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Category: Nevada

05 September 2023

Exploring new territory near Pioche Nevada

mts rain clouds SR320 Pioche NVAfter a quick visit to Cathedral Gorge State Park under dramatic yet threatening skies I continued north on US93 towards Pioche, Nevada.

light rain clouds SR320 Pioche NV

view N trees mts storm clouds SR320 Pioche NVFound a nice boondock site that met my criteria of quiet with big views.

mts storm clouds SR320 Pioche NVPulled in for a night and stayed five days.

view W light & shadow Highland Range clouds SR320 Pioche NVThe next day brought more wonderful skies along with rain and I was glad to be parked on high ground watching the drama unfold around me.

view SE mts low clouds SR320 Pioche NV

view S JP cliffs mt clouds SR320 Pioche NVPlus I had a great signal and spent most of the day inside writing and editing photos for the Chiricahua National Monument blog post and a short video from my Tubac camp.

view SE light & shadow mts clouds SR320 Pioche NV

view SE light & shadows SR320 Pioche NV

view S light & shadow mts clouds reverse sunset SR320 Pioche NVI actually went outside frequently during the day for the amazing light on the land.

view E light & shadow anticrepuscular rays SR320 Pioche NV

view SE rds mts anticrepuscular rays reverse sunset clouds SR320 Pioche NVThe skies continued to change rapidly putting on a show that included anti-crepuscular rays.

view NW JP mts sunset clouds SR320 Pioche NV

view NW JP mts sunset clouds SR320 Pioche NVAnd a grand finale glow for sunset.

rain shaft SR320 Pioche NVThe heavy clouds continued for another day.  I watched but didn’t receive much rain.

trees mts storm clouds SR320 Pioche NVHowever, high wind rocked the camper a bit.

mts storm clouds SR320 Pioche NV

mts sunset clouds SR320 Pioche NV

trees mts sunset clouds SR320 Pioche NVAnd that same wind blew the storm away in time for another spectacular sunset.

Flycatcher bird Juniper tree SR320 Pioche NVFlycatcher bird at camper window SR320 Pioche NV

The show changed when a Flycatcher flew at the camper windows several times.

Flycatcher bird at camper window SR320 Pioche NV

Flycatcher bird at camper window SR320 Pioche NVCould have seen its own reflection, maybe there was a nest nearby, could it have seen Sierra looking out.  Just glad it never flew into the window.  I did get a short video you can watch here.

imm Swainsons hawk SR320 Pioche NVAnother day, a blur of motion across the sky caught my eye and I saw what I think was an immature Swainsons hawk land and roost behind a lot of Juniper branches before soaring off again.  I don’t really consider myself a “birder” but sure do enjoy seeing them, and everything else in nature where I am at peace.

truckcamper City RV Park Pioche NVBut sometimes, I have to go to town.  Pioche, Nevada, population 1400, was only a few miles away from my BLM camp along SR320.  Drove past a large compound of currently closed mine buildings and better understood why traffic had been so light.  Pioche has a free city RV park with water and sewer where I parked under a huge tree that protected some from the heavy wind.  Sites were not very level and I had to move a bit before leaving to get to the sewer dump but only because I don’t have a very long sewer hose.  Across the street, the city pool charged $2.50 for Senior me where I only used the unlimited hot shower.

GodBe Mill Pioche NVThe other direction at the edge of town provided a nice view for sunset over the closed GodBe Mill.  Without agriculture, Pioche would be a true ghost town.

sunset clouds City RV Park Pioche NVPioche city park provided me a free, safe haven for two brutally windy days with 25mph gusts.  Finished a video about Tumacácori National Historical Site and worked on a plan for my next route and possible destinations.

Before leaving Pioche I wanted to explore the historic downtown, and ask locals how to say Pioche.  That started with breakfast at the Silver Café.

historic Pioche Utah State Historical SocietyUtah State Historical Society

In my head I said “pee-ah’-ch-e”.  No, Pioche is French, “pee’-oach”, named in 1869 after François Louis Alfred Pioche, a San Francisco financier and land speculator originally from France.  By the early 1870s Pioche became one of the most important silver-mining towns in Nevada and had a reputation for being one of the roughest towns in the west.

historic Commerce Cottage Pioche NVThe Commerce Cottage was originally a library in the late 1800s and now houses the Pioche Chamber of Commerce.  I wandered into the current library next door and spent time chatting with my morning waitress’ mom, the librarian.

phones over years museum Pioche NVWurlitzer jukebox museum Pioche NV

card catalog museum Pioche NVChinese Checkers museum Pioche NV

Then I visited the museum which provided an entertaining step back in time.

historic Thompsons Opera House & Gem theatre Pioche NVThompson’s Opera house was constructed in 1873 and used for dances and a movie theater until the 250-seat Gem Theater was built in 1937.  It operated until 2003 when the roof blew off in a storm and is still being restored.

The still famous million dollar courthouse was built in 1872 and next door sits the old Mountain View Hotel, where President Herbert Hoover is said to have stayed in 1930. Built in 1895, the hotel served the lodging needs of dignitaries visiting Pioche on court business (didn’t get photos).

old log cabin Dutch John Well US93 NVThe historic mining town of Pioche offered an interesting walk-about and I could, and should, have spent more time, however I was anxious to explore Nevada’s Loneliest Highway.

More history about Pioche can be found here.

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Nevada, Pioche, Places I've been, United States high desert, historic mining town 18 Comments
16 August 2023

Leaving Utah and on to Nevada

sign Mt Meadow Massacre UTAfter visiting with friends in St George, Utah it was time to head on my way in Nevada with a couple stops along the way.  Signs for public lands and overlooks hook me like fish on a worm.  And could be one of the reasons I don’t put down many miles in a day.  Only mid-June and still in the desert Southwest.

Mt Meadow Massacre UTHaving studied the cultural history of northern Arizona and southern Utah plus visited Lees Ferry many times over the years, I’d heard about the Mountain Meadow Massacre.  So when I saw a sign for an overlook, just had to stop and check it out though I did not visit any of the other sites.  In early September 1857, about 140 people camped in Ox Valley, families from Arkansas who were headed to California with all their worldly belongings in wagons, herding cattle, mules, horses, and oxen.  On September 7th, a group of Mormon militiamen and Paiute Indians attacked the camp and the emigrants fought for five days to protect their families.  Under a false white flag of truce, the militiamen entered the camp, collected weapons, and separated the emigrants into three groups marching them out of camp.  Then, at a prearranged signal, militiamen shot the men, older boys, and some of the wounded before massacring the women and most of the children.  The last 17 small children were stripped of clothing and left to die.  Two years later, United States Army soldiers buried the scattered remains.  Yet it took 17 years for a federal grand jury to indict nine Mormon militiamen for these crimes and only one, John D. Lee, was brought to trial, convicted, and executed on March 23, 1877.  This National Historic Landmark memorial site was completed/established in 2011.

old rd orange Globe Mallow flowers storm clouds SR319 NVOrange Mallow covered hillsides welcomed to Nevada

St Geo UT to Cathedral Gorge SP NVFrom there I continued on SR18 north to SR56 west which became SR319 in Nevada then north on US93 which gets its start in Wickenburg, Arizona (near my home base).  Are you lost yet?

Cathedral Gorge SP NV PanoAfter watching Carolyn’s RV Life video about Cathedral Gorge State Park I decided to see it for myself.

sticker & pin Cathedral Gorge SP NVFirst stopped at the Regional Information station where I asked questions and bought a hat pin and sticker.  Non-residents of Nevada pay a $10 day use fee and $20 to dry camp which includes entry.

storm clouds Cathedral Gorge SP NVI thought about staying in the campground yet slipped right past the electronic iron ranger, missed the campground turn off, and ended up at day use parking.

rock dark clouds Cathedral Gorge SP NVAt 90° it was too hot to hike much even though there are six developed trails from .05 to 3 miles long.

Cathedral Gorge SP NVslot canyon Cathedral Gorge SP NV

slot canyon Cathedral Gorge SP NVslot canyon Cathedral Gorge SP NV

I did poke my nose, and camera, into a couple almost slot like canyons that ended rather quickly.

rock Cathedral Gorge SP NV

white Primrose flower Cathedral Gorge SP NVThis badlands landscape began tens of millions of years ago during volcanic activity that left behind ash altered into silt and clay then later deposited by rivers, streams, and fluctuating lake levels about 2.5 million years ago.  Add erosion and you have the continuingly sculpted formations with deeply incised canyons seen today.  In 1935, Cathedral Gorge became one of the first state parks in Nevada.  Sadly, I didn’t wander far enough to see the CCC built picnic facilities, stone water tower and rest room.

mts rain clouds SR320 Pioche NVAlthough the formations were interesting, especially with the dramatic sky, I didn’t think the park was worth the price of admission.  So being late in the afternoon and still needing a place to camp, preferably through the coming weekend, I continued north under threatening skies to explore more of Nevada.

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Cathedral Gorge State Park, Nevada, Places I've been, United States, Utah road trip, summer 2023 21 Comments
28 June 2023

On the road for summer

Yes, I am far behind blogging, and also posting videos. It’s already a busy summer.  In fact I’m trying to catch them up to at least the same amount of time behind.  I last posted about the amazing pillars of rocks in Chiricahua National Monument visited in April, and that video can be found here.

late light boulders Indian Bread Rocks RA BLM Bowie AZIndian Bread Rocks Recreation Area

The next place I stayed at for two weeks, so lots of photos coming with that story.

trees rainbow storm clouds Skull Valley AZYes, I went home for several weeks to regroup, make plans, and not be on the road for Memorial Day weekend.  Maybe I’m crazy to travel during summer.

First of June I left for summer travels.  First I visited several friends and don’t have much to share from those stops, but do have many wonderful memories.

grass SF Pks rain clouds FR545 Wupatki NM AZSan Francisco Peaks from Wupatki National Monument

I returned to a few familiar places with different views.

Wotons Throne & Cape Royal Desert View SR GRCA NP AZWotons Throne from South Rim

view S Cape Royal NR GRCA NP AZWotons Throne from North Rim

Then I went to the South and North rims of Grand Canyon and that story and pics will be coming, eventually.

view S JP cliffs mt clouds SR320 Pioche NVBLM camp view near Pioche Nevada

Finally got to Utah and visited several more friends before starting to feel the heat of summer and heading into Nevada to several new to me places.

old log cabin Dutch John Well US93 NVDutch John Well

And I’m enthralled with Nevada landscapes.

view N red Paintbrush flowers scrub trees Egan Range sunset clouds White Pine County Rd 3 NVAs a friend said MOAN, for the Middle of ABSOLUTELY Nowhere, along America’s Loneliest Highway.  It’s gorgeous!  And the high elevation keeps me summer cool.

Jakey Valley and Egan Range

And now I find myself waiting for another holiday weekend to pass, avoiding possible rain, and staying in temperatures below 90°.

Kanab UTPainted on a street in Kanab Utah

Where next?  Stay tuned, and I will catch up eventually.  I might even make it to Oregon this summer.

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Arizona, Nevada, Places I've been, RV life, United States, Utah boondocking, friendocking, RV living, summer 17 Comments
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Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

I started exploring US National Parks in 1977 and 20 years later became a seasonal Park Ranger.  I’ve lived full-time in a RV for 30 years working summers and playing winters.  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow old, other than grow up.

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