Mrs. CW needed to go to Minden over in Nevada, and since there was nothing particular that needed doing today, we loaded ourselves into the big Dodge and headed east on Highway 88.
Gaining elevation, there was this view of the Chrystal Range just north by Tahoe. That's Pyramid Peak, and it appears that there's still a nice snow pack to melt away.
Below is a stretch of Highway 88 in Nevada, traversing the Carson Valley. Wide open spaces make happy faces!
A mountain store near Hope Valley, where we stopped for a bit.
They were baking pies, and heck, why not get one?
Down and around a nearby dirt road, that in fact used to be the pioneer trail over the Sierras, and you can still see in certain places the marks left by the pioneers.
This one is about gone, but you can still read the name "Emma." This country was a howling wilderness in every way when these folk passed by.
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Mr. S. Jackson painted this, probably with wagon axle grease, in September, which would have been about the right time to make it over the mountains before the snow hits. It appears he was from Illinois.
The Carson River was flowing vigorously. There was a couple of optimistic anglers we saw getting their gear ready, but I don't know if the fishing would be very good with the water this high and cold. Maybe with worms.
Going back over the summit, you can see the Elephant's Back, with an oddly matching cloud. In years gone past, two of the kids and I hiked up to the top of that far mountain, and you can bet that the view was outstanding. Way too cold and snowy today.
Caples Lake is still frozen, but a little lower down Silver Lake is ice free. The coldest we saw was 38F in the middle of the afternoon. I'll bet it's way colder than that at 4am.
Back at the ranch now, and that pie is looking pretty good. A great day on the road.
Thank you for the trip report. It appears that global warming has yet to strike Northern Nevada. All the same, it's beautiful country.
ReplyDeleteA far superior Sierra pass to the next two Northern ones.
ReplyDeleteI'll never forget coming over Carson east to west one Thanksgiving in blowing snow and 7 to 8 degrees outside. That was a winter storm for sure, but the big Dodge pulled through.
DeleteEvery time I go through Carson Pass I take the turnoff at the Caltrans yard and go up to the top and sit and absorb the peace and quiet for awhile.
ReplyDeleteThe bar/diner close to Kirkwood is nice.
Thanks for continuing to share your trips across the Sierra. God, I miss being up there.
ReplyDelete