nevada

Hi all, Just returned from about 4 weeks of southern NV, AZ and CA travel: Gold Butte, Lake Mead, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, Havasu and Mt Nutt Wildernesses, Mojave NP, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge and DVNP. I've been reluctant to do full on TRs of late. As I see certain...

There's nothing particularly "to die for" or "bucket list" about Lincoln County Nevada. However, the mountains are endless, the basin valleys broad and loaded with prehistoric cultural evidence, interesting drylakes, and classic Mojave Desert flora, and bountiful springs bring birds and other...

Howdy folks, I want to introduce you to a new 1090 mile thru hike route across central Nevada called the Basin and Range Trail. Nevada is the most mountainous state in the lower 48, with over 310 named mountain ranges. The BRT strings together some of the more spectacular ranges in the state...

The past 2 years have been rough. Time, money and health all took a lurch and my usual lifestyle of playing outside with every free moment took a nose dive. Time to start making up for missing out on my preternatural obsession. So after more than 2 years of not having felt a pack on my back...

Spent a weekend camped off the Kane Springs Rd, just enjoying the big views in every direction. Looped an easy ridge taking my time, plenty of long breaks low and high. Just grooving on being outdoors. Evening views from camp. Home. Sheep Range in shadow. NE. Meadow Valley Mountains right...

If it wasn't so nice I wouldn't go. But this is one of my favorite areas in all the Mojave (?). Actually, the range's crest forms part of the Great Basin Divide. I started on Kane springs road, then the next left after Willow Springs turn off I took an unnamed good dirt, to rough and rocky...

Intro The Ruby Crest Trail has been on my backlog for a few years. Logistically, it's somewhat of pain since the Ruby Mountains aren't close to any major city and the point-to-point trail requires a shuttle (unless you're willing to do a 70 mile out-and-back). I wasn't sure it would happen...

I headed out to the Toiyabe Range in central Nevada with the intent of backpacking the Toiyabe Crest Trail with a couple of friends, starting in the north at Kingston Canyon, then working our way south to the South Twin River Trailhead. Unfortunately, due to the amount of snow, we were turned...

It has been a windy, rainy, cold start to the year so far. Makes for some GREAT visuals, but hiking is a mixed bag depending on exposure, although I was fortunate enough that there was plenty of sheltered hiking this day. I ran the dirt roads til I found just the right spot to start wandering...

What a nice day ! Warm, mixed sky, light wind. Perfect. Headed in on the Quo Vadis Mine Road til it topped out, then put boots to earth for a short jaunt up. I had wanted to make it out to the high point in frame upper left, but after some really enjoyable easy walking and spicy...

I still have some trip reports to post from 2018, but I'm going to try to keep up better on them this year and this one's easy, so here it goes. This is actually a combo of two trips to Gold Butte. The first was 4 nights at the end of December over New Years Eve, and the second was a shorter...

Gold Butte Campout, February 2016 Like every year on President’s Day weekend, I headed out again to Southern Nevada to camp and explore in the Gold Butte area, now a national monument. The entire area is a true gem and so close to home in St. George that I really enjoy my weekends of...

Ruby Dome is the highest point in Elko County, where I live, at 11,392 feet. We had been talking about hiking to the top of it with some friends, and in September we had a free weekend so we decided to turn it into a backpacking trip. I had attempted it in a single day many years ago and...

The tale of two valleys: death and fire. Like a million other gullible tourists, I perked up to the talk of a superbloom this spring in Death Valley National Park. The park started promoting the wildflower situation with a video that made the rounds in February. Then every news site in...

I just got home from three solid days at Great Basin National Park -- my 30th National Park! Great Basin is one of the least-visited National Parks in the Lower-48. This might have something to do with the fact that 'Great Basin' usually brings to mind bleak deserts and dry hills. Sure, a lot...

02/15/2015 It's been a while since I had gone out and done some exploring. Sickness, trip to SLC, more sick... it has been ridiculous. So finally I got off my butt and went to a spot I have heard about. Two hours later I was cruising the north shore road in the Lake Mead NRA. I decided I...

6.6.14

For my birthday this year we ditched the kids and the wife and I went hiking all day! First time we have done that together in years. Initially I was thinking of trying walk in permits for Coyote Buttes South but with changing weather and wanting to see some sunshine we headed to Nevada and the...

Backpacking Great Basin NP with @Mike K , @Miss Buffalo , and @Tess

I had tickets to attend a concert down in Vegas but of course could not leave that as my only plan for the day. 100 degree temperatures just days after being in 50s up in SLC truncated my original plan to spend a day exploring Valley of Fire into an hour seeing "The Fire Wave." Despite the...