Over Thanksgiving weekend a dedicated crew chose to brave the cold winter of the Nevada high desert instead of the shopping mall. As part of a nationwide movement to opt outside on Black Friday, the Our Wild America campaign and Nevada's Toiyabe Chapter led an outing into the newly designated Basin and Range National Monument.
Using the journals of Sierra Club founder John Muir the group followed in the conservationist's footsteps as they camped and hiked across the desert. A long gravel road from Hwy 318 led into the monument past several viewing points in Mount Irish Archeological District. Petroglyphs lined the rocks along the way, sharing knowledge and stories of animals, plants and the seasons as the group approached sacred sites of the Paiute and Shoshone. Unfortunately, there was evidence of weathering and even careless vandalism on many of the petroglyphs.
Having successfully traversed Logan Pass, which runs by Mt. Irish and into Southern Garden Valley, the group made camp for the night in Murphy's Gap. Though temperatures dipped below 14 degrees, the campers persevered and headed out along the Worthington Mountains the next day, a range that John Muir explored and enjoyed. They then cut across Garden Valley and were rewarded with a spectacular view of the towering Grant Mountain Range.
Next stop was a hill that gave them a spectacular panoramic view of Garden Valley, the Water Gap in the Golden Gate Range, and artist Michael Heizer's masterpiece "City," a massive earth art installation in the desert. And finally the group proceeded to document areas of the Coal Valley currently being considered for dirty fuel development, in the area surrounding Murphy's Reservoir which lies within the boundaries of the national monument. They gathered important information on temporary water flows to be shared with the Bureau of Land Management as it assesses the risk of spreading contamination from the proposed fracking wells.
Mixed feelings accompanied the group as they left the national monument-- satisfaction at having successfully completed the trip, pride in having helped create the monument being explored, and uncertainty for the future of the pristine views of Basin and Range. One thing was clear though, the group will continue work to ensure future generations can continue to opt outside in the beautiful Nevada desert. Join them by adding your voice here.