Black Rock desert part 2

The day started with a reasonable sunrise. Nothing too flash, it just gently moseyed over the mountain range.


The plan for the day was for the motorbikers to head north, cut east across the mountains and do a big loop back to camp. We were going to go the other way and meet them along the way. Here's a map.
We started in camp, circled in the upper left, followed the track that went south until we came to Black Rock hot springs (X marks the spot.) We then turned east and went across the two inland playas(1&2), and up across the small ridge on the other side.

The others got all suited up and ready, we stood around chatting and helping where we could.

Joe and his son Steve.


Jim.


Ray.


Jim's mate Kirk.


Jim ready and sitting on the bike.


Richard scooting about.


Jim getting a little sideways while waiting for the others.


The hot springs being all hot and steamy. They flow 24 hours a day all year.


The track south, Black Rock is the black lump at the end.


We ambled down the track with no problems and eventually came to the Black Rock hot springs. There was an old horse drawn carriage on one side of the crossroad which was a cultural landmark.




The sign was in worse repair that the one at Double hot springs.


The spring was also bigger and not as hot.


Closeup of Black Rock.


We also saw a rocket or two going up.


Looking across the playa at Wagon Fire mountain in Granite Range. One of my favourite photos.


We drove up to the first playa and stopped on it's rim. This is looking back towards Black Rock hot springs.


We were side on to Black Rock and the playa stretching off into the distance.


Looking north across the first playa to the mountains on the other side.


And towards the second playa.


There were some very interesting rocks around.


We crossed the first playa and stopped on the rim between the playas. The track just to the right of centre is going up the island in the middle.


We continued across the second playa and along the track on the other side.


We drove up a side track to the top of the ridge overlooking the rest of the big playa. The others were going to be coming along the track to the left.


Looking back from where we came. The playas are just over that ridge.


Looking south down to the main playa.


We eventually met the others and we all climbed up onto the island in the middle of the second playa, where I had a photo taken.


Circle work.


Leaving the top.


The rest then went and climbed a nearby hill that wasn't passable by 4WD, so we went back to Black Rock hot springs, onto the playa and headed for the rocket camp. This was a small one that reached 28,000 feet.


This one was being scrutinised for it's next flight.


Launched !


This was the remains of a two stage one that had fired the first stage, turned over and then fired the second and slammed into the ground. The owner was pleased that he had salvaged the electronics and the fins. If you look closely, it's made of cardboard.


Another sunset...


... another dawn and we headed home.


We stopped at Pyramid lake, when we saw a coyote on the side of the road. He ran off before I could get a photo.


We also stopped at Emigrant gap in the Sierra Nevadas.




And finally the car was a little dusty after it's trip and I'm surprised that more didn't get blown off on the way home.








And I'm still blowing it out of my nose.... ;)

Black Rock Desert.

Alister and I were invited by Jim, the other engineer in our company, on a fun filled weekend with him and 30 motorcycling mates. The destination was the Black Rock desert in Nevada. As usual there is a Google map showing where we went.

We left work about 4 pm and after collecting the car, packing and dinner, we ended up in Sacramento for the night. The only photo I took was of Alister getting breakfast at the complimentry breakfast buffet.



We were out of Sacramento (Point B on map.) and joined the morning rush by 7:15. The reason we left the night before the rest of the group was because Alistar wanted to visit the "World's foremost outfitters"

We stopped for a break at a "Vista Point" overlooking Donner Lake, which is upstream of the big Lake Tahoe, and looking very pretty and misty. (Point C on map.)





We made it to Cabela's (Point D on map.) and Alister was like a little boy in a candy shop. He didn't know where to go first or what to look at. We spent about an hour there and Alister managed to escape with only one outfit, a t-shirt and a cap. All in camouflage of course.

We rendevous with Jim in Reno and followed him to Gerlach (Point E on map.). We stopped at Bruno's saloon to wait for some others and have a drink.



Bruno is about 90 and owns half the town. Apart from the saloon, he owns the restaurant next door, the motel down the road and the local petrol station and there isn't much more in Gerlach.

Once the others had caught up we drove away from Gerlach and onto the playa (pronounced ply-a). (Point F on map.) At this point, Google doesn't have any of the trails in it's database, so I've copied the Google maps and marked the places on them. Here is the large one showing the general area.

I've circled the campsite in the upper right. The road that we entered on is marked E in the lower left. The distance from the road to the campsite is about 50 km.

We stopped in the middle of the playa to have a look around.



There's not a lot there. This is facing north east, the campsite is on the left side.

Looking back at the way we came, you can see the vague track that we were following and the dust hanging in the air kicked up by the vehicle.


Amazingly we heard a car and this buggy came into view and stopped for a chat.


After another half hour we got to the campsite.


You can easily see the double hot springs and the creek flowing out into the playa. We came in on the road from the bottom and hooked left around the hot springs to the campsite. You might also just be able to make out the pit toilet about 45 degrees left of the hot springs, just above the bump in the vegetation line. There are two faint tracks leading to it.

The hot springs couldn't be more different from each other. The north west one is crystal clear and a lovely bluey green colour.


The south east one must be deeper, as it is a murky brown and has a lot more bubbles popping up.


They are both hot, about 80 degrees C.


There are several little vents bubbling away around the two big ones.


The sign for the springs is vandal proof.


The hot springs trickle down to the playa and have been diverted slightly to fill a small pool for bathing.


The only way to get the water cool enough to bath in is to leave it for several hours to cool. Jim is organising the larger pool in the background, it can fit about 30 !

The sunset was excellent.




This is a photo looking south, across the creek and the playa towards Gerlach.


We had a great night, there was beer.

Jim (in the white) and Brett bringing the keg out of the ice.

There were fireworks.


A laser light show.


Plenty of cornhole action.




And some fantastic moonlit photography.




And you may be wondering why it's called Black Rock desert when it is so obviously and blindly white. It's cause it's got black rocks !


More tomorrow !