Open Range

Dean  (the husband)
Shalane  (the wife  :O)

The pictures above were all taken on the Stone Cabin trail, just to the north of Spring Valley State Park.

Driving home on Wednesday from Ely to Pioche, I was reminded just how much open range there is in this state.  Between those two small towns, we drove through exactly zero towns.  To be exact, 107 miles of a sagebrush valley flanked on both sides by impressive mountain ranges.  If you drive this, make sure you have an energy drink and some good music.  If you’re the passenger, keep a pillow handy so that you can take a little nap.  That’s what I did.  :O)

A little over a decade ago, we had a foreign exchange student from Germany living in our home for a full school year.  At the time, we were living in Trout Creek, Utah, a remote high desert area east of Ely, NV near the border of Nevada and Utah.  It was so remote that you had to drive an hour down a gravel road just to get to the nearest paved road.  Since it took an hour and a half to get to the nearest gas station, grocery store, etc., there was a lot of driving through this open area.   I LOVE that  place!   Our exchange student commented that it was “unreal” to think of the amount of land without any people living on it. He said that towns are rarely seen more than a few miles away from each other in his country.

I bring this up because I think of just how much area has been completely unexplored in the western part of the United States.  I know that there are other sections of the country that have many areas untouched by human hands as well. There is so much to see that I just don’t know if I will have enough time on this earth to get even a small glimpse of it.  I do know that I’ll give it my best shot!  :O)  Happy Trails!   

Cave Lake State Park Picture Blog

When we first arrived, we checked out the campground near the lake, but it was full.  It's always the first one to fill up.  Cave Lake offers hiking, fishing, boating and camping.

Next, we went to Elk Flats Campground and claimed a spot.  There's not a bad one to be had.  It's a beautiful campground with stunning views.  The elevation is high enough to make the temperature comfortable, even in July.

Ready for a picnic, we drove back over to the lake.  Of course we're not ones to settle for a designated picnic area, so we found a dirt road, followed it for 1.5 miles and found a great little stream and waterfall to enjoy.

After our picnic, we enjoyed a little trout fishing at the lake.

As the night air got cool, we went back to set up camp.

Finally, we topped off our perfect day with a cup of hot cocoa.  We LOVE Cave Lake, and would recommend it to anyone who's thinking about checking it out.  Happy Trails!