Move to Hawthorne, Nevada

After we got a new tonneau cover for the truck's bed installed Thursday, we did a little shopping and then headed home.  Since I was driving I said we were going to do another side trip.  We drove over to Pressor Dam which is about 2 miles from the campground and was stunned that the reservouir was almost dry.  We knew there was a drought but that really made it hit home how they desperately need a very wet winter.  And most folks we talk to said they are getting prepared for this coming winter - all predictions point to a very cold and heavy snow season.  Time for us to get south!

Storm a comin'

Friday was spent doing what we do best - cleaning, laundry, last minute stuff to get ready to move.  While at the campground's laundry I had an interesting conversation with a young woman who had trained with Nancy Kerrigan and Tanya Harding (remember those two of the Olympics?) who could not get to the nationals because she was diagnosed with Lyme's Disease.  Instead, she is now thinking about teaching skating - she said she was very good.  Strangly - I believed her.  Something about her rang true. She and her husband and three children live in a small box type RV at the campground and have been living there now for 4 years and she loves the winter.  She said they get ALOT of snow, but it melts then alot of snow, then melts, etc.  All winter. Her husband works at grooming the slopes of Sugar Bowl Ski area in the winter and summer he works at a golf course.  I guess you gotta love the outdoors in those kinds of jobs.

This morning we packed up and skeedadled out of town - there was a storm coming in with high winds predicted by noon.  We managed to get on the road by 8:30 which is a tidge early than normal.  We watched the clouds and had a spattering of rain until just east of Reno.  But the winds.  As we sit here now at Hawthorne - Whiskey Flats RV Campground - the winds are predicted to gust to 60 miles an hour later today, rain and thunderstorms tonight, clear tomorrow.  Glad we are in and secure.  We only drove 168 miles, but far enough south to avoid the major stuff.  As I look out now - dust clouds and high winds are raging and the RV is being moved around even though we are unhooked and set up. Ugh, but looking forward to the thunderstorm tonight.

Road to Nowhere

I think Abraham Lincoln was wrong - why is Nevada a state?  Where are the people?  There is absolutely NOTHING for miles. Not even open range grazing cattle or horses.  Saw more of the basin-range-basin-range landscape but no ranches.  And raw land.  Mountains, no trees, sage brush, then we got to Walker Lake and I told Dave I thought I was back in Israel - looked like the Dead Sea, was watching for Masada and King Herod's palace in the mountain, the lake looked like it was salt but knew it was fresh.  And low.

Walker Lake

Looking for Masada

We move on in the morning more south (follow us on Route 95 out of Reno) and on to a small town called Beatty (bay-dee) where we will visit Death Valley National Park, about 240 miles more south.