I discovered another of Nevada’s hidden gems recently. In early July, I traveled from southern Arizona to northern Nevada, dodging wildfires and thunderstorms, and ended up in a lovely little canyon in the Toquima Range. Not far from the geographical center of Nevada, Pine Creek Campground is a gateway to the 11,000 foot crest of the range. In early July, most of the winter’s meager snow had melted and wildflowers were everywhere.
I camped a couple of nights at Pine Creek, and spent most of one day hiking up the canyon. The trail was in good shape as it wound up the canyon, following the footsteps of Basque sheep herders at least 80 years earlier. Their signatures can still be found on the aspens lining the trails.
Shadow and I hiked several miles up the trail, and stopped in a lovely meadow to take a rest and do some recording while watching the thunderheads build. It was a beautiful spot, full of wildflowers and with bird sounds backed up by the distant rush of Pine Creek and aspen leaves quivering in the breeze. We laid down in the grass and enjoyed the smells of big sage and fir and the sounds of a lovely mountain melody We headed back to camp as the sound of thunder started echoing from nearby canyons.
A longer version of this recording appears in the album, Across the Great Basin.
Recording notes: Recorded with Sony PCM-M10. Recording subject to amplification and equalization.
Heaven