1430

  The Rover was unpacked, I set up camp, dug out the firepit, gathered wood, dug a cat hole, then sat back to write.

I walked to what I thought was the end of the road as it disappeared into a stream with no "other side" to come out on. Here is a pic of some of the greenery on the way back to camp;

GPS says I'm at 6489' and I've done 135 miles from Hawthorne. It is now 1530

I waited and watched the orb of 'ol Sol go behind a hill at around 1700. I cooked my dinner and started a campfire, I lasted an hour, it was too cold on my un-heated side.

   The nearly full moon came up.

After the fire was safely out I climbed into the Caterpillar Yellow 109, shucked my Levi's and down jacket slid on my sweat pants,  rolled up in the cocoon expecting another cold night! It was 2000

Here is raw video from the day, I had lots of trouble editing it.

Evidently, I missed taking the left turn about a mile back that would have taken me to my searched for destination Secret Basin, instead I wound up at this beautiful spot on Cottonwood Creek.  I saw the turn but failed to recognize that I needed to take it. Oh well, next time....

38°35'22.2"N 117°23'43.2"W

To day 6; https://poppageno.blogspot.com/2019/10/roving-nevada-oct-2019-day-6.html

Roving Nevada Oct 2019, Day 4

Wednesday Oct 9, 2019

I awoke with the lightening sky, listening to the wind claw it's way thru the trees and sagebrush to pummel my Land Rover.
     It was 0700 and 50°F in my 109. By 0730 I could stall no longer and had to answer natures insistent call.
     So I quickly dressed in slippers and sweats and exited the 109 into the bright and blustery day. The wind was up from yesterday and the temps down. My breakfast and coffee were fixed and consumed, I then climbed back into my cocoon to warm up. It was 0900

A little word on my Kelly Kettle; I use some Cotton Rounds from Safeway that I soaked in melted wax for fire starter, they also work great for fire pits. Once I get the round lit I put on the kettle and add more combustibles until it boils.

    After finishing the last couple of chapters of my only book I set my sights on a bit of a walkabout. My ankle was feeling rested and I knew I could wander the mine site.
    I went up the hill and found some tailing piles and rusty cans, not all that old as one had a pull tab that stays attached.

Then onward where I found another flat space for a couple of Rovers could camp and the remains of an old building, an office by the looks of it. I wandered down to the 427 road and looked for rubbish middens, but nothing jumped out at me.

   I got back to the warmth of the 109 hiding from the wind. It was 1130

   I had a bagel for lunch, got warm and charged camera batteries and began to write. It is now 1510

    Kinda bored I decided I was going to hike up the steep hill behind the mine. I gathered my camera, gloves, and water and set off.

   I was hoping the hike would warm me up. On the way to the road up I discovered a pit with heavy metal bar blocking the entrance on 1 side.

The State comes in abandoned mines and does this to prevent deaths.

 Did I say it was a windy and cold? I started up the road and could see the tracks from a side by side, by the time I climbed 50' I could feel the elevation. I kept going up the loose rocky track I wouldn't take my 109 on, stopping every so often to catch my breath and look around.
   The were no clouds just wind and sun today. When I crested the hill at a false summit the wind was relentless and cold. I took a few Happy Snappy's and headed back down. The hike did NOT warm me up!

 I did find this 1 tiny flower struggling along with me for warmth from the sun.

Getting back to the 109 it was 1545, I got in the back to get out of the wind and warm up, I took a nap!
     When I awoke I contemplated dinner. I really didn't want to stand in the cold and cook, so I made some oatmeal and hot cocoa!
   I have had this annoying noise coming from my newly installed roof vent, So I figured that maybe I could do something about it.

   So far it works.

   I've been in the tub ever since, going over maps for tomorrow. The sun has set and any warmth it left for the day will soon be gone. It is 1830 and 48°F in the 109

To day 5; https://poppageno.blogspot.com/2019/10/roving-nevada-oct-2019-day-5.html

Roving Nevada Oct 2019, Day 3

Tuesday Oct 8, 2019

This morning I awoke to nature's call around 0700 and by 0730 I had water boiling and beans ground, next to that was a paper bowl with oatmeal and raisins. Yestaday I didn't get my water quite hot enough, so today I made sure there was plenty of wood in my Kelly Kettle. I didn't have to wait long even at 6906'
    After breaky I started a leisurely pack up. One of the things that struck me was every time I go camping I pack up at home and by the time I get somewhere I can't remember where I put stuff.
     Then when ready to camp the next day I have to try to remember where I got something and pack it back there again!
    My OZ tent came down alright, but seems too "fluffy", I had to really squeeze it into the bag.
I left campsite #11 at 0900

     I locked the hubs in at camp and drove to the dropping off point, and I mean dropping off, the first drop is about 15' in 15'!
     Knowing where I was going I followed the dirt road made by '49ers. I stopped for some pictures and filmed some video on my new Hero 7 mounted on my bumper.

I missed the one exciting moment when I took a turn too fast and slammed into the washout. I stopped almost at the same time as I hit it. My front end went up about a foot and everything inside was ,well, trying it's best to get outside unless it was strapped down.
    I pushed in the clutch as the mighty 200 started to stall and selected 1st, let off the brake and pulled the rear wheels clear of the erosion. And motored on. My memory of the next turn off failed me, I slowed and looked at the lonesome double track past the fence heading to where I thought I wanted to go, but, my gps showed me the well worn track on the right.
    Generally the well worn track is the way to go, So I went a couple of hundred yards down it and scared up 4 antelope

 Where I stopped to check out my DeLorme Nevada Atlas. In it I discovered that indeed I wanted to be on the lonesome double track and cut-off a couple of miles from the well worn route.
     I did a 3 point turn around on the dusty track and sped back to the cut-off and thru the opening in the fence. A mile or so later I was on the main road that traverses the Ione Valley.
      Following this doing around 50-55mph until I hit the dried out sign for road FS44427 to Golden Spring. I had to drive past it to read it as only 1 side has lettering.
     I took 427 up into the hills, careful of the many spots of erosion and sand, sometimes slowing from 3rd to 1st to get through.
     Being on my own Tour of Discovery I followed 427 until it connected with 428 coming in on the right. Last time here I followed 427, this time I went for 428 and within a hundred yards there was a deep dip, the sides were about a meter high and the bottom 2.5-3 meters across. I slowed and selected 1st and went through, but I stalled coming  up the other side, WTF? Restart and OH! I was still in overdrive! Deselected the Roamerdrive and gave it some wellie and the 109 pulled clear.
    I continued on 428 consulting my printed out GoooooooooogleEarth maps,

decided not to visit Golden Spring, then thought I should have videoed some of this! So I stopped and turned on the 7 for a bit, a couple of times, it will be interesting to see the footage. Driving on I came across many places with evidence of digging and tailings piles.

The road I was on does a loop in this area and  I wanted to explore what I could of it on this trip. Coming in from the west I skirted the Southern section on 428 until it turned North and 428 continued East.

I passed the turn where 428 to go over the Toiyabe Mtns to Road 21 instead selecting the loop that meets back with 427.
     While coming down the track through the pinions and juniper there opened the old mine site on my right where I could see a flat spot suitable for camping, so I drove on up. 38°38.587   -117°32.953

There is a flat spot big enough for 4 tightly packed friends. The mine has just what I was looking for, a commanding view down the canyon into the Ione Valley some 2000' below. In the distance Mt Grant's 11,239' looms like Mt Orodruin in Mordor. It was 1330

     It was breezy, I didn't dare set up the Batwing awning by myself with no spare hinges, It was not hot, quite cool actually so not having the awning was not biggie.
     I unpacked and determined to sleep in the 109 that night, around 1700 I fixed more eggs and potatoes. Then took a short walk to check out the pit. It is overgrown, so been a long time since it was worked.

That night the sunset was fantastico! It seemed to last around a half an hour. I have no words.....

    As it was windy and cool I settled into my cocoon around 2000 with a good book, The Kill List, by Fredrick Forsythe. I read a couple of chapters and nodded off, when I awoke it was 2300 try as I may I could not get back to sleep so I read a couple more chapters under the red glow of my LED flashlight.
    The wind continued all night, sometimes making the 109 rock, as it burbled it's way up the canyon.

I had to put my videos for the day all together;

To day 4; https://poppageno.blogspot.com/2019/10/roving-nevada-oct-2019-day-4.html