Black Rock Desert & High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails NCA

Recent readings of John McPhee's "Basin and Range", and "The Black Rock Desert" by William Fox and photographer Mark Klett, has caused me to change my casual interest in the Black Rock Desert to detailed inquiry and actual trip planning. I have no interest in Burning Man, or any other humanity gathering events in the area. But I do have a strong desire to explore one of the largest unimpeded flat areas in North America with my 4x5. As an Arizonan, born and raised in the Sonoran Desert, the notion of a place referred to as "absolute" and "abject" desert is appealing. A friend is loaning me his copy of "The Expeditions of John Charles Fremont" that includes a reprinting of Fremont's "Report of the Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains in the Year 1843, and to Oregon and California in the Years of 1843-1844". I much enjoy preparing for such a trip by learning some of the history of the area. In this case, the Great Basin.

I'm allotting myself two weeks for an initial foray. I've mentioned the nearby High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails NCA as a possible side trip. That may be putting 10 pounds in a 1 pound bag?

All recommendations, information, or suggestions are sincerely appreciated.

That's a good area to visit for lots of reasons -- especially NO CROWDS. Like all the deserts in the SW, it's surrounded by amazing mountains, and has streams and lakes, and wildlife on the valley/basin floors -- some not running this time of year. The BLM website has lots of information about the area. The Fish & Wildlife Service has wildlife refuges in the area too. I've been to Ruby Lake NWR. Depending on when you go, there might be a lot of golden aspen in the hills.

Nevada has a lot of surprises, but takes some patience. I literally grew up with cowboys and Indians, so am perfectly comfortable walking into some little breakfast joint along a lonely highway and sitting down at the counter chatting with the locals. Once they open up and understand me too, they often start sharing all their own favorite places otherwise unknown to outsiders. I'll take a mental note, and perhaps visit such a place of a succeeding trip. I don't do nearly as much driving now, but still look for out of the way things.

Salmo - one tip to how to get around comfortably and efficiently is not to whittle the weight or your pack itself down to nearly nothing, but to have a comfortable well-balanced pack which also protects your gear well. Two pound book-baggish things don't do that. No, you don't necessarily need an expensive dedicated camera pack with a lot of thick heavy redundant padding. If many people like those, fine. But basic cheap bubble packing and a few poly trashcan liners will do the same thing. The main point is decent back support, so stuff won't be pounding you or itself walking along, as well as serious good adjustable shoulder straps plus an effective adjustable waistband. You also need space for water bottles, lunch, and protective weather gear if wandering very far at all. One of my own tricks is to wrap my camera and film in my goose down jacket, even in hot weather. It's not only good padding, but an excellent thermal insulator. Even if I wrap a cold soda can in there too, and hike in desert heat for several hours, it will still be cold.

Good footwear is also critical to a fun rather than miserable experience.

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Originally Posted by Drew Wiley

Nevada has a lot of surprises, but takes some patience. I literally grew up with cowboys and Indians, so am perfectly comfortable walking into some little breakfast joint along a lonely highway and sitting down at the counter chatting with the locals. Once they open up and understand me too, they often start sharing all their own favorite places otherwise unknown to outsiders. I'll take a mental note, and perhaps visit such a place of a succeeding trip. I don't do nearly as much driving now, but still look for out of the way things.

Salmo - one tip to how to get around comfortably and efficiently is not to whittle the weight or your pack itself down to nearly nothing, but to have a comfortable well-balanced pack which also protects your gear well. Two pound book-baggish things don't do that. No, you don't necessarily need an expensive dedicated camera pack with a lot of thick heavy redundant padding. If many people like those, fine. But basic cheap bubble packing and a few poly trashcan liners will do the same thing. The main point is decent back support, so stuff won't be pounding you or itself walking along, as well as serious good adjustable shoulder straps plus an effective adjustable waistband. You also need space for water bottles, lunch, and protective weather gear if wandering very far at all. One of my own tricks is to wrap my camera and film in my goose down jacket, even in hot weather. It's not only good padding, but an excellent thermal insulator. Even if I wrap a cold soda can in there too, and hike in desert heat for several hours, it will still be cold.

Good footwear is also critical to a fun rather than miserable experience.

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Thanks for the comments Drew. Regarding footwear, I have unusually high arches. For years I struggled to find hiking boots that would provide the proper support and protection. Eventually a friend, who was consumed with an expensive sheep hunting addition, put me in contact with a company that makes custom boot systems. I went to the annual "Wild Sheep Show" in Reno and got fitted. It was like winning the lottery for my poor feet. While not a cheap solution, I feel they have been one of my best investments.

I have the opposite problem. Zero arches and otherwise deformed feet. And I was accustomed to hauling packs up to 90 lbs (that capacity has since considerably diminished in inverse proportion to increasing age). And oh the foot pain! And I suspect that podiatrists when I was a child were trained by the Spanish Inquisition. Now things have greatly improved.

So I wear custom hiking boots that would now cost nearly 4K to replace, but paid around $750 originally. The custom pair before that cost $250, at lot for that time, but they lasted me over thirty years of hard real mountaineering style use, so were in fact bargain compared to otherwise wearing out multiple pairs of store-bought boots. Likewise, my present pair is suitable for multiple Vibram resoling if ever needed. I've had just one resole so far, and am realistically hopeful this present pair will last the rest of my life. Due to my susceptibility to ankle twist, I need to wear leather boots even for daily wear; but in that case it's just real US mfg Redwing boots which are available in an especially wide range of widths and sizes, and hold up well, but don't have enough traction for serious trail use.

Another great asset as been real Austrian made (Leki or Komperdel) trekking poles with adjustable shock absorbing springs inside. My knees seem to be in better shape now in my 70's than back in my 40's due to those. Chinese made poles are quite inferior. But I also have a habit of going downhill slower than uphill, which also helps.

You might want to reach out to photographer John Wimberley who photographed (5x7) the landscape of the Great Basin for more than 40 years and spent 10 years searching for and photographing its petroglyphs (Evidence of Magic. Photographs 1999 -2008: Petroglyphs of the Great Basin.)

Thomas

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Originally Posted by tgtaylor

You might want to reach out to photographer John Wimberley who photographed (5x7) the landscape of the Great Basin for more than 40 years and spent 10 years searching for and photographing its petroglyphs (Evidence of Magic. Photographs 1999 -2008: Petroglyphs of the Great Basin.)

Thomas

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Terrific idea Thomas. I'll reach out to him.

Also check out Reports Of Explorations And Surveys To Ascertain The Most Practicable And Economical Route For A Railroad From The Mississippi River To The Pacific Ocean, 1855 published under the auspices of the then Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. The first 5 volumes concern the southernmost route . You can get/read it free here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...practicable-an

Thomas

The read it free link is https://archive.org/details/reportso...ge/n5/mode/2up

Thomas

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Originally Posted by tgtaylor

You might want to reach out to photographer John Wimberley who photographed (5x7) the landscape of the Great Basin for more than 40 years and spent 10 years searching for and photographing its petroglyphs (Evidence of Magic. Photographs 1999 -2008: Petroglyphs of the Great Basin.)

Thomas

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As a follow-up Thomas, I was able to contact Mr. Wimberley. His kind reply to my inquiry is as follows:

"Though I’ve spent a lot of time exploring Nevada, I’ve never photographed in the Black Rock or Smoke Creek Desert areas. But I’ve often passed through the town of Gerlach on the way to somewhere else, and sometimes spent the night at Bruno’s Country Club which has a good restaurant. The closest I’ve come to photographing out there was work done to the south at Winnemucca Dry Lake, which has interesting tufa formations and occasional rock art.

Sorry I don’t have more information. I wish you all the best in your photographic endeavors."

I will keep doing my research. I've reached out to Austin Granger. I believe he has photographed in the Black Rock Desert before. He has always been good to respond to an old man like me.