It
is a lonely road.
A
series of north south ranges interrupting long flat stretches of an otherwise
great desert basin.
Drove
as far as Cold Springs Station, a stop on the Pony Express Route. An
ambitions endeavor, it delivered the mail 2,000 miles from St Joseph, Missouri
to Sacramento, California in just 10 days. It only ran for 18 months
before the telegraph lines were completed, making it instantly obsolete, but
forever a part of American lore.
We
could take interstate highways to get where we want to go. But we like
Highway 50 across Nevada, billed as “The Loneliest Road in America”. We
like it so much we decided to get on Highway 50 at our first opportunity at
Salina in the middle of Utah and follow it all the way to the other side of
Nevada. So today we traveled a backroad on our way to the backroad.
Along
the way, we stopped by Great Basin National Park in Nevada. Been meaning
to do this for maybe 20 years. It was a good idea to check it out.
This place is glorious!
We
didn’t stay and camp here. Too cold at night for us at 10,000 feet with
no hookups. But if we had stayed, this would have been our campsite.
From
the highest viewpoint, it looked like this.
We
stopped for the night in Ely.
Driving
west from Green River, Utah. A hundred miles of desolation. No
food. No water. No fuel. No nothing. Except
scenery. This was always a highlight of our spring break trips with the
kids. If we were heading west, first night at Green River State Park, and
the next morning off across the Badlands, stopping at every viewpoint along the
way. The San Rafael Swell, an ancient uplift creating and exposing
geological wonders.
Ensconced
for the night at a wonderful KOA in Fillmore, Utah. Quiet.
Private. Shady. Grassy.
from
Colorado through the rich red rock formations of Utah.
The
welcome soft green grass and shade of Green River State Park for the night.
A
late start. A short day. Another state.
Cortez.
Southwestern Colorado for the night.
This
used to be a KOA. Fifteen or twenty years ago we stayed here so often, we
would be greeted like family when we drove in. Mom, Dad, and two sons
running the place. We’d announce “It’s good to be home.”
That
was then. The family we enjoyed so much sold it and moved on. It’s
no longer a KOA. It’s no longer tip-top. It’s still in a beautiful
setting though.
Cooler
weather. The low last night was 36 degrees. We turned on the space
heater and stayed toasty all night.
Tonight,
the camping gods smiled upon us. Navajo Lake State Park. Cottonwood
Campground.
About
as nice a spot as we have ever been in.
Entertained
a visitor at our site.
And
encountered a Bull Snake.
They
kind of like to pretend they’re rattlesnakes, but they’re harmless. As
boy scouts, we would find them along the trail, carry them for a while, then
put them back down.
Lunch
with the Albuquerque crew.
That
was fun. Haven’t done this in several years.
Then
off down the highway for a hundred miles to Bluewater Lake State Park.
Pinon
Juniper habitat. This would be the Pinon Pine part.
Evening light.
