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April 2, 2004
The natural world at your fingertips
Despite all the gloom and doom prevalent these days, there's one definite piece of good news to anyone who sticks their head out the front door: it's another beautiful, Pahrump spring. The wildflowers have been blooming like mad up and down the boulevard. There's still snow on the mountains on which to gaze. Best of all, starting this weekend, we go back to daylight savings time - the sun won't go down until 7 p.m. April is my favorite time of year for those reasons. October sounds awfully nice too while we're baking in the 110 degree heat of summer, but the days are too short. In April there's still time after work to enjoy a nice sunset or light a barbeque. It's hard to recommend an ideal time to come to Southern Nevada. I remember a United Way St. Patrick's Day fundraiser that was rained out last year. My brother and his wife came for a visit in early November, just as we had an unusual cold snap with snow flurries while we were driving around Red Rock Canyon. April, however, should be smooth sailing for any outdoor event, unless it's one of those windy spring days. I enjoy sticking around Pahrump on these April weekends, savoring every moment. Since it's between my trips to warm up for the winter or escape the summer heat, I'll take the opportunity to reveal a few of my favorite haunts. During the winter I enjoy visiting the canyon country along the Colorado River, near Laughlin, at a warm 500 feet elevation. Specifically, I'll travel east across the Colorado River and Davis Dam to the Arizona side, traveling north along the river into the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. There's a turnoff down a dirt road to Telephone Cove; the north side has a boat ramp, the south side boasts a picturesque bay on Lake Mojave where the roar of the powerboats are still a ways away and there's an awesome view of the desert peaks coming right down to the river. There's now a $5 admission to the national recreation area en route to Telephone Cove near Katherine's Landing; I get in free with a national parks pass. The weather can change quickly at Telephone Cove, however. While it's possible to get goose bumps sun tanning along the beach in winter, it quickly heats up to feel like purgatory in the spring. Nearby is the ghost town of Oatman, Ariz., about 2,000 feet elevation, providing some relief, where burros wander around main street, Route 66, and there are some quaint shops to visit. In the torrid summer months, I like to head north on U.S. Highway 95. The weather north of Beatty already seems to cool off, with the wind blowing over the alfalfa fields. About 120 miles north of Pahrump is Lida Junction, where Nevada Highway 266 soon leads west to 7,403-foot Lida Summit amid scenic, cool, pine trees. The road continues west to the California state line, past the picturesque Oasis Ranch, where Highway 266 branches off north into Fish Lake Valley. By continuing straight the road turns into Highway 168 in California, which winds around some turns, where magnificent views of the Sierra Nevada range come into view. It's smart to drive this stretch of Highway 168 in the daytime, as cows are often grazing on or right alongside the road. Soon it's time to drive over Westgard Pass, at 7,313 feet, just before dropping into Owens Valley at Big Pine, Calif., where I often take a detour. I prefer wild camping on National Forest Service roads outside of regular campgrounds in my camper - there's less noise, no bears scrounging around for food and it's no problem stepping out of the camper to relieve one's self without fear of an audience. The White Mountain Road, stretching north of Westgard Pass going up as high as 11,000 feet, has spectacular views across Owens Valley to the Sierras, without all the crowds. The only problem is the White Mountain Range doesn't have any lakes or rivers. Sometimes I'll take the north fork from the Oasis Ranch continuing along Highway 266 through Fish Lake Valley to U.S. Highway 6, where it's a short distance west to 7,132-foot Montgomery Pass. After that is the California state line, and shortly after that, a turnoff on Highway 120 in the small town of Benton, Calif., that heads west towards Yosemite National Park. Just before descending down to U.S. Highway 395 and Lee Vining, there's a turnoff on a well-maintained dirt road south through Owens River Gorge, another ideal place for wild camping amid big boulders, pine trees and views of the sierra. It's only perhaps four hours drive from Pahrump before it's time to pull over in the cool, nighttime air, have a refreshing drink and look up at billions of stars before settling down for the night. (Write to Mark Waite at mwaite@pvtimes.com.) |
