 |
| Hi Cindy! |
 |
| Our corner site at the Victorian RV Resort |
Lewis and Sasha went with us today as we drove north on SR 445 towards Pyramid Lake. I just love this stark, desert landscape, its so serene. A few small ranches here and there, otherwise, nothing but smooth mountains and blue sky.
Pyramid Lake is about 45 minutes north of Reno and so worth the drive. We rounded a corner in the road and were knocked flat by the view!!!!! The Lake is the last remnant of prehistoric Lake Lahonton water body that covered much of Nevada thousands of years ago. The lake is the only habitat of the rare Cui-ui fish, a species that is said to be 2 million years old. It is entirely on and managed by the Paiute Indian Tribe and to roam freely in the area, we had to get a tribal permit. As Dave walked out of the Ranger's station with our permit in hand, a man followed behind, carrying a bucket. He passed Dave and dumped the bucket into the brush a little way from our jeep. When my driver got back into the jeep, he told me that the bucket held a rattlesnake that had found its way into the building...Whoa, I'm staying in the car now!
There is only one paved road that follows the lake's shoreline, and it quickly turns to dirt. What an experience we water seekers had today!
 |
| our first glimpse of Pyramid Lake |
 |
here are some of the fantastic tufa's that line the eastern shore.
there is no non-tribe access to them, the area is considered sacred |
 |
| we couldn't believe the color of the water, no photo shop here! |
 |
| the rock formations were fascinating and so varied. these trailed off into the water at one of the "beaches" we walked |
 |
| we all enjoyed a chance to stretch our legs along the wide shoreline |
 |
| fall colors are subtle here, but beautiful nonetheless |
 |
| the pyramid tufa in the distance is one of the most sacred areas to the local Paiute tribe |
 |
| our jeep was tested on rough roads today. rock slides everywhere |
 |
| most of the day was "off road" for us, fun fun fun! |
The rock formations were fascinating to me. I'm only including a few at the risk of boring you to tears.
 |
| sorry about the line.....computer poltergeist at work again |
 |
| this small rock appeared to be cracked open on the beach |
 |
| close up of the above rock |
 |
| on the same beach |
I really need to read up on the geology of this area. I have lots of questions, no answers....Driving slowly on rough rocky roads gives you a new perspective and allows you to look closely at things.
 |
| three types of lichen grew on many rocks |
On our way home, we discovered this......and couldn't resist a drive down the entrance road to see.
 |
| acres and acres of wild horses, waiting.... |
 |
| this guy caught my eye, through the fence |
 |
| dozing buddies |
The facility is a holding pen for horses and burros awaiting adoption. It was open to the general public on Saturdays, from 8 a.m. til noon. I don't know if I'm glad we missed the visiting hours, or not....
wow, loved that dorsal stripe on the dun in the last picture. if i was younger .....but now I'm wiser and will say to myself calmly: "you don't need any more horses, dogs, puppies, goats, etc." Sometimes I mean it.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful area ...how does one live out there??? How far do you go to get to town? And food? And hay for your animals? There doesn't look to be any vegetation out there..how do the native americans feed their horses/beef?
Our pastures are very lush here in NY (hint, hint, Sue!) And Wegmans is just down the street. Boy, do I have a new appreciation for them!