![]() | Field Notes (Continued) |
Tom Schweich |
![]() Topics in this Article: 1800s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2008 Tour de Swertia albomarginata Mono Lake, August 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Contents Literature Cited |
When I first read the field notes of Annie Alexander and Louise Kellogg, I was fascinated by the descriptions they wrote about the places they went and the plants and animals they found there. By publishing my field notes on the Internet I hope to follow a little bit in their tradition. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2002
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Other articles:
Locations:
San Miguel.
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Stopped in San Miguel on the way home.
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| Thursday, April 18, 2002
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Locations:
Kern River.
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Left home at 8:00 AM Thursday morning and, pushed by a tailwind, arrived in Bakersfield at Noon. After shopping, drive toward Highway 178. The day was overcast, but warm in Bakersfield, turning cooler as I progressed up the canyon.
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Locations:
Kern River.
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In the lower canyon, I saw Dichelostemma, some lupines, and a Cryptantha. One location had many Fremontia in bloom. The Kern River was running, but without much vigor. At China Gardens there was a Collinsia with pairs of flowers rather than whorls.
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Other articles:
Locations:
Isabella Lake.
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Isabella Lake looks to be down about 30 feet from its maximum. Stopped at the Wildlife Viewing Area, where the stream flow was at most languid, and no wildlife was seen.
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Saw a few more Fremontia in bloom near Onyx.
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Other articles:
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At one place on the north side of the highway, Digger Pines and Joshua Trees were growing together. There were irrigation ditches along side both sides of the highway and I could not safely stop. However, a little further down the road there was a place to pull off.
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Other articles:
Locations:
Walker Pass.
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Very windy at Walker Pass, and very dry also.
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| Friday, April 19, 2002
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On Friday morning, we left Ridgecrest a few minutes after 6:00 AM, and rolled into Zzyzx a little after 8:30 AM. The morning dawned red with clouds. A cloud bank could be seen over the Sierras. The day cleared slowly with a cool north wind into the evening.
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Lauren Wright gave an overview of global tectonic events, noting Death Valley’s and Amargosa Valley’s position in each. The Rodinia supercontinent and the invalidation of the Amargosa aulacogen were two new concepts to me.
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Brian Brown talked about the early history of China Ranch. The legend of a Chinese man named Ah Foo, who farmed at China Ranch, seems to have some basis in fact.
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Jeff Lovitch talked about historic records of Gila Monsters in the eastern Mojave. He reviewed some records from the Providence Mountains. Rangers at Mitchell Caverns report occasional sightings along the trail to the caverns. Jeff favors occurrence of the Gila Monster in riparian areas where biphasic precipitation occurs.
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Warren and Schneider reported on their renewed archeological investigations at the outlet of Lake Mojave, now known as Silver Lake. They have found a horizon with artifacts whose minimum age is constrained by a cross-cutting Anodonta siphon.
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Friday night was clear and cool, but got a little warmer as the north wind stopped after dark, and was replaced by a warmer westerly flow.
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| Saturday, April 20, 2002
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This morning is beautiful: clear and cool, with a warm sun. Maybe it will warm up to 75-80 degrees today.
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I asked Emmett Harder if he knew any of the Dorr family, but he did not.
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Bob told us about the upcoming field trip. After reviewing marker beds in Pleistocene Lake Manix that are time and topography, we will review marker beds in Miocene sediments of the Barstow formation. The specific marker beds we will review are: |
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David Miller reviewed his work in the Dove Spring Formation, which he studied while developing a protocol for monitoring off-highway vehicle use. The fluvial environment indicates a relatively wet environment, as discussed in Quade, et al., 1996 and Benson, et al., 2002 who concluded that Las Vegas and the Great Basin was cooler and wetter until 8-9 kybp. This was related to the younger Dryas cold event.
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At Field Trip Stop 1-1, we are looking at mid-Pleistocene Lake Manix. Here tufa was deposited by blue-green algae on alluvial fan deposits in clear water (Photo 4).
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Other articles:
Locations:
Harvard Hill.
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Locations:
Harvard Hill.
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Photo 7 shows I-15 from Harvard Hill. Collected stromatolites with plant fossils.
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While we waited for low-slung car consolidation, Fred Budinger told us about the Calico Early Man Site and some recent work.
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Field Trip Stop 1-3. Parked cars in wash, walked up the hill to the silicified algal limestone. These were hard dark reddish-brown rocks over a softer brown-tan clastic rock. According to Bob Reynolds, the algal mats preserved here are the deep water facies of the MSL. The stromatolites interfinger with the andesite zone, and silicified very rapidly. The silica came from nearby volcanic rocks and, therefore, the silicified algal mats cannot be termed “biogenic.”
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Field Trip Stop 1-4 was at the drill pad on the north side of the east end of Daggett Ridge. Top of ridge has stromatolites. Resistent steeply dipping arkosic sandstone. Pink tuff is younger than the Strontium – Borate Layer (SBH) and may be mappable to the Peach Springs Tuff(?) at the Pink Lady Mine.
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Field Trip Stop 1-5, does the pink tuff correlate to the pink ash at Outlet Center Drive?
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| Sunday, April 21, 2002
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Field Trip Stop 2-2, Rogers Road at California Highway 14, and most northwestern edge of Mojave geologic province.
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Alan Schoenherr gave an overview of biological aspects of the Mojave. Creosote bush is a marker for hot desert. Joshua tree is a marker for the biological Mojave Desert. Top of grade between Coso Junction and Olancha has a few Joshua trees, and is typically taken as the northern boundary of the Mojave Desert. Winter rain: Mojave desert; Winter snow: Great basin; i.e., a climatological boundary of the Mojave desert that roughly corresponds with the biological boundary.
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Frank Monastero from China Lake: focus on evolution of Indian Wells Valley and the Coso geothermal field. Eagle Crags is a large rhyolitic center in the central Mojave. Correlated Cudahy Camp formation with rocks in eagle crags. Dates 15-17 ma (K-Ar), unique chemistry in basalts, implies 64 km offset, Garlock may be an intercontinental transform. Dove Spring Formation correlates to other rocks south of Garlock Fault in El Paso Mountains, 30-34 km offset between 15.7 ma and 10 ma. Remaining offset would precede Dove Springs time – hills are south of Garlock Fault and east of Randsburg. Ricardo “Group” includes the Dove Springs Formation (8-13 ma) and the Cudahy Camp Formation (15-20 ma) with a substantial hiatus between them.
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Field Trip Stop 2-5. Several drill holes and seismic reflection lines, published a hypothesis of a hot spot, turned out to be a thick sequence of sediments. Seismic reflection data show the Sierra Nevada Frontal Fault to be a low angle normal fault with some right lateral component. Indian Wells Valley is interpreted as a half-graben (Leeder and Gauthorp) with axial drainage.
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The White Hills deposits occur under the basalt flows, and White Hill, seen across the valley occurs in a window in the basalt flows. Duffield and Bacon (1980) write a paper about damning of the Owens River and diversion of its channel by the basalt flows.
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Creosote Bush rings on mountain side.
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Joshua trees.
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| Monday April 22, 2002
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Locations: Sheep Tank.
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Don Lofgren and Malcolm McKenna, Phd UC, Chester Stock, coal mine near Colorado Camp, lot of red banded sediments, 10000 – 11000 feet in basin, tilted since to the north, began as lacustrine and became marine. Dibblee called it Goler Formation. Too thick to be a single formation. Rounded conglomerate pebbles coming from direction now known as “east,” as entire deposits have been rotated counterclockwise. Partial paleomagnetic study shows Paleocene age. Very few fossils, some petrified wood, one leaf locality across valley. Fossils found include palms, magnolias, avocados; near-coastal, river flowing west. Erosion period followed by 18 ma lapilli tuff, 17 ma andesite, 15 ma lava and feeder dike system, all formerly mapped as Pleistocene. Antiform in valley suggests compression, but no other evidence thereof. The Rand / Orocopia / Pelona Schist suggest viscous flow. Garlock Fault – early movement probably vertical. Goler Formation is the only terrestrial Paleocene deposit in California. Kinnick Fm = Cudahy Camp Fm. Marine in Goler Fm are clams, snails that are early Eocene (Penutian?). Fauna: sub-tropical, some South American: tuberculates (who lasted until late Eocene), 2-3 kinds of primitive South American ungulates, primates (pleisiatapus?): 4 kinds; marsupials; 2 turtles; fish; lizards (Randy Knightsen); invertebrates and root casts. Only window about this period in California. Black Mountain basalt is not the same as basalt near Red Rock Canyon. Basement of Goler Formation is seen to the south, in Permian ________ (fusilinids).
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Stop 3-2. Goler Formation, Laudate site near Sheep Tank, just west of El Paso Mountains Wilderness.
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| Tuesday, April 23, 2002
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A few high clouds this morning. Calm last night, and calm again at Mid Hills Campground this morning. After breakfast I drove down Wild Horse Canyon. There were three deer along the road. I noticed a few Purshia that were starting to bloom, but these were the only flowers I saw anywhere. As I came over the divide between Macedonia and Wild Horse Canyon, a very large bird flew in front of my car. It was dark brown, definitely not black, and flew with its feet hanging down. I suspect that it was an eagle.
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I stopped at the Salvia dorrii plot and collected data. The plants had no new stem growth, and I suspect that any leaves were left over from the last growth season. Stem die-back was fairly common. I resorted to testing the leaves to see if they fell off, or were still pliable. If the leaves were pliable, I assessed plant status as “3,” meaning vegetative growth. But if the leaves were not pliable and fell off, I assessed plant status as “2,” meaning dormant. Many of the plants look like little trees that have been coppiced. They have a caudex that flairs out into woody stems that look cut off.
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I partially exhumed one small Salvia dorrii to see how deep the woody caudex went. This plant was about 15 cm high and had about seven stems. The single caudex was 4-5 mm in diameter and extended from about 5 mm above ground to about 10 mm below the surface. Then roots spread out at about a 45° angle. I tried to be careful not to cut roots, replaced the dirt and watered the plant. It will be interesting to see how the plant survives the experience. Close examination of more mature Salvia dorrii with caudex diameters of 1-2 cm showed that stem splitting has already occurred.
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From the plot, I drove into Lobo Point. Checking on the plants there, the Menodora scoparia had no stems as it was eaten down to within a couple of inches of the ground. The Symphoricarpos longiflorus had no leaves. There were no flowers on any of the plants.
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Drove over to Wild Horse Mesa. Hiked up to my experimental plots. No plants had any leaves. I believe this may be the first time I have observed this. Some of last year’s seed capsules still had seeds in them.
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Since the Frasera albomarginata were dormant, I thought perhaps of the possibility of transplanting them to the Bay Area for study. I selected dormant plants that had no green leaves showing. I dug the plants to a depth of 9-12 inches. I wrapped the roots in tissue (the only packing material at hand), dampened them with water, and placed the wrapped plants in a plastic bag.
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From my plots I climbed up to the saddle north of the mesa, and then turned north onto the spur of welded tuff north of Wild Horse Mesa. I was looking for Agave desertii that I had seen there once before. I found them at the narrow upper end of the spur. There was one stalk from last year, and three rosettes about 3 feet away. No others were found.
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I dropped off the spur and walked the ridge to Winkler’s Cabin. Checked the log book, and then added my entry. The previous entry was from April 18th, five days previous.
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Toured down Wild Horse Canyon Road, stopped at Hole-in-the-Wall to check voice mail, and then up Black Canyon Road. Noticed that there is a sign offering 40 acre parcels from the Gold Valley Ranch. Tried to find the Mid Hills RAWS weather station out in Lanfair Valley, but I don’t think it’s there, and the advertised latitude and longitude is incorrect.
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| Wednesday, April 24, 2002.
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Saw the deer at the windmill, as I was leaving Mid Hills Campground. Drove down Macedonia Canyon, then through Kelso to Interstate 40, and home.
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| Thursday, April 25, 2002
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Today I planted the Frasera albomarginata. I was very shocked to find that the rosettes had grown while placed in the wet tissue. Each plant had green leaves, the largest being ¼ inch long.
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| Sunday, June 2, Alameda to Elko
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Other articles:
Locations:
Donner Pass.
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I left the house at 7:00 AM, stopped at Starbucks for a cup of coffee, and hit the highway, joining the leftover drunks and the early birds. Was over Donner Pass by 10:30 AM, and stopped here for the view of Donner Lake. Too hazy for a photo, but looking up toward Donner Pass was clear. Turns out that Interstate 80 does not cross the Sierra summit at Donner Pass, but at a smaller pass called Euer Saddle. Overhead, there were a pair of pelicans circling to gain altitude for their flight to the west.
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Other articles:
Locations:
Truckee River.
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While driving down the east side along the Truckee River, I was looking for a place to pull over for a nice photo. This, of course, can be a bit hair-raising with Lincoln Navigators on your bumper at 80 miles per hour. Anyway I did find this spot that came complete with a fisherman.
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Stopped in Reno to get gas. Also, I had again forgotten to bring a hat, so I went to K-Mart, two exits up US Hwy 395 from I-80. Hats are in the Men's department in the east end of the store, not in the Sporting Goods section in the west end.
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Other articles:
Locations:
Truckee River.
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From Reno to Wadsworth, I-80 continues to follow the course of the Truckee River. The landscape is a bit different here, as just a few feet from the river is desert, just as though the water wasn't there.
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Other articles:
Locations: Lovelock.
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I stopped in Lovelock, Nevada for lunch. There is a nice tree-shaded park behind the city hall (or county offices, I don't remember which), restrooms, and a Safeway market nearby.
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Other articles:
Locations:
Rye Patch Reservoir.
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Rye Patch Reservoir is quite close to the highway between Lovelock and Winnemucca. There are a few restrooms and a few trees for shaded places to picnic. There are also some campsites. Otherwise, the water is quite green and not too attractive.
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Locations: Winnemucca.
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I stopped in Winnemucca only to fill up with gas.
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In an older marketing brochure published by Southern Pacific, I once saw a photo of the Beowawe Geyser erupting. Of course, I had not planned to stop on this trip, and thought maybe I could exit the freeway and find the geysers by following the wisps of steam.
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Locations:
Beowawe.
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The town of Beowawe consists of a bar, a meeting hall, a branch library, and a few houses. No sign of the geysers. After I returned from the trip, I learned that the geysers no longer function, victums of geothermal exploration. I also learned that they are a few miles west of the town.
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Maps show a "major street" heading southeast from Exit 271 of US I-80 to Nevada Highway 278. I took this exit and headed down a dirt road into a canyon. Then I came to a fork in the road. The lower fork continued down the canyon and a small sign said, "Lead Mine Road." I took the upper, unnamed road that looked like it would turn to the east.
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The dirt road climbed up over a low pass and descended into the valley I would later learn was Pine Valley.
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About half way dowm from the summit to Pine Valley, I saw this single Calochortus. The flower seemed to be quite deep relative to its width.
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Locations:
Palisade.
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The dirt road came into Palisade. I could see the name on the map, but I had no idea that this was once an important railroad junction. Of what was once a good-sized town, now only a single large building remains, with the usual junk laying about. I found the Cemetery, also good-sized, by accident. Tried several locations for photographs, none good, before taking this one.
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Locations: Carlin.
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From Palisade, I drove north on NV Highway 278, looking for possible routes into the canyon of the Humboldt River to the west. Ultimately, I ended up in Carlin, driving through town before getting back on US I-80, heading east for Elko.
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Locations: Elko.
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| ElkoI arrived in Elko at about 5:00 PM, taking the Business I-80 exit and driving past the airport before realizing I was on Idaho Street, the main street of town. My hotel, the Holiday Inn Express was at the east end of town, still on Idaho Street.
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| Monday, June 3, Elko, Lamoille Canyon
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Well, when I checked in to the Holiday Inn, I asked about a good place to eat. They sent me to "the best place in town." The meal was pretty good, but after several hours I was pretty uncomfortable, at three hours I was praying for relief, and at four hours blowing chunks. | Needless to say I was feeling a little punk the next morning. For breakfast I had 8 dry Cherios and a sip of water, followed by a nap to rest up from the exertion.
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Literature Cited:
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Somewhat bummed, I fortified myself with 8 more dry Cherios and another sip of water, and struggled out to the Northeastern Nevada Museum. This is a pretty good museum, with fine displays about Nevada ranching and mining history. Also, Jack Wanamaker, a famous taxidermist, donated his personal collection and funds to house his collection in a new wing of the museum. I also purchased the Ruby Mountain Flora (Anderson, et al., 1988) and The Ruby Mountains, A Visitor's Guide (Hyslop, 1999) at the museum.
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Literature Cited:
Other articles:
Locations: Ruby Mountains.
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Other articles:
Locations:
Elko.
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Driving southeast on Nevada Highway 227, an excellent view of the Ruby Mountains and of Elko can be had from Elko Summit.
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Locations: Lamoille.
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I drove through Lamoille just to see what was there. The town was much smaller that I had expected. I found the Post Office and Presbyterian Church, but otherwise the sights of town must be hidden back in the trees.
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Locations: Lamoille Canyon.
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So I headed up Lamoille Canyon. Somewhere, I can’t find it now, I read that the most recent glacial moraine is highly visible, as one drives toward the canyon. At the edge of the moraine a fine pasture turns to hummocky sagebrush-covered terrain. This is about a mile below the mouth of the canyon and easy to find.
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Locations:
Lamoille Canyon.
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About mid-way up Lamoille Canyon, the canyon narrows and affords excellent views both up and down the canyon. Still benefitting from my previous night's adventures, I took these pictures and immediately got back into the car to sit down.
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Locations: Lamoille Canyon.
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I continued driving up to Road's End, verified that the road indeed ended, and turned around, heading back down the canyon.
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Locations:
Lamoille Canyon.
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In the upper third of the canyon, vegetation was just beginning to come out, where I stopped to take this photograph. The Beaver ponds were in 4-5 levels, though I saw no signs of beavers. While I was here, the Forest Service crew arrived to re-install the interpretive signs that had been removed for the winter. This is one sign that I was visiting very early in the season.
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I had intended to eat a few bites of lunch at the Terraces picnic ground, but it was closed, probably because it was still early in the season. Looking at the terrain, I would assume the the "terraces" name was applied because of terraces of thin soil and vegetation upon bare rock in this area.
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Instead I ate lunch in Thomas Canyon Campground. This is pretty nice, but more oriented to RVs and trailers than to tents, as most of the campsites had a layer of gravel everywhere. For lunch, I had about two dozen Cherios in three bites of yoghurt.
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Ready for a nap, I headed back to town, took a nap, ate about 3 bites of dinner, and retired early.
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| Tuesday, June 4, Elko, Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge
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