When we started our journey that would take us to Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon, there had been about 8,000 lightning strikes that started 800 fires in California. We stopped at the Deli to get a sub-sandwich to go, and then ate our lunch at the overlook just before the town of Washington. You can't see very far, because of the fire near here. The road into the town was closed except to fire fighters.
When we travel through these harsh landscapes in the comfort of today's vehicles, I can't help but imagine what it was like for the early western settlers in covered wagons, on horse back, or travel by stage coach. Even worse...the mail carriers, like the Pony Express, and the freight haulers that used to stop at the site below.
In 1861, these rocks composing the walls of the New Pass Stage Station and freighter stop were in neat rows and roofed with bundles of willow. It was one part of the "Stagecoach King" John Butterfield's overland mail and stage company road systems, which at the time began traversing this central route between Salt Lake City, Utah and Genoa, Nevada. The natural spring here was inadequate for both humans and horses. However, Division Superintendent Thomas Plain's support ranch, one mile to the west, kept this important team watering and stock replacement stop operating. Completion of the first transcontinental railroad meant the eventual demise of the overland stage line. In 1866, Butterfield sold out to Wells Fargo and Company. By February 1869 Wells Fargo suspended all operations on the central route and the New Pass Station faded into history.
We're outside Austin, Nevada. The red rocks holding this plaque are interesting. Evidently, Austin is the mother town of mining camps, that came into being after William Talcott discovered silver at this spot on May 2, 1862. Talcott came from Jacobsville, a stage stop six miles to the west on the Reese River, the first Lander County Seat. He was hauling wood out of Pony Canyon, directly below, when he made the strike that set off the famous "Rush to Reese." A town called Clifton flourished briefly in Pony Canyon, but fast growing Austin soon took over and became the County Seat in 1863. Before the mines began to fail in the 1880's Austin was a substantial city of 10,000 people. From Austin, prospectors fanned out to open many other important mining camps.
We leave Austin and climb the winding road up the mountain. Many years ago we accompanied some of our families on a hunting trip near here. I remember one of the roads led to Grass Valley. There were some bulls wandering around that made those on motorcycles uneasy.
We spent the night here. A Nice cool breeze all night helped us to sleep well. I got up around 7:am and made coffee, a couple of Jimmy Dean egg, cheese and sausage (with deli peppers) croissant sandwiches, and sliced oranges for breakfast. Soon we were on the road again.
While we were waiting for a light to change, Mel leaned out the window and asked the occupants of a car stopped next to us where we could fuel up. The young man replied, "Follow us!" We pulled in behind them, and while Mel was getting ready to fuel up, I got out to clean the front window. The young man turned out to be Zack, who insisted on doing it for me. Very nice of him, to say the least. Diesel was $4.75 per gallon.
The sun's gone below the western horizon, so we decide to spend the night here. Before long, we'll be surrounded by truckers and other's who need a spot for the night.We're up early next morning and on our way again. Today we'll meet our friends Floyd and Diane near Gunnison, Colorado.Not far down the road we see this figure that stands out on the landscape. It's called "Ghost Rock." This is the top of the San Rafael Swell anticline, the remains of a dome after millions of years of erosion. Bordered by huge blocks of the Navajo Sandstone formation, this area is called the Head of Sinbad. The stone "ghosts" show the power of wind and water. Imagine riding your horse through the San Rafael Swell in a heavy fog. Standing above the fog are two huge white rocks. Would you think you had seen a ghost? A cowboy thought so, hence its name.Cowboys in the Swell were a daring, tough lot and the Swasey brothers (Charlie, Sid, Joe and Rod were tougher than most. They herded cows and rounded up wild horses here.Their cabin still stands, nestled in the white sandstone cliffs below, an area called the Head of Sinbad. Here they built horse traps made from twisted juniper.It was here that Joe had his office in an alcove in the white sandstone. Farther east, Charlie bet Sid his herd of cattle that Sid couldn't jump his horse across the deep San Rafael River gorge. It was about a sixteen foot jump. He made the jump, won the cattle and became a legend in San Rafael Country.
